Mentzinger wrote:

The baseline expectation is that GW competes for an NCAA bid every year. This schedule and this AD clearly do not agree with that aspiration.

The baseline expectation is that the team provide a positive contribution to the University as a whole. So harbouring people who commit sexual assaults in the dorms, having students flunk out, or employing homophobes is not meeting the baseline expectation.
As for NCAA bids, I agree it should be something GW strives for every year, but I also recognize that the current crop of talent might not be quite ready for prime time, yet. That said, it will be hard for me to stomach anything other than W´s against the St Francis and UMES of the world.
 

GW0509 wrote:

It is? Since when? I mean, I hope we get to that point but history shows us that getting to the NCAA tournament takes an almost stars aligning scenario.

Historically we’ve been a middle of the pack A-10 school with a few years where we’ve bubbled up to the top 4. ML’s teams really should’ve gone to the NCAAs 3 years in a row, but looking at how the selection committee screws over conferences like the A-10, the only way we can be “competing” for bids every year is if we get to the level of Dayton or VCU, which absent some booster like Boone Pickens, we will probably never do.

I think more accurately we should say we should be competing for postseason bids to the CBI and NIT. That is a far more realistic and obtainable goal for a program that has limited financial capabilities.

Since I became a fan, that's when. And to think GW doesn't have financial capabilities is to forget it is literally The World Bank's landlord. Other priorities maybe, but not capabilities.
Argue for mediocrity and it shall be yours. I'm not signing up for that. GW says it wants to be world class in every venue. High profile D1 sports should absolutely be no exception, given its value in marketing and providing a quality student experience. 
 

2  years ago the A-10 schedule was released on Sept 4 - looking forward to that,
and seeing a GWU game live in 2022

Free Quebec wrote:

Classic GW. Unless I’m the fool (possible), there’s a mistake in the schedule announcement.

It says we are playing UC San Diego and UC Fullerton, and says they are from thr WAC and Big West.

Problem is, there’s no San Diego in the WAC (and Fullerton is big west).

There’s UC San Diego, who just played their first year of D1 and is also in the Big West. And there’s University OT San Diego, who is in the WCC. There’s also San Diego St in the MWC, though it’s not them.

So who are we playing? Is it UC San Diego, the new D1 team in the Big West or San Diego the more established team in the WCC? (I hope it’s the latter, but with this sad schedule, it’s probably not)

Here’s the line from the announcement: The Colonials then head to the West Coast for a pair of contests with UC San Diego (Nov. 13) and Cal State Fullerton (Nov. 16). GW has never faced either program out of the WAC and Big West, respectively

The presser has been corrected to reflect that both Best Coast opponents are in the Big West (meaning GW will play UC San Diego)...

https://gwsports.com/news/2021/8/2/mens-basketball-reveals-non-conference-schedule.aspx

Skittles wrote:

Can we do a win prediction thread? That'd be fun

Who are you asking? Do you need permission to start a thread?

Atlantic 10 MBB @A10MBB 6m

TODAY’S THE DAY! #A10MBB schedule release at 3:00 pm ET on bit.ly/p9nuNq!

Last edited by GW0509 (9/09/2021 8:09 am)

Brutal start.  1-4 and/or 2-6 to open the conference season is not out of the question.  Second half eases up quite a bit, with a highly possible three game winning streak heading into the A10 tournament in play.

Thank you for those early start times opposite the NFL playoffs.

All of the games had been known and the OOC dates had been previously announced.  It's the dates and sequencing of the conference games that became known today.

JF, we had a bit of a discussion about the "wisdom" of this OOC schedule.  At the time, I was of the mindset that this could be a vastly improved team and that if it were to somehow land on the bubble, this schedule would shoot the team in the foot.  Since then, Ira Lee has been lost for the season and as I said at the time, Ira would likely not have been this team's best player but he arguably may have been the one the team could least afford to lose.  As a result, my mindset has changed as I don't think this team without Ira will be sniffing the Dance.  

Most even before the injury felt that this team needed to change the culture by winning a lot regardless of the quality of the opposition and given who we've lost to these past several years, I do see that point.  I'd just like to avoid being Fordham from a few years ago when they were something like 11-1 in the OOC having played nobody and then went on to have their usual near-winless conference season.

You get stronger and tougher by playing decent competition.
And we always need to prep for the A-10 schedule.
Not saying we have to play a bunch of P5 teams, though one or even two more than Md. wouldn't kill us, but we could do a bit better than living out the former coach of a neighboring school's dream schedule.