Georgetown will complete a season-opening three-game homestand Tuesday by hosting Delaware State on campus in Washington.
Georgetown is off to a 2-0 start for the third time in coach Ed Cooley’s four seasons at the helm. Like most teams in the country, Cooley’s squad is doing it with new faces.
Blue-blood transfers Jaland Lowe (Kentucky) and Elmarko Jackson (Kansas) have delivered early performances that may cause some to rethink Georgetown’s predicted 10th-place position in the Big East preseason poll.
Lowe was named Big East Player of the Week on Monday after averaging a team-best 22.5 points per game while also hitting 10 of 16 3-point attempts. The point guard is also averaging five assists and 3.5 rebounds per game.
“Shoutout to the coaches, honestly, with the recruitment,” returning Georgetown guard Kayvaun Mulready said after the Hoyas’ 86-74 win over Maryland on Saturday. “Honestly, Lowe has me speechless. I’ve never had a point guard like this.”
Jackson checks in as the Hoyas’ third-leading scorer at 15.5 points per game after averaging 4.8 points per game with the Jayhawks last season in a reserve role. Against Maryland, Jackson made three 3-pointers while Mulready hit on 5 of 9 as the Hoyas made 15 as a team, their most in a game since 2010.
Georgetown is tied for 55th in the country in 3-point makes per game with 11 while shooting 39.3%.
Another transfer off to a good start for the Hoyas is 7-footer Chol Machot. The former Charleston big man is averaging 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds as well as three blocks per game. Machot’s effort against Maryland, particularly on the defensive end, impressed his coach.
“He shows a lot of gift that is not coachable,” Cooley said Saturday. “His length, his ability to change shots … that’s not coaching. It’s a natural ability and we need that.”
Delaware State (1-1) won its season opener for the first time in five years by defeating Division III St. Vincent 86-52 on Nov. 2.
Newcomers Nehemiah Reedus (Division II) and Nasir Muhammad (Albany) lead the Hornets in scoring at 18 and 17 points per game, respectively.
Delaware State has held opponents to 40.4% shooting while forcing 18 turnovers per game. Reedus is averaging 3.5 steals per game.
The Hoyas and Hornets are meeting for the fourth time and first since the 2003-04 season.
–Field Level Media
