To be quite honest I don't mind what I am seeing with the schedule so far. We as a program are not in a place where we have any reason to worry about how SOS will affect our postseason hopes and if somehow we're having the conversation that our SOS numbers cost a chance at the NIT then JC wildly surpassed expectations for year one.

Right now, the sole mission of this staff is to build confidence and that can be a difficult thing to do when inheriting a roster of mostly guys you didn't recruit. Quite frankly going into ML's first season (2011-2012), there was enough talent where we were expecting much better than a 10-21 season. However, they started 4-5 with 4 of those losses being to tournament teams. Perhaps the disappointing start against too tough of a schedule caused some of the initial friction between ML and the holdovers. If they started 7-2 against a more manageable schedule, perhaps guys are happier and more receptive of his coaching. Perhaps it wouldn't have made a difference. 

Maybe the last couple games on the schedule will be against Power 5 schools that lay a butt whooping on us. I'm quite fine with giving ourselves a couple extra chances at wins, though, to build confidence heading into year 1 of A 10 play under JC.

Delaware has announced we are hosting them 07DEC..... We might be shifting the Valpo game.

Looks like we aren't playing Valpo this year. Bummer because that was one of the most exciting games last year and I was hoping we would get revenge this year. Don't mind the Delaware game (Collin Goss is coming home!) Didn't realize we had the money to buy games out like that. Wonder how much we had to pay Valpo. 

Paul Oren @NWIOren·7h 
Valparaiso confirms that both Vanderbilt and George Washington have bought out of non-conference games at the ARC. #MVCHoops

Last edited by dmvpiranha (8/08/2019 9:54 am)

Valparaiso must be projected to be very good if they have 2 teams from higher rated conferences backing out of the return game at Valpo. I didn't know that teams had the option of just buying their way out of games like this. Have any of you seen something like this before with GW or any other team? A few years ago, Georgetown/ Patrick Ewing did something similar to this when they backed out of a big-time OOC holiday tournament, I think Georgetown was fearful of getting blown out 3 times on ESPN's family of networks!!

I'm actually interested to see what 2 teams will replace GW and Vanderbilt on Valparaiso's schedule. Will they be able to get a BCS team to schedule them at the last minute or will they have to settle for a low or mid-major cupcake??

 

Geno wrote:

Valpo had a mass exodus this off-season where five players transferred out in the span of two weeks. They finished 2nd to last in a slightly down Valley last season. I would be shocked if they do not finish last in their conference this year.

REALLY?? From what I remember of last year's game at GW, Valparaiso had great size, good shooters and some athletic players, how did they do so poorly in their conference?  Also, you'd think that 2 teams like GW and Vanderbilt who are rebuilding would want to keep Valparaiso on the schedule because it looks like a winnable game. 

Has anyone from GW given a reason why they backed out of playing Valparaiso? 

They should be confident headed into A10 play but the question is whether this will be an illusion or not?  Last year's Fordham team similarly played an extremely weak OOC and went 9-4 entering conference play.  The buzz at the time was that maybe Fordham had truly improved.  By the end of the season, they went 3-16 against A10 opposition.

Incidentally, the South Carolina deal is a 2 for 1 with Jair returning to the Smith Center next season.  (Last year's debacle is not included since this was on a neutral court.)  Frank Martin is the coach who struck the same deal with GW while he was at Kansas State.  You may feel that 2 for 1's against power conference schools are bad deals for GW but I welcome such arrangements.  And credit to Martin for bringing his team to Smith Center. 

The University has posted this video:    https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=674964496317057

It begs the question, what does it say about the school´s ability to promote when they use Yusef Islam´s hokey "Cats in the Cradle" instead of "Cat Scratch Fever" (Ted Negent) or "Stray Cat Strut" (Stray Cats) or "Cool for Cats" (Squeeze) or "The Cat Came Back" (The Muppets) or even anything by Pussy Riot?

GW will play University of South Carolina at Columbia, SC on December 1. It is the first game of a two for one deal with USC in which we play the second game here next year and the the third game the following year at Columbia..