Your Georgetown Hoyas have officially entered the offseason, and the opening of the transfer portal has delivered a severe blow to the roster. Georgetown guard KJ Lewis plans to enter the transfer portal, signaling the likely exit of the program’s leading scorer and defensive anchor. Many of the Georgetown faithful have said they expected players to test the waters, yet losing a piece of this magnitude still stings.
There is a chance Lewis returns to the Hilltop, but it does not feel likely. He is represented by Klutch Sports, suggesting he could be exploring the open market to establish his financial value. He has not explicitly stated his reasons for looking at other options.
Lewis was undeniably one of the most impactful players for Georgetown during the 2025-26 season. Arriving as a junior transfer from Arizona, he immediately became the cornerstone of the team’s offense and defense. He led the team in scoring with 14.9 points per game and pulled down 5.1 rebounds per contest.
Across the conference, he ranked eighth in scoring, tenth in free throw percentage (75.2%), and second in steals, averaging 2.1 per game.
He finished his season with 416 points and 59 steals, placing him 23rd all-time in program history for single-season steals.
For his elite two-way play, Lewis was named to the All-BIG EAST Third Team and the NABC Mid Atlantic District Second Team, making him the first Hoya to earn third-team honors since Thomas Sorber.
He consistently delivered when the team needed him most. During a historic comeback where Georgetown trailed Providence by 21 points, Lewis sparked a massive second-half rally, scoring a game-high 26 points and hitting a decisive stepback three-pointer in the final 30 seconds to seal an 81-78 victory.
He stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and five steals against Creighton. He tallied a career-high 27 points against St. John’s, shooting a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line.
Beyond the box score, Lewis fundamentally changed the culture of the locker room. Head coach Ed Cooley praised Lewis for having a distinct “IT factor,” noting that “he impacts winning he’s not just about scoring.” Cooley called him an “energy giver,” explaining that his enthusiasm “resonates through coaching that resonates with the rest of your players.”
National analysts echoed this sentiment, viewing him as a rugged defender whose aggressive perimeter play created opportunities for his teammates.
Lewis finished the year sidelined with an ankle injury but remained engaged with the team from the bench. Georgetown managed to win two games in the Big East tournament without him, but that means nothing in the broader context of his absence.
Cooley recently finished his third year. Georgetown finished 9-23 overall and 2-18 in conference play in his first season. The team showed progress in his second year with an 18-16 record and an 8-12 conference mark.
The 2025-26 campaign ended with a step backward, resulting in a 16-18 overall record and a 6-14 finish in the Big East. The season did not go nearly as planned.
It is hard to have faith in a roster rebuild when your most talented player is ostensibly walking away. It does not look like the coaching staff has a definitive plan to replace this production. The program has two highly ranked incoming freshmen arriving next year.
The roster is losing frontcourt presence Vince Iwuchukwu and veteran guard Jeremiah Williams to graduation, among others. Replacing their experience alongside the sheer talent of Lewis presents a massive hurdle for the staff.
Hoyas fans have heard promises of a turnaround for years.
After a decade-plus of frustration, losing the team’s best player at the start of the offseason makes it difficult to see clear optimism for the coming year.