LINKS: Young Hoyas Roster Offers High Potential

10 weeks ‘til tip, Georgetown fans await finalized roster and schedule

With only 10 weeks until tipoff, college basketball is in a really weird place from NIL, the transfer portal, conference realignment, potential employee unions, and more. Adding one of the highest paid coaches a year ago, it’s hard to say that the Georgetown Hoyas don’t see how money is changing the game. Ed Cooley and the Hoyas have not released a non-conference schedule or roster, but fans who have been following the team this summer can’t help but get a little excited. The lack of Kenner participation has kept things hidden, however the youth in this program offer a very high ceiling. The question is whether their potential shows up on the court in early November or mid-February.

With the expected roster, many fans (including this humble lunch blog contributor) are coming around to the exciting potential of this young team. Yes, roster retention was thought to be an admirable goal for building a foundation (and a key reason a rival coach was not hired), but here we are returning only two players with BIG EAST minutes and—no offense to the defectors—it’s hard to say the Hoyas are not better off for it… again.

Ed Cooley and his staff added a top recruiting class, the rookie of the year from the Ivy League, a defensive-minded, multi-positional grad from TCU, a very athletic forward from Kentucky, and a runner-up Michigan Mr. Basketball via Louisville. While GU did not find an experienced big in the portal this spring, the staff scored a 7-footer from New Zealand, as well as two other reclassified forwards who could provide front-court depth (or redshirt) to help the future.

As of today, this is the expected roster (ordered by expected height):

• Malik Mack 6-1 170 (Harvard Fr. transfer) Soph.
• Jayden Epps 6-2 187 G Jr.
• Kayvaun Mulready 6-4 G (incoming) Fr.
• Curtis Williams, Jr. 6-5 205 G/F (Louisville transfer) Soph
• Caleb Williams 6-7 F (incoming) Fr.
• Micah Peavy 6-8 G 215 (TCU grad transfer)
• Drew McKenna 6-8 G/F (redshirted at GU) Fr.
• Jayden Fort 6-8 200 G/F (expected to redshirt) Fr.
• Jordan Burks 6-8 202 F (UK transfer) Soph.
• Seal Diouf 6-8 F (incoming from Netherlands) Fr.
• Drew Fielder 6-10 216 F Soph.
• Thomas Sorber 6-10 F/C (incoming) Fr.
• Julius Halaifonua 7-0 C (incoming from NZ) Fr.
• Hashem Asadallah 6-1 Fr (walk-on)
• Austin Montgomery 6-4 G Fr (walk-on)
• Michael Van Raaphorst 6-4 G (incoming walk-on)
• Mason Moses 6-5 G (incoming walk-on)

There appears to be plenty of talent on this roster, but experience and physical maturity are prime assets in the modern BIG EAST. Micah Peavy as a grad student and Jayden Epps as a junior lead 11 freshmen and sophomores into conference battle. This will help in the long run, but this is not really the underclassmen era. Or is it?

The expectations in year two are a notch higher—and fans a bit less patient—but the roster appears primed for a big jump from prior on-court product. It better be. The question is can this young group mature quickly enough to make this season competitive on day 1 or will fans have to wait a bit.

Earlier this summer, Associate Head Coach Jeff Battle said, “Offensively we’ll be fine, but defensively is where we have to take the next big step.” Ed Cooley’s teams have traditionally been solid defensively. Unrelenting, physical defense needs to be Georgetown’s #brand. It seems too simple.

There is little doubt that this team, if they stick together, will be very competitive in a year or two. This roster, with its young talent, has the potential to create some good defensive habits and reset the program’s defensive identity. Whether those young talents mature into a solid defense before January is anyone’s guess.

Here are the some recent highlights and interviews that fans may have missed: