Why Josiah Parker is an Ideal Fit for Ed Cooley and Georgetown
The Big East is set to have a Florida Atlantic flavor next year, as three of the Owls’ top four scorers from last season transferred to Big East schools this spring.
Providence scored a big commitment in the versatile Devin Vanterpool, a solid two-way guard who won the American’s Most Improved Player award after putting up 15.2 points and 6.0 rebounds a night.
Shaheen Holloway, always on the lookout for bouncy shot blockers, added FAU transfer Devin Williams — a 6’10 center out of California who was one of the top shot blockers in the country (2.6 bpg).
At Georgetown, Ed Cooley will look to lean on a familiar prototype, as he welcomes a Florida Atlantic player of his own in freshman Josiah Parker.
The 6’7 Parker seems tailor made for Cooley. He plays bigger than his height and he makes up for any shortcomings beyond the arc by doing serious damage in the paint.
Cooley pitched Parker on his systemic fit when recruiting him this spring, “He showed me fours that are similar to me, that have my play style — that can be a point forward, they can get a rebound and go, that can play in transition, that can play on the wing or the block and just be versatile and be a swiss army knife,” Parker told The Big East Energy Network in a recent interview.
How Josiah Parker Fits at Georgetown
On the surface, Parker’s numbers were certainly solid last season at 9.6 points and 6.0 rebounds in 21.8 minutes per game. He shot 50% from the field, 61% from the free throw line, and was essentially a non-factor beyond the arc (4-25 shooting on the year).
But Parker really came on as the season progressed. He was averaging just 2.7 points and 1.8 rebounds through November, but he took off in conference play — putting up 16.5 points and 9.8 rebounds in February.
There are shades of Bryce Hopkins in Parker’s game — bullying weaker defenders (he abused former top 50 recruit Gavin Griffiths in a 22-point, 12-rebound effort against Temple). He leads the break off of defensive rebounds, and does damage as both a scorer and passer on short rolls.
Comfortable playing through contact, his 16 and-1s were tops on Florida Atlantic last year.
Parker should add some physical punch to the Hoya frontcourt, as both he and Caleb Williams are tough enough to matchup up with fours while standing at 6’7. Opponents shot just 32% when being guarded by Parker last season, and he ranked in the 89th percentile in points per possession against last year.
He also ranked in the 98th percentile in Offensive Rebound Percentage, while he scored 7.1 points per game in the paint (94th percentile).
And don’t sell his passing short. Parker’s assist numbers from last season undersell his potential there, as he made plays leading the break, on short rolls, and when flashing to the nail. Here’s a glimpse at his passing ability:
What are the Biggest Question Marks?
As his shot chart indicates, Parker did virtually all of his damage at the rim, which could prove to be more challenging against some of the longer, more physical frontcourts in the Big East.
And as effective as Parker was as a freshman, his Net Rating (team’s point differential per 100 possessions) was -15.2 — the lowest of anyone on the Owls last year.
Comparatively, Vanterpool was tops at +9.2, while Devin Williams finished at -2.8.
Final Verdict
Parker lived up to his lofty billing coming out of high school. The 100th ranked player in the country in 2025, the Combine Academy product finished the season with six double doubles from Jan. 18 through the rest of the season.
This included huge games against Temple (22/12) and Memphis (21/14).
As things stand today, Parker is likely a Day 1 starter as a sophomore in the fall. He and Caleb Williams figure to slot in as interchangeable forwards, while Cooley will look to make up for the losses of an underrated duo in Vince Iwuchchukwu and Julius Halaifonua with Charleston transfer Chol Machot (8.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.5 blocks).
If the Hoyas are to take a leap next season, a big year from Parker feels like a must. He’s a player seemingly tailor-made for Cooley’s system.
A Look at the Film
In an effort to give readers a realistic look at newcomers to the league, our tape shows not just highlights, but mixes in assorted makes, misses, assists, and turnovers over a random sampling of games.
Here are three minutes of unfiltered play from Parker late in the season:
That being said, we also want to show what these players look like at their best, so here is footage of Parker coming up big against Temple last season:
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