George Washington University Athletics
Colonials Host Xavier Tuesday in Key A-10 Battle
1/25/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 25, 2005
Xavier (8-7, 2-3) at George Washington (12-4, 4-2)
Game 17 • Atlantic 10 Conference game
Date: Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2005 • Time: 7:05 pm
Location: Smith Center (5,000) • Washington, DC
Radio: WMET 1160 AM, WAGE 1200 AM (Larry Michael)
TV: A-10 TV; Comcast SportsNet (Michael Reghi/John Spencer)
Series: Xavier leads, 17-8 (GW is 5-5 vs. Xavier at Smith Center)
GW hosts a vastly different Xavier squad tonight than the one that eliminated the Colonials from the A-10 Tournament last March. The Musketeers come to Smith Center tonight without mainstays Romain Sato, Lionel Chalmers and Anthony Myles. The trio combined for 46 points in XU's 70-47 win over GW in the 2004 A-10 semifinal. Xavier also is without former head coach Thad Matta who is now calling the shots at Ohio State. Matta assistant Sean Miller has taken over at Xavier and has guided the Musketeers to an 8-7 record in his first season as a head coach.
Tonight's game is the first of two regular-season meetings this season and the 26th meeting overall between the teams. Xavier leads the all-time series, 17-8. Although GW won the last meeting at Smith Center, Xavier has won the last two meetings (at Xavier and in the A-10 Tournament semifinal last March at Dayton) by an average of 20 points. GW looks to bounce back from a 70-59 setback in its most recent game last Saturday at Richmond. The Musketeers are the only A-10 team against whom GW does not have a winning record at home. The series at Smith Center stands tied at 5-5.
Winners of 12 of its last 14 games, GW is 5-1 at home this season while Xavier is 0-3 on the road this year. Xavier is coming off a 69-54 loss to Temple Saturday at XU's Cintas Center in Cincinnati.
GW's 12-4 start is its best since the Colonials began the 1997-98 season with a 13-2 record.
GW Head Coach Karl Hobbs, 43, is in his fourth season at the helm of the Colonials program. Considered by many as one of the hot, up-and-coming head coaches in the country, the NABC recognized Hobb's efforts by naming him the District 4 Coach of the Year last Mar. 11. 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 this season's victories over then-#9 Michigan St. and then-#12 Maryland. Hobbs has a 1-7 record against Xavier and tonight is his first head-to-head matchup with first-year coach Sean Miller.
Next Game: GW hosts Dayton Sunday, Jan. 30, in a 2 p.m. game at Smith Center. The game will be televised on the A-10 TV Network and it will air live in the Washington area on Comcast SportsNet and on WMET 1160 AM and WAGE 1200 AM as well as via www.GWsports.com.
