WH

A-10 PREVIEW – 9th PLACE


GEORGE WASHINGTON
Last year: 9-17 (5-11), 13th place

ARENA
Smith Center (opened 1975)
Seats: 5,000
Average attendance: 3,019

COACH
Karl Hobbs 8th year (8th overall)
Record at George Washington: 123-82 (123-82 overall; 60% winning percentage)


ROSTER
1 Travis King R-SO PG 6-2 215 New Haven, CT/South Kent (CT) Prep
*2 Xavier Alexander SO G/F 6-6 215 Forest Park, OK
3 Tony Taylor FR PG 5-11 165 Sleepy Hollow, NY
*5 Robert Diggs SR WF 6-8 202 Brandywine, MD
*11 Wynton Witherspoon R-SR WF 6-7 197 Duluth, GA/Virginia Tech
12 Johnny Lee JR PG 5-8 166 Nashville, TN
13 Jabari Edwards R-FR F 6-9 200 Brooklyn, NY/St. Benedict's (NJ)
15 Aaron Ware FR WF 6-4 190 Los Angeles
21 Hermann Opoku JR C/F 6-9 225 Vienna, Austria/South Kent (CT) Prep
*22 Damian Hollis JR G/F 6-8 205 Fort Lauderdale, FL
31 Noel Wilmore SR WG 6-3 190 Chester, PA
33 Matt Allbritton FR WG 6-4 180 Dallas
42 Joseph Katuka SO C 6-10 205 Nigeria/Montverde Academy (FL)

*Returning starters (4)


OVERVIEW

For the Colonials, the upcoming season can be billed as the Return of the King.

Travis King, one of the best young guards in the league, injured his knee and missed his sophomore season. Minus its point guard, the GW backcourt fell into disarray - as did the team. The Colonials staggered to a 9-17 record and were one of two schools not invited to the league tournament.

It was a shocking reversal for program that earned three straight NCAA invitations and averaged more than 22 wins annually over the preceding four years.

Even with the return of King, the Colonials are unlikely to reach those lofty heights soon. Recruiting has been uneven lately and GW still has plenty of holes – mediocre outside shooting, a “weak” interior, a short bench.

What a healthy King will do is make the school far more competitive. The Colonials struggled most of last season, but the team began to jell by mid-February. GW went 4-4 and gave league heavyweights Xavier and Massachusetts all they could handle. And GW did it with a 5-8 walk-on, Johnny Lee, running the show.

Lee won’t be forgotten. He’ll get the chance to back up King. The Colonials also return Rob Diggs, one of the best frontcourt players in the A-10, and a pair of talented bookend forwards in Wynton Witherspoon and Damian Hollis.

The task for the Master Hobbit, err, Hobbs is to build a worthy supporting cast. If he can extract solid production from the bench, GW’s sequel to a disastrous 2007-08 season will be much easier to watch. A league championship ring is not in the offing, but certainly a trip to Atlantic City.


DEPARTED PLAYERS

Maureece Rice (9.2 ppg, 2.7 apg, 32.4% 3PG). The former league tournament MVP and Third Team All-Conference performer pulled a Houdini as a senior. Rice feuded with the coach, resisted his conversion to point and disappeared for long stretches. Suspended twice, he was kicked off the team with one week left. Although Rice still scored 9 points a game – down from 16 as a junior - most of his baskets came after the outcome was decided. It was a puzzling end to what had been a terrific career.

Cheyenne Moore (5.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 34% FG, 35% 3PG). Clemson transfer, a tantalizing 6-5 athlete with skills, was dismissed after two disappointing seasons. Moore’s problems appeared mostly mental. He took questionable shots, was careless with the ball and never really seemed to fit in.

Miles Beauty (4.8 ppg, 38% FG, 15 assists, 16 turnovers). Prized recruit from the famed St. Anthony’s in New Jersey failed to meet expectations. Beauty was given a chance to run the offense after King went down, but he did a poor job and was removed from the rotation. He was suspended in mid-February and later told he could not return.


RETURNING PLAYERS

Rob Diggs (14 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 49.6% FG, 31 blocks). Slender 6-8 senior is one of the best post players in the A-10 but didn’t get much recognition because of GW’s poor record. Although he’s usually defended by stronger players, Diggs uses his long arms to shoot over them or his quick feet to get around them. He sports the basic low-post moves, attacks the offensive glass and will knock down an occasional faceup jumper. Diggs topped the 20-point mark six times, including a career high 29 in a win over Dayton. Unlike many bigmen, he doesn’t hold the ball too long or commit many turnovers.

That’s not all. Diggs is the second returning rebounder in the A-10, and even if he isn’t a great one-on-one defender, opponents watch out for him because of his shot-blocking ability. He can affect a game in a number of ways.

Since he’s gotten better every year, there’s no reason to believe Diggs won’t improve as a senior. Yes, he could use a little meat on his bones, and he sometimes gets overpowered on defense, but Diggs more than holds his own. He’s a sure-fire All-Conference pick and perhaps even a darkhorse for player of the year. "He's going to have to carry us, especially early in the season," Hobbs said.

Damian Hollis (9.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 42.4% FG, 31.4% 3PG, 81% FT). Versatile 6-8 forward was in a long funk until snapping out of it in mid-February. Hollis scored in double figures in four of the last six games, including a 22-point outburst vs. Rhode Island. One of the top rebounders in the A-10, he also grabbed 10 or more boards in seven games.

Blessed with excellent athleticism and an impressive set of skills, Hollis should be one of the best forwards in the league. Whether he lives up to his potential remains to be seen, though his late-season performance offers hope. He handles the ball well for his size, has 3-point range and is not unfamiliar with the finer points of post play. Smaller defenders have trouble guarding him down low and bigger ones can’t keep up with him outside.

What Hollis has to do is make quicker decisions and assert himself. He seemed to get discouraged easily and take a passive role at times. "Damian Hollis had a subpar year for a guy with his talent," Hobbs said. As a junior on a young team, it’s his job now to help lead the way. GW is unlikely to escape from the bottom third of the league unless Hollis plays to his considerable potential.

Travis King (5.7 ppg, 78 assists, 47 steals in 2007). The halt to GW’s winning ways can be directly traced to the absence of King, viewed as one of the best young point guards in the A-10. The redshirt sophomore was expected to start, but his absence forced Mo Rice to handle the ball and disaster ensued. Shaky point play hurt GW the entire year and the Colonials scored under 70 points a game (63.4 ppg) for the first time in the Hobbs era.

The return of King to full health is crucial to the restoration of GW among the league’s elites. As a freshman, he showed good floor vision and smart decision making on the fast break, both essential to Hobbs’ preferred uptempo offense that he was forced to jettison for much of last season. If given room, King can make open shots (41.7% 3PG) or take the ball to the rack. Though big and strong for point guard, he’s quick for his size and not easy to defend. Those physical attributes also make him a good defender (47 steals).

Recovering from a major injury and a one-year layoff, however, is no small thing, and it’s unclear if King has lost any mobility. King was not at 100% when practice started and Hobbs says it might take until January before he's mostly back to normal. GW has a lot riding on his health, but at least Hobbs now has another option with impressive frosh Tony Taylor.

Wynton Witherspoon (11 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.2 apg, 43% FG, 27% 3PG). The Virginia Tech transfer was terrific in the first half of the season to keep the struggling Colonials afloat. He reached double figures in 11 of the first 16 games and played with the poise expected of upperclassmen. Witherspoon faded down the stretch, scoring in double figures just twice in February and March, but that’s partly because teammates stepped up. Even as his scoring waned, Witherspoon contributed with his passing, ball-handling and boardwork.

A fifth-year senior, Witherspoon can be expected to play with more consistency, especially if King takes care of ball-handling duties. The 6-7 swingman often bore the responsibility to direct the offense when GW’s point guards failed to produce. Left to his own devices, Witherspoon is a triple threat on offense. Quick and wiry strong, he can shoot, drive or pass and pressure opposing defenses. He’s not a great defender himself, but Witherspoon does a reasonably good job when matched up with players his own size.

Noel Wilmore (6 ppg, 42% 3PG, 80% FT). Although his production yo-yoed all season, Wilmore finally began to justify his scholarship during league play. On a team desperate for outside shooting, Wilmore scored 24 points vs. URI (7 treys), 18 vs. Temple (6 treys) and 16 vs. St. Bonaventure (5 treys). Mixed in during the same stretch of games, however, were three goose eggs.

Wilmore will be in line for more minutes if he ceases with the disappearing acts. He knows his role now and is playing with confidence, a required state of mind for any good shooter. Wilmore better keep it that way. He’s just an average defender and doesn’t help the team much in other areas.

Xavier Alexander (4.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 37.7% FG, 43% FT, 30 assists). Sophomore forward is a fine athlete, but his offense has more holes than a teenager’s old jeans. He only hit double figures twice, in his second and third games, topping out at 11 points. Alexander is not much of an outside shooter (5-17 3PG) and had trouble scoring in close against bigger defenders. In time he can be expected to improve his jumper and learn to finish, but Alexander won’t be counted on for offense. He’s a key cog in GW’s press (26 steals) and excels on the fast break when opponents are forced into turnovers. Physically stronger than GW’s trio of slender forwards – Diggs, Hollis and Witherspoon – the 6-6 Alexander can also be counted to do the dirty work. In a late-season loss to Charlotte, he grabbed 14 rebounds.

Johnny Lee (1.8 ppg, 29% 3PG, 55 assists, 34 turnovers, 16 steals). Unheralded walk-on played a big role in GW’s late surge, starting nine games at point and giving the offense direction. In a loss at Xavier, he scored a career high 14 points (3-4 treys). He also notched 8 assists in a loss to Massachusetts. Just don’t expect numbers like that regularly. Lee is not a great shooter and his 5-8 frame is a handicap. What he does is take care of the ball and makes solid decisions. His sudden emergence gives Hobbs a capable backup to spell King and allow GW to maintain an uptempo pace.

Hermann Opoku (1.0 ppg, 10-20 FG, 6.3 mpg, 8 blocks). Junior forward is a tremendous athlete, but his basketball skills are anything but. Opoku is extremely undeveloped offensively. He doesn’t have great hands or react well to defensive pressure when he has the ball. GW clearly needs help at the center position, but Opoku does not appear to be the answer

Joseph Katuka (2 ppg, 48% FG, 67% FT, 7.7 mpg). Oft-injured 6-10 center displayed flashes of talent as a frosh, scoring 8 points vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore and 9 points vs. Duquesne. He’s long, agile and mobile. He’s also plenty raw and needs lots of work in the weight room and on the blocks. Katuka has a funny-looking shot and was easily pushed around in the paint. He didn’t offer much resistance defensively (just 5 blocks), either. Like most young bigmen, he’d do well to focus on defense and rebounding and lets his more skilled teammates carry the offensive load.


NEWCOMERS

Jabari Edwards –The 6-10 center (No. 240 PrepStars, 2006) played in two games before arthroscopic knee surgery sent his to the bench. The redshirt freshman spent the rest of the year trying to fatten up, with modest success. Edwards is a typical Hobbs frontcourt recruit. He’s long and athletic, but physically unimposing and challenged offensively. Yet with a big hole in GW’s middle, Edwards will compete for regular minutes. He’s a bigtime leaper with good shot-blocking potential and a better understanding of the game than teammates Opoku and Katuka. Sitting out last season also gave him a chance to develop without all the pressure.

Tony Taylor – Fast 5-11 point guard, who attracted attention from Big East schools, is said to have a high basketball IQ and good passing ability but his most notable asset is his ability to score. He’s a streaky 3-point marksman who averaged 30 points a game as a senior, a number helped by 90% free-throw shooting. GW needs ball-handling and outside shooting. Taylor can help provide both. "I think he's going to be one of the premier point guards in the league at some point," Hobbs said.

Matt Albritton – Well-traveled son of missionaries played his senior year at a small private school in Texas, and before that, in Palm Beach, Florida, where he’s been a prolific scorer at least since his sophomore year. Albritton is supposed to be an excellent 3-point shooter, though he’s big enough at 6-4 to score in other ways.

Aaron Ware – Little known 6-5 small forward is a quick leaper with long arms who’s supposed to be a good defender and a “glue” player. One scout said he plays with a “warrior’s mentality.” Since Ware is used to playing close to the basket, he’ll need to expand his range to become a major contributor in the A-10. Ware likes to attack the rim and is active on the glass, though his shot is suspect.


SCOUTING REPORT

The Colonials have a solid foundation on which to build and some carryover momentum from last season’s strong finish. The team ended with a positive rebounding margin and the defense buckled down after A-10 play began. GW finished second behind Xavier in both field-goal percentage defense and 3-point field goal percentage defense. Hobbs has lots of long, quick players who cover plenty of space.

The offense, meanwhile, is certain to improve if King resumes where he left off. His return helps in a number of ways. The Colonials can play at a faster tempo and they won’t finish last again in the A-10 in assists. GW is likely to press more to create turnovers, another steady source of offense in the Hobbs era. King will also help stretch defenses or create baskets for his teammates with his shooting and penetration.

Finding a suitable partner in the backcourt is critical. Hobbs needs a player who can shoot the trey and won’t turn the ball over much. GW finished last in assist-to-turnover margin and 14th in the number of 3-pointers made – just 169 compared to 331 for A-10 leader Massachusetts.

Wilmore came on strong in his third year and is GW’s best shooter, but he’s not a prototype Hobbs defender. Witherspoon might fit the bill, but he’s not a great 3-point shooter and has a hard time defending smaller guards. Alexander can handle the defensive part, but he’s one of the worst shooters on the squad. The frosh Taylor can shoot, but he’s probably not strong enough to play major minutes.

The frontcourt is in good shape, with one caveat.

Diggs is tough to defend inside because of his quickness and length while Hollis and Witherspoon are both versatile outside-in scorers. Yet none of the three is physically imposing and bigger frontcourts can push them around. Young centers Katuka and Edwards have potential, but they aren’t beefeaters either and lack the offensive skills of their older teammates. It’s an old story, but GW might take a pounding at times.

Hobbs can count on five or six players. Getting bigger contributions from several others will dictate whether the Colonials achieve a middle-of-the-pack finish or higher.

Assuming, of course, King is truly ready to return to his rightful place in the pantheon of A-10 guards. He's as important to his team as any other player in the league. If he's hobbled, GW will be, too.


PREDICTION

The Colonials field a much-improved team, evidence of which emerged late last season. While it may be too soon to suggest GW is ready to return to its winning ways, it’s not out of the question. GW has the starting five and overall talent to compete with any team in the league and is sure to beat a few of the perceived favorites. Cracking the top half of the conference is within reach.

Yet climbing the ladder in an increasingly tough A-10 is not as easy as it might have been a few years ago. Another weak nonconference schedule won’t help matters. The Colonials appear to have too many question marks to vault into a discussion of the league’s top teams.

Record: 15-13 (7-9), 9th place

WH

NONCON PREDICTION: 8-4

L – At Boston University
W – BINGHAMTON
L – At Auburn
W – UMBC
L – vs. Maryland (MCI Center, Washington DC)
W – HARVARD
W – AMERICAN
W – At Sacramento State
W – vs. Vermont (Rainbow Classic, Hawaii)
W – TBA, but likely Hawaii (Rainbow Classic, Hawaii)
L – TBA
W – At Longwood

GW has loaded up on beatable opponents. Every single one is beatable, with the exception of perhaps Auburn. I first had GW at 10-2 but that just seems too good, so I changed the BU game to a loss as well as a game in the Rainbow Classic.

The Colonials have beaten BU regularly in the Hobbs era because their length bothers the Terriers. Yet this BU team has a fine backcourt and enough muscle up front to deal with GW’s thin-sters. Should be a win but …

I think GW gets payback at home vs. Binghamton and UMBC, both of which beat the Colonials last year. Harvard should be much improved with all five starters back and a good freshman class. American has a dynamite backcourt and is the favorite to win the Patriot League. I could see a loss in one of these two games, but I call it a sweep at home.

GW flies to California and Hawaii in late December. Sacramento State won just 4 games last year and turned over its roster, adding a bunch of jucos. The field in the Rainbow is so weak GW might be the most talented team among the eight invitees.

The Colonials could get a tough test in the first game vs. Vermont, which has three of the best players in the America East conference, including a Michigan State transfer (Maurice Joseph). If GW wins, Hawaii would likely be next. The Rainbows lost almost all their best players from last year. Not sure who the third opponent would be.

AdamtheFlyer

I am very bullish on GW this year. Their athleticism is on par with the best teams in the league, and they're going to be very tough to beat at home. Steal a road win or two against a upper tier team and they could easily go 9-7 in league play or better. I don't expect them to win more than 1 or 2 road games, though. They'll win some they should, and lose some they shouldn't.

A year away, but still very dangerous. None of the top 4 will want to draw them in the A10 quarterfinals.

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WH

I put them at 15-13, but I originally had GW at 18-10 (8-8 in conference, 10-2 in noncon). IF King is healthy and removes the rust quickly, GW will be very dangerous. I think some of the young guys will show improvement and Jabari Edwards could be a surprise. Aside from King, Hollis is the key. The kid has all the tools to be an all-Conference player.

FlyingElvis

Diggs killed us inside for stretches last year. We had Binnie defending him sometimes, and that was a terrible match-up for us. I feel like we have some options to use on him defensively this year with Searcy stronger and a very long Josh Benson. GW is the type of team I think we will improve against due to our increased depth of athleticism.

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ExplorerSteve

I agree that GW could be one of a couple surprise teams that makes it into the top 6 each year but like WH said the weak OOC schedule could hurt them in preparing for the A10 season.

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Ninerballin

I'm one that's on the Joseph Katuka bandwagon, I think the guy has a good year and gives Hobbs even more depth in the frontcourt.

MANGHAM

I think Taylor will eventually be a Marquis Green type of point guard.

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njlsufan

GW makes me nervous. I think there's enough talent there to finish in the 5 or 6 range this year. The way they run and press when they have healthy guards can give any team fits.

BM-GW

IMO, the starting five (King, Wilmore, Hollis, Witherspoon, Diggs) could be one of the better ones in the league, but that only gets you to 0.500 as the wear and tear of the season takes hold. I have us at right around WH's numbers.

The key for a more successful season is contribution from 2-3 bench players: Alexander (who had bulked up considerably) could focus on inside play, Taylor could be a rare freshman phenom, Edwards could become a pesky shot-blocker and I've heard a few excited whispers about Ware who looks nothing like a frosh. In the end, I think it's better for my mental health to stick to a 15-13 expectation and enjoy any upside.

BTW, I sneaked a peak at a scrimmage last month and King was hobbling around the sidelines. No idea if he still hasn't healed or if he'd just stubbed his toe, but a no-show this season would be the end of us.

Thanks WH.

WH

Much of my caution on GW relates to the status of King. Is he back at full health? The Colonials also have to shoot better from outside. If King is 100% and G-Dub shoots well, this will be a lowball forecast.

bobo

Some telling stats from last year's dumpter fire of a season for GW:

Catagory 2005 2006 2007 2008
Pts/game 76.9 78.7 70.2 63.3
GW FG % .476 .466 .458 .413
Opp FG% .426 .422 .413 .422
GW 3pt % .362 .357 .368 .328
# 3pts /g 5.40 6.10 5.30 6.50
Ast/game 16.1 17.0 14.4 12.3
TO/game 14.9 14.0 13.9 15.0


Maybe there's been a team that needed a quality PG more than GW last year, but I've never seen one. The offense was stagnant, passing it around the perimiter until the shot clock wound down and then trowing up a contested 3. Few baskets in transition and limited open looks for the outside shooters off of penetration.

WH, the # of 3ps made actually went up from previous years, simply because they shot moore of them (only hitting 32%). It was the low shooting % overall and the inability to get to the line (150 less FTs made than past seasons) that killed the team, both indicators of lack of an efficient offense.

That's why getting a productive and healthy year out of Travis King is far and away the determining factor in how well GW will play this season. His health IS the season.

Additionally, GW didn't press and came up short on all the athletic indicators of previous Hobbs' teams: Steals, Blocks, FTs (attacking the basket).

Catagory 2005 2006 2007 2008
Steals/g 9.80 9.30 9.13 6.42
Blocks/g 4.33 4.52 4.42 3.32
FT made 480 488 428 304

The good news is that the best athletes on last year's team in terms of defensive stats: Witherspoon, Alexander and Diggs are back and will get lots of playing time. Those 3 were also the best on the team in getting to the line, especially Alexander who shot about as many FTs as FGs (now he just has to start MAKING some of those FT attemps). Add the defensive pressure that a health King (46 steals in 2006-2007) and Hobbs should be able to return to his pressing, fast break style. Ware is a similar type of athlete but raw.

If Tony Taylor can come in and play from the start, GW's offense is also greatly improved. He can handle the ball, pass and score from outside. I see him teaming up with King in the backcourt: Both can push the action and shoot. King is a big PG and Taylor is a small SG - thus King can take the opposing SG on D and Taylor gaurds the PG. Hobbs did this with Elliott and TJ Thompson and Elliott and Rice.

I don't expect much production out of the Katuka, Edwards, Opoku but they can't be any worse than last year. Really, Hobbs just needs about 20-25 minutes combined from the 3 with their ability to be active and learn defensive positioning the only real requirement.

I see them as 9-3 on OOC and 9-7 in conf play. That's assuming a healthy Travis King.

Ross885

I agree with everyone that King's health is of the utmost importance. However, unlike last season, there is now more depth at the pg position should he not be 100%. Taylor looks like a stud, and based on how he's described sounds like he could be a TJ Thompson-esque player. Johnny Lee is certainly not an A10 starter, but if he needs to step in more than expected than last year's experience should be helpful. He was a steady hand for the team and looked to be developing some leadership skills as the year ended. Again, not saying everything is fien and dandy if King isn't 100%, just better than last year.

The frontcourt, besides Diggs, Hollis, and I guess Spoon is much more of a mystery to me. Katuka showed flashes but Hobbs seemed to have him in the doghouse. I don't know what to expect from Edwards. It seemed like Opoku showed improvement in a couple of games, but on the whole he was flat.

As for the new guys (besides Taylor, mentioned above), if Ware is remotely the type of "glue guy" that Hall was, that would be super. However, that's a ridiculous expectation. I haven't seen a ton about him and don't really know what to expect, though from what I have seen he sounds somewhat like a JR Pinnock type slasher with the occasional outside scoring touch. Albritton played at such a lower level that I'm also skeptical of him. Here's hoping he can adapt to life in the big city and spell Noel at the 2.

Young Prof

I hope I'm wrong, but...

I think WH and the commenters are being too optimistic about this team, whose whole looks to be less than the sum of its parts. It has four good forwards -- Diggs, Hollis, Spoon, and Alexander (though some wouldn't put Alexander in the category of "good" (yet) and others may not put him in the category of "forward" -- although if he's a shooting guard he'd better learn to shoot) and a point guard coming back after a serious knee injury. The good news is that all these guys are returning. The bad news is that they weren't very good as a team last year. Yup, bad chemistry, etc., last year and no real point guard. But I can't see them being so far improved this year that they're likely to go from nine (!) wins last year to anything close to double that this year. Even with the most pathetic OOC conference I've seen yet.

TWeeks

More than ever, the A-10 will cannibalize this year. There will be a grand total of ZERO road wins that will not come hard fought, and each coach will have the challenge of getting the kids ready to play every night. The non con performance is more important than ever if we are to be taken seriously on Selection Sunday.

In a conference historically strong with guard play, most of us are optimistic that Xavier slides back to the pack a bit.....while 6,7,8,even 9 other teams think they have a shot at a bye in the A10 tourney - and I think they are right. There are only 3 teams that I would be very surprised to see get a bye.

As for the rankings thus far, we have already reached a point where the next team could be yours and you may not like it....with the only probable exceptions being Temple, Xavier, and maybe Dayton. I think everyone else is a candidate for 8-8 and 8th place. If there is a "top tier" this year, I think it is Temple and Xavier and everyone else chasing a bit. A refreshing change....Xavier has been on their own tier of late, and I think will be better challenged this year.

My point....though rambling...is that I like reading a 9th place preview and thinking, "boy, these guys could be tough come mid-to-late season". This conference is deep and I'm excited about the future, especially with the overall quality of coaches and what seems like excellent progress in recruiting all around.