1. Alex Mitola is lights-out
The graduate student guard will be a welcome addition to GW’s offense. He looked like the best pure shooter on the team, draining several three-pointers without hitting the rim, looking comfortable from upwards of 20-feet out and still showing a good sense for when to pass instead of shoot. The former Dartmouth star looked quick, athletic and motivated and should be one of the first two options off the bench this season.
2. Depth is still an issue
Right now, the team seems about seven deep. The starting five, sophomore Paul Jorgensen and Mitola all seem ready to contribute solidly, but beyond that the team is a mystery. Finding depth to spell bigs Kevin Larsen and Tyler Cavanaugh, especially, would require other players to grow up fast. Sophomore Matt Cimino was around a lot of good plays, but didn’t assert himself physically, allowing Cavanaugh to bury a three right over him during one play. 6-foot-10 freshman Collin Goss had a welcome-to-college-ball moment when 6-foot-1 guard Joe McDonald jumped and beat him for a rebound, and rookie Jordan Roland got lost at times. Sophomore Anthony Swan did appear more physical and competitive than he looked in limited minutes last season.
3. Big to start, small off the bench
With Jorgensen and Mitola looking like the top options from the pine, head coach Mike Lonergan is going to be playing small ball when trying to get rest for his starters. Lonergan has said that this season’s starting lineup will be the biggest he has ever had and, besides McDonald, each of the starting five is capable of real damage around the rim. When Lonergan subs, however, the skill set of the team will change drastically, so pay close attention to how the coaching staff handles this transition. This would be even more drastic if Division III transfer Matt Hart, who played well in transition and showed the most energy on the team, proves himself as a solid contributor.
4. Tyler Cavanaugh is flying under the radar
Kevin Larsen has gotten plenty of attention from media and coaches around the league, making the All-Atlantic 10 Preseason Second Team, but fellow big man Cavanaugh looks barely a step behind him even though he has received less attention. Cavanaugh, unproven recently but coming from Wake Forest in the Atlantic Coast Conference and entering the season in noticeably great shape, seems like the real deal. The bulkier Larsen beat Cavanaugh on a few moves inside, but Cavanaugh drained outside shots as well as being active around the rim. That combination should not only help Larsen get enough space to live up to his own hype, but help Cavanaugh get some recognition of his own.
5. Rules changes will take some getting used to
The scrimmage was played, as the games will be this season due to NCAA rules changes, with a 30-second shot clock. The four-foot charge circle had been printed on the court, the old three-foot circle still within it. For the most part, the changes weren’t too noticeable. Lonergan did once try to call a live-ball timeout, which he can no longer do. The shot clock buzzer also sounded a few times, and perhaps it will more often in a real-game situation with a real-game commitment to defense, but it didn’t seem like the players were consistently anticipating more time than they had.
