By: Abe Rothstein
Another week goes by in Foggy Bottom, and the coaching staff is once again celebrating a big success. Virginia Tech transfer Darren Buchanan Jr., who redshirted his freshman year, originally had GW on his final list prior to deciding to head to Blacksburg.
This marks the third transfer brought in for the GW staff during this early window. To go along with Buchanan, the staff secured commitments from Benny Shröder, an Oklahoma transfer, and Garrett Johnson, a Princeton transfer.
Clearly, size and versatility have been a big priority for the coaching staff as Shröder stands at 6-7, Johnson at 6-8, and Buchanan at 6-7.
Originally from Washington, DC, Buchanan starred at Woodrow Wilson High School for four years and was the Gatorade DC Player of the Year in 2022 and a member of Team Durant in the EYBL circuit.
Of course, for GW, a Virginia Tech transfer leaving Blacksburg for Foggy Bottom has worked out well in the past, as Joe Bamisile thrived playing for the Buff and Blue prior to his transfer to Oklahoma.
I had a chance to speak to Tim Thomas, a writer for techlunchpail.com, covering Virginia Tech basketball and recruiting about Buchanan.
Thomas touched upon what kind of player Buchanan is, along with his long-term outlook, “He’s definitely built as more of a physical, athletic 4/3 type player. He’s not going to be a stretch the floor forward but he is going to provide plenty of toughness along with great athleticism that can make him a very good scorer around the rim and a plus rebounder.”
Bringing in players who have the ability to run up and down the court with pace is an important thing that the GW offense is looking to excel at. In addition, this commitment is similar to the one of Max Edwards last year, where he did not play the season before but has high potential.
“He fits the mold of a future quality high major starter who transfers down to the high mid-major level to get his chance and gain valuable experience to take his game to the next level before being a grad transfer back up to the major conference level in a few years,” Thomas concluded.
The coaching staff is extremely excited to have Buchanan on this team, and they described him as a “great kid” who is able to be an “energy giver.” They believe that he could have many impacts on the game through his offense, in which he excels in driving downhill, which he can create either for himself or his teammates.
The addition of Buchanan only highlights the importance of rebounding from all positions on the court. Especially as the GW offense thrived in transition, rebounding wings are imperative to an up-tempo offense.
GW has prioritized players with years of eligibility remaining, showing the commitment to build around star James Bishop now but also looking into the future. That future, right now, is looking pretty bright.
This story is developing, and more is to come on Buchanan.
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