If freshman SirValiant Brown and the Colonials continue to play like they did in Sunday afternoon’s 120-78 victory over the Nantucket Nectars, two things need to happen. Someone in the Sports Information Department better buy new record books, and the cheerleaders better buy some more T-shirts to throw into the crowd after three-pointers.
If this had been a real game, and not the Colonials’ exhibition finale, GW would have set a new Smith Center record for points (117 is the record) and Brown would have set a new Smith Center record for made three-pointers (he had seven). And that’s just the start of the marks that would have fallen Sunday.
More than one acrobatic play from the Colonials managed to electrify the 1,109 fans, but the player who lit up the arena was Brown. Despite being limited to only 26 minutes by foul trouble, he erupted for 35 points. He also sparked GW to turn an 11-point halftime lead into a 42-point blowout behind what would have been a Smith Center-record 69 points in the second half. (The combined 198 points would have tied the Smith Center record.)
The Colonials managed to overcome 20 turnovers (seven from Mike King – nullified by seven steals from the junior) to take 91 shots (four short of the all-time GW record) to the Nectars’ 62. The Colonials even had an accuracy of 52.7 percent (to the Nectars’ 37.1 percent), but GW’s three-point field goal percentage was only 27.6 percent (8-for-29).
Solid performances from Antxon Iturbe (17 rebounds), Jason Smith (10 rebounds, five offensive, in 12 minutes), King (21 points on 8-13 shooting), junior Bernard Barrow (10 assists), freshman Chris Monroe (16 points) gave the game a team-effort feel. However, the obvious trend was SirValiant Brown asserting himself as GW’s number-one offensive threat.
For Barrow’s part, his 10 assists were sometimes astounding -one pass through his legs to a trailing Jason Smith was a good example – but his 6-for-21 shooting brought up questions about his offensive role.
He’s not used to shooting this much, GW Coach Tom Penders said. But I want him right now to shoot, shoot, shoot.Our players know he’s not selfish. I’ve told him to take shots. He’s not used to putting up numbers, but in my system, I want my point guard to be a weapon.
Penders, who defended the defensive aggressiveness that put Brown into foul trouble, was not at all upset to see Brown take 25 shots in 26 minutes of action.
I’ve got to be out of my mind to not create 25 for him, he said. Even though we’ve only played two exhibition games, I have a lot more confidence in everything we do when he’s on the floor.
Basketball Notes:
– The early signing period started Wednesday. Penders said one letter-of-intent has been sent but not yet received. GW does not comment on recruits until the University officially receives the letter.
– Freshman Arthur Andrews was in street clothes last Tuesday, but played Sunday. Penders reports that the walk-on has a job and whenever he can make practices and games, he will suit up.
– The team leaves Tuesday for the season-opening tournament in Alaska.
