I'll play.

1) Am I looking forward to this season?
Hell, yeah, but mostly because I think GW is going to be fun to watch and get behind.  I believe JC has this program going in the right direction and, while nothing is certain, I think we're getting wherever it is we're going a lot faster than I thought we would.

2)  Am I looking forward to it in a different way than other seasons?
See above.

3) Is it selfish to have the players out their risking their health?
It's only selfish if we force it upon them.

4) Asterisk?
Only if the league season is not fully played out, or if COVID completely decimates things.

5) Should everyone dance?
No, but I wouldn't mind seeing a 96-team model that provides a guaranteed spot for every regular season and conference tournament winner, and a guaranteed bye into the round of 64 to any team that wins both.  

6.  96 or 128? 
See above.

7. Is not being able to see the team in person going to cause me to be less engaged?
No, not at all.  Truthfully I have not been able to get to more than a couple of games a season in recent years (but did get to catch them in Vegas a few years ago).  

Honestly, I hope this season happens in a big way.  I look at this year like the second episode of a movie trilogy:  it could be good on its own, but it's primary function is to set-up the third film.

I would take the time to answer each of your questions but with so much uncertainty even now, my answer will just be this ...

1. I will take whatever we can get - games, results, etc.
2. I will first and foremost hope that our players, coaches, administrators and fans stay healthy
3. If there is a NCAA tournament, I will again take whatever size they give us whether that hurts us or helps us.
4. I will be engaged for virtually anything related to GW basketball.
5. I will remain focused on hoping that by 2021-22, we can shake this pandemic and return to life as it once was.
 

22 and F - I agree. I just meant that if GW games were live streamed I will follow. If they are on TV I will watch, etc. If GW were to not play but others did I would definitely watch that too. I am a huge college basketball fan generally.

1. Brelsford and Ball look good. Brown raw but athletic and powerful.
2. Moyer will be playing multiple positions for GW. He will really help.
3. Bishop playing both spots, Can really score it but can distribute as well.

Bonus observation: Hunter Dean looking really good but won't be eligible until end of first semester.
 

Yes to Amir. I do not believe he will play at all this season.

Tyler and Lincoln's playing time will probably vary but I am not sure either gives us 15+ per game. I would put them in the 5-10 minute category at most as a guess but it could be more or less depending on the game and if they play well when given opportunities.

Dean is surprisingly athletic and I think has developed over the past year. Of course, he has to do it in games but the practice reports so far are very encouraging.

I wouldn't draw that conclusion on Brown just yet. I think he will have a role but like most big men, they take longer to develop. Don't assume that just Paar is the only other option. Dean and Moyer can play inside as well and Ace will give you a few minutes. I think the post is going to be a position by committee this year and it may well depend on the size and frontcourt abilities of the opponent as to who plays more or less each game. For example, Brown may be better against more athletic front courts, Chase against more skilled posts. Just hard to say right now.

The key to all of this is JC. He has long expressed a desire to play 8-9 guys in his regular rotation. With Moyer, Battle, Nelson, Bishop, Jack, Paar, Dean and Seymour as virtual locks for 8 of those spots that leaves Brelsford, Ball, Brown, Stallings and Leftwich fighting for limited time. Of those, Brown may see limited minutes because JC likes to not play his big men more than 20-25 a night. Brelsford and Ball will need to play behind Bishop, Nelson, Battle, Moyer and Seymour at the 1-2-3. How many minutes there are for those two I don't know. Of course, injuries could move them up the depth chart.

Last edited by GWRising (10/28/2020 9:35 am)

Long Suffering Fan wrote:

1) Are you looking forward to the upcoming season?

Of course.  GW basketball is my biggest sports passion.

2) Are you looking forward to the season like you would any other season?

Not even close.    Part and parcel with my love of GW basketball is my attending the games.     Of course the play on the court is the biggest part, but I love the entire college basketball atmosphere, which I believe sets it apart from the pros in terms of my entertainment.  I love the pregame meal, chatting with the most knowledgeable GW fans in the world, the half time cookies and the buff and blue M&Ms;  listening to the scouting report from the assistance coach, watching the cheer team, listening to the pep band, observing team comradery, watching how the teams and coaching staffs conduct themselves before and during the game, and even after as individuals and as a team;  seeing the occasional celebrity at the game (i.e. local politician or former player) watching the play away from the ball;  watching us play on the road (well, maybe I should rethink that last one) ... This is all lost by watching the games on TV,      And I will miss it greatly.

3) Is it selfish to ask these players and coaches to risk their health?

If their health is indeed at risk, then yes, it is very selfish.   

4) From a team performance perspective, does this season have an * next to it?
 
No.    In the not so distant past, college basketball was playing a 26 or 27 game season.   If we are looking at 24-26 games, then I would not discredit the season in any way.

5) Given the uniqueness of the times, should all Division 1 teams qualify for the Dance?

No.    GW and every team ranked higher than it should go, everyone else no.

6) Should the field be expanded to say 96 or 128 schools this season only?

Leave the field where it is.

7)  Might you be less engaged as a GW fan this season if you are unable to attend games in person?

No.   For me, in the end, it has been primarily about winning and losing.  My enjoyment of the event may be diminished, but my level of engagement will not be.


 

Long Suffering Fan, I read your post and, regarding your feelings about question #2, I feel you make an excellent point about potentially missing out on the experience of being at the Smith Center to see GW games in person.  I will miss it greatly also if fans are not allowed to attend (or I don't feel comfortable attending) because of the pandemic. It's only my opinion, but I feel the virus is spinning out of control, so I don't anticipate any possibility of fan attendance this season.  But I hope all (or at least most) of the games will be on live TV or streamed live on the internet.  

Does anyone have any information on if the games will be broadcast or streamed, and how much it might cost to view them? Any information would be appreciated.
 

Last edited by 22ndandF (10/30/2020 11:08 am)

Gwmayhem wrote:

22nd&F, hard to know for sure given that we haven't even seen a schedule.  Here are some guidelines:

The Navy game will be shown on CBS Sports Network, the day before Thanksgiving at noon.

Out of conference games should be a mixed bag.  Games against programs from larger conferences stand a better chance of being televised.  For example, a game against Virginia Tech could easily end up on the ACC Network or as a long shot, on ESPN2 or ESPNU.  A game against Tenn. State may not be televised or streamed.  Depending on who the OOC opponents are, we may find that 1/2 of those games are unavailable for streaming (though we may go back to the days where home games are streamed along with Byron Kerr's radio call.).  Practically all of the conference games will either be televised somewhere or steamed on ESPN+.  There may be a handful that aren't but the vast majority should be available. 

The fact that we've just seen the player projected to be the #1 pick in the NFL draft(who many peg to be a generational talent) just test positive for COVID should be a scare to college basketball that you need to have every possible game you can in a bubble atmosphere where players can be in a controlled environment for a long period of time. I bring this up to say that if GW participates in multiple MTE's with high-profile teams, there is a chance that a larger amount of OOC games will be carried by ESPN's TV networks(ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, etc.), we won't have to pay the small fee for ESPN+. I don't think scheduling individual games is the right thing to do at this point for any school

1. I'm looking forward to the upcoming season because I'm a big fan of basketball, we could also see GW make a big leap in terms of wins because of the newcomers and how well the freshman played last year. I wish we could have seen this team under normal conditions where the players could have participated in the Kenner League, had an open practice and had an exhibition game/possibly an overseas trip. It looks like were going to see GW sight unseen on Thanksgiving Eve at Navy. All we can really go by are last year's memories for the returning players, social media videos of the newcomers and GWRising's information!!

2. I'm not sure that I'll be looking forward to this season like any other season because of the COVID uncertainty,  Who Will Be Playing Who? What if a Star Player or Multiple Players From A Team Test Positive? What Happen If Games Get Postponed. But I'll look forward to seeing how good the incoming freshman are across the country, how much guys have improved and the impact of transfers. 

3. Tough question, but the players do have the option of opting out of the season(like Collin Smith has done) so they aren't being forced to play

4. I think you have to put an asterisk on this college basketball season and EVERY season(MLB, NBA, NFL, College Football) in sports for 2020-2021 because of the unusual circumstances. Teams not being able to play home games in packed, familiar venues makes a huge difference. Also, players missing games due to COVID will ruin team dynamics in many instances. We could see a scenario where GW or another team is playing well, then a star player or multiple players test positive, which can derail a season(this may have happened to the New England Patriots in the NFL).

5. I think its a good idea for all teams to qualify for the NCAA tournament because of the unusual circumstances of the season. I don't think we are going to get an evened out schedule, so why not include every team. But we can only have this for this season

6. See #5
 

Many teams around the world are selling "tickets" to watch livestreams of games not on TV, a sort of pay-per-view Internet style. The price is usually nominal (except in the case of English football where it is prohibitive and fans are boycotting) with revenue going to the teams. Might be a good idea for GW, especially since ESPN+ has all kinds of geographical restrictions that make it quite limiting for the global GW diaspora. (My city´s club gives tickets to its streams of home games out for free to season ticket holders). It works, but is nowhere near the same as being there in person. Other teams are transmitting for free on platforms like Facebook Live that allow them to track the data on viewers (which can also be a source of revenue). I doubt there will be many DI games this year that do not have streaming options should TV pass on the match up.