With Atlantic 10 coaches predicting a 10th place finish for GW this season and an untimely injury to sophomore forward Patricio Garino, the men’s basketball team may face long odds this season.

A 76-54 trouncing of Radford in the season opener is a good sign, but questions continue to linger over the fate of the team this year.

Well, Bleacher Report is optimistic. The sports blog tapped the Colonials yesterday as a team “who could sneak into the 2014 NCAA Tournament.”

Here’s what they had to say.

An awful shooting team last season, GW seeks returns to form from senior Nemanja Mikic and Indiana graduate transfer Maurice Creek. Creek was a 16-PPG man as a freshman before beginning a calamitous run of injuries. Mikic drained 75 threes as a freshman, a number that has steadily dropped since.

Combo guard Kethan Savage stuffed the box score in GW’s opener, putting up 18 points, six rebounds, five assists and five steals.

Ex-Villanova forward Isaiah Armwood and sophomore center Kevin Larsen form a solid post duo, but sophomore wing Patricio Garino, a dangerous defender, will be missed as he recovers from a broken finger. All the Colonials lack is depth, which coach Mike Lonergan hopes can develop during a tough-but-not-impossible non-league schedule.

Do you agree? Let us know in the comments.