2023-24 Roster

[EasyEd]

Why Thomas Sorber might reclassify and join at end of his HS season:

HS season probably finish before Christmas.
Players like Sorber want to reach NBA ASAP.
Able immediately to compete against top flight teams.
Hoyas need a big and seem not to have taken steps to acquire one.
Unlikely he will be a four year player.

Not saying he will reclassify but there are reasons he might consider it.

[prhoya]

Aug 27, 2023 21:24:30 GMT -5 EasyEd said:

Hoyas need a big and seem not to have taken steps to acquire one.

There were plenty of reports of Cooley going after center prospects. He just couldn’t close.

[calhoya]

Most high school seasons end in March, including the season in Pa.

[617hoya]

Aug 27, 2023 21:24:30 GMT -5 EasyEd said:

Why Thomas Sorber might reclassify and join at end of his HS season:

HS season probably finish before Christmas.
Players like Sorber want to reach NBA ASAP.
Able immediately to compete against top flight teams.
Hoyas need a big and seem not to have taken steps to acquire one.
Unlikely he will be a four year player.

Not saying he will reclassify but there are reasons he might consider it.

1. HS bball ends in early March.
2. Do you realize how rare it is for freshmen to come in for the second semester and start playing right away? Much more common for any freshmen who do arrive early to practice with the team for a semester and then be an active member of the team the following year.
3. Are you done yet?

[TC]

Aug 27, 2023 21:08:01 GMT -5 EasyEd said:

All these walk ons and none are bigs. Don't understand.

Seven footers don't grow on trees.

[dariantownesvanzandt]

Cam Bacote, new Hoya walk-on, had 7 points & 7 assists against us (for UMES) in Patrick Ewing's 3rd game as GU Head Coach.

[kghoya]

Aug 28, 2023 8:57:39 GMT -5 dariantownesvanzandt said:

Cam Bacote, new Hoya walk-on, had 7 points & 7 assists against us (for UMES) in Patrick Ewing's 3rd game as GU Head Coach.

So he's entering his 7th year of college?

[dariantownesvanzandt]

Aug 28, 2023 9:52:24 GMT -5 kghoya said:

Aug 28, 2023 8:57:39 GMT -5 dariantownesvanzandt said:

Cam Bacote, new Hoya walk-on, had 7 points & 7 assists against us (for UMES) in Patrick Ewing's 3rd game as GU Head Coach.

So he's entering his 7th year of college?

Yep. One sit-out transfer, one medical transfer, and the '21 non-counting year.

And he may be our 10th man right now - him or Grant.

[EtomicB]

Aug 28, 2023 9:59:12 GMT -5 dariantownesvanzandt said:

Aug 28, 2023 9:52:24 GMT -5 kghoya said:

So he's entering his 7th year of college?

Yep. One sit-out transfer, one medical transfer, and the '21 non-counting year.

And he may be our 10th man right now - him or Grant.

Getting old and staying old is a big goal for many staffs

[FrazierFanatic]

Aug 28, 2023 10:15:14 GMT -5 EtomicB said:

Aug 28, 2023 9:59:12 GMT -5 dariantownesvanzandt said:

Yep. One sit-out transfer, one medical transfer, and the '21 non-counting year.

And he may be our 10th man right now - him or Grant.

Getting old and staying old is a big goal for many staffs

Getting old and staying old is my only personal goal at this point😉

[bearsandbulls]

Aug 28, 2023 11:25:08 GMT -5 FrazierFanatic said:

Aug 28, 2023 10:15:14 GMT -5 EtomicB said:

Getting old and staying old is a big goal for many staffs

Getting old and staying old is my only personal goal at this point😉

Love the post....At the point where I'm getting so old I don't need to worry about running out of money---but whoops, time is another issue....

[hoyasaxa2003]

Aug 27, 2023 21:29:56 GMT -5 prhoya said:

Aug 27, 2023 21:24:30 GMT -5 EasyEd said:

Hoyas need a big and seem not to have taken steps to acquire one.

There were plenty of reports of Cooley going after center prospects. He just couldn’t close.

Fair enough. But I think it's important to recognize also that Cooley was entering a horrible situation inherited from Ewing. The program was in the dumps. Georgetown has been a laughing stock the last couple of years. Ewing also invested very little in fostering local relationships and in recruiting. On top of that, NIL under Ewing was not well developed, and while Cooley surely had some NIL resources available, I am sure that was in transition too with the change from the Ewing regime to Cooley's. So, there were a lot of factors that surely made Cooley's job difficult when he got to Georgetown. And on top of that, with the NCAA seemingly actually cracking down on giving waivers to 2-time transfers, it essentially took all of Cooley's best players at Providence off the board for transfers.

That said, while I think Cooley's success in recruiting for the 2024-2025 class has been really excellent, I did think he might do a bit better with putting together a roster using the portal. And he did get some nice pieces, but without Akok we are pretty thin. But, even with Akok we would have been thin. This is where I largely defer to the coaching staff, because I have no idea what their plan consists of. For example, there was little reason for Cooley to take on potentially problematic recruits or those with less talent, (even if talented) for a one year shelflife. Indeed, the comment from Hilltop Hoops seems to confirm this approach, "When Akok Akok finally announced his transfer, I heard from a couple of people in the program that Georgetown would be open to bringing in another center, but would not force the issue if there wasn’t a good fit."

To be clear, I am not making excuses for Cooley. I would have liked to see a stronger roster for 2023-2024, but I also realize that with limited time as head coach thus far, Cooley's ability to bring in more people are limited. I think we also need to underscore: barring major unforeseen jumps from multiple players (or a last minute ace recruit), this is not even close to an NCAA team. That alone makes the pitch to better recruits, especially transfers with a lot of options open, a difficult one to sell. I am willing to give Cooley the benefit of the doubt, especially with the 2024 high school class looking good.

Right now, we need 2023-2024 to be a reversal of fortunes from 2021-2022 and 2022-2023, and Cooley needs to put out a well coached--if perhaps thin--team on the floor that competes strongly on both sides of the ball. Maybe get 6-7 Big East wins, knock off a few good teams, and build the "Cooley is getting things in order narrative going." Right now, the absolute worst thing that could happen would be a dismal season like last year. One where he coaches, players, and fans are disengaged, since that would create problems for 2024-2025. But, I really think the odds of that happening are close to zero given that Cooley is a substantially better coach than Ewing.

[professorhoya]

Aug 27, 2023 21:24:30 GMT -5 EasyEd said:

Why Thomas Sorber might reclassify and join at end of his HS season:

HS season probably finish before Christmas.
Players like Sorber want to reach NBA ASAP.
Able immediately to compete against top flight teams.
Hoyas need a big and seem not to have taken steps to acquire one.
Unlikely he will be a four year player.

Not saying he will reclassify but there are reasons he might consider it.

Hollis came to Georgetown in January of his senior year of high school. I suppose if we had really needed him we could have activated him.

Obviously Center is a position of need on this team with Supreme being undersized and Mutumbo an unknown in terms of performance at the Big East level so I wouldn’t rule it out. Also if Supreme gets hurt then we have a big hole at center like we did when Q transferred away and the Georgetown academic side wouldn’t let Tre King play.

[hoyasaxa2003]

Aug 28, 2023 15:17:57 GMT -5 professorhoya said:

Aug 27, 2023 21:24:30 GMT -5 EasyEd said:

Why Thomas Sorber might reclassify and join at end of his HS season:

HS season probably finish before Christmas.
Players like Sorber want to reach NBA ASAP.
Able immediately to compete against top flight teams.
Hoyas need a big and seem not to have taken steps to acquire one.
Unlikely he will be a four year player.

Not saying he will reclassify but there are reasons he might consider it.

Hollis came to Georgetown in January of his senior year of high school. I suppose if we had really needed him we could have activated him.

Obviously Center is a position of need on this team with Supreme being undersized and Mutumbo an unknown in terms of performance at the Big East level so I wouldn’t rule it out. Also if Supreme gets hurt then we have a big hole at center like we did when Q transferred away and the Georgetown academic side wouldn’t let Tre King play.

I don't understand why people keep focusing on Sorber reclassifying. I am excited as everybody else for Sorber to enroll in 2024-2025, and I think he's a real gem, but (a) there's no indication at the moment that Sorber would do this, and (b) there seems to be little reason for him to do it. He may be a fairly highly ranked guy, but he's also not projecting as a one-and-done either. So, what's the benefit from leaving early to him? I suppose maybe NIL and getting the benefit of the college program, but otherwise, I don't see a terribly appealing reason for him to do this.

I just think many people are impatient and want us to be better immediately. I get that, and I want the same, but I am also realistic and realize we likely will not be very good this year, while at the same time being much better than last year. I just don't know why Sorber would burn a year of eligibility on a half-year or something like that, that would take him out of some of his senior year of high school basketball.

As for "there are reasons he might consider it"--of course. But that could be said for almost anybody. That's not unique to Sorber. Unless he graduated early and was done with high school basketball, I also don't see why he'd enroll in January, either. He'd be starting school with nobody else, he'd have to get accustomed to and learn Cooley's system, and it might prevent him from hitting the ground running as much as if he came in as normal.

I really think the fretting over the center position is overblown anyway. No, we do not have a great starting center, and we aren't super deep there. But, modern basketball doesn't consist of throwing it in to the center and letting the big man eat, as Dickie Simpkins likes to say. We had a pretty good center last year (at the very least, better with Wahab than without him the previous year), and it didn't matter much to our wins/losses. We had Omar Yurtseven, a very talented center, and it didn't matter much then either because the rest of the team was mediocre or worse, and Ewing didn't use him properly.

I just don't think Sorber is the difference-maker people think he would be if he came in mid-season. He might help at the margins, but it's not going to be a huge difference, and it could also be negative in some ways too. There is a lot to be said for Sorber getting his final year of high school, developing physically, and coming in in the normal course. But, as I've said before, if Sorber and the staff decide that he should do it, I am fine with it. If not, I'm also fine with that too.

[TC]

Aug 28, 2023 15:42:17 GMT -5 hoyasaxa2003 said:

[I don't understand why people keep focusing on Sorber reclassifying. I am excited as everybody else for Sorber to enroll in 2024-2025, and I think he's a real gem, but (a) there's no indication at the moment that Sorber would do this, and (b) there seems to be little reason for him to do it. He may be a fairly highly ranked guy, but he's also not projecting as a one-and-done either. So, what's the benefit from leaving early to him?

There is none. Some people want quick fixes even if they make no sense.

[calhoya]

I have tempered my expectations for this season. However, I am really looking forward to seeing what a new coach, new system and new players can put together. Felt exactly the same way when Akinjo and McClung were Freshmen. I am just hoping that the team plays as an unselfish unit, rather than a repeat of the "beauty' contest that Akinjo and McClung seemed to engage in on a game-to-game basis. I am very excited for some of the new players, excited for Mutombo to finally get a chance to play, hoping for a good year out of Heath and Bristol who chose to stay, expecting that the team can improve significantly in its perimeter game and hoping that this team can guard the perimeter and avoid some of the embarrassing defensive lapses that became the hallmark of the past several years. I have no doubt that this team has a long hill to climb, but in the new reality of "free agency" it should take nowhere near as long to restore some semblance of competency to a program with a rich history, fertile recruiting grounds and a coach willing to promote the program on and off the court.

[MCIGuy]

Aug 27, 2023 21:24:30 GMT -5 EasyEd said:

Why Thomas Sorber might reclassify and join at end of his HS season:

HS season probably finish before Christmas.
Players like Sorber want to reach NBA ASAP.
Able immediately to compete against top flight teams.
Hoyas need a big and seem not to have taken steps to acquire one.
Unlikely he will be a four year player.

Not saying he will reclassify but there are reasons he might consider it.

What do you mean high school season ends before Christmas? That's for football, not basketball.

Reclassifying isn't easy. There is zero indication that Sorber and his inner circle want to go that route. Not every player is chasing NBA cash to the extent they want to skip a high school year. It is very possible he can make another leap or two in his final high school year; why mess with that? You folks assume the Hoyas need a big man instead of having enough as it is. The coaching staff may have felt that way too at one time but who is to say that is currently the case. Regardless I don't want Sorber to have to give up high school senior year memories(Including a possible state title) just because the team I root for may need a starting big or an extra big body. I feel that is selfish. God forbid he reclassifies and it turns out he was not ready to take the leap and it sets him back from a psychological perspective and damages Cooley's rep with coaches from that part of the country. No thanks.

Frankly I am more worried about a lack of scholarship guards. This is a guard dominant era in college hoops.

[FromTheBeginning]

The only advantage would be for us in that it would eliminate the possibility of someone poaching him before September of 2024

[wolveribe]

It kind of reminds me of a quote from Musselman about how 13 players is way too many to keep happy.

Granted, I would love to have some more depth in the chance of an injury, I think the lack of depth is somewhat overstated. We are likely to play 8-9 guys significant minutes. We will likely have 10 scholarship players so the chances are that the only kids playing significant minutes are scholarship players. Granted, if there are injuries, thats all off the table, but we wouldn't be good anyways with significant injuries.

Ball handlers:
Heath
Epps
Brumbaugh

Wings:
Styles
Massoud (will play some 4, I would imagine)
Bristol
McKenna (could play some 4, I would imagine)

Bigs:
Cook
Mutombo
Fielder (could play some 4, I would imagine)

That is enough depth if everyone remains healthy.Im not saying the team is great but its not like we won't have enough players to suit up.

[traversb]

Aug 28, 2023 15:53:29 GMT -5 calhoya said:

I have no doubt that this team has a long hill to climb, but in the new reality of "free agency" it should take nowhere near as long to restore some semblance of competency to a program with a rich history, fertile recruiting grounds and a coach willing to promote the program on and off the court.

A Coach in the SEC: “Money talks. If you want a kid, you’re going to have to pay for him. It’s a win-now era in college basketball. You can turn a program around in one year with a roster flip. If you’re a top ten transfer portal team, and your team doesn’t perform, what does that say about you as a coach?”

www.on3.com/news/college-coaches-confidential-how-has-nil-changed-how-you-recruit-a-player/


NIL has made it easier than ever to turn a program around. Especially an established coach with all the advantages Georgetown has. This nonsense talk of what happened this last few years used to matter. Look what Jerome Tang did at KSU. A team that was awful for the 3 years before he got there.