From our friends at GW Athletics...
Colonials to Host ACC, Big East and Two Big 10 Programs at Smith Center
GW men's basketball unveiled its 2015-16 non-conference schedule which will feature eight games against teams from the ACC, Big 10, SEC, Big East and American conferences.
“We’ve had a lot of success matching-up with some of the top programs in the country in recent seasons, with wins against the likes of Maryland, Miami, #18 Creighton, #11 Wichita State and Pittsburgh,” said Head Coach Mike Lonergan. “As strong as the A-10 is, we have to be prepared for league play and put ourselves in the best possible position for the postseason by playing a tough out-of-conference schedule. We're bringing back a lot of size and experience so we’re confident that we can hang with and beat the best. Our students and fans should be really excited about what they’ll see from their team this season with a terrific out-of-conference slate at the Smith Center.”
Coupled with the Colonials’ nine-game home A-10 slate, GW will play 17 regular season games and an exhibition in the Charles E. Smith Center, where GW has won 27 of their 29 contests over the last two seasons.
The Colonials' road slate is highlighted by the Barclays Center Classic with Cincinnati, Nebraska and Tennessee waiting in Brooklyn for the four-team, two-day tournament, with match-ups yet to be announced. GW will also visit Tampa Bay to play South Florida of the American Athletic Conference in the front-end of a home-and-home series which will bring the Bulls to Smith Center in 2016-17, and travel to Chicago to play the Big East’s DePaul Blue Demons.
Season tickets go on sale on Thursday, July 9th. Visit GWsports.com/Tickets or call 202-99-GWTIX and get ready to #RaiseHigh with GW men's basketball in 2015-16.
2015-16 GW MEN'S BASKETBALL NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE BREAKDOWN
Saturday, 11/7/2015 - GANNON (exhibition)
GW will host the Gannon Golden Knights in exhibition action this season after routing Bloomsburg in the pre-season tune-up last year. Gannon comes to GW as the 2014-15 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Champions. Last season, the NCAA DII squad kept it close but ultimately fell to Jimmy Patsos’ Siena squad in exhibition play, 63-74. Gannon is coached by Bowie native and lifelong friend of Mike Lonergan, John Reilly.
Friday, 11/13/2015 - LAFAYETTE
Fresh off an appearance in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, the Lafayette Leopards serve as GW’s Opening Night foe to tip-off the 2015-16 campaign in earnest. The defending Patriot League champions won 20 games a season ago, and return two-fifths of their starting line-up in senior guard Bryce Scott (8.3 PPG) and junior guard Nick Lindner (12.5 PPG) who led the team in minutes per game last season.
Monday, 11/16/2015 - VIRGINIA
After banner seasons for both programs in 2013-14, the Colonials and Cavaliers battled early last season in Charlottesville in a game that saw GW hold a 26-22 lead at halftime on UVA’s home floor. Ultimately Virginia topped GW, leaving the DC-squad hungry for revenge in DC this coming season. GW has won 23 of the 49 all-time meetings against Virginia, who fell to eventual Final Four participant Michigan State as a #2 seed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
Thursday, 11/19/2015 - at South Florida
GW will begin a new home-and-home series in Tampa Bay on November 19th with a trip to the South Florida Bulls. South Florida returns five players who started at least 11 games last season, and will welcome DMV native and former Maryland player Roddy Peters, who sat out last season under NCAA transfer rules after joining the Bulls following his freshman season as a Terrapin.
Sunday, 11/22/2015 - ARMY (BARCLAYS CENTER CLASSIC)
The second of two Patriot League foes to visit the Smith Center in 2015-16, the Black Knights come to GW as part of the Barclays Center Classic. Army returns its top four scorers from a season ago, including 6-4 senior swingman Kyle Wilson, who averaged 17.5 points per game last season and canned 74 three-pointers over the course of 2014-15.
Tuesday, 11/24/2015 - GARDNER-WEBB (BARCLAYS CENTER CLASSIC)
Another opponent brought to GW through the Barclays Center Classic, the other ‘GW’ won 20 games last season and advanced to the postseason CBI out of the Big South Conference. Senior forward Jerome Hill rang up a team-best 18.9 PPG for the Runnin’ Bulldogs last season, while junior center Tyrell Nelson notched 13.9 PPG and 6.5 RPG.
Friday/Saturday, 11/27 and 11/28/2015 - CINCINNATI, NEBRASKA, TENNESSEE (BARCLAYS CLASSIC)
The Colonials will participate in the four-team, two-day finals of the Barclays Center Classic in Brooklyn, NY on the Friday and Saturday following Thanksgiving. Joining GW in NYC will be American Athletic Conference standout Cincinnati, along with the Big 10’s Nebraska Cornhuskers and SEC’s Tennessee Volunteers. Cincinnati enters the 2015-16 season off a 23-win season in 2014-15 and a First Round NCAA Tournament win against Purdue before falling to Kentucky in the Bearcats’ bid to reach the Sweet Sixteen.
Wednesday, 12/2/2015 - SETON HALL
Seton Hall comes to DC just after Thanksgiving in 2015-16 after the Pirates hosted the Colonials during Thanksgiving weekend a season ago. GW fell just short in that contest, a 58-54 decision, and will seek revenge at home in just the sixth all-time meeting between the teams dating back to 1946-47.
Tuesday, 12/8/2015 - PENN STATE
Another foe against whom GW will look to settle the score from last season, Penn State visits Smith Center after downing the Colonials, 64-51, in Happy Valley in 2014-15. Sophomore Shep Garner (9.2 PPG in 2014-15, 10 vs. GW) and senior Brandon Taylor (9.1 PPG, 17 vs. GW) return to lead the Nittany Lions this season after compiling an 18-16 mark last season.
Saturday, 12/12/2015 - RUTGERS
In the fourth meeting in as many seasons between GW and Rutgers, the Colonials will look for their third straight win against District-product Eddie Jordan’s club. Jordan, who shares a scholastic alma mater with Mike Lonergan, saw his squad defeat Wisconsin last season in the season highlight for the Scarlet Knights.
Saturday, 12/19/2015 - SAINT PETER’S
St. Peter’s plays in the MAAC where it advanced to the postseason tournament semis last season before falling to Manhattan. The Peacocks claimed wins at Rutgers and Boston University last season, and narrowly fell by one at Harvard, so Head Coach John Dunne’s team will be ready to play in the final out-of-conference home tune-up for GW before A-10 play starts in the new calendar year.
Tuesday, 12/22/2015 - at DePaul
GW downed DePaul in DC last season in the front-end of a home-and-home series which takes the Colonials to Chicago this winter. Last season, the returning senior troika of Patricio Garino, Kevin Larsen and Joe McDonald combined for 55 points on 22-of-32 shooting from the floor against the Blue Demons, who boasted wins against Marquette, Xavier and St. John’s in 2014-15. New DePaul floor boss Dave Leitao will look to duplicate his success from his previous stop at DePaul, in which he led the Blue Demons to a NCAA Tournament and two NIT bids from 2002-05.
