1 of 1- Gwmayhem
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Offline - Registered: 7/22/2019
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Has Your Perspective Changed?
If you were around during the 2005-06 season, then you know. I pick out this season, rather than the Sweet 16 season, because the Sweet 16 team suffered many more losses and let's face it, received some luck (of the draw) in the NCAA Tournament. But in 2005-06, GW went 26-1 during the regular season. It beat Maryland. It survived a subpar performance at Marshall. Mo Rice bailed the team out against Xavier. Mike Hall's brain and Carl Elliott's "right place at the right time yet again" preserved an undefeated conference season against Charlotte (as Pops hugged Scott Van Pelt ant the court was rightfully stormed). If you were fortunate enough to make the trip to Greensboro, or even watch it on tv, you saw GW's greatest comeback victory at the Dance (and maybe of all time) against UNC Wilmington.
If you were around that season, you were following a group of players who for the most part was coming off the school's first-ever A10 Men's Basketball Championship a season prior. You lived and died with this team but mostly, you lived large. As a sports fan, it would likely go down as one of the best sports experiences you've ever had as a fan. It certainly was for me.
So, and nobody is saying this or predicting this, but let's just say that the 2026-27 Revs had a comparable season to the 2005-06 Colonials. A team that returns one player and 12% of the team's total minutes played from last season. A second player whose name we know but was redshirted and did not play. And the rest (excluding a walk-on), all newcomers who we may grow to love, like or exasperate over but who we simply don't know yet. Now remember, under this imaginary scenario, this team just wins and wins and wins. It reaches the Dance and wins at least one game there.
How do you think you will feel? On the one hand, it's GW, your school, where things like this hardly ever happen to us. We're nationally ranked and the outside world starts bringing up GW to you. Of course, you feel great, that's not really the question. The question is how similar are you feeling to 2005-06 when you were supporting team that had stayed together for a number of years? Do you think a virtually entire group of newcomers pulling this off will have some impact? Or, none at all?
- Poog
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Re: Has Your Perspective Changed?
Teams are generally remembered for how they finish, not how they were projected or anticipated. Sweet 16 and NIT champions are remembered and engender fond memories because in the first case they played Southern in round 2 and in the second because they wiped out bad vibes for not making the NCAA’s. If this year’s “who is he?” team succeeds, they’ll be remembered as fan favorites down the road. Doesn’t take long to fall in love, or at least like, in today’s NIL world. One and done isn’t just reserved for the Dukes and Kentucky’s.
- GW0509
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Re: Has Your Perspective Changed?
I was a freshman for the 05-06 season so in some ways, that team was basically all newcomers to me. The winning, the rankings, the media coverage, etc. were all vital to me becoming as big of a fan of GW basketball as I am today. I don't think the fact that I didn't get to see Pops/Hall/Pinnock for more than a season reduced the fun I had as a fan. So for the current students at GW, I think it would be nothing but a positive and hopefully GW would be better prepared this time around to capitalize on that success.
Now that I am older, it would definitely feel different that it's not a team that has played together for many years, but I wouldn't necessarily be less excited about all the winning. In a weird way, I would probably feel happier for the coaching staff and the admin of GW for putting us in that position to win than I would the players on the court.
- H&R..71
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Re: Has Your Perspective Changed?
Agree with GW0509 in that each team and each season writes its own script. My own vivid memory of hoops at GW began in Calhoun Hall in 1971 when I met Pat Tallent, Keith Morris, Clyde Burwell, Haviland Harper, Bob Shanta, and Ned Riddle...the 6 recruits with high expectations. I was fortunate to also meet Coach Tallent and join the team as a walk-on with Pete Dilorenzo and Scott Yohe. These relationships and memories lasted a lifetime. Not only was it hoops, but there was a strong competitive school spirit with soccer, baseball, rugby clubs, and hockey clubs.
After graduating and relocating I avidly followed GW hoops. I remember the sinking feeling of seeing Pops in his knee brace propped up on the scorers table during warmups at Rose Hill near the end of 05-06 when he couldn't finish the 26-1 season. Seems like all our seasons end with Fordham...wish we could change it up a bit. Same feeling seeing Slim go down after St. Louis - oh what could've been. Ironically Pops was a worse free throw shooter (like 55%) than Castro, but they both shared fire in their belly and it was nice to see them improve in successive years.
Hopefully, this years players have gone through their growing pains and we get to see some quality stuff. Just as FAU and Michigan fans have had to rent Dusty May, hopefully Coach Caputo unveils his masterpiece and sticks around for more afterwards.