Hiring Ed Cooley as coach in March was Georgetown’s first step toward re-establishing its storied legacy following six tumultuous seasons under Patrick Ewing.
Cooley and his squad will begin the long climb toward regaining respectability when the Hoyas host Division I newcomer Le Moyne on Tuesday in Washington, D.C., to open the 2023-24 season for both teams.
Georgetown meandered to a 62-59 record through Ewing’s first four seasons as coach, the last of which saw the Hoyas make a surprise run to the NCAA Tournament in 2021. But Georgetown crumbled spectacularly after that. The Hoyas went 13-50 throughout the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons, which included a Big East-record 29-game conference losing streak.
Cooley represents the established leader Georgetown sought to help revive its program. He led Big East rival Providence to seven NCAA tournaments throughout his 12-year tenure with the Friars and was named Naismith and Big East Coach of the Year following the 2021-22 season.
However, Cooley knows that guiding Georgetown to similar success is a multi-year process that will likely produce some more lean seasons early on. The Hoyas finished 7-25 overall and went 2-18 in the Big East last year.
“All I’m asking this community to do is give us an opportunity to grow, develop and trust,” Cooley said at his introductory press conference. “We’re gonna lose some games; it’s okay, losing is part of growth. But over time, it’s gonna pay off, and the dreams do come true.”
Senior guard Jay Heath is among four returning Hoyas on a roster that carries 11 newcomers. Heath led Georgetown in made 3-pointers (38) and 3-point percentage (37.3) a season ago.
Le Moyne makes its Division I debut as a member of the Northeast Conference after spending the past 26 seasons in the Division II Northeast-10 Conference.
The Dolphins return nine players from last season’s roster, including their two leading scorers in guard Isaiah Salter (11.7 points per game) and forward Luke Sutherland (11.2 points per game).
Fifth-year coach Nate Champion said the team’s mettle and continuity will be keys in helping Le Moyne settle in at the next level.
“We lost a lot of close games and hopefully those close games and experiences will help us as we move forward,” Champion said, per the Pharos-Tribune. “Our schedule is pretty difficult but I think we have the right group of guys to transition into Division I this year.”
–Field Level Media
