• Jan. 10     Richmond at GW
• Jan 14      GW at Duquesne
• Jan. 17     GW at Saint Louis
• Jan. 20     Dayton at GW
• Jan. 24     Rhode Island at GW
• Jan. 28     GW at La Salle
• Feb. 4       GW at Saint Joseph’s
• Feb. 7       Fordham at GW
• Feb. 11     La Salle at GW
• Feb. 14     GW at Charlotte
• Feb. 19     St. Bonaventure at GW
• Feb. 22     GW at Xavier
• Feb. 25     Charlotte at GW
• Feb. 28     GW at Richmond
• Mar. 4        GW at Massachusetts
• Mar. 7        Temple at GW

Kvancz alluded to Smith being ruled ineligible by the NCAA, as was first reported by the Saint Paul Pioneer Press last week. In that article, Smith’s AAU coach Ro Russell said Smith was ruled ineligible because he took two core classes in his fifth year of high school. NCAA rules stipulate that fifth-year high schools seniors may take only one core class in order to retain their eligibility.

Kvancz said he did not know the details of the situation, but said he thinks the men’s basketball team is trying to recruit another player for this season.

Smith signed a National Letter of Intent with the Colonials in April.

Should have a larger schedule update later this week.

• The Colonials have themselves a new strength and conditioning coach. Ben Kenyon, who served as a graduate assistant to former coach Mark Bearden during the 2006-07 school year has been tabbed to lead GW after spending last year as an assitant strength coach at the University of Florida. Kenyon had been listed on the staff directory at GWsports.com for a few days, but the official announcement came out today.
• Former GW women’s basketball players Elisa Aguilar and Anna Montaňana have been representing Spain in the Beijing Olympics for a few days now. Aguilar is averaging 6.3 points over three games for the Spanish squad, while Montaňana is tearing it up, leading the team with 17 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest. Spain’s next test will be against the United States on Friday.
• The wait is over. After three grueling months without any Colonials action, GW fans can get excited for the women’s soccer team’s match against Loyola (Md) today. The Loyola Web site has the game listed as an exhibition, but the GWsports.com makes no such distinction — but we’ll be sure to keep you posted nonetheless.

“It is with a heavy heart that I leave GW,” Allen said in a press release. “I’ve spent almost half of my life here as a student-athlete and coach. I’m very proud of what the golf program has achieved over the past decade and a half. I have had the pleasure of coaching a terrific group of golfers at GW, many of whom I now consider my personal friends. I am, and will always be, proud to say that I was a student-athlete at GW and it’s an honor to be associated with my fellow GW student-athletes and this Athletic Department.”

A search for a replacement is underway.

“The maturation of Damian Hollis took another step forward last season as the long and athletic 6′8″ forward saw his scoring and rebounding totals increase.  Hollis averaged 9.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, pairing down low with the extremely talented Rob Diggs to frustrate defenses around the league.  As Hollis continues to grow and fill out his frame, he should handle contact better and finish with more consistency.  Look for Hollis to continue demonstrating his versatility scoring the ball and, with an improved defensive focus, become one of the more complete players in the league.”

Comments on returnees 25 through 15 were released today — the remaining 15 will be released in August, the article says.

First, as per CSTV, the women’s squad will head out to Rice University for a Jan. 5 match-up.

UPDATE: Dates for the previously reported Texas A&M and Tennessee games will be at the Aggies Jan. 3, and hosting the Vols Dec. 2. 

Also, as per inrich.com, Richmond big man Dan Geriot will likely miss the 2008-09 season with an offseason knee injury sustained in a summer league game in Philadelphia. Geriot only had nine points in GW’s victory over the Spiders last year, but he was the team’s top scorer and rebounder on the season. This likely gives the Colonials a leg up in their two games against the Spiders this year.

It now appears that Houston didn’t mention Smith because his admission status with the University is still pending. Director of Sports Information Brad Bower said in an e-mail that the athletic department is not sure when Smith’s status will change.

However, when the athletic department announced GW’s in-conference opponents July 9, the press release referenced “four newcomers.” The four players alluded to are freshmen Tony Taylor, Matt Allbritton, Aaron Ware and former team manager Jeff Alston, Bower said.

Alston will be a senior this year, and will not receive a scholarship, Bower said. A 2006 Hatchet article discusses his freshman year as team manager for the 27-3 Colonials squad. Repeated attempts to contact Smith earlier this month were not returned.

According to the press release:

Nunn, who served as the NBA’s Director of Officials for the past five seasons, will be responsible for the teaching and development of the NBA’s less-experienced referees and the transition of referees from the D-League to the NBA.

GW’s will host: Charlotte, Dayton, Fordham, La Salle, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Temple.

GW will visit: Charlotte, Duquesne, La Salle, Massachusetts, Richmond, Saint Joseph’s, Saint Louis, Xavier. The Saint Joseph’s game will be played at the Palestra.

Earlier this year, Director of Athletics Jack Kvancz said that while the Colonials finished in the bottom tier of the conference, Atlantic 10 scheduling rules prohibited them from falling two levels in one season.

In addition, there had been some speculation on whether or not Dwayne Smith would be joining the 2008-09 Colonials, as an interview with assistant coach Roland Houston only mentions three new players. However, today’s release references “four newcomers.”