As an Oregon football fan, I obviously CANNOT WAIT for basketball season to start.
True, it is not with as much enthusiasm when, instead of wondering if the PF who started to emerge as a player at the end of last season has progressed or thrilling at the prospect of the dead-eye three-point shooter developing his defensive footwork, the attitude is "well, let´s see what we have here." 
Just over a month to go before we get our first glimpse in an epic battle of all that is good and virtuous in the universive against the embodiment of all that needs fixing. 
 

Very positive about the roster, but the big question will be this: Will the coaching staff be able to protect leads in the second half of games, unlike last season when they blew lead after lead and lost games they should have won (check last year's results to see their failures). You can have all the talent in the world but waste it if you can't make second half adjustments to win games.

I wrote a post a little while ago asking for opinions about this.  I go along with the consensus which is to say that something has been taken away from us but this likely won't dampen my enthusiasm for this team.

What's been taken away, to a large extent, is watching players you're familiar with develop.  Remember how pleasantly surprised you were by Armel Potter's senior season compared with his junior season?  Or Jordan Roland's sophomore year?  Or Matt Hart transitioning from preferred walk-on to legitimate contributor on an NIT championship team?  Unless you were a phenom coming into college or you were a joining a poor team when you had to start out of necessity, there had often been a "paying your dues" philosophy as guys waited patiently until it was their time to shine.

Those days are gone.  It would have been nice to see whether Luke Hunger could have been a 30 minute, 15ppg, 8 boards a game player at GW.  Or whether a more experienced trio of Autry, Jones and Aranguren would have done a better job of protecting the ball (and leads) with another year of playing together.

If you remember Plan B free agency in the NFL, this is very similar.  Great NFL dynasties had the luxury of staying together and playing together for many years.  Free agency meant that players were constantly changing teams and many felt that the quality of play deteriorated as a result.  (The Patriots were the exception because Brady could well afford to take on a lesser salary, given who his wife was at the time,  thereby freeing up funds to retain a core group of talented players in their prime.) 

Despite all of this, at the end of the day, it's still GW basketball.  My sincere hope is that CC only lands players who are every bit as interested in surpassing team goals as they are cashing NIL checks.  

Gwmayhem wrote:

I wrote a post a little while ago asking for opinions about this.  I go along with the consensus which is to say that something has been taken away from us but this likely won't dampen my enthusiasm for this team.

What's been taken away, to a large extent, is watching players you're familiar with develop.  Remember how pleasantly surprised you were by Armel Potter's senior season compared with his junior season?  Or Jordan Roland's sophomore year?  Or Matt Hart transitioning from preferred walk-on to legitimate contributor on an NIT championship team?  Unless you were a phenom coming into college or you were a joining a poor team when you had to start out of necessity, there had often been a "paying your dues" philosophy as guys waited patiently until it was their time to shine.

Those days are gone.  It would have been nice to see whether Luke Hunger could have been a 30 minute, 15ppg, 8 boards a game player at GW.  Or whether a more experienced trio of Autry, Jones and Aranguren would have done a better job of protecting the ball (and leads) with another year of playing together.

If you remember Plan B free agency in the NFL, this is very similar.  Great NFL dynasties had the luxury of staying together and playing together for many years.  Free agency meant that players were constantly changing teams and many felt that the quality of play deteriorated as a result.  (The Patriots were the exception because Brady could well afford to take on a lesser salary, given who his wife was at the time,  thereby freeing up funds to retain a core group of talented players in their prime.) 

Despite all of this, at the end of the day, it's still GW basketball.  My sincere hope is that CC only lands players who are every bit as interested in surpassing team goals as they are cashing NIL checks.  

 
Totally agree with this take. NIL, the Power 5 conferences and the lack of a real NCAA are combining to ruin the last great sports event - College Hoops/March Madness. It’s so disappointing watching it all unfold. Also, i am starting a petition to ban using “Senior. Night” for the final game. It’s so absurd that it’s come to this. The next few years will see conferences like the A10 and schools like us floating further and further away from the island.

Last edited by Alum1 (9/16/2026 9:02 am)

If the coaches learn to finish games--unlike last year--this could be a very successful season.

Right - looks like he won’t be a starter at least at the beginning of the season.

DC Native wrote:

Wisconsin Colonial 1974 wrote:

Right - looks like he won’t be a starter at least at the beginning of the season.

The more interesting question to me is, would he have started for GW this year?

 That's sort of a chicken or egg question. If Trey had stayed how would that have affected who CC brought in both personnel-wise and NIL-wise? The answer is probably unknowable.

Wisconsin Colonial 1974 wrote:

Trey played 11 minutes in the WI-OK St exhibition this week. Six points on 2-6 shooting (2-5 from 3), 2 rebounds, and 2 steals. Pretty productive minutes.

Big logjam at wing for WI, especially since one of last year's best 3-point shooters was just granted a 5th year by the court (subject to an appeal, of course). If this guy stays eligible, Trey will struggle for minutes. But he seems happy to be here.

That would be Braedon Carrington who shot 40.1% from 3 last year including a program record setting 9 threes last year in a win against Washington (on 9-15 shooting).  The logjam also includes Eian Elmer who shot 42.9% from 3 with Miami, OH last year, and Jack Janicki who is expected to take on a bigger role.  Gard likes shooters but he also likes size so it will be interesting to see whether Trey ends up being the odd man out or not.