Georgetown still is predicted to be near the Big East's bottom in Ed Cooley's second season

Georgetown (9-23, 2-18 Big East)

Year 2 for coach Ed Cooley with the Hoyas is expected to show some improvement — how could it not? — but he has a lot of work to do to get Georgetown back to where the school once was in men's basketball. Cooley, hired away from Big East rival Providence, has spoken about working to “try to resurrect Georgetown basketball.” There was not much progress on the court in 2023-24. Both conference wins came against DePaul, which was 3-29 overall and 0-20 in league play. Cooley also made a big deal about striving "to create a different culture” but he will need to start producing victories at some point. Georgetown was picked to finish ninth in the 11-team Big East in a vote of the league's coaches.

Players to watch

Jayden Epps (junior, G, 6-2, 18.5 ppg, 4.2 apg). Epps led Georgetown in points, assists and steals last season, his first on the Hilltop after transferring from Illinois. He was a third-team All-Big East preseason selection.

Malik Mack (sophomore, G, 6-2). Averaged 17.2 points, 4.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds at Harvard last season.

Thomas Sorber (freshman, C, 6-10). Considered the top addition in a class that was rated well.

Departures and arrivals

The roster is almost completely new. In addition to Mack, transfers include TCU's Micah Peavy, Kentucky's Jordan Burks and Louisville's Curtis Williams Jr. Players who left include second-leading scorer Dontrez Styles (NC State), leading rebounder Supreme Cook (Oregon) and Rowan Brumbaugh (Tulane).

Top games

Georgetown opens against Lehigh of the Patriot League on Nov. 6 on campus at McDonough Arena — instead of its usual away-from-school home, Capital One Arena. The Hoyas' last game before starting conference action is at old rival Syracuse on Dec. 14. The Big East opener is four days later against visiting Creighton, which is No. 15 in the AP preseason Top 25. Two-time defending national champion UConn plays at Georgetown on Jan. 11 and hosts the Hoyas on Feb. 26.

Facts and figures

Georgetown once was known for its suffocating defense, but those days are long gone. Last season's team defensive efficiency rating of 1.119 ranked 349th out of 362 NCAA Division I schools. ... Just one of the Hoyas' top six scorers from last season returns, Epps. Indeed, only two players who got minutes of any significance (Epps and Drew Fielder) are back. ... Georgetown is 22-73 over the past three seasons — a .232 winning percentage — which includes Patrick Ewing's final two years in charge.