Understatement- we are not playing well.  Only saving hope facing a UMass Lowell team is that they are playing 3 games in 4 nights (16,17 and 19) from what it appears.  Hope we get a tired team or else we may get run out of the gym

I like the coach and think he is a good recruiter but he is starting to remind me of that job applicant that says all the right things and you hire thinking he is going to be the next superstar for your company only to find out he is an average performer with awesome communication skills but no substance behind the speech

We have the talent to be much better than we are showing.

I think it's GW's admin plan to make sports absolutely mediocre so when they cancel all sports programs nobody will complain.

UMass Lowell River Hawks

Date/Time: Friday November 19th @ 7:00 PM at The Charles E. Smith Center in Washington, DC (good to be back home!).
TV: NBC Sports Washington/ESPN+
Preseason Ranks: 277th (KenPom), 286th (Bart Torvik), 239th (CBS), 289th (SI)
2020-21 Record: 11-12, 7-8 (6th in America East)
2021-22 Projected Record: 16-15, 9-9 (T-4th in America East)

Coach: Pat Duquette, 95-138 in eight seasons at UMass Lowell. One thing is for sure - Duquette has been remarkably consistent at being mediocre as head coach. The River Hawks have finished either fifth or sixth in the America East in his eight seasons. He last finished .500 in conference in his first year at the helm - he has come close to getting over the hump in recent years but has just come up short. The relative consistency of Vermont, UMBC, and Stony Brook in recent years has made it tough to crack the upper echelon of the league. A native of Massachusetts, Duquette has spent his entire career coaching in the northeast, including previous stints as an assistant at Boston College and Northeastern.

Head-to-Head: First ever meeting (not too surprising given they've only been D1 since 2013). A lot of new opponents this year so far. At the very least, it has been interesting to learn about new teams around D1.

Offensive Efficiency: 258th (KenPom), 253rd (Bart Torvik)
Defensive Efficiency: 282nd (KenPom), 300th (Bart Torvik)
Pace: 89th (KenPom), 100th (Bart Torvik) - seems like a theme this year. Playing a lot of uptempo teams OOC.
Returning Minutes: 82% (60th in country)

Key Returning Players:
Connor Withers (Sophomore; Manassas, VA) 11.4 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.7 APG, 1 SPG, 1.1 BPG; 44% FG, 36% 3-PT, 69% FT
Kalil Thomas (Sophomore; New Orleans, LA) 7.8 PPG, 3 RPG; 50% FG, 45% 3-PT, 64% FT
Bryce Daley (RS Sophomore; Pittsfield, MA) 6.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.5 APG; 42% FG, 27% 3-PT, 65% FT
Allin Blunt (Junior; Crownsville, MD) 6 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.1 APG; 31% FG, 35% 3-PT, 67% FT

Key Losses:
Obadiah Noel (Graduated; Frederick, MD) 21.4 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.2 SPG; 49% FG, 33% 3-PT, 75% FT
Salif Boudie (Left team; Bamako, Mali) 6.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG; 63% FG, 63% FT

Comments:
40 minutes. That was all that stood between the River Hawks and a trip to their first ever NCAA tournament. They hung around all game, but unfortunately the ice cold shooting (under 30% - yikes) proved to be too much to overcome against Hartford. It was an unlucky end to the season after Lowell had won three games in the AE tournament, including two close wins against top teams Stony Brook and UMBC.

Duquette will aim to extend that postseason momentum into the new season with a normal offseason. Unfortunately, he has to do that without the team alpha Obadiah Noel. While the only thing they really have in common is the same first name, Noel was as important to Lowell's team on both ends last season as Toppin was for the Dayton team that went undefeated a couple years ago. He ranked first or second on the team in points (1st), rebounds (2nd), assists (2nd), and steals (1st). As the "returning minutes" statistic above shows, UML does brings back a good amount of production back, but when one of the pieces lost is as significant as Noel, it needs to be mentioned.

Players of Noel's caliber don't come around often (especially in the America East), so the River Hawks will have to replace his presence by committee. Fortunately, Duquette has many options to turn to on the passing side. The passing portion should be filled by returner Bryce Daley, La Salle transfer Ayinde Hikim, USC Upstate transfer Everette Hammond, and Elizabeth City State (D2) transfer Justin Faison. Daley led the team in assists last year, hustles on the boards, and scores the ball when needed but he needs to improve as a shooter otherwise teams will continue to hang in the paint to cut off driving lanes. He hasn't yet played this year. Hikim was a solid facilitator while at La Salle when he played, but fell out of the rotation as he struggled to guard bigger guards than him. He should thrive in the America East, but was also somewhat of a streaky shooter. Hammond could actually help out in both the scoring and passing departments, but was somewhat of a "good stats bad team" guy. If Faison can handle the leap to division 1 hoops, he might be the most well rounded/best of the bunch. He is a good three point shooter and can keep defenses honest.

NOLA native Khalil Thomas returns as UMass Lowell's best perimeter shooting threat. He didn't really do much otherwise, but leading the team in threes made as well as percentage (45%) is a boost for a team that is not overly strong from distance otherwise. If he leads the team in scoring this year, I wouldn't be surprised.

Up front, Connor Withers returns after doing a great job being the sidekick to Noel last season. It's no secret that Lowell lacks a lot in size down low (hint hint, let's use that to our advantage) but Withers did an admirable job on the boards and provides some rim protection. He is also an underrated passer and can find Lowell's speedy guards along the perimeter. Withers shot 36% from deep on a decent sample size as well, so this figures to be the toughest guard tomorrow evening. UML is kind of a meh free throw shooting team and Withers is included in that, so fouling at the right times might not hurt us as much tomorrow as it has on previous nights.

Withers will be supported down low by Allin Blunt, Darion Jordan-Thomas, Max Brooks, and John Hall. Blunt provides some floor stretching, but was very inefficient last season which could cut into his playing time. On a team that needs rebounding, averaging 2 a game won't cut it. Jordan-Thomas is more of a traditional big, although similarly undersized. He provided some useful minutes when he saw action and will likely retain his role as a rotation piece. Brooks is the most well rounded of the trio (especially defensively) which could earn him the starting spot next to Withers down low. Hall adds veteran leadership - the Philly native has had quite the journey having played previously at Evansville and Portland State. Quinton Mincey (yet another 6-7 wing) is a deeper option coming over from Mount St. Mary's.

Allin's brother Anthony Blunt (a walk-on) and former URI guard Greggory Hammond (no relation to Everette) round out the rotation but don't figure to do too much in the game.

UMass Lowell is undersized up front, but they have a lot of 6-7 wings which helps their versatility defensively. This is a team that loves to pressure and turn teams over - they average 9 steals a game on the year so taking care of the ball will be paramount.

The other interesting storyline in tomorrow's game is the number of local players on UMass Lowell's roster. Similar to JC, Duquette has constructed a DC-centric roster in the northeast. Nine players - Faison, Hammond (Everette), both Blunt brothers, Hikim, Withers, Mincey, Brooks, and Ephraim Acquah are all returning home so it will be interesting to see whether that gives them some added motivation. UML beat Dayton this year on the road, but after the Flyers fell to Lipscomb by 20 the other day I'm starting to wonder whether the young backcourt for Dayton is going to take more time to adjust than expected and they are going to have a down year this season.

Projected Score: GW 72, UMass Lowell 69. 59% chance to win (Bart Torvik). ESPN gives us a 76.2% chance to go 2-0 at home. Please do something. I don't think GW can fall any Lowell, but the team always manages to surprise in a not so good way.
 

We are #244 KenPom, UML is #249.
They beat Dayton on the road, which I don't think we've ever done except for the Carl Elliott steal and 60-foot heave.
Close game, at home, against another directional school (Fullerton, San Diego, Pennsylvania).
Awesome.
Just waiting for that UMES game for a sure thing (KenPom #354 of #358)
GW 68 UML 66, decided perhaps by missed FTs or a shot at the buzzer in the final 0:10. Also back to the James Bishop Show, since that's how we've had all our "success." Bishop with 21.
 

Good guys will be wearing new jerseys tonight

https://twitter.com/gw_mbb/status/1461725963226472449?s=21

Last edited by GW0509 (11/19/2021 12:26 pm)

Good insight from LSF, who suffered mightily to give us this report.
That is very interesting about JC's screaming, given our historic and delicate sensitivities to
such behavior--and all the "love" we regularly hear about.

Lose tonight and living descendants of George Washington will be demanding that the school change not just its nickname. 

jf wrote:

Good insight from LSF, who suffered mightily to give us this report.
That is very interesting about JC's screaming, given our historic and delicate sensitivities to
such behavior--and all the "love" we regularly hear about.

Tell me you never played competitive sports without telling me.

Assertions may be wrong, like Gapare still coming to GW.
Nor is it good to make things personal, in any case. Except, as in the case of GW'69,
he is adding his own relevant and interesting personal perspective.
  Deflections don't really address the issue, but add to the hypocrisy.

Last edited by jf (11/19/2021 4:17 pm)