I mean if they don't win all of these cupcake buy to win games they should be ashamed

Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks

Date/Time: Friday November 18th @ 7:00 PM ET at The Charles E. Smith Center in Washington, DC.
TV: ESPN+
Preseason Ranks: 299th (KenPom), 296th (Bart Torvik), 325th (Sports Illustrated)
2021-22 Record: 11-16, 6-8 (T-6th in MEAC)
2022-23 Projected Record: 12-17, 6-8 (6th in MEAC)

Head-to-Head: 6-0, with an average margin of victory of 23.8 points. The last matchup in 2016-17 (since last year's matchup was canceled due to COVID) was the closest in the series, a 4 point victory where we played some really bad basketball in the final stretch of the game. We didn't score a field goal in the final three minutes of the game on a squad that had both Tyler and Yuta on it, and UMES ranked 314th on defense. The Hawks managed to cut it to 3 in the final seconds of the game, and I'm just glad the game ended when it did because things weren't trending well, and this could have easily have been a loss had the game been a few minutes longer. As we've been accustomed to the past several years of watching GW basketball, we were outscored in the second half, and it's almost unbelievable that UMES was able to score 49 points in the second half alone and shoot 43% from deep for the game. Tyler (24 points, 10 rebounds) and Yuta (18 points, 6 rebounds) made a combined 19 free throws, and as a whole the team shot 20 more FTs than UMES which ended up being the difference.

Preseason Offensive Efficiency: 340th (KenPom), 337th (Bart Torvik)
Preseason Defensive Efficiency: 215th (KenPom), 203rd (Bart Torvik)
Pace: 151st (KenPom), 168th (Bart Torvik)
Offensive Shot Quality Rank: 353rd
Defensive Shot Quality Rank: 224th
Rim & 3 Rate: 84% (237th)

Strengths:
Steals Per Game (5th)
Turnovers Forced (8th)
Fewest Fouls (31st)
Total Steals (31st)
Turnover Margin (60th)
Scoring Defense (88th)

Weaknesses:
3-PT Field Goal Percentage (282nd)
Defensive Rebounds Per Game (282nd)
Free Throw Attempts (T-282nd)
Scoring Offense (300th)
Blocked Shots Per Game (303rd)
Total Assists (T-311th)
Free Throws Made (T-315th)
Assist Turnover Ratio (T-317th)
Field Goal Percentage (325th)
Total Blocks (T-328th)
Total Rebounds (329th)
Turnovers Per Game (338th)
Free Throw Percentage (341st)

Key Returning Players:
Zion Styles (Graduate Student; Uniondale, NY) 10 ppg, 4 rpg, 1 apg, 1.8 spg; 37% FG, 30% 3-PT, 66% FT
Kevon Voyles (Senior; Cape Charles, VA) 9.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.4 spg; 44% FG, 41% 3-PT, 60% FT
Da'Shawn Phillip (Senior; Baltimore, MD) 9.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.7 spg; 39% FG, 26% 3-PT, 57% FT
Nathaniel Pollard, Jr. (Graduate Student; Richmond, VA) 8.7 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.3 spg; 56% FG, 22% 3-PT, 59% FT
Chace Davis (Sophomore; Accokeek, MD) 7.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.2 apg; 37% FG, 32% 3-PT, 84% FT
Donchevell Nugent (Graduate Student; Newburgh, NY) 6.4 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.2 spg; 37% FG, 28% 3-PT, 59% FT

Key Losses:
Dom London (Transferred; Christiana, PA) 10.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2 apg, 1.2 spg; 41% FG, 34% 3-PT, 74% FT

Comments:
Jason Crafton's Hawks squad was a nice story during OOC play last season. Maryland ES went 7-2 against the spread during the non-conference portion of their schedule, which included outright wins against Fordham (in double overtime) and Lehigh. They also fell to St. Joe's by just two and even played #17 UConn close throughout - the Huskies led by just 4 points with less than 4 minutes to go in the contest and ultimately came out on top by just 9. The Hawks surprised everyone - Sports Illustrated had pegged them as the worst team in the country coming into last season after UMES opted to sit out the entirety of the 2020-21 season due to COVID. They were one of just ten schools to do so, along with former fellow conference member Bethune-Cookman (now in the SWAC), and the eight Ivy League schools. Maryland ES had won just 5 games the season prior, and their outperforming preseason rankings may have been a combination of being re-energized having sat out that year and opponents overlooking them with the expectation that they would need some time to play cohesively.

Crafton, a former video coordinator under Jay Wright who also spent a number of years as an assistant at Navy instilled a defensive identity at Maryland ES last year. The Hawks finished the season ranking 177th in defensive efficiency, far and away their best ever finish on that side of the ball in the KenPom era. The Shore also finished as the best defensive team in the MEAC, which led to them playing 11 of their 15 conference contests to the under. Much like Howard, UMES emphasized winning the turnover battle as the Hawks ranked top 10 nationally in both steals per game and turnovers forced. The more incredible stat is that they managed to finish 31st in the country in fewest fouls. It is expected that a team that likes to pressure the ball/turn teams over commit more fouls, but Crafton's team was remarkably disciplined last year.

Unfortunately, the offensive talent was glaringly missing. It's not exactly a surprise that it's quite difficult to recruit to Princess Anne, MD - even conference foes in-state such as Coppin and Morgan can sell being in a more urban area. As a result, Crafton has opted to "zig" while other teams in the MEAC "zag" by playing a slower tempo that results in lower scoring games where UMES would be able to close the gap in offensive talent. Unfortunately, that didn't end up being too successful a strategy during conference play as other MEAC squads manager to speed the Hawks up - they ranked 87th in total possessions per game down the stretch. While Crafton did a great job turning things around last year, the reality is that UMES has a low ceiling in the MEAC - something which he can't really control. When you're going up against a consistent contender in Norfolk State, an always well-coached and respected NC Central squad with LeVelle Moton on the sidelines, and Coppin/Howard/Morgan State able to recruit better, a 6th place finish in conference most years should be considered a success with maybe an occasional higher finish if things break their way.

One thing that UMES does have on their side this year is continuity. This squad boasts plenty of experience - there are 8 players on the roster that are either graduate students or seniors. The Hawks return six of their top seven scorers who are familiar with the way Crafton prefers to operate on both sides of the ball. Zion Styles and Da'Shawn Phillip certainly fit the bill defensively, as Styles (79th) and Phillip (92nd) finished in the top 100 nationally in steals per game. Phillip, a Mt. Zion product, provides positional size and doubles as the main facilitator on offense where he dished out over 3 assists per game. Styles often flanked him along the perimeter - he is the lone double figure scorer who returns from last year. Unfortunately, both Phillip and Styles were both volume-dependent in order to be productive as scorers, and Styles in particular will look to cut down on his turnovers as he's not been a particularly great playmaker since he entered the D1 ranks from JUCO. To their credit, they are shooting a combined 11/22 from distance on the year, with Styles upping his average to nearly 16 a game.

As you'd expect from a MEAC squad, Maryland Eastern Shore has a fair stable of guards that generate quite a bit of pressure defensively but lack size up front. Kevon Voyles, Chace Davis, and Donchevell Nugent give Crafton the flexibility to rotate his guards to keep them fresh and allow them to keep up the defensive pressure for all 40 minutes. On a team that is deprived of shooting, Voyles (who has yet to play this season) sticks out as a guy who probably needs to play as many minutes as possible. He shot 41% from distance and is the leading returner in three point makes on the squad with top scorer Dom London out of the fold. Davis is the youngster of the bunch as he's only a sophomore. While he's not quite the same defender as the other guards on the roster (although I would expect a sophomore leap this season), he showed potential offensively by shooting a team-best 84% from the line on a team that bricks FTs left and right. Nugent has an A+ name but also plays a vital role as a glue guy when on the court. He won't wow you as a shooter, but he is a capable scorer who can do whatever else you want him to do - rebound, assist, and play solid defense. Glen 'JoJo' Anderson saw action in just eight games last year and will likely continue to play behind the five guards above.

Up front, Nathaniel Pollard, Jr. returns as the main guy in the middle who led the team in rebounding and shot the ball well near the hoop. Pollard ranked 84th nationally in offensive rebounds per game, so boxing him out will be critical. He isn't much of a stretch big, having attempted just nine threes all of last year (and was not particularly effective when he did shoot from deep) but does a reasonably decent job moving the ball on offense and playing good defense without fouling. He is just 6'5" but plays bigger than his height and is physical. When UMES opts to go bigger, Pollard will team up with Memphis native Kohen Thompson who provides the occasional bucket and rebounding.

Maryland Eastern Shore welcomes 5 newcomers this season (3 true freshmen, 2 JUCOs) to provide further depth this season. Ahamadou Fofana, Dionte Johnson, and Toby Nnadozie will look to make their marks in an already crowded backcourt rotation, while Troy Hupstead and Victory Naboya provide more bodies up front. Fofana began his career at Canisius before a stop at Erie Community College. While he wasn't the most efficient in his two years with the Golden Griffins he averaged 9 points per game and that scoring will be very valuable to UMES this year. Johnson (not the football player) and Nnadozie are true freshmen. Of the two, Johnson figures more ready to make an impact right away as a good shooter and tenacious defender. Hupstead likely plays ahead of Naboya this season based on collegiate experience and the Hawks will hope he can help Pollard out with scoring inside and rebounding. Naboya, another Mt. Zion product, was a guy I believe we showed interest in at some point during the JC era. He is still raw, but oozes potential and is the kind of guy who could be a real difference maker for UMES a season or two from now.

This is a game I would like to see us win by 15 (or more!), which I think is attainable although always seems like a tough expectation for GW nowadays. UMES lacks size and is not particularly good at rebounding or shooting. Of course, we still need to show good effort on the boards and close out on shooters because the Hawks could have the shooting night of their lives (which almost feels more likely than not when it comes to GW). The two areas to monitor as always are defensive rebounding and turnovers. UMES will certainly be a good test when it comes to taking care of the ball. The only way we don't cover is if we beat ourselves by giving the Hawks too many transition opportunities.

Projected Score: GW 77, Maryland Eastern Shore 64. 89% chance to win (Bart Torvik). ESPN gives us a 74.3% chance at a victory (which seems low to me).
 

First game of 2011 was against..... Maryland Eastern Shore.

We went 5-11 in the OOC that year.  The wins were Maryland Eastern Shore, Detroit Mercy, Bowling Green State,  Austin Peah and Delaware St, ending a 7 game losing streak.

Which included losses at home to :  Bradley, James Madison, Alabama-Birmingham, and Loyola-MD.

Rebuilds take time, zero reason to get waxed over and over  vs vastly superior opponents - we sure didn't that year against that schedule.

Rebuilds certainly do take time.  We are in Year 7 of ours.

Tune in to WRGW at 1 PM for an interview with assistant coach Brendan Straughn! Going to be talking about recruits, UMES, and more. It will be available as a podcast too!

We have to be the only fan board that needs their own "fact checker".
Skittles, thanks for doing it this week.

And yet, weren't we in the NCAAs just two seasons later?

Gwmayhem wrote:

Wouldn't mind seeing a determined, pissed off in a good way GW team tonight, coming off of a loss, cruise to an easy victory.  Not very many games on the schedule with realistic blowout potential but UMES qualifies.  Simply taking care of business and winning convincingly against a clearly inferior opponent is something we can clearly no longer take for granted.  It would be nice to get back to that point.

So are you suggesting taking GW and giving the 10.5 points?  Not sure I will have the fortitude anytime in the near future to give double digit points on the Colonials.  Need to work up to something like that.

Not good when we are struggling against UMES. 

UMES is strugling much more than we are. But let's not saying we are playing great. UMES is not good. The Hawks should not be even with us in rebounds.