As it stands currently, George Washington is 20-7 (9-5) and just on the outside of the bubble. It looks like the Colonials, once an NCAA lock, will need to win out the rest of the regular season if they hope to get an at-large bid to the Tourney. That said, how likely is it that GW can go 4-0 down the stretch of the regular season? More likely than one might think.
Here’s what the remaining schedule looks like:
- February 24th at Richmond
- February 27th vs VCU
- March 1st vs George Mason
- March 5th at Davidson
Three of those four games are against teams GW has already beaten; the only exception being Richmond, who the Colonials fell to in double-overtime on January 28th, 98-90. The biggest game remaining is, without a doubt, VCU. If GW can complete the season sweep of the Rams, it would become very difficult to keep the Colonials out of the Tournament. Seeing as all four games are rematches, lets take a look at the previous games against the remaining opponents.
January 28th: Richmond 98 GW 90 (2OT)
As I mentioned above, Richmond is the only team remaining that GW has lost to this season. In a thrilling game, it took a Paul Jorgensen banked-in three to tie the game at 74-74 and force overtime. Where this game really got away from the Colonials was after Patricio Garino fouled out. GW’s offense completely disappeared, and the gas tank hit empty. This is a team GW is certainly capable of beating; but like all games, it’s just a matter of whether GW shows up or not.
February 6th: GW 72 VCU 69
The undisputed toughest game on the remaining schedule is against VCU on Senior Day in Foggy Bottom. What allowed the Colonials to be successful in the first meeting was their overall toughness and perseverance. Every time VCU made a run, GW had an answer. It certainly helped that Garino had a career-high 27 points, and another strong performance from him would certainly help the cause.
January 31st: GW 76 George Mason 70
The final home game of the season is the conclusion of this season’s Revolutionary Rivalry series, which the Colonials have dominated since the Patriots joined the A10 in 2012. This is probably the easiest game left on the schedule. But as we saw in the game in Fairfax, you can’t sleep on George Mason.
February 3rd: GW 79 Davidson 69
The key to this game is the same as it was earlier this season: contain Jack Gibbs! This, and this alone is what will decide this game. Stopping the A10’s leading scorer is no small task, but the Colonials’ defense did a great job against Gibbs, holding him to just 25 points in the first meeting (which is not much for him). However, if Gibbs drops another 30+ point performance, like he’s done many times this season, GW will get all they can want and then some from the Wildcats.
While the position George Washington put themselves in is unfortunate, the idea of winning out the regular season is well within the realm of possibility. Make no mistake, I am by no means saying GW will win their last four games, or are guaranteed an NCAA bid if they do. What I am saying is that, at least the Colonials have a chance, and a good one at that. Can they follow through, however? Only time will tell.