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Sunday, March 10, 2013 9:10 a.m.

Men’s basketball trip to Brooklyn cemented; Isaiah Armwood makes SportsCenter

by Elizabeth Traynor
basektball

The GW players cheer for Armwood as he enters the locker room following the game. Jordan Emont | Photo Editor

Mark your calendars- the Colonials are going to Brooklyn.

After yesterday’s thrilling one-point overtime victory, GW waited for the dust to settle from the rest of the day’s A-10 action.

When it did, the Colonials emerged as the No. 11 seed in the Atlantic 10 tournament. They’ll take on No. 6 Massachusetts, a team GW defeated earlier this year, at 9 p.m. Thursday.

Something the team might have watched while celebrating its Brooklyn bid? Senior forward Isaiah Armwood’s game-winning dunk making SportsCenter’s top plays of the day, debuting at number five.

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Thursday, Dec. 13, 2012 10:37 a.m.

Could a Big East split spell trouble for the A-10?

by Elizabeth Traynor

Then- senior forward Aaron Ware attempts to get a shot off over a VCU opponent last season. VCU joins the A-10 this year. Hatchet File Photo

Tuesday, ESPN reported that a Big East division could bring seven schools into the Atlantic 10′s ranks, making it a 21-team conference.

But a new report from the New York Post cautions that, should those programs break from the Big East, they might not be interested in becoming part of the A-10. Instead, the Post reported, they may want to combine with a select few Atlantic 10 programs to make a new conference.

“A source said the Big East was leaning towards a second option – adding schools. It wants to return to its days as a 10-12 school conference with a homogenous membership headlined by elite basketball programs in urban markets,” the Post reported.

So far, the Atlantic 10 has emerged as one of the conferences to benefit from the ongoing realignment, adding Butler and VCU to its ranks this year. This season, the A-10 has a 16-team field that will shrink to 14 after Temple and Charlotte depart at the end of the 2012-13 season.

Rounding out the league’s changes is a new media rights deal that increases the conference’s national profile significantly.

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Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012 2:33 p.m.

ESPN: A-10 considering possibility of further expansion

by Elizabeth Traynor

 

David Pellom, men's basketball, Temple

Then-sophomore forward David Pellom drives to the net against Temple two seasons ago. This year is the Owls’ last in the A-10. | Hatchet File Photo

ESPN’s Andy Katz reported today that the Atlantic 10 is considering further expansion as conference realignment continues to shake up collegiate sports, citing a source “with direct knowledge of the situation” that says the league has discussed becoming a 21-team conference.

The Atlantic 10 has emerged as one of the conferences to benefit from the ongoing realignment, adding Butler and VCU to its ranks this year. This season, the A-10 has a 16-team field that will shrink to 14 after Temple and Charlotte depart at the end of the 2012-13 season.

The A-10′s interest would be piqued should high-profile Big East schools become available as that conference continues to change. Those schools include Marquette, DePaul, Georgetown, Providence, Seton Hall, St. John’s and Villanova. As the Big East continues to change, Katz reported that those seven schools are deciding “whether to split from the league” and that television deals are driving their decision. And the A-10′s new media rights deal is an attractive package, one that increases the league’s national profile significantly.

For the Atlantic 10, adding the new members would mean redesigning the format of the conference. Possible options include “ two 10-team divisions or a true 20-game conference schedule, with 10 home and 10 road games, by playing everyone once,” Katz reported.

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Wednesday, June 6, 2012 1:23 p.m.

ESPN: men’s basketball coaching job at GW isn’t the best, or worst, in A-10

by Elizabeth Traynor

 

Head coach Mike Lonergan exits the court last season. Hatchet File Photo

ESPN.com ranked the best and worst of men’s collegiate basketball coaching jobs today, giving the Xavier gig the nod for top in the Atlantic 10 – and Fordham the worst.

The rankings only listed the top and bottom three for each conference, and though GW’s head coaching position “picked up some votes” for the worst in the league, the article said, it wasn’t enough to make the list. Conferences were ranked based on the 2012-13 league profiles by 14 ESPN writers and TV analysts.

They took into consideration “facilities, expectation level, athletic budget, wins and losses, recruiting base, fan support/pressure and all of the other factors that go into determining the “best” jobs in the ever-crazy profession of college basketball coaching,” Brett Edgerton of ESPN.com reported.

The top three men’s basketball head coaching jobs in the A-10 were ranked as Xavier, Temple and Butler. The bottom three were Duquesne, St. Bonaventure and Fordham.

“No matter who the coach is, Xavier just keeps winning year after year. That would be the definition of a good coaching job — and that’s why X was the unanimous pick. VCU was the group’s choice for the third spot before Butler’s decision to move to the A-10 immediately prompted a re-vote,” the article reported. “As for the bottom three, Rhode Island and GW picked up some votes but Fordham’s non-stop losing, the Bonnies’ remote location and Duquesne’s 25-year tourney drought was too much to overcome. “

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Friday, Nov. 4, 2011 3:37 p.m.

ESPN magazine ranks GW No. 121

by Elizabeth Traynor
Jabari Edwards

Graduate student Jabari Edwards prepares for a scrimmage during a Colonials open practice earlier this month. | File Photo

ESPN The Magazine released its full preseason rankings of the NCAA Division I basketball programs today, ranking the Colonials No.121 of 344 teams.

The ranking also predicts GW will finish ninth in the Atlantic 10, and that the men’s basketball team’s winning percentage against an average D1 program would be 59.1 percent.

The rankings were compiled by economist Dan Hanner, who rated teams based on the statistics of their returning/departing players, the loss or return of injured players (like returning Colonials junior guard Lasan Kromah), the development of players returning to the court, the coaching and incoming recruits or transfers. GW factors would have included first-year head coach Mike Lonergan and his staff, incoming rookies John Kopriva and Jonathan Davis, Villanova transfer Isaiah Armwood and the statistics from last year’s squad.

ESPN picked North Carolina to finish No.1.

Thirteen opponents finished ahead of GW in the rankings: Syracuse at No.5, A-10 foe Xavier at No.15, California at No.24, Temple at No.31, UAB at No.63, Saint Louis at No.64, Dayton at No.70, VCU at No.74, Saint Joseph’s at No.77, Duquesne at No.84, Austin Peay at No.102, Richmond at No.107 and St. Bonaventure at No.112.

Finishing just ahead of GW in the rankings, at No.120, is Vermont, the program that Lonergan lead to the top of the America East last season.

ESPN previously ranked GW’s schedule as the second- toughest in the A-10. The Colonials basketball season kicks off Sunday, when they host Bowie State in an exhibition match at 6 p.m.

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Thursday, Oct. 13, 2011 12:40 p.m.

Taylor selected for A-10 preseason first team, GW picked eighth overall

by Elizabeth Traynor
Tony Taylor, win, Dayton

Then-junior guard Tony Taylor celebrates after his team's 60-58 win over Dayton last season. Taylor was named to the A-10 preseason first team Thursday. | File Photo

The Atlantic 10 released its preseason rankings and awards today, naming senior guard Tony Taylor to the Preseason First-Team All-Conference team.

The league also announced the results of its preseason poll, picking GW eighth of 14, with 163 points. The awards and poll were chosen by a panel of media members and the conference’s head coaches.

Taylor was the only Colonial to earn a preseason award. Recently picked as the A-10′s ‘most underrated player’ by Slamonline.com, he was the Colonials top-scorer last season, averaging 14.8 points per game, and was third in the Atlantic 10 in assists per game with 4.6. Taylor was GW’s top offensive weapon, scoring a career-high 28 against La Salle to open A-10 play and scoring in double figures in all but three conference games for the Colonials.

An all-conference second-team pick in March, Taylor applied for early entry into the 2011 NBA Draft, but withdrew his name, and was later named the most valuable player for the men’s basketball team.

“I was very happy to see the coaches voted Tony to the First Team,” first-year head coach Mike Lonergan said. “It is a well deserved honor, and hopefully his hard work this offseason leads to a special senior year.”

Xavier, Temple and Saint Louis were the top three picks in the league rankings, followed by St. Bonaventure, defending A-10 champion Richmond, Dayton and Saint Joseph’s. GW followed at eighth, above Duquesne, Rhode Island, Charlotte, Massachusetts, La Salle and Fordham.

“Our players and coaches have some ambitious goals for this season,” Lonergan said. “Regardless of our predicted finish, we’re going to stay focused on achieving those goals.”

GW’s schedule was recently rated as the second-toughest in the A-10 by ESPN.com. The Colonials are coming off their best season in the past four years, posting a 17-14 overall record and a 10-6 mark in Atlantic 10 play, good enough for a tie for fourth place in the final conference standings. GW lost in the first round of the conference tournament to 12th seeded Saint Joseph’s, the second time in two years the Colonials qualified for the league tournament before falling in the first round.

The 2011 to 2012 season officially kicks off at midnight Oct. 15, highlighted by the annual Colonials Invasion.

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Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011 2:16 p.m.

ESPN rates Colonials schedule as second-toughest in A-10

by Elizabeth Traynor
Tony Taylor, CBE

Senior guard Tony Taylor, last season's top-scorer for the Colonials, was named by ESPN.com as a crucial player to help GW back to the top of the A-10 conference. | File Photo

ESPN.com released its analysis of the non-conference schedules of the Atlantic 10 today, ranking GW’s lineup an 8 on a scale of 1-10 of the “toughness” of its opponents.

The match-ups against California, Kansas State, VCU and Syracuse were deemed the most challenging non-conference opponents GW will face. The next-toughest were Detroit and Austin Peay in the CBE Classic and UAB.

The Colonials tied with Temple and were bested only by Xavier, both NCAA tournament teams last season, for the toughness of the team’s schedule.

The rankings’ analysis said the Colonials “have the players to vie for their first NCAA tournament bid since 2007,” and pointed to the non-conference schedule as one that could help GW’s RPI rating as it looks to return to the tournament. It also pointed to last season’s top-scorer for the Colonials, senior guard Tony Taylor, as a key player in the roster.

ESPN also published a profile of head coach Mike Lonergan today, discussing his decision to travel from Vermont to take the reins of the GW program. Lonergan calls coaching the Colonials his “dream job,” pointing out his familiarity with the area and its recruiting as major reasons for his decision to return to the District. He also talks about pushing the Colonials back to the top of the A-10, looking to “regain respect locally.” Lonergan calls his new post at GW his “last job.”

“When I leave, I want to leave the next guy with a great program,” Lonergan told ESPN. “I think I’ll end up being an AD at a D-3 or something and let my wife get back into coaching.”

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Friday, Sept. 23, 2011 10:06 a.m.

Women’s basketball earns 2012 verbal recruit commitment

by Elizabeth Traynor

Anjaleace White, of Delran, N.J., announced her intentions to play for the women’s basketball team last week on delawaregirlsbasketball.com, making the 6-foor-2 defender GW’s first recruit for women’s team.

White is a 6’2″ post player with a Hoopgurlz scouting grade of 90 and ranked 19th in her position.

Maxpreps.com reports that White averaged 11.3 points, 2.7 blocks, 9.3 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game last season for the Sanford School. The Warriors posted an overall 20-4-0 record. White is also listed as a lacrosse player for Sanford.

White’s ESPN scouting report describes her as a player with “lots of length and athleticism” but who needs to “expand her game.” She’s billed as a capable post defender and shot blocker who needs to build upon her ability to create her own plays.

The Colonials will return to the court in the upcoming season after a 8-21 2010-11 season, finishing 11th of 14 in the A-10 after falling to Dayton in the first round of the league tournament. GW struggled with injuries for the second year in a row, sidelining as many as five players at one time and forcing the remaining members of the roster to play through their own injuries.

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