(Photo courtesy of GWSports.com)
George Washington released both their non-conference and conference schedules on Wednesday morning. Highlights include multiple Power 5 opponents, home games against local rivals, and Saturday home games against two of the A-10’s projected top teams.
𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟐-𝟐𝟑 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐨𝐩
• Home Opener Nov. 7️⃣
• 9️⃣ National TV Appearances
• At least 1️⃣7️⃣ games in Smith📰: https://t.co/BU1wlQvSqv#RaiseHigh #Team109
— GW Men's Basketball (@GW_MBB) September 7, 2022
The schedule will start off on Oct. 1 with a new event, “GW Hoops Fest.” fans will have the opportunity to shoot around at the Smith Center, interact with players, and participate in a Q/A session with members of the team. Then, GW will have an exhibition with D-III Western Connecticut State on Oct. 30, and officially begin their season and the Chris Caputo era on Nov. 7 against D-II Virginia State.
GW will face their first D-I opponent on Nov. 11, intercity foe Howard. The Bison finished 2nd in the MEAC last season. This is the type of non-conference matchup that teams should strive for: a strong, local team that still provides your team the opportunity to win.
Next, GW. treks up to Long Island on Nov. 14, where they will play Hofstra. This is one of only two true road non-conference games for GW. Hofstra is projected to finish near the top of the CAA this year, and should be GW’s toughest opponent outside of their A-10/P5 matchups.
The Buff and Blue return home to the Smith Center on Nov. 22 to host UC San Diego, who beat GW last season during their infamous California road trip. They will follow that up against New Hampshire on Nov. 26.
South Carolina will then come to town on Nov. 30th, marking the 1st time a Power 5 team has played GW at home since 2017. The Gamecocks feature one of the country’s top freshmen in 6-9 F GG Jackson, who may be the toughest individual player GW will have to defend all year. This game will also be GW’s first nationally broadcasted game of the season (CBSSN). Despite their name recognition and starpower, South Caroline is projected to finish near the bottom of the SEC, and could provide an opportunity for GW to steal an upset.
For their final road game before conference play, GW will visit the Blue Ridge Mountains on Dec. 4 to play Radford. GW beat Radford 67-58 last season at home, and should expect a similar result this year.
GW returns home on Dec. 10 to face another local school, American. Even though this should be an easy win for GW, American finished at the bottom of the Patriot League last year, GW and AU students always have a friendly rivalry. Regardless of the play on the court, this should be a fun game to attend solely for the chanting and any interactions in the stands between GW and AU fans.
The final home game on the non-conference slate comes on Dec. 13 against Coppin State. This is the third year in a row where GW and Coppin State will have played, with GW taking the first two matchups.
The last games before conference play will come in Hawaii over winter break during the Diamond Head Classic. GW starts off the tournament on Dec. 22 against Washington State, who is projected to finish in the middle of the Pac-12. GW will then either play Hawaii or Pepperdine in their next game on either Dec. 23 or 24 before rounding out the tournament with a final game on Christmas. Potential opponents for the third game are Rick Pitino’s Iona, potential March Madness bubble team SMU, Utah State or Seattle.
GW still has yet to announce one of their non-conference matchups, which would likely occur between Nov. 17-19.
Some of the highlights of GW’s A-10 schedule include two Saturday home matchups in a row against two of the projected top teams in the conference: Saint Louis on Jan. 14 and Dayton on Jan. 21. GW’s trip up to Kingston to play Rhode Island on Feb. 22 will also be one of the season’s most anticipated showdowns. Former GW sensation Brayon Freeman transferred to Rhode Island this offseason, providing one of the few opportunities in college basketball where a player will have to go up against their former team.
