Your Georgetown Hoyas have added a fascinating new piece to the roster puzzle, securing a commitment from Brazilian point guard and recent adversary Gabriel Landeira. This acquisition marks a shift in recruiting strategy for Head Coach Ed Cooley, moving away from the traditional high school pipeline to acquire a seasoned, 21-year-old professional with international accolades. For the Georgetown faithful who watched the team compete in the GLOBL JAM tournament in Toronto this past summer, Landeira is a familiar name and face. He is the player who led the Brazilian U-23 team to a gold medal victory over Georgetown, earning Tournament MVP honors in the process.
Rarely does a coaching staff get to scout a prospect by coaching against them in a championship setting. The recruitment of Landeira stems directly from his performance at the 2025 GLOBL JAM, where the 6-foot-6 guard was arguably the best player on the floor in two separate contests against Georgetown.
In the initial Round Robin matchup, Landeira was a force, posting 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. He followed that up with a clutch performance in the Gold Medal Game, tallying 13 points and 8 assists while hitting critical shots down the stretch to seal a 77-73 victory for Brazil over the Hoyas.
Cooley admitted after the final that Brazil was “the better team today,” and evidently, he decided that if you cannot beat him, you should sign him.
Landeira stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 185 pounds, a physical profile that categorizes him as a “Big Guard”—a roster construction philosophy often favored by Cooley dating back to his tenure at Providence.
He possesses a distinct set of offensive strengths that define this archetype. His elite vision is enhanced by his height, allowing him to see over defenses in a way smaller guards cannot—a trait evidenced by his 5.5 assists per game average during the GLOBL JAM.
He also brings efficient shooting to the floor; during his breakout 2024-25 professional season in Brazil, he shot 37.6% from three and 80% from the free-throw line. Perhaps most importantly, he offers a level of maturity rare for an incoming player, having already played professionally in Brazil’s top tier (NBB) and in Spanish academies.
However, fans should temper expectations regarding his athleticism out of the gate. Scouting reports indicate that Landeira may need to improve his lateral quickness. In the Big East, where guard play is notoriously fast and physical, he may struggle to stay in front of quicker opponents. Size helps.
Landeira is rumored to enroll early in winter 2025 and become eligible in January 2026, presenting the coaching staff with a strategic decision. They could integrate him immediately for the Big East conference schedule to provide depth, or they could utilize a redshirt year.
The latter would allow him to focus entirely on speed and conditioning. Reports indicate that, despite his professional experience, Landeira retains four years of collegiate eligibility. Surely, at age 21, Landeira will want to get back to the professional level, but hopefully this international experiment won’t be too quick.
His arrival reshapes the physical profile of the backcourt. Joining a group that includes the 6-foot-2 Malik Mack and the 6-foot-4 duo of Jeremiah Williams and Kayvaun Mulready, Landeira immediately becomes the biggest playmaker in the room at 6-foot-6. This size allows Cooley to mix and match lineups, pairing Mack’s speed and scoring punch with Landeira’s size and facilitation based on the specific matchup.
This commitment signals that the staff is looking everywhere—including international professional leagues—to bolster the talent and depth. Landeira is a high-IQ, skilled operator who fits the “Cooley Guard” mold—especially in the assist category.
Fans should view this as a savvy, high-floor addition. By all accounts, Landeira appears to be an experienced leader, proven winner who has already demonstrated he can perform against high-major American talent.
Welcome, Gabriel! HOYA SAXA!