It hasn’t been a relaxing off-season for men’s basketball head coach Mike Lonergan.
Hired in May after the dismissal of Karl Hobbs, Lonergan has been working nonstop to establish his program, beginning with formulating his coaching staff. He’s hired Hajj Turner, who worked with Lonergan at the University of Vermont, as his associate head coach, and found two assistants in former North Carolina State University assistant coach Pete Strickland and former Montverde Academy head coach Kevin Sutton.
“It’s probably taken a little longer than I expected to sort of get settled and to just get acclimated,” Lonergan said.
The team of four created a coaching roster Lonergan said he has confidence in, pointing to the different attributes of each team member that will hopefully form a strong working unit. He highlighted Sutton’s familiarity with recruiting internationally as a particular strength, one that Lonergan feels will expand GW’s talent pool and ensure the arrival of strong players to Foggy Bottom.
As they come together, Lonergan and his staff look to combat the speculation and scrutiny that followed his hire. The Colonials are coming off their best season in four years, during which they posted a 17-14 overall record, tying for fourth the A-10 after an upset in the first round of the league tournament by Saint Joseph’s.
It was the program’s second trip to the A-10 tournament in two seasons, and many were surprised when Hobbs was dismissed in April, after what seemed to be the beginning stages of a comeback. When Lonergan took the helm of GW’s flagship athletic program, he was greeted with two controversial recruit departures – center Erik Copes, widely regarded as the best recruit Hobbs ever brought to Foggy Bottom, was granted a release from his National Letter of Intent and headed to George Mason, and guard Curtis ‘Trey’ Davis followed, taking his release and his talents to A-10 foe Massachusetts.
“We wanted all the recruits to stay. We met with all of them, and two of them chose to ask for a release and we granted that,” Lonergan said. “We want what’s best for the student-athletes, I’ve always believed that.”
The departures leave Lonergan with two open scholarships and little time to fill their slots on the roster before the season begins. While the coach wouldn’t comment on specifics, he said GW’s staff was talking to “a lot of coaches and a lot of players,” and, should the Colonials sign another recruit, it would happen quickly. Otherwise, Longeran added, the unused scholarships would roll over for use when signing recruits for the 2012-13 season.
Aside from recruits, Lonergan’s also been working to familiarize himself with GW’s current roster. Though many members of the team were away from Foggy Bottom during the beginning of the summer, Lonergan said about five players remain on campus, working out and preparing for next year’s season.
“They seem like a great group of guys,” Lonergan said. “They’re working out with our strength coach and they’re playing a little bit, and when the other guys come back, we’ll have the full gym [practices].”
The Colonials are beginning to prepare for a season that will focus on defensive-minded play, Lonergan said, and that will use a strong presence in the backcourt to support GW’s shooters in establishing an offensive front.
“Basketball-wise, we really stress defense; rebounding we try to give our players freedom on offense. We like to run and put up some points,” Lonergan said. “We like to run a lot of quick-hitters from the half court, run a lot of different sets. But a lot of it’s going to depend on personnel, I’m still getting to know the team.”
Lonergan also spoke of his intentions to bring depth to the team, highlighting particularly the guard position. Last season, after the team’s top returning scorer, junior guard Lasan Kromah, suffered a season-ending injury before the Colonials took the court for the first time, senior Tony Taylor stepped into a role as the team’s go-to shooter. He assumed the position of the Colonials’ top scorer, averaging 33.4 minutes and 15 points a game.
Now, Lonergan says, with a healthy Kromah making his comeback and Taylor returning from the best season of his career as a Colonial, the presence of two explosive players in the guard position will give GW the depth it needs.
“I’m excited about that. I know Lasan a little bit, I know his game,” Lonergan said. “I’m saying my prayers and hoping he’s healthy and has a great year. But him and Tony, if they’re both healthy, that should give us a strong backcourt.”
And though Lonergan is still forming his opinions and really getting to know the roster, he’s been impressed with what he’s seen from the team so far. A lot of the players have expressed high goals and expectations for themselves and the team, Lonergan said, a quality he likes – and one that he also possesses.
“I really hold players accountable on the court, off the court and in the classroom. And those are three areas, I think the staff I hired will really be hands-on with the players,” Lonergan said. “To me, it’s a family. And it’s going to be a tight-knit group.”
This article was updated June 13,2011 to reflect the following:
The Hatchet incorrectly reported it was the men’s basketball program’s first trip to the A-10 tournament in four seasons. It was the team’s first trip since last season.
