George Washington University Athletics
Men's Basketball Takes No. 21 Ranking on the Road
12/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 10, 2004
#21/25 George Washington (5-1) at Saint Francis (4-2)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 11, 2004 • Time: 7:00 pm
Location: Stokes Center (3,500) • Loretto, PA
Radio: WMET 1160 AM, WAGE 1200 AM (Chris Castleberry)
TV: none
Series: GW leads, 3-1 (GW is 1-0 away; 1-1 home; 1-0 neutral)
Saturday's Game: No. 21/25 George Washington (5-1) brings a five-game win streak and its first national ranking in six years into tonight's game with Saint Francis. It marks the fifth meeting between the teams but the first in 23 years. The Colonials hold a 3-1 series advantage. GW is coming off what many long-time observers of Colonials basketball are calling the best weekend of GW basketball ever. The Colonials won the BB&T Classic title by virtue of a 96-83 victory over #9 Michigan State Saturday followed by a 101-92 victory over No. 12 Maryland just 24 hours later.
Saint Francis (4-2) is riding a two-game winning streak after defeating Ohio University, 83-74, Tuesday night at home. The Red Flash, led by junior Darshan Luckey's 23 points, hit 9-12 three-pointers to cruise past the Bobcats. SFU is 13-1 in its last 14 home games at the Stokes Center. GW is just the third ranked team to visit Saint Francis in the last 17 years. The other two (#13 Pitt in 1990 and #18 Villanova in 1988) both escaped with victories but by an average of just eight points. SFU is the second Northeast Conference team GW has faced this season. GW defeated the other Northeast Conference team (Mount St. Mary's) at home on Dec. 1.
Karl Hobbs is in his fourth season at the helm of the Colonials program. The NABC recognized Hobb's efforts by naming him the District 4 Coach of the Year last Mar. 11. Hobbs, 43, is considered by many as one of the hot, up-and-coming head coaches in the country. GW is his first head coaching position. Prior to coming to GW, Hobbs spent eight seasons as an assistant coach at Connecticut which included the 1998-99 national championship season. He is credited with recruiting the likes of Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton and Emeka Okafor among others. He was hired by GW in June, 2001. Hobbs has recruited a total of 13 new players in his brief tenure at GW and enjoyed his most successful season as a head coach last year with an 18-12 record and a postseason N.I.T. appearance. Hobbs orchestrated the two biggest wins of his head coaching career with last weekend's victories over #9 Michigan State and #12 Maryland. The win over Maryland also put Hobbs' career record above .500 (47-46) for the second time as a head coach. Hobbs has never coached against Saint Francis.
Next Game: GW returns home to host Towson at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 18, at Smith Center. The game will be aired live in the Washington area on WMET 1160 AM and WAGE 1200 AM as well as via www.GWsports.com.
