On October 23, the Voice attended BIG EAST Media Day at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Here are quick highlights from the day, featuring Georgetown head coaches and players: BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman began the day’s events with a short introduction. Ackerman celebrated the 45-year anniversary of BIG EAST Men’s Basketball, but she emphasized the difficult journey the league has taken to become an elite basketball conference. Above all, Ackerman praised the BIG EAST universities for their years of success and integrity.
“Through it all, our schools have been resilient. They’ve been authentic. They’ve made courageous decisions. They’ve stayed true to their values,” Ackerman said.
After the Commissioner’s remarks, BIG EAST men’s basketball coaches and select players held media availability. Georgetown men’s basketball head coach Ed Cooley offered an assessment of the Hoyas’ upcoming season.
“I think our preseason is going well. Obviously, we’ve had our men since June. I think we’re eager to continue to, obviously, grow our chemistry. But it’s time to play some games now. We have 14 new players on the roster, and I think the staff has done a good job assembling a group that will be able to compete with the best of the best in our league,” Cooley said.
Freshman center Julius Halaifonua is one of the 14 new players on the roster. The 7-footer hopes to be a versatile big man who can score the ball and set up his teammates. He’s enjoyed his time as a Hoya so far, but he has big aspirations for his time at Georgetown.
“A big part of going to Georgetown was the people that were here. The coaches and the other players, they’ve been very welcoming and the process of being at Georgetown has been very smooth,” Halaifonua said. “In terms of basketball, [Coach Cooley] has been pushing me to be the best version of myself and that’s all I can ever ask for.”
After another short speech by Commissioner Ackerman, women’s basketball coaches and players were also available to the media. Georgetown women’s basketball head coach Darnell Haney, who led Georgetown to their first ever BIG EAST Tournament championship game last postseason, spoke about Georgetown’s signature defensive system.
“Our defensive identity and our defensive terminologies and our defensive prowess is unique to us,” Haney said. “And we start everything with what we do with that. I think that’s something that you can control. You can’t control shots going in all the time, but you can control having effort, intensity, and a scheme defensively.”
Graduate forward Chetanna Nweke, a transfer from Princeton, also spoke to the Voice at Media Day. She said she’s finding it easy to get acclimated on the Hilltop because of the strong relationships her teammates have with each other.
“It’s been a pretty easy transition for me,” Nweke said. “I’ve made some really great friends. Being here over the summer, not having ever had a summer session, was pretty cool. I think it just brought us closer together as a team.”
Team chemistry was a common theme for the Hoyas at BIG EAST Media Day. As they head into the season, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams will rely on their strong bonds and caring communities as challenges arise.
Georgetown women’s and men’s basketball open the season with an on-campus double-header at McDonough Arena on Nov. 6, with the women’s team taking on Virginia University of Lynchburg at 4:30 p.m. EST on FloSports, before the men face off against Lehigh at 7:00 p.m. EST on FS2. For continued coverage on Hoya basketball and more updates from BIG EAST Media Day, check out the Voice’s Basketball Issue, hitting stands on Nov. 8, and follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter.
