Army Black Knights

Date: Tuesday December 2nd, 2025
Time: 11:00 AM ET
Venue: Christl Arena (West Point, NY)
TV: ESPN+
Ranks: 345th (KenPom), 352nd (Bart Torvik), 344th (Haslametrics), 331st (EvanMiya), 326th (Sports Illustrated)
2024-25 Record: 17-16, 10-8 (T-3rd in Patriot)
2025-26 Projected Record: 10-21, 6-12 (T-8th in Patriot)

Head-to-Head: 10-4. GW has won four in a row in the series going back to 1972. All four were won by ten points or more. In last year's 75-60 game, the Revs knocked down 13 triples which ultimately made the difference (they were +24 in threes and won the game by 15). The defense also held up well, holding the Black Knights to under 40% shooting from the field, 17% from 3, and just seven FT attempts all game. That helped offset being killed on the boards, where Army won convincingly 45-31. To be fair though, that's partly a product of how many shots they missed. When you take 30 threes and miss 25, the other team is bound to get rebounds that carom in weird directions. Trey Moss led the team in scoring (it feels like he's going to sit the year at this point) with 19. Three more finished with 12 points: Slim (along with 12 rebounds), Jun, and Gerald. CJ chipped in 11 from off the bench on an efficient shooting day.

Offensive Efficiency: 326th (KenPom), 329th (Bart Torvik), 331st (Haslametrics), 290th (EvanMiya)
Defensive Efficiency: 342nd (KenPom), 354th (Bart Torvik), 347th (Haslametrics), 343rd (EvanMiya)
Pace: 223rd (KenPom), 201st (Bart Torvik), 224th (Haslametrics), 213th (EvanMiya)
Offensive Shot Quality Rank: 256th
Defensive Shot Quality Rank: 319th
Rim & 3 Rate: 86% (80th)

Strengths (2024-25 Season):
Turnovers Per Game: 10 TO/G (35th; 1st in Pat)
Assist/Turnover Ratio: 1.41 AST/TO (52nd; 1st in Pat)
Three Point Attempts Per Game: 26.4 3PA (54th; 1st in Pat)
Fouls Per Game: 15.6 PF/G (64th; 5th in Pat)
Turnover Margin: +1.6 TO/G (82nd; 1st in Pat)

Weaknesses (2024-25 Season):
Bench Points Per Game: 16.36 PPG (281st; 7th in Pat)
Rebound Margin: -2.2 RPG (288th; 9th in Pat)
Field Goal Percentage Defense: 45.8% (290th; 8th in Pat)
Three Point Percentage: 31.7% (297th; 10th in Pat)
Free Throw Percentage: 68.1% (307th; 8th in Pat)
Blocks Per Game: 2.2 BPG (325th; 8th in Pat)
Free Throw Attempts Per Game: 15.8 FTA (327th; 8th in Pat)
Free Throws Made Per Game: 10.8 FTM (335th; 8th in Pat)

Projected Starting Lineup:
#2 G Ryan Curry (Junior; Montgomery, NJ) - 12.5 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 3.6 apg, 1 spg; 42% FG, 37% 3-PT, 75% FT per 33.6 mpg/33 GP at Army last season
#22 G Kevin McCarthy (Sophomore, West Chester, PA) - 2.3 ppg, 1.2 rpg; 39% FG, 37% 3-PT per 8 mpg/29 GP at Army last season
#10 F Jacen Holloway (Sophomore; Schwenksville, PA) - 2.6 ppg, 1.2 rpg; 43% FG, 21% 3-PT, 58% FT per 9.6 mpg/33 GP at Army last season
#54 F Jorn Everson (Senior; Williston, ND) - 4.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg; 47% FG, 30% 3-PT, 50% FT per 9.3 mpg/32 GP at Army last season
#32 F Tate Laczkowski (Junior; Dallas, TX) - 2.4 ppg, 2.6 rpg; 39% FG, 35% 3-PT, 44% FT per 8.8 mpg/23 GP at Army last season

Key Bench Players:
#1 G Jackson Furman (Freshman; Upper Marlboro, MD)
#4 G Jaxson Bell (Sophomore; Indianapolis, IN) - 1 ppg; 50% FG, 100% 3-PT per 1.3 mpg/3 GP at Army last season
#5 F Joshua Eli (Sophomore; Woodbury, NJ) - 2 ppg, 1 rpg; 50% FG, 100% FT per 2.5 mpg/2 GP at Army last season
#0 G Dayon Polk (Sophomore; Wilmington, DE) - 0.5 ppg, 0.3 rpg; 50% FG, 50% 3-PT per 2 mpg/6 GP at Army last season
#14 G Alex Engro (Sophomore; Glenview, IL) - 1 ppg; 50% FT per 1 mpg/2 GP at Army last season

Key Losses:
Jalen Rucker (Graduated; Baltimore, MD) - 18.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.6 spg; 42% FG, 33% 3-PT, 81% FT per 33.7 mpg/32 GP
Josh Scovens (Transferred to Davidson; Greensboro, NC) - 15.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1 spg, 1.3 bpg; 45% FG, 28% 3-PT, 66% FT per 31.7 mpg/29 GP
AJ Allenspach (Graduated; Simpsonville, SC) - 10.7 ppg, 7 rpg, 1.3 apg; 68% FG, 100% 3-PT, 66% FT per 25.8 mpg/33 GP

Preview:
Army had a solid season in the Patriot League during the 2024-25 season. The Black Knights finished 10-8 in the conference under second year coach Kevin Kuwik, which was the third best mark in the league - along with Colgate, Navy, and Boston U. It's also the fifth time that they've finished .500 or better in the Patriot in the last six years so they've proven to be competitive. The US Military Academy could have probably finished a bit higher, but they were handed the second toughest conference strength of schedule in the league after Holy Cross (per KenPom). Interestingly enough, the top four teams in the league by net rating - Bucknell, American, Colgate, and Navy - played the four weakest schedules in conference. That's the way it goes sometimes I guess.

It's a tough life being a military institution in the NIL/transfer portal era. While Patriot League teams generally still take the internal development route, teams like Army and Navy are at a disadvantage even relative to their peers in the league. Landing a transfer is effectively impossible - a player cannot transfer directly to West Point without starting again as a freshman (no credits transfer). Players are not technically locked into serving unless they stay beyond their sophomore year. After their first two years at the Academy, they have to sign an agreement binding them to finish their junior and senior years (plus five years of active duty). If this is violated, they have to pay six figures - not an insubstantial amount.

In a way, this gives the Black Knights a two year window to contend if most of the key guys stick around. The school has to hope that player breakouts happen during their junior year or later. A guy like Josh Scovens, who we will see later in the year at Davidson, contributed in so many areas for the Black Knights in his two years and did not stick around. While I think it's true to an extent that the people who choose to go to a school like Army, Navy, or Air Force do so because they actually want to serve (and are a different kind of individual in general) it's hard to fault someone for taking NIL to support their family. The military schools have already committed to opting out of the house settlements for the foreseeable future.

Along with GW's next opponent William & Mary (and The Citadel - another military institution), the Army Black Knights are once of just three original D1 Men's basketball teams that have not made the big dance. Bob Knight famously turned down an invitation in 1968 in favor of the NIT because he believed the Black Knights had a better chance of winning the latter tournament. It's strange the basketball team has had such little success when the football team (which is in the American) has had quite a bit. In fact, both Army and Navy were ranked in the top 25 last season.

This year does not figure to be the year that streak ends on the hardwood. Army was picked to finish dead last in the Patriot, which makes sense given that three of their four double figure scorers depart. Apart from Scovens, leading scorer Jalen Rucker who was second in the Patriot in scoring at 18.3 ppg (63rd nationally) and AJ Allenspach who provided the Black Knights plenty of second chance opportunities (82nd nationally in offensive rebounds per game) graduated. That's a problem, given how top-heavy last year's roster was. The starting five was solid, but on most nights Army got basically nothing from their bench.

That starting unit helped keep Army afloat offensively, especially inside the arc (although they were very bricky from 3 and rarely got to the line). Unsurprisingly, the lack of positional size down low really hurt the defense. Only Holy Cross fared worse on that end during Patriot League play, per KenPom. The Black Knights were feisty along the perimeter - they forced turnovers and closed out well on threes, but once the opposition got past the initial line of defense things got brutal. Black Knight foes shot a blistering 57.2% from inside the arc in conference (dead last by over 3%) as Army had no rim protection and they were also obliterated on the glass - they surrendered offensive rebounds at a 31% rate which was also last in the Patriot. Without much resistance, many games involving Army went over the total - especially in non-conference play which happened in eight of twelve games.

Any optimism going into the year has to start with red-headed assassin Ryan Curry, who returns after exploring the transfer portal during the offseason. Curry deserves a lot of credit for taking care of the ball. That was one of the things Army was good at last season and it should remain solid this year with Curry back. He had the best mark in conference in assist/turnover ratio (75th nationally). The Jersey native was also a flamethrower from deep, drilling 85 threes last year (the most in the Patriot) at a strong 37% clip (79th nationally). He's not off to the best start this year shooting the ball this year (just 29%) . Part of that might just be not having as much talent around him as last year but you have to figure he gets back closer to his career 35% average by the end of the season. Curry also rebounds fairly well (nearly five boards a game) for his height. He scored 9 points on an inefficient 12 shots in last year's contest.

Curry will be joined in the backcourt by a pair of 6'4" Pennsylvania natives in Kevin McCarthy and Jacen Holloway. McCarthy (not the former speaker) appeared in 29 games last year and took nearly 90% of his shots from 3. That has pretty much been his role this year on higher volume - he's taken over six threes a game and knocked them down at a 34% clip - but he is not as effective when run off the line. Additionally, he is probably the team's worst defender, with a dismal -2.14 DBPR per EvanMiya. It's worth noting that McCarthy did not play in Army's last game, but it's unknown whether that's due to injury or Kuwik choosing to give other guys on the roster more of an opportunity. He had an assist in four minutes off the bench last year.

Holloway, who appeared in every game last year, is a nice complement to McCarthy's floor spacing. He is more of a slasher, converting on over there-fifths of his attempts inside the arc compared to just 19% from distance. His range is limited, as evidenced by his 60% shooting from the FT line. In general, Holloway is a decent connector on offense - he rebounds and moves the ball and has good strength along the perimeter. Last year, he had two points and two boards in 11 minutes.

Jaxson Bell, Dayon Polk, Alex Engro, and Jackson Mayo will all look to play bigger roles this year with the number of minutes available.

Bell's shot diet is similar to that of McCarthy - he is fairly good from distance (37% this year) but is sub-40% from inside the arc. He is a good rebounder and has played a big role in Army winning their last two games against Manhattan and FDU. In those games, he put up 35 total points on 7/13 shooting from behind the arc to go with 5.5 rpg. Polk has appeared in every game on the year, but has been atrocious shooting the ball (3/17 from the field). Engro has somehow been even worse, shooting a brutal 1/15 from the floor. Mayo, a Hawaii native, is the veteran who has appeared in 20 career games for Army (including 10 last year). He can drill an open three but is unlikely to see heavy minutes. Brendon O'Keefe is an undersized guard who could also see spot minutes. Chanse Perkins has a similar build to Holloway but hasn't played this year.

Up front, North Dakotan Jorn Everson and Texan Tate Laczkowski will start. Everson can stretch the floor a bit, scoring inside and out but doesn't rebound particularly well for his height. Still, he's capable of big outputs - he had 22 against Elon in the CBI, 24 against Cornell in Ithaca, and 16 against St. Thomas. He had two points off the bench for Army last year. Laczkowski, the tallest player on the roster at 6'9", is a much better rebounder and can also step out and hit shots (though just 2/15 on the year) but is less effective inside and a career 40% FT shooter. In general, he is not a very high-usage option. Defensively, he does a good job of holding his ground down low despite not being vertically explosive.

Returning backup options up front include Joshua Eli, Dylan Murans, and Nnaemeka Ikechi. Eli (who is probably more of a wing) is likely to be the most effective and efficient. He takes most of his shots near the rim and converts them at a decent clip (52% from the field). He is also a good rebounder when he's on the court. In the win over FDU, he posted a double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds). Murans and Ikechi are spot options. The former is theoretically a stretch forward, although he's yet to make a three. Ikechi is decent at crashing the glass and is probably the best bet to match the size/strength that GW has down low although he's barely played.

Finally, Army's four man freshman class includes Jackson Furman, Dillon Watt, Jahaan Green, and Dylan Benner. That seems like a somewhat small class for a service academy. Furman, a Maryland native, has appeared in every game and has been the most impactful of the quartet. He has knocked down 40% of his threes on over five a game. It's unusual for freshmen to play major minutes at West Point, which speaks to Furman's talent. Putting up 20 points in 19 minutes (with 5 made threes) against Duke will certainly get some attention. Watt is another undersized guard. 75% of his points have come from the line, and he's made 92% of his FTs which suggests long term upside. Green is a guard that likes to get to the hoop and has good size at 6'5". Benner, a Californian, is a stretch forward who adds depth up front. He averaged 17.8 ppg and 8.7 rpg during his senior year of HS.

This game probably doesn't tell us a whole lot about adjustments the team has made since the MTE. The goal should be to cover the spread against a bottom 25 team in the country. With it being on the road, I guess that might be easier to achieve. Army is not a big team and not good at all defensively. They are also super young, especially with who they have coming off the bench. Only Holy Cross has a lower block rate in the nation, so finishing inside shouldn't be too difficult. Offensively, Kuwik likes his teams taking threes, so closing out will be important. His first team was 25th in this metric, and they are currently 4th nationally in attempt percentage. They are also shooting below 30% on those shots, so I'm not sure that makes a lot of sense instead of trying to get to the line. Hopefully GW wins the rebound battle this time around. Despite the lack of height, Army has been an above average unit with regards to defensive rebounding for ten straight years which speaks to their discipline.

Projected Score: GW 90, Army 70. 96% chance to win (KenPom). Bart Torvik forecasts a 94% chance at a W. ESPN predicts a 95.8% chance for GW to move to 7-2.

jf wrote:

Maybe I missed it, but does anyone know why we are playing at 11 a.m. on a Tuesday?

Silly jf-- since it is at a military academy, the game will not be at "11 a.m." but at 1100 hours. (now why at this time instead of an hour when people are able to watch games is a mystery to me).

The women have often and recently had such games for school kids.  I just looked at their schedule and they have an 11 am game Jan 7 against Rhode Island.

In the first 3.5 minutes, Army has taken 4 3-point shots, hit 2 of them, but all 4 were wide opened looks.-

What in the world has happened to our D?

We can score at will inside, but have chosen to shoot 1-10 from the 3.

Whomever posted that GW's defense needs to be more than hoping the other team misses their 3 point shots hit the nail on the head.   Army 6-11 from the three, almost all shots of the wide opened variety.

Castro, Hunter and Jones are a combined 7-7 scoring down low.  

Unless my math is off, at the half, GW has shot 5-19 from the 3 and 8-8 from the 2 (total of 13-27)   Can that be right?  And yet, we still scored a very respectable 45 points for the half.    Helps to have only 5 turnovers and go 14-16 from the line. 

Last edited by Long Suffering Fan (12/02/2025 12:01 pm)

9-17 Army 3 point shooting. This has to be addressed. But yes, doing well inside, not good from 3. So keep shooting 3's?  What is Caputo trying to do? Offense does seem disjointed. Probably C is trying to accommodate the wishes of all his players. (Bubu)? This is why I think we lost games we should have won. Indecision?