George Washington University Athletics
Colonials vs. Spiders Saturday on ESPN's Rivalry Week
2/12/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 12, 2005
Richmond (11-10, 6-4) at George Washington (14-5, 6-3)
Game 20 • Atlantic 10 Conference game
Date: Saturday, Feb. 12, 2005 • Time: 2:05 pm
Location: Smith Center (5,000) • Washington, DC
Radio: WMET 1160 AM, WAGE 1200 AM (Larry Michael)
TV: ESPN (Mark Jones/Mike Jarvis)
Series: GW leads, 50-25 (GW is 4-4 vs. UR at Smith Center)
Today's Game: It's Rivalry Week on ESPN and a sold-out Smith Center braces for the 76th renewal of the GW-Richmond series Saturday. Idle for the past six days, GW hosts Richmond today in the first of three straight home games and a rematch of the Jan. 22 game won by the Spiders, 70-59, at Robins Center. GW committed a season-high 26 turnovers in that game while the Spiders shot 51 percent and made 41 trips to the free throw line converting 25.
Today's game is the 76th meeting between the teams. The Colonials have dominated the all-time series, 50-25, but Richmond has won six of the last eight meetings including a 75-67 decision in last year's game at Smith Center on Senior Day, (Feb. 28, 2004). GW's last victory over Richmond was on Feb. 16, 2003 at Smith Center (64-50). GW is coming off a 74-58 victory over Temple last Saturday in Philadelphia snapping a 10-year drought on the Owls' campus.
Richmond is coming off a surprising 76-68 home loss to La Salle Wednesday. GW is 6-2 at home this season while Richmond is 3-8 on the road. GW's 14-5 start is its best since the Colonials began the 1997-98 season with a 16-3 record under former coach Mike Jarvis who, coincidentally, is providing the color analysis for today's ESPN telecast. Jarvis also hired Karl Hobbs as his assistant coach at Boston University in 1987. GW sits atop the A-10 West standings, a half-game ahead of Richmond and Dayton.
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 2-5 record against Richmond and is 1-4 against third-year UR coach Jerry Wainwright.
Next Game: GW plays the second of three straight home games Wednesday, Feb. 16 when Fordham comes to Smith Center for a 7:30 p.m. game. The game will not be televised but it will air live in the Washington area on WMET 1160 AM, WAGE 1200 AM and on Sirius satellite radio as well as via www.GWsports.com.
