I think several things here ...

1. We are who we said we would be this year ... clearly a transition year with likely uneven results.
2. Radford while not great is tougher at home and our kids likely weren't juiced to play them after playing South Carolina.
3. With very little depth, in order to be successful, all of our starters have to play well. If 1 or 2 don't we are likely in trouble.
4. Again, none of this means much of anything for the CC era. By next season, he will likely have almost an entirely new roster. There will be very little carry-over. All culture, habits and schemes will need to be re--introduced to vastly different personnel. It will be at that point that we will be able to see the beginnings of what CC wants this program to look like.
5. This season should go in the category of it is what it is. This was a team designed to play for JC. No one can reasonably expect CC to come in here and transform everyone to the way he wants to play overnight. Therefore, I take each game as it comes. Enjoy the wins and don't get too upset at the losses. There are bound to be a decent amount of each.

As a result of 1-5, I'm not wasting a ton of time this season getting into the weeds after each game.

Last edited by GWRising (12/05/2022 6:13 pm)

GWRising, I agree with your points on the whole as well.  At the same time, I would hate to lose sight of the fact that this is a specific forum to discuss GW basketball.  Offering analysis and opinions, favorable or unfavorable, is what we do here.  Nobody will ever be insinuating that any deficiencies we displayed against Radford will have any bearing on the CC era at GW.  I certainly agree that this season will likely not have any postseason ramifications.  But, I would draw the line at suggesting that the season does not matter at all.  If that were the case, why go to the games, stream the games, watch on tv, or even visit this site over the course of this season?

You certainly should not feel at all compelled to get into the weeds after each game.  That said, I also would not begrudge anyone from doing so here.

From A10 Stats, even as our worst shooting percentage, our 3p% is still towards the top of the A10.  Where we've been failing is in rim FG% of defense.  Giving up way too many shots close in to the basket. 

CC is undoubtedly coaching to win, but we have to constantly remind ourselves that this is Year 0. Every member of this roster with eligibility beyond this season should be considering this a loooong tryout. Some guys are going to decide on their own that they don't fit in Foggy Bottom or don't like it. Others are going to be told that there's not really a place for them any more. 

In the past, I really struggled with coaches who ran guys out, because a National Letter of Intent felt like a four-year commitment. But these days, with the massive game of musical chairs that is Division I Basketball, Coach Caputo should have no reservations about turning over the roster entirely, and offering scholarships well beyond what we'd expect to have available based on existing roster eligibility. They'll find a place to land.

I'm always going to root for guys to find their place in Foggy Bottom, to thrive on the court, and to get a degree from a university we love. It would be great to see everyone stick around and realize the potential that we know they have. It's not going to work like that for everyone, or maybe even for most. But my eye is on character, culture and fit this season, not wins and losses.

creeksandzeeks wrote:

CC is undoubtedly coaching to win, but we have to constantly remind ourselves that this is Year 0. Every member of this roster with eligibility beyond this season should be considering this a loooong tryout. Some guys are going to decide on their own that they don't fit in Foggy Bottom or don't like it. Others are going to be told that there's not really a place for them any more. 

In the past, I really struggled with coaches who ran guys out, because a National Letter of Intent felt like a four-year commitment. But these days, with the massive game of musical chairs that is Division I Basketball, Coach Caputo should have no reservations about turning over the roster entirely, and offering scholarships well beyond what we'd expect to have available based on existing roster eligibility. They'll find a place to land.

I'm always going to root for guys to find their place in Foggy Bottom, to thrive on the court, and to get a degree from a university we love. It would be great to see everyone stick around and realize the potential that we know they have. It's not going to work like that for everyone, or maybe even for most. But my eye is on character, culture and fit this season, not wins and losses.

Going back to the ignominious days of seeing scholarship athlete Kent Reynolds serving as the George Washington mascot (before the slip-on head), GW as an institution has always guaranteed players their 4 year scholarships absent some egregious behavior calling for dismissal. Being “run off” a team typically means “sorry, don’t see you getting any playing time here.” Some players have stayed anyway, more typically, they look elsewhere. Similarly, injured players, and even players who quit their teams, get accommodated to retain their scholarships through that initial 4 year commitment. Enter the transfer portal, that commitment is severed. Caputo clearly has his eyes on the kind of players he wants in his program. How many are currently on the roster is TBD. Anyone expecting a dramatic turnaround this year was kidding themselves. Anyone not seeing a difference and improvement in the product on the court this year is simply falling back on traditional GW fan pessimism. Early recruiting signees are off to a strong start. Expect nothing less for Caputo’s subsequent hauls.