This time a year ago, Damon Stoudamire still was in a bit of scramble mode — learning Atlanta, learning his program, his roster, his challenges ahead. His future point guard, Nait George, wasn’t even on campus yet.
But the first of August in 2024? Well, Stoudamire feels that he’s ways ahead of the game as he looks down the barrel of his second season in charge of Georgia Tech basketball.
“We’ve already done more this summer, truthfully, than what I did — I probably didn’t get to some of this stuff until late October,” Stoudamire said Thursday after the Yellow Jackets practiced. “The fact that we are able to dry run — I have a full roster right now. It’s been great. This summer’s been great. I’m excited about what’s to come.”
All but sophomore center Baye Ndongo, still home in his native Senegal, were present during Tech’s workout Thursday inside McCamish Pavilion, and all but two players were fully participating. It was a workout that included five players from last season’s squad, three freshman and three of the program’s four incoming transfers (junior Duncan Powell is still working his way back from an injury during the 2023-24 campaign at Sacramento State).
The new-look Jackets will feature George and Oklahoma transfer Javian McCollum often on the court at the same time. They also will have Ndongo and wing Kowacie Reeves back as a returning starters to play alongside guard Lance Terry, who redshirted last season, and Colorado transfer Luke O’Brien.
Stoudamire also brought in three highly touted freshmen in Jaeden Mustaf (6-foot-5, 206 pounds), Darrion Sutton (6-8, 199) and Doryan Onwuchekwa (6-11, 235).
“They’ve been good,” Stoudamire said. “They got a lot of talent, all three of ‘em. Each of ‘em bring a different thing to the table. (Onwuchekwa), the way he shoots it, at his position and his size, I think that’ll be an asset. I think his trajectory, as the season goes on, by the time we hit conference play, I look for him to really be a contributor. (Sutton) and (Mustaf), they’ve just fit right in. They got things to learn, obviously, but I love what I see from them. They’ve done a great job up to this point.”
Tech was 14-18 and 7-13 in the ACC in Stoudamire’s first season, a promising season that included wins over Mississippi State, Duke, North Carolina and Wake Forest. But there also were losses to UMass-Lowell, Boston College and Notre Dame (three times).
The emphasis this summer for Stoudamire has been on defense in hopes of reversing some of his team’s close and disappointing losses a year ago into future wins.
“I think we’re gonna be really good offensively because we just got talent, man,” Reeves said. “We just got really good pieces. That part of is taken care of. I think it’s just gonna be a matter of time, chemistry-wise. I think defense is where we can make a huge jump. Right now we have really good defenders like Lance (Terry), but I think guys like myself can get a lot better. Overall as a team it’s gonna help us to have that type of physicality back in practice so we can go display that on the court.”
Tech has not announced its 2024-25 schedule yet, but does know it will play 20 league games, rival Georgia at home, Cincinnati at McCamish Pavilion, Oklahoma on the road and Northwestern in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Before the Jackets tackle that schedule, they have a full preseason ahead where they’ll continue to build chemistry and a game plan for what’s ahead.
“You base your schedule on what you got, and I love my team,” Stoudamire added. “I think we can. When it’s all said and done, I think we’ll be able to play with anybody.”
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