What: Men’s basketball (10-3, 0-0) vs. Saint Joseph’s (6-5, 0-0)
Where: Michael J. Hagan ’85 Arena, Philadelphia, CBSSN
When: Saturday, Jan. 3 at 2 p.m.
Atlantic 10 play has arrived.
The Colonials did what they could to build a proper resume in non-conference play, highlighted by a big showing in Hawaii. Now GW will set out to prove a No. 2 preseason ranking was no mistake.
VCU, Dayton, Davidson and Rhode Island look poised to prove themselves as the elites of a conference that some are saying may only receive one or two bids to the NCAA tournament, a year after it was granted six.
Before GW faces any of the aforementioned powerhouses, the team will kick off A-10 play on the road, at Saint Joseph’s, looking to start off the new year and conference play with a bang.
The case for Saint Joseph’s:
When the Hawks defeated Temple earlier this season, they did it at the free-throw line. Saint Joe’s sank 16 of 21 to knock off a team that later went onto beat No. 10 Kansas and Connecticut, on the road. If they can live at the line, they have a chance to survive against the Colonials at home.
Some key scorers could also dictate the game for Saint Joe’s.
Then a freshman, DeAndre Bembry scored a team-high 22 points, plus eight assists and five rebounds last season against GW. The 6-foot-6, 210 pound forward is the leading scorer for the Hawks this season, averaging 15.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Bembry has also been to the free-throw line a team-high 51 times, though he’s only made 32 (62 percent) of those freebies. Watch out for Bembry to build on last year’s performance against the Colonials.
A key role player could be the 6-foot-5 junior Aaron Brown, a guard who comes off the bench, averaging 9.5 points a game.
The bigger worry for the Colonials is likely the second leading scorer on the Hawks, junior Isaiah Miles. He has a team-high in 3-point attempts and is shooting threes at a 33 percent clip, the best on the team. Though not a high rate, if the 6-foot-7 stretch forward gets hot, the Colonials will have to continue their strong defense beyond the arc.
The case for GW:
Last year, GW defeated the Hawks 76-71 in the Colonials’ home finale. The Smith Center was packed, Maurice Creek and Isaiah Armwood were pumped and GW was battling for positioning in the A-10 championship.
Then-sophomores Kevin Larsen, Joe McDonald and Patricio Garino had strong games: Larsen posted five points, six rebounds, six assists and no turnovers. McDonald had 18 points, six rebounds and four turnovers. Garino added 17 points off the bench in 34 minutes of action.
For the Colonials to win this year, their big four – now including the healthy Kethan Savage – will need to have solid games. Heading into conference play with some extra swagger shouldn’t hurt.
Undefeated Villanova picked Saint Joe’s apart for a 74-56 win, allowing the Hawks to make just one 3-point attempt, while nailing nine of their own. The Wildcats also knocked in 47 percent of their shots from the field. Extended defense and wise offensive shot selection could be all the Colonials need to notch their first conference win of the season.
