What: Men’s basketball (16-5, 5-3 A-10) vs. Davidson (12-7, 4-4 A-10)
Where: The Smith Center, Washington, D.C., MASN, SNY (TV)
When: Wednesday, Feb. 3, 7 p.m.
Since Davidson joined the Atlantic 10 conference, the Wildcats have had GW’s number. The Colonials were winless in two matchups last season and will be looking for a fresh start Wednesday night at home.
Here’s what to expect from the game:
The Case for the Colonials:
This year’s Davidson squad has not been as surprisingly-dominant as last year’s version. The Wildcats are 2-5 away from home and are giving up 79.6 points per game.
Scoring margin is usually a good predictor of team strength, and the Wildcats are barely outscoring opponents – by 1.2 points per game – while the Colonials have created more distance at +7.4 points per game.
GW has the biggest matchup advantage inside. Forwards Kevin Larsen and Tyler Cavanaugh should be able to pound the paint and get second chances, while helping around the perimeter on defense. The Colonials play a lot of man defense and may play even more than usual against the Wildcats, but help will be critical for GW, especially to guard against picks.
Sophomore forward Nathan Ekwu is the team’s best shot blocker and most efficient rebounder but is less skilled than Larsen, prone to fouls and turnovers. Outside of Ekwu, Davidson’s forwards are less traditional post players than Larsen or even Cavanaugh.
The Case for the Wildcats:
Davidson is going to score. The Wildcats average an A-10 best 80.8 points per game and have the league’s top scorer in Jack Gibbs, who’s adding 25.5 points per game. They also hit 9.9 three-pointers per game, on average.
On Gibbs, as well as Davidson in general, the task for the Colonials will be more about picking what shots they can live with and taking away the rest than a complete shut-down. If GW struggles to follow the scouting report, as head coach Mike Lonergan has said they have in the past, Davidson could get the good looks that the team does so much damage with.
The extra pass will also be critical to prevent. With so many scorers, (Peyton Aldridge gets 15.7 points per game, Brian Sullivan gets 13.8 and four others get more than five) the Wildcats can go anywhere with the ball. Davidson leads the league in assist/turnover ratio at 1.5 and averages more than 15 assists per game. Guarding to the very end of possessions will be important for the Colonials.
The Bottom Line:
Davidson has some clear strengths, but if the Colonials execute well they should have more weapons to beat the Wildcats with. If GW’s inside game can make Davidson one-dimensional, the Colonials should be able to withstand a few big buckets and still get the win, but this game should say a lot about defense, especially.
