After just two games in the 2024-25 season, men’s basketball is finding its footing.
Marking the start of college basketball this week, the Revolutionaries unleashed a protean, high-energy offense filled with slam dunks and catch-and-shoot threes. Paired with a gritty lock-down defense, the team is sending a clear message to anyone in their path: They are here to score big and shut opponents down.
The Revs exploded offensively in their first two games with scoring spread across the roster. GW advanced to 2-0 on the season after finishing 76-59 and 82-54 over Mercyhurst and Hampton universities, respectively.
Six players recorded double-digit scoring nights against Hampton, the first of that type of all-around performance for the team in over six years. Redshirt junior transfer Raphael Castro tabbed a double-double in his first game as a Rev against Division I Mercyhurst last week, alongside redshirt sophomore guard Darren Buchanan Jr., who added double-doubles in both games. Sophomore Trey Autry broke his personal scoring record later that week by notching 14 points against Hampton, and sophomore Jacoi Hutchinson came into his own after a quiet first game, earning Player of the Game accolades for his 12-point, three-assist contribution.
Christian Jones, who displayed an 11-point, four-assist and four-steal game, had a promising performance after a redshirt first season with the Revs. The dominant win against Hampton even allowed bench players, like senior forward Keegan Harvey and sophomore guard Amir Arrington, to see court time, with Arrington banking a three ball that brought the Friday night Smith Center crowd to its feet.
GW’s balance between new and returning talent has strengthened its scoring depth, displaying an early-season powerhouse. The team’s offensive distribution, despite the loss of standout shooters, like James Bishop IV and Garrett Johnson, is promising. While the team lost the ability to finish on the midrange shot, it is capitalizing in the paint and from beyond the arc.
Trey Autry’s breakout performance solidified him as a new shooting option from the 3-point line. Despite struggling against Hampton early, offensive boards led the team to outscore Mercyhurst 25-9 on second-chance points. The Revs only maintained an 8-point lead going into the second half, standing at 24-32 but outscored Hampton 46-28 under the rim over the game.
The Revs struggled to come out with a fire in the first half of both games, going back and forth with opponents they should have dominated. But their ability to lean on different rotations, especially against teams under a new coach with little film, like Hampton, showcases Head Coach Chris Caputo’s ability to rally his team. Teamwide, the team’s midgame comeback displayed the Revs’ adaptability to tweak plans for dominant finishes.
Despite lofty wins, the Revs’ defensive prowess stands out — particularly in first halves where they use the backcourt to quench leads when shots aren’t falling. GW outrebounded Hampton 19-16 in the backcourt during the first half of play. The Pirates also struggled to get good shots off before clock violations, highlighting GW’s pressure on the floor. Clamping down on defense establishes a solid foundation that enables the team’s second-half scoring bursts, which the Revs proved in their 22-5 run against Hampton in the second act of the game.
The chemistry between players, like lob threat Castro and smart distributor Buchanan Jr., who connect seamlessly in the frontcourt as the two tallest in the starting lineup, creates a quick-paced offensive set for the team. Crafty ball movement and quick athletic guards, like junior Trey Moss, are filling critical roles and giving the team a versatile edge on the attack.
A mix of transfers, like Moss and Castro, alongside emerging leaders, like Hutchinson and Buchanan Jr., have added a relieving layer of skill depth and mature experience to GW’s lineup. Veteran transfer Gerald Drumgoole eclipsed his 1,000th point in his first game as a Rev, showcasing his collegiate experience to the Foggy Bottom community. The strong roster allows Coach Caputo to test different five-man combinations and alleviate fatigue that could come from 40-minute expectations for players. After two games, no player on the team is averaging more than 30 minutes of playing time. The team’s balance is proving invaluable with a myriad of players capable of stepping up each game to fill roles.
Despite a zero-point performance by Hutchinson against Mercyhurst, he was a leader on the court in GW’s crusade versus Hampton. Vice versa, Moss had a quieter second game. But Autry, Jones and others stepped up in the stat book for the team.
Caputo’s trust in the bench, even in high-stakes stretches, proves GW’s ability to draw on contributions from a diverse set of players. On a broader scale, this action signals a promising season and expectations for big wins against upcoming opponents North Carolina A&T State University and New Jersey Institute of Technology.
