By: Scott Greaney (@ScottGreaney_) and Abe Rothstein (@RothsteinAbe)
After finishing the regular season seventh in the Atlantic-10 Conference, the George Washington Revolutionaries have enjoyed the single bye and the week of rest after their blowout 81-58 win against Fordham last Wednesday.
As the Revs return to the nation’s capital for the Atlantic 10 Championship, they’ll be going up against the team they most recently faced — the 15-seed Fordham Rams, who snapped an eight-game losing streak Wednesday in the first round of the conference tournament with a controlling 88-71 win over Rhode Island. Even more shocking, Fordham’s 17-point win comes just four days after a 19-point loss against that same Rhode Island team in which they trailed by as much as 23.
GW will be looking to advance to the quarterfinals of the A-10 tournament for the first time since 2017 and set up a third matchup this season against their archrival George Mason.
With the tournament just a few Metro stops away from campus at Capital One Arena, GW fans in the nearby area will need to show up and make some noise to give the Revolutionaries a true home-court advantage. Tickets are available here and students can also get a discounted ticket here.
We will have our live broadcast courtside from Capital One Arena starting shortly before the 5 p.m. tipoff. Click here to listen!!!!
Revolutionary Atlantic-10 Postseason Awards for Rafael Castro and Christian Jones
After a standout season, the new pair of Rafael Castro and Christian Jones have earned well-deserved recognition in the Atlantic-10 postseason awards.
Rafael Castro – All-Conference Second Team and All-Defensive Team
The 6-foot-11 transfer center from Providence was a force all season, leading the A-10 in field goal percentage, total rebounds, rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game and double-doubles—all while ranking among the top 25 nationally in those categories.
He was one of just three players in the entire country to record 400+ points, 250+ rebounds and 100+ offensive rebounds while shooting at least 60% from the field. On defense, he finished seventh in the conference in blocks and was one of the most active big men in forcing turnovers, ranking third among forwards and centers in steals. His 82 combined blocks and steals were the second-most in the A-10, just behind St. Joe’s Rasheer Fleming.
Despite his dominance, Castro had a strong case for First Team All-Conference honors, as he was the best true center in the league and a key reason why GW finished in the top half of the standings after placing last a season ago.
Christian Jones – All-Rookie Team
Jones made an immediate impact in his first year of playing collegiate basketball after being thrust into the starting point guard spot, earning All-Rookie Team honors after leading the conference in steals and ranking 10th in assists during A-10 play.
However, it was surprising that he didn’t receive any votes for the All-Defensive Team, despite leading the league in steals on a team with the third-best defense in conference play per KenPom. Jones set the tone for GW on both ends of the floor, using his length and quickness to foster deflections while also running the offense.
Both Castro and Jones will have a chance to prove the voters wrong Thursday against Fordham, as they look to lead GW to a statement win in the A-10 Tournament.
Rewind to a Week Ago:
A week ago, George Washington walked into Rose Hill Gym in the Bronx and dominated from start to finish, never trailing and building a lead as large as 32 points. The Revolutionaries clinched their first 20-win regular season in nine years with the 81-58 rout of Fordham, marking their biggest conference road victory since 2020.
Rafael Castro once again led the charge, stuffing the stat sheet with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in just 25 minutes.
Trey Autry added 14 points and 7 rebounds, including a perfect 7-of-7 from the free-throw line.
Darren Buchanan Jr. also made an impact, contributing 10 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in a team-high 26 minutes. If GW can get the version of Buchanan Jr. that averaged 15.5 points per game in non-conference play earlier this season, the Revolutionaries could be a sneaky underdog in the Atlantic 10 tournament.
GW’s depth was on full display, with nine different players scoring in the win. The Revolutionaries dominated the glass, winning the rebounding battle 43-27, including a commanding 28-16 edge on the defensive boards. Inside, GW scored 38 of its 81 points in the paint and shot 18-of-25 from the free-throw line (72%). Castro was a major factor at the line, going 8-of-13 and now ranks 9th nationally in free-throw rate, per KenPom.
Defensively, GW locked down the perimeter, holding Fordham to just 6-of-27 from three-point range (22.2%). The Revolutionaries’ ability to control the paint, dominate the boards and defend the perimeter made for a statement win—one they hope to build on as they return to the nation’s capital for the A-10 Championship.
Fast Forward to Fordham Rematch:
The biggest area of concern for the Revolutionaries is the possibility of rust showing up after a week off. The last time GW had an extended break, following a 75-67 road win over Rhode Island in mid-January, they struggled in their return, falling 73-65 at home to Duquesne.
Head Coach Chris Caputo acknowledged the team’s need for rest after a grueling stretch without a break.
“We needed the week off because we had no bye for seven and a half weeks. We needed a little physical, mental break.” Coach Caputo said.
Still, he remains confident that his team will be ready when the ball tips Thursday evening in Capital One Arena.
“If you can’t get up to play after having a pretty good year and knowing that there’s a lot at stake, if you can’t get up for that, I don’t know,” Caputo said. “I feel good about the guys having good energy,” Caputo said.
“We’ve got a good basketball group,” Caputo said. “Our guys really love basketball, and we’ve got a lot of guys who are basketball-driven.”
Slowing down Fordham’s key scorers will be a top priority for GW’s revamped defense. Jackie Johnson and Japhet Medor combined for 55 of Fordham’s 88 points in their first-round win. If you add in Kyle Dean, that trio accounted for 69 of the team’s 88 points. The Revs must continue to target the guard pair of Johnson and Medor as they did in last week’s matchup, limiting the pair to just 10/25 shooting on 4/14 from deep.
Despite ranking just 201st nationally in FT% per KenPom, Fordham converted on 16 of their 17 free throw attempts in the first half and finished 23-28 from the charity stripe. Medor made all of his 11 free-throw attempts. The Revolutionaries’ defense will need to balance being aggressive and being smart, trapping without fouling to limit Fordham’s free points at the stripe.
Expect All-Rookie Team member and All-Defense snub Christian Jones, as well as the Revs’ other pesky guard defenders in Trey Autry, Jacoi Hutchinson and Ty Bevins to play a big role in limiting those Fordham guards.
On the offensive end, GW should look to attack inside, as Fordham ranks last in the A-10 in scoring defense during league play, allowing over 80 points per game. The Revolutionaries scored 38 points in the paint in their last matchup against the Rams and should aim to exploit that weakness again. However, the Revolutionaries must finish strong at the rim as they rank 357th in the nation in block percentage on offense.
Look for GW to continue feeding All-Conference Second Team member Rafael Castro as he continues his First Team-caliber season, averaging 13.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.2 steals, all while shooting 66.8% from the field. Hopefully, GW will also be able to ride the strong showing from Darren Buchanan Jr’s 10-point performance against Fordham. The two-man game between Buchanan Jr. and Castro has shown flashes in multiple conference games this season and has the potential to be a tough pairing to stop in the postseason.
Ultimately, GW’s path to victory will come down to its new identity on defense. In a remarkable turnaround on the defensive end this season, the Revolutionaries rank third in the A-10 in scoring defense during conference play, while also sitting third in three-point field goal defense (31.5%) and fifth in overall field goal defense (42%). The Revs’ ability to pick the passing lanes and force deflections and turnovers will be key, as they lead the conference in steals per game (9.1). If GW can lock in defensively, attack the paint and stay disciplined, they should have a strong shot to advance to the quarterfinals.
Once again, WRGW Sports will be broadcasting live from Capital One Arena and the game can be streamed on USA Network.
