The NCAA and the Conference Commissioners’ Association granted first-year guard Ashanti Cook an unqualified release from his commitment to the University of New Mexico on Monday, freeing him to play for the Hoyas in the 2002-3 season.
“Ashanti has been completely released from his prior commitments,” said Head Coach Craig Esherick. “He can play for us immediately.”
Cook had received a qualified release earlier in the summer after coaching changes at New Mexico, but it remained unclear if he would be treated as a transfer student and forced to sit out his first season at Georgetown.
Esherick expects Cook and first-year Brandon Bowman, who were teammates at USA Today No. 1-ranked Westchester High School in Los Angeles, to have an immediate impact on the Hoya squad.
“They will help us out right away,” he said.
Georgetown has chosen Wooden Award candidate junior forward Mike Sweetney, senior forward Courtland Freeman and junior forward Victor Samnick as co-captains.
Samnick, who has been sidelined since early December with an injury to his right foot, should be back in action this season. He has been working out with the team on a minimal basis and participating in pick-up games, according to Esherick.
“He’s not working out in the same way or as long as the other players,” said Esherick. “He swims a lot for conditioning. Victor is very interested in staying in top physical condition, and he’ll hit the ground running as soon as he’s given complete medical clearance. He’s very close [to getting clearance].”
The Hoyas will feel the loss of graduated point guard Kevin Braswell, who recently signed with a professional team in Belgium and sophomore forward Harvey Thomas, who elected to attend Daytona Beach Community College in Florida.
“Harvey and I sat down at the end of the season and made a decision that this was in his best interests,” Esherick said. He is unsure whether Thomas will return to Georgetown.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen with Harvey,” he said. “I still stay in touch with him, and his coach at Daytona is a very good friend of mine. I hope that Harvey does well. Our goal was to put him in a good position to play down there and wherever he goes after Daytona.”
Also joining the team will be first-year forward Amadou Kilkenny-Diaw from St. Alban’s High School in Washington, D.C. Esherick is unsure whether Kilkenny-Diaw will see playing time this season.
“Amadou will end up being a good player for us,” he said. “He’s a powerful forward and a very good rebounder, but he’s going to have to get a little stronger and get acclimated to the level of competition at Georgetown.”
Georgetown men’s basketball will hold open tryouts and begin official practices on Oct. 12.
