GW Hoops / Freshmen Duo

**Posted by Gwmayhem** 5/15/2023 9:31 am

Two ways to ask this question...you may or may not have the same answer for both.

1) Which pair of GW freshmen were collectively the school's most talented?

2) Which pair of GW freshmen collectively had the best career at GW? (To clarify, I am not referring to just how they played as freshmen, but the impact they had throughout their time at GW)

Shawnta-Yegor
Chris Monroe-SirValient
Pops-Mike (you're free to substitute Omar though I wouldn't)
Carl-JR
Lasan-either D. Pellom or D. Smith
Pato-Kevin-Joe-Kethan (choose any two)
Yuta-Paulie J
Jamison-Jameer Jr.
Other

**Posted by The Ross-Man!** 5/15/2023 9:41 am

Most talented - Carl and JR.
Biggest impact, since that seems to be the crux of your second question - Pops and Mike

**Posted by xAC** 5/15/2023 9:48 am

Inside out - Pat Tallent and Clyde Burwell
Backcourt - Pat Tallent and Keith Morris

**Posted by Free Quebec** 5/15/2023 10:06 am

Ross-Man, were you here for Shawnta?

Seeing as Shawnta is the best player in modern GW history (including our only conference POY) and Yegor was an incredible inside/outside forward, and they both stayed 4 years, and went to multiple NCAA tourneys at a time when the A10 was really tough… then I don’t see how it could be anything other than Shawnta/Yegor.

**Posted by AT Hiker** 5/15/2023 10:28 am

I totally agree with Free Quebec; we had multiple NCAA bids with Shawnta-Yegor.

**Posted by Gwmayhem** 5/15/2023 10:34 am

I recognize that some answers may be the result of excluding options who played before your time. A case in point is xAC's response which I thank him for.

One reason why I split this into two questions is to ask whether a case can be made for Chris and SirValient being the most talented? (Clearly, with SirValient only staying two seasons and the team experiencing growing pains during this time, this duo was never going to be considered the most impactful). Say what you will but Val was an enormous talent. Scored proficiently, had decent assist numbers from what I can recall (undoubtedly due to his exceptionally high usage), and was pretty good at stealing the ball. It's both easy and common to think that Chris got every ounce out of his talent, that he was a blue collar player who simply outworked his opponents. That said, one doesn't become the school's alltime leading scorer, or rebound so well for someone his size, unless there's a tremendous amount of talent to start with.

Chris and Val are receiving my vote for most talented, In a very close race, I'd give Shawnta-Yegor the nod over Mike and Pops, largely because when considering the rest of the supporting cast, I think KH's group had an edge over MJ's group.

**Posted by GWRising** 5/15/2023 11:24 am

Not going to argue the Shawnta-Yegor duo as maybe the most talented. But there is one duo not on your list and that is Yinka-Kwame (and Vaughn) who may have had the most impact on the program trajectory in leading us to a Sweet 16 based off their play in the NCAA tournament.

**Posted by Gwmayhem** 5/15/2023 11:41 am

GWRising wrote:
Not going to argue the Shawnta-Yegor duo as maybe the most talented. But there is one duo not on your list and that is Yinka-Kwame (and Vaughn) who may have had the most impact on the program trajectory in leading us to a Sweet 16 based off their play in the NCAA tournament.

Complete oversight. Thanks for catching GWRising. Yinka-Kwame and Yinka-Vaughn should each be on the ballot.

**Posted by jf** 5/15/2023 12:11 pm

Very tough question and would rather be discussing the merits of new big men recruits right now, which we hopefully will be doing soon, in order to give this concept the thought it deserves.
That said, Yinka was probably the freshmen with the most impact in recent decades. Yinka was a very, very dominant college basketball player, which is why he was a lottery pick.
Shawnta was probably the most talented. That's while being nearly a foot shooter than most players.
In terms of raw talent, Pops may be in second and teamed with Mike who was just an important piece
of the team from the get-go.
Yegor, along with Mike, was able to do many things well, and should have been in the NBA. Mike should have been in the NBA longer (he had made the Wizards as a rookie, coaches acknowledge, before an injury sidelined him for a bit. And then he ultimately played his way into the NBA again as a later season addition.
But this is about college basketball. Also Pat Tallent and Clyde Burwell deserve consideration. n
Also throwing an additional combo in this, in addition to Kwame whose biggest heroics came late in the season. Paired with Yinka, Alvin Pearsall was a really talented point guard, who if memory serves, started and played well, especially handling, passing the ball and opportunistic scoring, as a freshman.
ML's freshman recruiting talents (in addition to transfers Tyler, Zeke and Creek,etc) really shone in terms of Pato, KevLar and again, Joe, who was a really solid piece of the team from the getgo. Kethan, if memory again serves, played and blossomed more later in the season.
But right now, leaning toward Shawnta and Yegor in terms of impact, as noted in several other posts.

**Posted by BM** 5/15/2023 4:00 pm

Mike Brown and whoever… Jooooe Wassel.

Last edited by BM (5/15/2023 4:01 pm)

**Posted by Gwmayhem** 5/16/2023 8:25 am

BM wrote:
Mike Brown and whoever… Jooooe Wassel.

BM, unlike Yinka/Kwame/Vaughn, I did not overlook Mike Brown. Unfortunately, we're looking for the top duo and with the only choices to join Brownie being Joe Wassel or Ron White, Mike could not make the ballot (despite Joe's much improved senior season).

**Posted by GW69** 5/16/2023 10:44 am

From the great state of Pennsylvania-“the Keystone State”-I cast my ballot for the greatest duo
in GW history.I am proud to support Shawnta and Yegor and call on all others here by unanimous
consent to do likewise.They were so much fun to watch!