Darren Buchanan Jr. had no intention of leaving GW after his breakout redshirt freshman season.
Many wondered if a second transfer was in the cards for Buchanan. With three years of eligibility left, a power four conference team could have offered the sophomore forward a lucrative Name Image Likeness deal that would trump any offer from GW.
He finished with 15.6 points per game with 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists in his breakout campaign last season, cementing himself as not just a rising star on the team but in the NCAA. After the Revolutionaries finished the 2023-24 season with a 15-17 record and dead last in the conference, Buchanan faced a choice — stay at GW for another season or transfer for the second time after spending his freshman year at Virginia Tech.
Buchanan decided to remain a Revolutionary.
Ahead of the 2024-25 season, he has his sights set on the team’s triumph and filling the shoes of some of the team’s since-departed greats — not his individual play. It’s been a “challenge” to step into a leadership role on the team, Buchanan said in a press conference earlier this month, pointing to his younger age as a sophomore, but he’s “more than ready.”
“Last year we lost, so my only goal this season is to win,” Buchanan said. “I couldn’t care less about what I do personally. I know everything that I want comes with the team’s success.”
With six new players on the 2024-25 roster, Buchanan and his teammates spent the summer and preseason in the gym and on the court to learn each other’s playing tendencies, like being shot first or pass first. During breaks in practice and during games, Buchanan gives clarification to teammates while uplifting players who make mistakes and cracking jokes to keep the mood light.
“I’m always laughing and joking to prepare,” Buchanan said. “I am serious, but I can’t be ‘fake mad’ for a game. I got to laugh and have fun.”
Buchanan prides himself on not just bringing energy to the team but supporting his teammates off the court. Earlier this month, he called himself a “vocal leader” that asks the team to hold each other and himself accountable.
“I think with my personality, I’m the energy guy,” Buchanan said. “I just want all my teammates to be successful on the basketball court but even off of it. I just want to be that guy they know they could rely on.”
Despite speculation about him transferring during the offseason, the choice to stay at GW was easy for Buchanan — he was born and raised in Northwest D.C., where his family still lives.
“I just got here,” Buchanan said. “I didn’t want to just up and leave again. That’s three schools in three years. Coach Caputo and the rest of the staff gave me an opportunity here. I succeeded in year one. I was just like ‘Why not try it again?’ My family’s here in D.C., and it wasn’t a good year for me. So I was like, ‘I’m not leaving D.C. unless I have to.’”
Buchanan’s family underpinned his motivation in his first season with the Revolutionaries and inspires his mission for the second. After his grandmother died in November 2023, leaving him “devastated” and unmotivated to practice or “do anything,” Buchanan said having his mother in his corner provided reassurance for the rest of the season. He missed three games in February due to undisclosed reasons and when he turned to his mom for support, she told him that he needed to keep going — advice that made him realize he needed to pick up where he left off at GW.
“Using her motivation, seeing what she goes through on a day-to-day basis, that’s how strong she is. That motivated me to keep going,” Buchanan said.
Buchanan’s sister gave him tough love. His self-proclaimed biggest critic and fan, he said she isn’t afraid to tell him when he’s wrong and acknowledge when he’s right.
“My sister had my back for sure, but she was criticizing me,” Buchanan said. “‘If you would’ve never done this, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt.’ But that’s how she is though and I love her for that.”
He has also made strides to return the favor to the District. His basketball career started at Emery Recreation Center on Georgia Avenue. He hosted a back-to-school drive for his home community in August, where he gave away school supplies and had barbers give free haircuts to students in elementary through high school.
Buchanan said “all” of his NIL earnings went to his community when setting up events, adding that he has yet to spend on himself.
“I gave out like 120 book bags and had an ice cream machine,” Buchanan said. “It was a good event and the kids had fun.”
Buchanan was named to the Atlantic 10 Preseason Second All-Team Conference in October, and he said he sees it as another form of motivation.
“I’m blessed to be on any team, honestly,” Buchanan said. “But I do feel like it gave me something to prove, and I’ll leave it at that.”
This year, Buchanan’s status as a rising prospect in college basketball will only grow with another strong season. Buchanan was invited to the NCAA Elite Symposium in September, an event where 14 high-profile college basketball players are educated in the transition from college to professional careers. He said he met NBA personnel and people with relatable experiences as well as professionals with financial literacy that taught him and other players how to manage their money.
But Buchanan views the accomplishment and the season ahead of him as just the start.
“I feel like this is just the beginning,” said Buchanan. “I just turned 20 in July, I’m young and I just feel like the sky’s the limit. I’m blessed to be in the position I am today for sure, and I know that there’s way more work to be done. To be honest, I’m not comfortable with being satisfied. Never.”