This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Nora Princiotti
The men’s basketball team has added more pieces to its 2014-2015 non-conference schedule, reportedly set to play against Rutgers, Seton Hall and Depaul, according to CBS analyst Jon Rothstein.
The report comes on the heels of GW’s home-and-home series deal with the University of Virgina, with the Colonials set to face the Cavaliers on the road next season.
With the exception of Depaul, games against Rutgers and Seton Hall will also be played on the road.
GW will also take on a handful of teams over winter break at the Diamondhead Classic in Honolulu. Teams participating in the holiday tournament from Dec. 22-25 include the University of Colorado, Nebraska, Loyola Marymount, Ohio, Hawaii and former NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed Wichita State.
Rutgers, of the American Athletic Conference, finished at just 12-21 last season. The Colonials defeated the Scarlet Knights 93-87 on Dec. 4 at the Smith Center.
The Colonials will get a look at a pair of Big East teams in Seton Hall and DePaul. The Pirates will be coming off a 17-17 season in which they upset a top-seeded Villanova team in the Big East Championship quarterfinals.
The Pirates’ 2014 recruiting class is being heralded as one of the nations best – ranked No. 12 by ESPN, while featuring Isaiah Whitehead: the No. 1 overall shooting guard in the class, according to Scout.com. Depending on how the tools come together for Seton Hall, that game could have drastically different implications for the Colonials strength-of-schedule and RPI.
DePaul, who ended the season at the bottom of the Big East standings, finished this past season at 12-21. Fortunately, they freshmen Billy Garrett Jr. and Tommy Hamilton IV coming back in hopes of breakout sophomore seasons, creating a potential trap game for the Colonials. With Garrett proving to be a strong offensive threat and Hamilton emerging as the conference’s top freshman rebounder, the Blue Demons DePaul could be a much stronger team next year.
