With the GW men’s basketball team already leading its Division II visitors, West Georgia, by 33 points as the clock ticked away toward the end of Saturday’s preseason exhibition, redshirt junior Travis King lobbed a pass to leaping redshirt sophomore Jabari Edwards in the paint that Edwards failed to handle and dropped.
On the other end, Edwards rectified his miscue, stuffing a West Georgia layup attempt before breaking back down the court for another offensive possession. The ball again found King’s hands, who in turn again found a leaping Edwards, who this time caught the ball in midair and slammed it down with enough authority and flair to earn a whistle for a technical foul.
It was a visually remarkable play at an unremarkable point in a game that doesn’t count in the standings, but the sight had to be reassuring considering the two players’ physical baggage. Both missed the 2007-08 season due to injury and neither appeared to be operating at full capacity last season, but in Saturday’s 78-44 win, the two logged a half-hour of cumulative court time and contributed to a lopsided victory.
“I thought he raised his level of intensity,” head coach Karl Hobbs said of Edwards. “I thought he made a couple of terrific blocks and he altered several shots, particularly in penetration.”
Five of the Colonials’ six freshmen played 14 minutes or more – injured center Daymon Warren was the lone exception – and newcomer Bryan Bynes led all GW players with 26 minutes of action. The Florida native had eight points and six rebounds to go with two assists and only one turnover, all while often running the offense from the point guard position.
“I thought he was the most composed guy,” Hobbs said. “I thought he played with a little bit more maturity throughout the game.”
Fellow freshman Lasan Kromah led all players with 14 points in the game, hitting two of his five three-point attempts and also chipping in four rebounds.
“Obviously Lasan has a terrific and high basketball IQ,” Hobbs said. “He really has a great feel for the game; he understands the moments and he’s gonna be a terrific scorer for us. I really think he’s gonna be a guy that’s gonna be consistent at putting points on the board.”
With Saturday’s exhibition in the books, GW will now turn its attention to UNC-Wilmington, whom they visit Nov. 15 for their first regular season game. Opening tip is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
