"It Was Just An Opportunity I Couldn't Pass Up": Ismael Massoud Discusses His Commitment to Georgetown

On Friday, Kansas State forward Ismael Massoud committed to Georgetown, giving the Hoyas a tall and versatile addition to their frontcourt who will help stretch the floor with his three-point shooting.

Massoud, a huge LeBron James fan, chatted with me during halftime of last night’s Warriors-Lakers game to discuss his commitment to Georgetown and why he chose to come to the Hilltop.

The following responses have been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.

When did Georgetown reach out to you? How did this get started?

I had been in the portal for about a month, and I had taken a couple visits. Georgetown came in towards the end of my recruitment hard, and they came in really enthusiastically, trying to get the deal done, showing they weren’t just testing to see where I was at. They wanted to get me on a visit and they wanted to see my interest level because they really value what I can do and what I can bring to the table. It’s something that Coach Cooley and his staff really felt that they needed to do the things that they want to do at Georgetown.

After my visit I just felt like they provided the basketball opportunity I was looking for. Obviously they are at a great level in the Big East, close to home, being in a great city like DC, and being coached by Coach Cooley, an all-time great coach, and to be able to get my degree from Georgetown, it was just an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.

What was Georgetown’s pitch to you in terms of on-court fit? What role do they want you to play here?

He expressed to me that he’s always done good with transfers, he’s had a few at my position, that 3/4 position, that forward position, that’s always been successful for him and they always get utilized and have great usage and always maximize their abilities - especially ones that can shoot. He has a lot of great sets and a lot of great things he runs for shooters, and for me to be at that position and my greatest asset being my size and my versatility and obviously my shooting ability, he thought I fit exactly how he wants to play and I’m his exact type of player that he really values a lot.

Do you have a preference between playing the 3 and the 4?

I feel like in college it’s kind of the same. I always grew up playing the 3. I actually grew up playing every position but I’ve always been more of a wing. In college I’ve played the stretch-4. I’m comfortable playing either position, and I can play the 5 as well, which I’ve done before. So really I feel like I can play anywhere from the 3 to the 5 depending on matchups and situations.

Did they talk minutes with you, or whether they see you starting or coming off the bench?

He [Cooley] just told me that he understood what I went into the portal for, to have a bigger role and a bigger opportunity than I had at K-State this past year. He said that “I understand that it’s your last year and I wouldn’t be wasting your time if I didn’t think I could provide that for you and give you an opportunity to get that and more.”

No coach can promise anything because at the end of the day you got to do what you do and meet your end of the bargain, but he definitely told me that the opportunity and the situation I am looking for, for the whole reason I entered the portal, is there for the taking.

How was your time at K-State? Was it difficult to leave behind what Jerome Tang is building there, coming off an Elite Eight run?

Man, I loved my time at K-State. I played under Coach Weber my first year and Coach Tang my second. I definitely found a home here in Manhattan and I’m proud to say I’m alumni now. I was part of a great team that went to the Elite Eight.

For me, I felt like I learned a lot this year, I got better, I was a part of helping a team win and playing my role and really maximizing my ability in that role. I just felt like my last year, it was just kind of time to move on and kind of see where I can take this thing and see what I can do given a bigger opportunity.

How was your visit to Georgetown?

DC’s a great city. I’m from New York, so I’m a city kid, I love being in cities. It’s a different vibe in DC but I really enjoyed it. It’s different from New York. It’s a lot more laid back but it still gives you that city atmosphere and aspect that as a city kid you really love.

The visit was just more getting to know the coaches in person and obviously going out to eat and talking basketball, being around them and picking their brains and picking my brain, and just having a lot of on- and off-the-court type conversations.

Georgetown is the first American University to hire a full-time Muslim chaplain. With yourself being Muslim, were you aware of that fact at all and did it play a factor at all in perhaps convincing you that Georgetown was where you wanted to go?

It’s funny, I honestly saw that kind of late. I didn’t really see it when I was going there but I saw it while I was there. I didn’t get a chance to visit [with him] but as someone who is devout in their faith and a proud Muslim, I think that is beautiful to me and hopefully more universities follow suit because at the end of the day, faith is faith whether you’re Christian, Muslim, or Jewish. Faith is a beautiful thing.

I wouldn’t say that if I had known it would have swayed my decision even more, but obviously now that I know I’m going here, it’s a place that I will go to all the time. It’s a beautiful thing to know I have a place like that to go see and meet other Muslims on campus and around DC.

Do you know any current or incoming Georgetown players on the roster?

I played against Jay Heath from my time at Wake Forest. I don’t really know him but I’m looking forward to getting to know him obviously. The only other person I know is Akok. He’s a New England guy and I’ve played against him a couple times and I played with him a couple times so that’s really the only one I’ve got a friendship with. But I’m looking forward to meeting all the guys and building those bonds and working to build something special.

You mention building something special and obviously you’re coming off a special Elite Eight run with Kansas State this spring. What do you think the ceiling of this Georgetown team can be?

This year, even with Kansas State, we didn’t put a ceiling on what we can do. We knew if we worked hard every day and we listened to ourselves and didn’t listen to the outside noise and we just listened to what the coaches had to say, and if we believed in each other, anything was possible and we can take this thing as far as we can.

We were picked last at K-State, and obviously we didn’t finish last and we made it all the way to the Elite Eight. So I don’t think putting a ceiling on anything is necessarily the best way to go. I think taking it a day at a time and working as hard as you can, and obviously Coach Cooley has proven he’s won everywhere he goes and he’s able to get things going and build things fast. I definitely feel like this isn’t a gap year, it’s not “Oh, this is his first year and it’s going to be what it’s going to be.” No, we’re definitely going to compete and try and win and try and make the tournament. And that’s not something that we can take for granted. Every practice, every game, every workout we should have that goal, and once you put yourself in position to make the tournament, as I experienced this year, anything’s possible.

Do you see any similarities or differences between Coach Cooley and Coach Tang?

They’re both winners. The main thing is the main thing, and that's winning and doing whatever it takes to win. Coach Cooley was saying kind of the same sentiments. Tang came in his first year and was saying “We’re coming to win and we’re coming to win right away. This isn’t a gap year, this isn’t a first-year rebuild.” I feel like Coach Cooley is the same thing. It’s not a rebuild, it’s getting Georgetown back to how it should be, and that’s making the tournament and winning the right way, and I feel like they both had those same mindsets and we were able to get it done with Coach Tang and I’m looking forward to the same with Coach Cooley.

Georgetown still has a number of open roster spots to fill. Did they talk about how they plan to round out this roster to be a competitive team in Year One under Coach Cooley?

They inherited scholarships and they need to fill those out. This isn’t Coach Cooley’s first rodeo, he knows what it takes to fill out a roster and it’s about getting the right pieces, not just getting pieces. You have to find pieces that fit his scheme and his vision and what he is trying to do. I’m sure getting a center or getting another guard, or whatever he’s trying to do, he’s definitely going to get it done.

In my conversations with them, they were super confident they were going to get it done. They already had a plan and vision for what they were looking for.

Did NIL play a factor in your recruitment at all?

No, it didn’t. This was a basketball decision. Obviously the climate in college basketball is NIL. There’s opportunities in that area and that’s great. Nothing is promised and you got to try and maximize your value while you’re here. At the end of the day for me I wasn’t going to sacrifice the basketball aspect just to get the biggest NIL deal I could get. For me, it didn’t play a factor in my decision-making.

What’s your message to all Georgetown fans?

We get a chance now to play for a great coach. Coach Cooley is a proven winner and he’s going to bring winning here to Georgetown. He’s going to get Georgetown back to where it’s supposed to be and where it’s been.

I played at Kansas State and I know what it’s like to have a fan base that’s passionate and wants to win, and y’all play a big role. We got to do our part but you got to come support to because you help change the game for us. Having a homecourt advantage is something that can’t be taken lightly in basketball because it makes a big difference. We’re going to do our part but we need the fans to come out and support. Them doing their part only makes this partnership that much better, and they’re going to have a team to be proud of this year.