Slowly But Surely, Georgetown's Roster Takes Shape

With Jordan Burks the latest addition and three spots left to fill, next year's roster is coming into focus.

After a quiet couple of weeks in the transfer portal, Georgetown finally appeased an increasingly anxious fanbase this week, adding Jordan Burks, a 6-foot-9 wing who spent his freshman year at Kentucky.

The move puts Georgetown at 10 scholarship players on its roster for 2024-25, meaning the Blue & Gray have three spots left to fill.

One of those spots will almost certainly go to a center. The Hoyas have struck out on several center targets already this offseason, most notably former Rutgers center Cliff Omoruyi, who wound up choosing Alabama over Georgetown, UNC, and Kansas State.

Outside of center though, this team doesn’t have many significant roles left to fill, especially if you are someone who is bullish on the incoming freshman class and believes one or multiple of those players can be contributing players sooner rather than later as freshmen.

Starting Lineup

As of now, Georgetown has three locks to start next season: Jayden Epps, Malik Mack, and Micah Peavy.

After that, there are still question marks at the 4 and 5 positions.

Drew Fielder, who ended his freshman campaign on a high note, averaging 10 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in the last three games of the season while shooting 50% from three-point range on 3.3 three-point attempts per game, figures to play a significant role in Year 2 at Georgetown. The question is whether his long-term fit will be as a center or a power forward.

Georgetown’s actions this offseason in adding Thomas Sorber and recruiting a center through the portal suggests the Fielder may best slot in at power forward this season and in the future.

It’s a good problem to have though, figuring out where a mobile 6-foot-10 forward/center who shot 40.7% from three as a freshman fits in your lineup.

One key thing for Georgetown to monitor with Fielder is the health of his knees, which required maintenance work throughout the season to keep him in game shape. With a full offseason this summer, the hope is that Fielder can move past any lingering issues there, and be at full health once the fall rolls around.

Outside of Fielder, could Ed Cooley opt for more athleticism and versatility at the power forward position this year instead? Jordan Burks, or Drew McKenna - whose stock is high entering his first full offseason as a Hoya - could compete for a starting spot if Cooley wants someone who can guard multiple positions and player types.

With Burks, how big his role will be in the beginning will likely come down to how his shot develops. If he can provide defensive versatility and space the floor on offense, he could play a significant role for Georgetown.

For McKenna, who is known more for his scoring ability, how well - and how quickly - he translates to the college game on both ends of the floor will dictate his role next season.

With all that in mind, here are some potential starting lineup options:

Mack-Epps-Peavy-Fielder-[Center]

Mack-Epps-Peavy-Burks-Fielder

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The Backcourt

The presumptive starting backcourt of Malik Mack and Jayden Epps should be a potent one from a scoring perspective. While defensive questions will remain with the undersized duo until the ball is rolled out onto the court in November, Georgetown has undoubtedly raised the talent level in its backcourt for next season, compared to what it had last year with the tag team of Rowan Brumbaugh and Epps.

After Mack and Epps, there are still some roles to be determined, however.

Curtis Williams, the Louisville transfer who was known as a sharpshooter coming out of high school but struggled to shoot the 3-ball at Louisville (28.7% from three), has the inside track right now as the bench guard who can space the floor, a la Jay Heath last season, if he can get his perimeter shot back on track.

It’s a risk though, expecting a guard like Williams who shot 28.7% on three’s and 37.3% on two’s to come in right away and be a dependable contributor for a team who needs secondary scoring options behind Mack and Epps in the backcourt.

Then there is incoming freshman Kayvaun Mulready, who recently was bumped up to #57 in 247Sports’ player rankings for the Class of 2024. Mulready’s calling card is his defense, but he has worked diligently at improving his three-point shot and ball-handling ability too. If he impresses, particularly on defense, he could carve out a role for himself off the bench as a freshman.

But still, this team could use a more traditional backup point guard who can run the offense when Mack or Epps are off the floor. If either member of Georgetown’s starting backcourt suffers an injury, Georgetown will be hamstrung on offense without a primary ball-handler to fill in.

Epps, in particular, battled several minor injuries throughout last season. It would behoove Ed Cooley and Georgetown to find a veteran scoring option to serve as depth behind him.

Center

Far and away the biggest question mark left with this team. Georgetown has been searching far and wide for a center in the transfer portal, but have yet to land anyone up to this point.

With the level of activity that the coaching staff has been at in finding a center, it appears to be only a matter of time before the Hoyas add a player at the position. Until that happens though, it’s hard to gauge this team’s ceiling without knowing how big of an upgrade the team will have at the center position next season compared to last season.

With Supreme Cook entering the portal, the team currently has just Drew Fielder and Thomas Sorber at the position. While Sorber is considered the future at the position for Georgetown, the team will need a veteran option to rely on this season while Sorber acclimates to the college game and develops his body.

Needs

With three spots left to fill, and one spot nearly guaranteed to go to a center, that leaves two spots left. The wing position is well-stocked, particularly if you think McKenna can contribute immediately with half a season of practices under his belt after redshirting last season, so it makes sense for Georgetown to consider bolstering its backcourt options further.

Adding a veteran combo guard who can play on or off the ball could be a good way to address the lack of a backup point guard while also giving space for Mack and Epps to be the primary offensive creators most of the time. That would leave Georgetown with one open spot to do as they wish, either leaving it open to allow for roster flexibility, or adding to their depth in the backcourt or frontcourt.