Last year was a dramatic step in the right direction but there’s still immense work to be done at Georgetown. Ed Cooley knows how to win in the Big East and he showed it for more than a decade at Providence, but an 18-16 record in year two cannot be his ceiling with these Hoyas. This program hasn’t been in great shape in recent memory, but does Georgetown have what it takes to start competing for Big East titles again very soon?
As happens in this current era of college basketball, Georgetown’s roster will look quite different this upcoming season. Most of the notable pieces from the rotation are gone via transfer or graduation while Thomas Sorber is off to the NBA. The big returner is Malik Mack, now a junior point guard and former Harvard transfer who’ll be leaned on even more heavily in his second season with this program. Freshman Caleb Williams showed promise and is the only other returner with notable minutes.
The roster was rebooted with the transfer portal and there are several names of note gearing up for Georgetown this season. Former Temple and Rutgers point guard Jeremiah Williams adds much needed support in the backcourt alongside Langston Love, the former Baylor shooting guard. Those two are both very solid additions and much needed after what Georgetown lost in the offseason. When you throw in 7-footer Vincent Iwuchukwu and former power conference forwards Isaiah Abraham and DeShawn Harris-Smith then you might have something here.
We’ve obviously saved the best for last and in this case we’re talking about KJ Lewis. A 6-4 guard out of El Paso, Lewis began his collegiate career with a notable role at Arizona, coming to Tucson as a Top 100 recruit and filling a notable role in the backcourt. While the Wildcats had other pieces like Jaden Bradley and Caleb Love in recent years, Lewis almost quietly grew into a major role behind them, averaging 10.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists last season off the bench.
His role will be different with the Hoyas as Lewis likely becomes the starter at the 2 with the ability to play a little point as well. He’s a versatile athlete, though his shot-making took a step back last season with some dreadful numbers from outside the arc. Cooley is counting on Lewis to recapture some of his magic and work on that part of his game. Pairing him with Love and the other additions in the backcourt could create quite the lethal mix in the Big East.
It’s very possible that Lewis is not the best player from this transfer class nor even the top scorer. Why he matters most is his ability to take that next step and how that could affect the upcoming season for Georgetown. He can match his Arizona production and have a nice season, even with rough shooting figures, or he can develop into the dynamic athlete many expected these last few seasons and be a major playmaker in the Big East. Perhaps that development is the difference between another tough rebuilding season and real progress for the Hoyas.