By Abe Rothstein (@RothsteinAbe)
Photo by Nancy Kiner
Coming off a thrilling two-game winning streak in conference play, the George Washington Revolutionaries are preparing to defend their home court against Duquesne.
The Revs are aiming to start their second straight season at 3-1 in conference play, but of course, we won’t talk about what happened after that strong start last year.
This marks the return of the Foggy Bottom Notebook, a series I plan to publish weekly for the rest of the season.
KenPom Rank: 105
Record: 13-3 (2-1 A-10) T-3rd
Win Streak: 2 (Dayton, Rhode Island)
Upcoming Games:
- Wednesday, Jan. 15 — HOME vs. Duquesne: 7-9 (2-1 A-10) (KenPom: 153)
- Saturday, Jan. 18 — AWAY vs. George Mason: 12-5 (3-1 A-10) (KenPom: 87)
Trey Autry, Dayan Nessah Shine
The two wins against Dayton and Rhode Island came without the star of the GW lineup, Darren Buchanan Jr., who has been out nursing an ankle injury. But in his absence, several players have stepped up.
Sophomore guard Trey Autry has taken a major leap in his second season in Foggy Bottom.
In the upset against Dayton, Autry finished with 17 points on 100% shooting, including 3-for-3 from behind the arc. He’s currently averaging 8.9 points per game, up from 6.4 his freshman season.
His biggest improvement has been in three-point shooting, where he’s gone from 34% as a freshman to 43% this year.
“I obviously build confidence for myself by just continuing to put in work every day, trusting in my ability,” said Autry.
Despite his high shooting percentage, Autry only averages 3.6 three-point attempts per game, the same as last season. The Revs are 10-1 when Autry attempts three or more threes per game. Or, as you could say, “Trey for trey.”
“But I would say the biggest thing is really just confidence, coming from my supporting cast,” Autry added. “Coaches, teammates, family, whatever it is, just, you know, continuing to encourage me to trust in my work and keep shooting the ball.”
Alongside Autry, true freshman Dayan Nessah has emerged as another key contributor off the bench. The Swiss product was impactful in the win over Rhode Island in his first taste of A-10 play. While it can be easy to get caught up in personal success, Nessah points to the team for credit.
“Last game, getting it, running and cutting,” said Nessah. “Try to set back screens for my teammates to get open, move without the ball. So do what I got to do to help the team.”
Nessah, who signed with GW late in the summer, has quickly adjusted to the NCAA style of basketball, which is notably different from European play.
“I feel it’s much more physical out here. The space is a little different, in general, you know, it’s basketball,” Nessah said. “At the end of the day, it’s just understanding the game and trying to make a good read.”
International prospects can be challenging to recruit, and not all make the transition smoothly. Benny Shröder struggled last season, while Zamoku Weluche-Ume has battled injuries. But Nessah seems to be finding his comfort zone.
Defensive Improvements Highlight Revs Strong Start
In a dramatic shift from the first two seasons of Coach Chris Caputo’s tenure, GW now boasts an elite defense.
The last two seasons saw the team in a race to score 80 points, going 25-3 when hitting that mark. However, the Revs are 19-33 under Caputo when scoring 79 points or fewer — a stat that highlights the massive improvement on the defensive end this season.
Dayton scored a measly 62 points at the Smith Center, the lowest in their previous 22 games played.
Let’s start with KenPom rankings: Over the last two years, GW ranked 322nd and 264th in defensive efficiency. As of Jan. 14, the Revolutionaries sit 113th in the country, ranking 27th in effective field goal percentage, 24th in opponent three-point percentage and 24th in steal percentage.
During the summer, the team focused almost exclusively on defense. Assistant coaches Lamont Franklin and Dwayne Lee have been instrumental in this turnaround, helping GW rank No. 1 in defensive efficiency during A-10 play.
With new personnel this season, the Revs have excelled at disrupting opponents, getting into passing lanes, and generating steals.
Newcomers Sean Hansen and Rafael Castro are among 14 pairs of forwards nationwide averaging at least 1.3 steals per game. Hansen, the Cornell transfer, has the second-most steals in the country for a forward with two or fewer starts. In total, GW is tied for third in the country with six players averaging at least one steal per game.
“It’s very disruptive-based, turnover-based, deflection-based, switching-based, maybe a little bit different than in the past,” Caputo said.
The team’s buy-in starts at practice and has evidently translated to games.
“Our defense as well as, everybody on staff, collaborative in that sense, have really done a good job of framing a system defensively,” Caputo added. “A way of playing defensively that the guys have really bought into and requires a high level of effort.”
The Revs’ defense has been a constant even when their offense hasn’t been at its best. The coaching staff also tracks an unofficial stat in deflections, aiming for a count in the mid-to-high 30s per game.
In their win against Rhode Island, GW made just four three-pointers but dished out 20 assists. It was the first time since a 2014 victory over George Mason that the Revs won a game with those stats — a victory made possible by their staunch defense.
Maximus Edwards Returns
An old friend and former Revolutionary in Maximus Edwards will return to the Smith Center, where he won A-10 Rookie of the Year just two years ago, alongside James Bishop. His role shifted in his second year in Foggy Bottom, which resulted in decreased usage and playing time, leading to his transfer.
Edwards has seen a sharp drop in playing time during conference play, averaging just over 9.5 minutes per game for the Dukes.
“He knows that there’s all that love there,” said Trey Autry. “But, you know, when it comes to game time, it’s strictly business.”
GW has seen several former players return in recent years, including Lincoln Ball, Daniel Nixon, Noel Brown and Joe Bamisile. The Revolutionaries also await the return of former assistant coach Zak Boisvert when he comes back alongside Josh Schertz and the Saint Louis Billikens.
“I really like Max as a person and wish him only the best,” Caputo said. “I hope that he can find whatever he’s looking for–in terms of his basketball future, and then also academically.”
A return is always an emotional experience, but GW is ready to set aside any sentimentality to lock down Edwards.
Trainer’s Table and Notes
- A weeklong bye has given the Revs a chance to rest and recover from recent injuries.
- Trey Moss is nursing a sprained ankle. His X-rays came back negative, and he is working to get healthy before returning.
- Darren Buchanan Jr., the team’s star player, missed the last two games with an ankle injury. His status for the Duquesne game is still a game-time decision, but the week off should help.
- GW is currently tied with Marquette for the fewest mid-range shots taken in the country, a trend that reflects the changing nature of basketball. Click here for the WRGW article I wrote on this topic in the preseason.
