Following the unexpected exit of sophomore center Julius Halaifonua and senior Vince Iwuchukwu entering the transfer portal, Georgetown University found itself in need of frontcourt depth. On April 24, head coach Ed Cooley took a step toward addressing that need by landing Chol Machot, the reigning CAA Defensive Player of the Year, according to On3’s Jamie Shaw.
The 7-foot, 200-pound center is ranked No. 138 overall and No. 15 at his position in the transfer portal by On3. Machot initially committed to Mississippi State University in 2023 before spending the 2024–25 season at Florida SouthWestern State College, an NJCAA program. There, he averaged 11.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game, earned All-Citrus first-team honors, and set a single-season school record with 70 blocks.
After that season, Machot returned to the portal and made the jump to Division I with the College of Charleston. He appeared in 32 games, making 15 starts, and averaged 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per contest. He finished the 2025–26 campaign with 79 blocks, ranking 10th in NCAA Division I.
Machot re-entered the portal on March 18 and drew interest from several high-major programs, including Syracuse University, Virginia Tech University, and Big East rival University of Connecticut. He visited Georgetown on April 22 before ultimately committing.
Even with Machot on board, Cooley still has roster gaps to address. Georgetown remains in need of another center and additional help at forward, where only sophomore Caleb Williams and incoming freshman Justin Caldwell are currently on scholarship.
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