George Washington Colonials
The rumors have swirled faster than the snow in College Park in recent years about the Terrapins men’s basketball team’s intentions to drop out of the BB&T Classic. The event, now in its 19th year, used to draw programs such as Michigan State, Florida, Gonzaga and Kansas to square off against regulars George Washington, George Mason and the Terps.
But the tournament style was abandoned, and the 18,000-large Verizon Center hasn’t drawn more than 11,000 for the Terps since General Grievis was at the point, and his team was matched with Villanova.
And coach Mark Turgeon and his squad should expect more of the same today, as the cavernous Verizon Center will echo thin with the lone cries of the few Terps and George Washington Colonials fans who manage to leave their dorms and apartments in the snow and hop on the Green Line.
A LOOK BACK: We really shouldn’t talk about it. But the Terps walked into Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio, and led by as many as zero (to Ohio State’s 25) in a 76-60 beatdown. Guard Nick Faust seemed to be shooting at the wrong bucket, going 2-for-9 and an astounding 1-for-7 from three-point-land. Roddy Peters showed us all why Turgeon is still putting the ball in guard Dez Wells’ hands, coughing up five turnovers and refusing to shave his mutton chops. It stunk.
WALKING INTO WASHINGTON: The Colonials are — colonizing, I guess. Or maybe they’re revolting. In any case, they’re doing well. Sitting at 7-1, with a nationally televised Dec. 1 upset over then-No. 20 Creighton in the Wooden Legacy in under their belts, the Foggy Bottom faithful can finally stop trying to sneak into Georgetown games to see a good basketball team play. George Washington went 13-17 and 7-9 in the, ahem, mighty Atlantic 10 last season, falling to Massachusetts in the first game of the A-10 tournament. Less than one-third through the season, and the Colonials have already halved their win total from last season, third-year coach Mike Lonergan and the Colonials are looking to take this one season all the way to Yorktown. Because, history.
STRENGTH: The Colonials share and take good care of the ball. With 1.4 assists to every turnover, George Washington ranks 34th in the country in that category. The Terps, meanwhile? Tied for 216th with the likes of Manhattan, South Alabama and Louisiana-Monroe at 0.94 assists to every turnover, with 110 turnovers to George Washington’s 91.
WEAKNESS: Like the Terps, the Colonials can start spinning their tires if a few key pieces are shut down. In their one loss to Marquette, George Washington shot 14.3 percent from beyond the arc, largely because of a 2-of-10 night from scoring leader guard Maurice Creek. Look to Creek and Terps forward Jake Layman to be the barometers of each team’s performance today.
CAMPUS CONNECTION: In October 2012, the Corcoran Gallery of Art was in talks with George Washington University about a potential partnership. The gallery was looking for long-term options for financial partners who could increase its visibility and assuage its financial troubles. Then, less than half a year later, the Corcoran found a prettier girl at the ball. The gallery dropped talks with George Washington and came scurrying up Rhode Island Avenue to speak with university President Wallace Loh. Now, Kennedy Center President Michael Kaiser is onboard with the university and Loh’s vision of adding an “A” to STEM to make it STEAM — yeah, I don’t know about it either — is coming to fruition.
FUN FACT: We’d all best hope this one’s a blowout, for the Terps or Colonials, it doesn’t matter. For there will be no greater satisfaction for the Breaking Bad fanatics among us than the magical moment when the public announcer tells us that, “checking in for George Washington, No. 43, Skyler White.” He’s only played 12 minutes so far this season, appearing in four games. But in that time, he’s made Walt Jr. four breakfasts, bickered with Saul Goodman twice and smoked one pack of cigarettes.
TERP CONFIDENCE LEVEL: Six out of 10. The Colonials are on a roll, but you’ve just got to believe that the Terps can beat them. After getting steamrollered in Columbus, and with George Washington still in that upset-minded bliss, the Terps have just got to buck up and get this dub.
NEXT NONCONFRIEND: Boston College apparently? For some strange reason, and for the second time in four seasons, the Terps are playing the Eagles in a conference game before getting back to the nitty-gritty of the Nonconfriends schedule, which will resume on Saturday with a tilt with Florida Atlantic. But until then, fingers crossed for no school, keep your friends close and your Nonconfriends closer.
