Sophomore Four

Friday, December 14

Washington, D.C.

7:00 p.m.

George Washington University

Howard

Terry Nolan Jr., Maceo Jack, Javier Langarica and Justin Mazzulla

12/12/2018 1:33:00 PM | Men's Basketball, My GW: Celebrating our Stories

GW’s four-man sophomore class is showing it's capable of shouldering a heavy load

By: Eric Detweiler

WHEN: Friday, 7pm
WHERE: Smith Center
WATCH: ESPN+
LISTEN: WFED.com
NOTES: GW
PROMOTION: Holiday Hoopla; Faculty & Staff Appreciation (email tickets@gwu.edu to claim up to two free tickets)

ABOUT HOWARD: The Bison boast a pair of guards averaging more than 20 points a game in 6-foot-1 sophomore RJ Cole (21.4 ppg) and 6-foot-6 junior Charles Williams (20.1 ppg). That duo leads an offense which ranks 11th nationally in scoring at 88.0 points per game, helping Howard to a 6-3 record this season. Most recently, the Bison went on the road and knocked off American, 85-83, last Saturday. Yet another guard - redshirt junior Chad Lott, paced the team with 24 points.

With an early flurry against Valparaiso, Maceo Jack showcased the full range of his offensive powers.

The GW sophomore burst to the hoop to score with his left hand on one early trip before bouncing off a Valpo defender to hit an acrobatic right-handed scoop and convert the three-point play on the next. He drilled a 3-pointer in rhythm off an offensive rebound and then spotted up to nail another deep triple from the corner.

With the 4-for-4 start, Jack set a new career high for scoring before the second media timeout last Saturday at Smith Center, a stirring flash of potential that may have surprised the Crusaders but not those closest to him.

"I know he's that type of player," said Justin Mazzulla, Jack's classmate and constant companion for extra training sessions before or after practice. "To see him do it is amazing because it shows that our hard work and dedication is paying off, but on the other hand, I know he can do that, so it's definitely not a surprise to me."

Jack finished with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting in a career-high 35 minutes, leading an encouraging performance from GW's four-man sophomore class.

Jack, Mazzulla, Terry Nolan Jr., and Javier Langarica all started and played at least 30 minutes against Valparaiso, combining for 60 of the Buff and Blue's 79 points. It was the latest confidence-building effort for a group that has been asked to shoulder a heavy load for the Colonials.

"Since day one, we've always been together," Nolan said. "We know each other's strengths. We know each other's weaknesses. We know how hard each other works."

The sophomores have forged through expected growing pains together. They've showcased encouraging chemistry on the court and supported each other off of it every step of the way. The next step is to turn the stretches of brilliance into more consistent production.

"I think their relationship off the court is really helping them succeed on the court," head coach Maurice Joseph said. "When a couple of those guys weren't playing a lot, they kind of held each other up, and that was important in their development, and now you're seeing them flourish with more responsibility and more opportunity.

"As a coach, that's good to see because we need to continue to get better as a group as we get closer and closer to conference play."

For each of them, the learning curve has been slightly different.

Nolan is learning how to handle the newfound challenges of being the focal point of a scouting report. A starter throughout last season, he's now facing off with top defenders and finding the ball in his hands in crunch time.

The Baltimore native looked comfortable with that job in last week's win over Towson when he scored 16 of his career-high 24 points after halftime, including a pair of key 3-pointers down the stretch to hold off the Tigers.

"You just have to continually stay confident," said Nolan, who has hit double figures in seven of 10 games. "To know those guys always have my back is huge."

After a strong finish to his rookie season, Mazzulla has picked up where he left off. The point guard has upped his scoring and continued to provide energy and enthusiasm with the winning plays that have been his calling card since his arrival in Foggy Bottom.

His 12-point, seven-assist, five-rebound effort against Valparaiso was further proof of his development as an all-around contributor and of the group's growing offensive chemistry.

"We were kind of just being authentic and being our true selves and playing to our strengths without having to think through it," Mazzulla said.

Meantime, Jack and Langarica are adapting to playing major minutes for the first time.

With guard Armel Potter out, Jack has earned a bigger role with a more aggressive approach on both ends. He's made at least one 3-pointer in nine straight games, highlighted by his career-best effort against Valparaiso.

"I was finally able to play free," Jack said. "I know that's something I'm capable of."

Langarica has taken over for the injured Arnaldo Toro down low. It's taken a lot of hard work behind the scenes to get the young big man from Spain ready for this opportunity, but he's proven capable of handling the physical demands of the job.

His starring moment came at the end of the Towson game when he pulled down a key rebound in the closing seconds and hit a pair of free throws to help seal the victory.

He's grateful to have so many familiar faces with him on the court as he adjusts to his new role.

"We all have a lot of trust in each other, so that really helps," Langarica said. "All three of them encourage me to keep playing, to keep doing my thing."

It's the type of close-knit relationship Joseph hoped for when he assembled this class, a bond furthered by long hours in Smith Center but also nights hanging out playing video games and watching anime cartoons.

Those memories are never far from mind, Jack said. He believes that's good news for the Colonials going forward.

"We know how close we are and how much we've been through," Jack said. "It's something we can fall back on when we go through those tough times in games. It definitely helps, for sure."