Next up:                               Hampton University Pirates
Conference:                        Coastal Athletic Association (CAA)
Time:                                    December 21, 2024; 2 PM ET
Venue:                                 Ocean Bank Convocation Center; Miami, FL
2023-24 Record:                 3-26 (3-15 in CAA – 12th Place)
2025 Projection:                 14th
Current Record:                  3-6
Common Opponents:        Delaware, Towson
Last Time Out:                    46-40 loss to GW in 2023-34 (at Smith Center)
Broadcast:                          ESPN+ 

Opponent Summary: On Saturday, GW faces the Hampton University Pirates of the CAA in the second matchup of the Florida International University (FIU) Christmas Classic at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center. The Pirates come into Saturday afternoon’s contest with a 3-6 OOC record, following a win earlier this week against to Gardner-Webb and Friday’s loss to tournament host FIU. Although picked to finish last in the MEAC, they are somewhat of an enigma, as they have had some bad losses mixed in with victories that include an overtime win against P5 opponent Georgia in Athens, GA. Hampton is led by Jasha Clinton, a graduate student transfer from Temple, who is the only double-digit scorer for Hampton at 14.1 ppg. Forward Jenae Dublin, adds 9.3 ppg and leads the team in rebounding at 6.0 rpg., while CeCe Thomas pitches in 8.3 ppg. As a team, Hampton scores 59.1 ppg, while allowing 70.6 ppg. The Pirates shoot 38.3% from the field (30.2% from 3-point range) and have an assist-to-turnover ratio of .6.
 
About the Game: GW, coming off yesterday’s big loss to Miami, has to be leery of Hampton. Although the Pirates have some offensive deficiencies, their pressure defense has forced 21.9 turnovers per game and includes a 32-turnover performance in their win over Georgia. The Pirates have been vulnerable on the inside and may be even more so if Dublin, who did not suit up for the opener, is unable to play. GW’s front court has been inconsistent offensively on the inside, but has to take advantage of this situation. In the FIU game, Hampton allowed the Panthers to make 15 of 26 layup attempts leading to a 40-18 advantage in points-in-the-paint. The Revs need to approach those numbers.  Another concern for GW will be the unavailability of players, effecting the chemistry on offense and presenting substitution challenges. Perhaps Mott, who entered the Miami game late in the 3rd quarter, was not at 100% and only called on because of GW’s front court foul trouble, but it also looked like Reynolds lacked energy and was not 100% ready to perform. Regardless of who plays, GW has to limit turnovers, which is a big ask, especially with a shorthanded squad. However, Hampton is also turnover-prone, and if GW can convert some turnovers into easy scores, it could alleviate some of their half court offensive problems. Questionable and out of rhythm shots that lead to transition scores for the opposition have also been problematic for GW— these have to be minimized as well.
 
The keys to success are pretty obvious, so hopefully, the team is up to the task. GW needs a positive performance heading into the A10 season.