LINKS: Ed Cooley Appears on Peach Jam Broadcast, Georgetown Scheduling News

If you follow Jon Rothstein, you know it’s only 122 days until the start of the college basketball season and fans of the Georgetown Hoyas have an optimism in the program’s direction they have not felt in years. Ed Cooley has been making his rounds and recently appeared on the NBATV broadcast of the Nike Peach Jam, a premier championship tournament for the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League’s boys spring and summer league ... and a hotbed for recruiting.

Here are some key quotes from Cooley:

• “...we recruited the DMV area when we’re at Providence, and, you know, we had a couple of players. We snuck a couple of players out of there. Um, I think a lot of schools have recruited that because there are really good players in that DMV area up and down there. And then when you get into Delaware, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, I mean, it’s just really high-level basketball. And, um, it’s something where you’re not going to have to venture too far from home to attract high-level talent. You got to try to keep it home. You got to try to, you know, if you have an opportunity to pick the right one, if you could, because you’re not going to be able to take everyone. And I hope that’s not taken personal. But at the same time, there’s only x amount of scholarships with so many great players. So, uh, hopefully, our staff is doing a great job building our grassroots as a new staff in the region. And, um, hopefully, we can be able to get the best players to stay home to help us win.”
• [What would you say to someone that’s looking to go to Georgetown? What would be your recruiting pitch to say, “Hey, you know what? Georgetown is the place for you?”] ... Wow, fair question. I would, you know, I would first ask them about what’s important to them. Um, you know, understanding the tradition, the legacy of Georgetown. It hit a bump in the road, and that’s okay, yes. Um, but we would look for number one, I want somebody who wants us, yes. Um, you know, I think the school itself will sell itself, but who wants us for what we bring? I like a tough kid. Um, I want somebody who’s interchangeable, somebody with some length and athleticism, somebody who has a passion to win. But, you know, I want to recruit winners, not just basketball players, somebody who gives back to a community, someone who’s going to smile, say please and thank you, and also somebody that can help us compete at an elite level.
• [...you can’t help but think about mentors, coaches, kids getting better without thinking of John Thompson, right? And what he meant to the sport. As you’ve taken over in the lead role at Georgetown University, how much does he come to your mind every day that you’re on the job?] ... He does come to my mind every day. I have an opportunity. I touch Coach Thompson’s statue every day. And what a lot of people didn’t know is just how much he was influential in my life growing up, not just influential at Georgetown but influential in the African-American community of coaching. You know, I look at what he, Nolan Richardson, John Chaney, George Raveling, and those gentlemen, I’m pretty sure there’s more that I’m forgetting that are pioneers for what we’re doing right now. Exactly what we’re doing right now. And not many knew the relationship that was very deep. It’s an honor to live in that legacy yet at the same time, I’ll do it a little bit different and hopefully have some similar results.

Also, there are new reports of Georgetown hosting Merrimack on November 29th.

As far as other scheduling news, we have heard:

• Georgetown will visit Rutgers on November 15 as part of the Gavitt Games (BIG EAST and Big Ten)
• Georgetown will reportedly host Jackson State on November 25th (per Hilltop Hoops)
• Georgetown will reportedly host Merrimack on November 29th (per Rocco Miller)
• Georgetown will host TCU on Saturday, December 2 as part of the BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle
• Georgetown will host Syracuse on Saturday, December 9
• Georgetown will reportedly host a multi-team event featuring Mount St. Mary’s and American University (dates TBA)
• Georgetown will reportedly visit Notre Dame.

The talk about Cooley and Georgetown scheduling Maryland in 2024 and beyond is heating up and potential details about a series being 4+ years is certainly intriguing.

Cooley talking about the GU-MD rivalry renewal is not anything new.

In case you missed it, Ed Cooley spoke to local reporters last week and Bobby Bancroft was in attendance.

MTCwithMook recorded some great portions of the interview.

And John Rothstein thinks that the BIG EAST may soon recapture some of its magic and once again be the best basketball conference on the planet, saying “Due to a few key coaching hires —- most notably Rick Pitino at St. John’s and Ed Cooley at Georgetown — the Big East has a chance to get two of its strongest brands back as additions to an already strong tier at the top of its conference with UConn, Marquette, Creighton, Villanova, and Xavier.”

Big East Rewind took a look back at the life of the late, great Louis Orr.