By Abe Rothstein (@RothsteinAbe) and Scott Greaney (@ScottGreaney_)
After an impressive 62-52 win on the road against St. Bonaventure Sunday, the George Washington Revolutionaries’ gauntlet conference schedule continues as they return home to face one of the top teams in the Atlantic-10 Conference in VCU.
Here are some updates and nuggets in this week’s edition of the “Foggy Bottom Notebook”.
Darren Buchanan Jr. in lineup:
In the victory in Olean, Darren Buchanan Jr. had one of his stronger performances since returning from injury. The sophomore from Washington D.C finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, and three assists in 30 minutes of action. That was the most playing time Buchanan received in a regulation game since his return from injury.
Adjusting to a new role off the bench certainly brings its frustrations and adjusting, but the former DC Gatorade Player of the Year looks to improve as his role has shifted.
“We won two big ones when I was out, and just trying to find my way back, like with the team,” said Buchanan following Tuesday’s practice. “ I mean, it’s not necessarily, like, I lost my way with the team, like, I love the team and want to be here.”
The 12 points against Saint Bonaventure marked his highest scoring output since the double overtime loss against George Mason. The preseason A-10 second team member only had seven field goal attempts, which was not even half of the 15 attempts he had against Richmond prior to the ankle injury.
Coach Caputo believes that the offense has shifted, but does see more opportunities for Buchanan to be more aggressive.
“I think if you take seven shots, plus getting fouled a few times, plus maybe one or two more spots to be aggressive, you know, you probably had a healthy number…” said Caputo.
With the shift in the offensive scheme and a less ball dominant style of play, Caputo does not believe that 15 attempts from the field in a single game would be a realistic game plan at this point. Though the staff does show Buchanan spots where they believe he can be more aggressive.
The Revs have excelled at sharing the ball and have three different leading scorers in the previous four games. GW sits at 80th in the country and 3rd in the A-10 in assists/field goals made, compared to 267 nationally and 15th in the A-10 last season.
Buchanan right now says he feels like he is back to 100% health after his ankle injury, but had to initially adjust mentally to find his footing again.
“I feel like most of it when I first came back was mental, just getting my mental right, trusting my ankle again,” Buchanan said. “Knowing that, I’m healthy, because I feel fine, but once I got that mental piece now, it showed against the Bonnies.”
Buchanan is still a vocal leader of the team and the Revs expect him to be a major part of the team down the stretch.
A strong performance against the Bonnies was the player that GW fans have come to know, and with the mental side back, it could be dangerous for opponents.
“Going into the game tomorrow, just try to build off of that performance,” Buchanan said. “Just keep getting my groove practice. Like once I find it, it’s over for sure.”
The Starting Five:
Starting with the injury to Darren Buchanan, the Revs have shifted their starting lineup to include Sean Hansen starting at the power forward spot.
Defensively, the team has seen a noticeable improvement. Spanning from the first game of the season against Mercyhurst to the loss in the conference opener against Richmond, GW was giving up an average of 67.4 points per game. Since the win against Dayton, the Revs are allowing 66.1 points, and they have played far superior competition since a weak out of conference schedule.
The Revs currently sit at 71st in the country in defensive efficiency on KenPom as of writing this on February 12th.
As of now, there are no plans on any changes in the starting lineup.
“We’ve played the best teams on our schedule to one possession or a victory for other than UMass…” said Caputo. “Well, I don’t, I don’t know how changing the starting lineup equates with finishing the game better.”
The third year head coach noted that the starting lineup does not match up with minutes played. Against Saint Bonaventure, Sean Hansen was a member of the starting five, but only saw 15 minutes compared to 30 for Buchanan.
Caputo pointed out that starting does not always mean that they’ll be in the game when it’s crunch time.
“The guys in the game, at the end of our games in league play have not always been the starters. So, yeah, I feel good about where we’re at there. I don’t see that it couldn’t change,” said Caputo. “But it’s at this moment, if somebody misses a free throw that could win us a huge game, my first thought doesn’t go to ‘let me change the starting lineup’.”
With added depth, the roles of players such as Jacoi Hutchinson, Trey Moss, and Buchanan have all shifted. Caputo commended the entire team for their handling of minutes.
“I really appreciate that the guys have handled it very, very well,” said Caputo. “My hope is that we can finish strong and validate some of that maturity and professionalism for them.”
As of now, don’t expect to see a change to the starting five. Take a look at who is on the court finishing the game for the Revs.
Buchanan Jr.’s Shoe-perstition:
Despite Buchanan Jr.’s struggles following his ankle injury, a change of shoes might be all he needs to shake off the rust.
That is exactly what he did earlier this season against American. Struggling in the first half while wearing his cherry blossom-themed Adidas Dame 7s, Buchanan Jr. managed just four points on 2-of-6 shooting as GW trailed by six.
At halftime, he made a change—not in his approach, but in his footwear. Swapping into a buff-colored version of the same shoe, he came out re-energized.
“If I’m playing bad, I’m going to take them off.” Buchanan Jr. said following practice.
The sophomore D.C. native sure took off in that second half, exploding for 19 points in GW’s epic comeback, despite falling in overtime.
Fast forward to Sunday’s matchup against St. Bonaventure, and Buchanan Jr. rocked those same buff-colored kicks. The result? His first double-digit performance since mid-January, pouring in 10 points before halftime. Sticking with the same shoes in the second half, he helped power GW to a critical road win.
Buchanan Jr. has made a habit of rocking some of the flashiest sneakers on the court this season. He debuted his special District-themed Dame 7s on opening night against Mercyhurst, cycled through multiple colorways of the model, and even laced up some colorways of the Adidas AE1—the signature shoe of his favorite NBA player, Anthony Edwards.
As GW prepares for VCU, Buchanan Jr. isn’t giving away his next sneaker selection just yet.
“I’ve still got some shoes I haven’t worn yet, so I don’t know,” Buchanan Jr. said.
One thing is certain—when Buchanan Jr. finds the right pair, the numbers tend to follow.
Keys for GW Against VCU:
1. Take care of the ball
Despite the ten-point win, turnovers from the Revs kept it a close game against St. Bonaventure, coughing it up 20 times against St. Bonaventure. That’s a major concern against a VCU defense that thrives on forcing deflections.
The Rams rank 21st nationally in steal percentage per KenPom, and they turn those opportunities into points—just ask Dayton, who surrendered 30 points off turnovers to VCU in their last game.
Look for Christian Jones and Jacoi Hutchinson to be smart with the ball and prevent easy transition buckets for the Rams.
2. Crash the defensive glass
VCU thrives off crashing the offensive boards and creating second-chance opportunities, ranking 24th in the country in offensive rebounding percentage per KenPom, averaging 13.5 offensive rebounds per game.
GW, on the other hand, has struggled in this area, just 289th in preventing offensive rebounds. Their road loss to La Salle was a prime example when they allowed 20 second-chance looks.
However, the Revolutionaries have shown improvement, holding their last two opponents to seven or fewer offensive rebounds and outrebounding St. Bonaventure 39-24. That effort will need to continue against a physical VCU frontcourt.
3. Keep VCU out of the paint
The Rams do most of their damage inside, averaging 36 points in the paint over their last three games. GW ranks 75th in two-point defense and 18th in steal percentage per KenPom, which could help disrupt VCU’s rhythm.
Max Shulga, Joe Bamisile, and Zeb Jackson all look to attack the middle, but the Rams struggle from beyond the arc, shooting just 33% from deep (215th per KenPom). While VCU as a team takes a high volume of threes (36.6% of their total points per KenPom), they don’t hit them consistently.
Expect GW to continue blitzing and trapping high ball screens, forcing the Rams into turnovers and tough perimeter shots.
Bonus: Play smart in crunch time
GW has let a handful of close games slip away late, whether it be missed free throws, turnovers, or settling for low-percentage shots.
If Wednesday’s contest comes down to the wire, look for Christian Jones, Rafael Castro, or Darren Buchanan Jr. to have the ball in their hands and attack the rim.
Buchanan Jr. is coming off his best performance since his 15-point effort against George Mason, and his physicality could be a factor against the Rams.
Notes:
- Dayan Nessah practiced in full, would expect him to be available on Wednesday.
- The Revs spent a large portion of practice working on late-game situations, including press breaks and free throws.
- Assistant coach Aaron Thompson was hands-on in helping Christian Jones.
- Gerald Drumgoole had some tape on his knee but still practiced. Don’t foresee that to be an issue.
