Georgetown’s Ed Cooley was no stranger to the Hoyas program when he was named head coach in March 2023. After 12 seasons at Providence competing in the Big East, he often had a front-row seat to a program that declined from regular season co-champion in 2013 to a regular last-place finisher in 2023.
He knew there would be foundational changes needed as opposed to a cosmetic face-lift, and after a 9-23 finish that saw the Hoyas post a pair of conference wins (over DePaul), it feels like the program revamp will take a major step in 2024-25.
“I like my team, I think we’re definitely showing progress. I love the pieces that we’ve added,” Cooley told WTOP last month. “We’re very young though. We may be the youngest team in the Power Five, definitely the youngest team in the Big East, but I do like what I see and how hard we’re working together.”
To say the roster has been turned over would be an understatement: nine freshmen and five transfers were added in the offseason.
“It’s going to be really hard to build programs year in and year out, so you got to build your team. And you’ve got to make sure you can identify players that cannot just come to Georgetown but players that can play for you as the head coach,” Cooley said. “What’s their toughness level, what’s their accountability level, do they have an unselfish attitude, do they have gratitude and an appreciation for things? Those are the types of players who normally play well for us.”
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If you were going to pick one player from last year’s team to return, it would probably be junior guard Jayden Epps. The Illinois transfer averaged 18.5 points per game (third in the Big East) during his first winter in D.C., and his coach expects Epps to build off that.
“I’m expecting Jayden to lead more vocally, I’m expecting him to become better defensively,” Cooley said. “A better decision-maker. I think there’s other players on the floor that will allow him to be freed up where everything’s not just totally concentrated on him.”
Jayden understands that he’ll be expected to produce more than points.
“Just being more of a leader, finding ways to help my team fight through adversity,” Epps said. “Watching more film, and just being a better leader on and off the court.”
He’ll be joined in the backcourt by Harvard transfer Malik Mack, who averaged 17 points with four assists for the 14-13 Crimson in his freshman season. Epps likes what he has seen so far from the St. John’s College High School graduate.
“He’s a great player — I know it’s going to be a fun year playing with him. All the national attention he’s getting, he lives up to the hype,” Epps said. “Great guard — I’m going to love playing in the backcourt with him.”
The Oxon Hill, Maryland, native welcomes the warmer winter of D.C. as well as the opportunity to be the start of something special.
“I just want to bring a competitor, bring a dog,” Mack said. “I feel if I go out there and play my hardest every night my team will follow and that will lead to victories.”
Also expected to contribute: transfer guards who can shoot in the form of Micah Peavy (11 points with five rebounds last winter for TCU) and Curtis Williams Jr. (5 points on 18 minutes per game for Louisville), plus local post players with potential in 6-foot-9 freshman Jayden Fort (Jackson-Reed High School in D.C.) and 6-foot-7 freshman Caleb Williams Jr. (Sidwell Friends).
The schedule begins with eight straight home games before trips to former conference foes West Virginia and Syracuse. And then Big East play begins with a bang Dec. 18 when Creighton drops by the District.
Not only does the league boast two-time defending champion and preseason No. 3 UConn, but Creighton (No. 15) and Marquette (No. 18) begin November ranked and three other schools (St. John’s, Xavier and Providence) also received votes.
“There’s no other league that I want to coach in, no other league to play in, I think the coaching is elite,” Cooley said. “And I’m excited to help build Georgetown back to where it’s supposed to be.”
Step two of the journey begins Wednesday when the Hoyas host Lehigh at McDonough Arena.
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