KSR's first look at the Georgetown Hoyas ahead of Kentucky's second exhibition game

It’s not the No. 1 team in the country coming to town, but it’s still a name-brand foe with a ton of talent giving the Wildcats their next challenge in this first-of-its-kind exhibition schedule for Kentucky. Gone are the days of Athletes in Action taking the floor or DIII/NAIA programs giving you next to nothing to learn from entering the regular season as you flirt with triple-digit wins. This time, it’s Ed Cooley and the Georgetown Hoyas taking on Mark Pope’s squad inside Rupp Arena on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET, live on SEC Network+.

What do you need to know about the team picked sixth in the Big East coming off an 18-16 campaign a year ago? KSR has the first look at the Hoyas.

Replacing Micah Peavy, Thomas Sorber and Jayden Epps

Peavy, a 6’8″ guard, was drafted No. 40 overall by the New Orleans Pelicans coming off a career season with the Hoyas, leading the team with 17.2 points per game on 48.1 percent shooting and 40.0 percent from three to go with 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.3 steals per contest — a do-it-all threat under Coach Cooley.

Right behind him? Sorber, a 6’9″ center, who averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals in 24 games before a season-ending injury took him out in February. He’s now with the defending world champions in Oklahoma City as the No. 15 overall pick.

Jayden Epps was a top contibutor, too, averaging 12.8 points per contest as a junior before making the move to the SEC, joining Chris Jans at Mississippi State. Drew Fielder (7.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG), former Kentucky reserve Jordan Burks (5.7 PPG, 3.4 RPG) and Curtis Williams Jr. (4.7 PPG, 1.8 RPG) have moved on to Boise State, UCF and Tulane, respectively, as well. That’s six of the team’s top seven leading scorers gone from a year ago.

Very real turnover entering Cooley’s third season in D.C.

Can Malik Mack make the jump?

The reason it’s only six of seven top contributors gone is because Mack, the team’s third-leading scorer, is back for his junior season as a Hoya. The 6’2″ guard came from Harvard averaging 17.2 points on 41/34/81 splits while adding 4.8 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game, then followed that up with 12.9 points on 38/36/73 splits with 4.3 assists and 3.6 rebounds as a go-to starter in the backcourt.

He hit his stride down the stretch especially, going for 37 points, five rebounds, four assists and two stels against Washington State in the College Basketball Crown, then 25 points and three assists vs. Nebraska in the second round. Now, he’s been named to the Preseason All Big-East Third Team and will be expected to lead the Hoyas with so much movement around him.

“It’s another opportunity to rise. A lot of the people here now are transfers and they’re trying to learn more about the program,” Mack told The Georgetown Voice. “… I don’t see it as pressure (being a leader). I see it as a responsibility. Everybody has a job to do, that’s just part of my job.”

Some big-name portal additions

Needing immediate experience, Cooley did not take a single high school recruit in 2025. Instead, he signed six players out of the transfer portal — all from high-major programs. And of that six, five of them were former four-star, top-100 prospects holding big-time offers and interest before their first stops in college. That group includes KJ Lewis (10.8 PPG at Arizona), Langston Love (8.9 PPG at Baylor), Jeremiah Williams (7.0 PPG at Rutgers), Vince Iwuchukwu (2.7 PPG at St. John’s), DeShawn Harris-Smith (2.5 PPG at Maryland), Isaiah Abraham (1.6 PPG at UConn).

All but Williams were four-stars:

• KJ Lewis (G) – No. 81 overall, four-star in 2023 (JUNIOR)
• Langston Love (G) – No. 36 overall, four-star in 2021 (GRADUATE STUDENT)
• Vince Iwuchukwu (C) – No. 29 overall, four-star in 2022 (SENIOR)
• DeShawn Harris-Smith (G) – No. 34 overall, four-star in 2023 (JUNIOR)
• Isaiah Abraham (F) – No. 64 overall, four-star in 2024 (SOPHOMORE)

The name to watch is KJ Lewis, who has been named to the Preseason All-Big East Second Team, coming off a sophomore season at Arizona where he averaged 10.8 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 37 games with six starts, registering career highs in assists (106), blocks (31) and steals (49) while also scoring in double figures 22 times. He’ll be expected to be the co-star alongside Mack.

Remember Julius Halaifona?

Once upon a time, Kentucky was a contender for Julius Halaifonua, a 7-foot center from the NBA Global Academy (Auckland, New Zealand). Mark Pope expressed interest in adding him to wrap up the 2024-25 roster in his first offseason with the Wildcats, a potential depth piece to play spot minutes or even redshirt, if possible.

Instead, UK moved in a different direction and Halaifonua chose Georgetown over North Carolina. He was ranked by On3 as the No. 60 overall prospect and No. 11 center in the 2024 recruiting class after reclassifying.

He would suit up in six contests for the Hoyas in year one, averaging 3.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 0.5 blocks in 13.2 minutes per game. Now, he’s going to be battling against Brandon Garrison and Malachi Moreno at Rupp Arena on Thursday.

Georgetown is a “(potential) comeback kid”

How are the Hoyas viewed at the national level? ESPN has Cooley’s squad listed in the eighth tier of the sport — but one to keep an eye on nevertheless, taking steps in the right direction.

“Ed Cooley took Georgetown from a 9-23 record (2-18 in the Big East) in Year 1 to 18-16 (8-12) in Year 2 — and the Hoyas are ready to take another jump under his leadership,” Jeff Borzello wrote. “Cooley signed six power conference transfers, led by former Arizona guard KJ Lewis, and welcomes back starting point guard Malik Mack. Those two should form one of the best backcourts in the Big East.”

Kentucky, for comparison, is in tier two as a Final Four contender — behind only tier one national championship favorites. The tiers separating the Cats and Hoyas are “second-weekend threats,” “can win a tournament game,” “dangerous bubble teams,” “total rebuild” and “backward step looms.”