George Washington University Athletics
#R1SEWITHUS
2/3/2020 11:23:00 AM | Men's Basketball, My GW: Celebrating our Stories
GW first-years' growth has fueled Colonials' continued rise
The adrenaline from an unforgettable night at the Charles E. Smith Center spilled into Jameer Nelson Jr.’s nearby apartment.
After GW’s four-overtime win over Davidson last Wednesday, the GW first-year gathered with roommates Jamison Battle, Chase Paar and Shawn Walker, Jr., to break down all that happened over 60 minutes of action.
All four rookies chipped in to recount every twist and turn in an instant classic, fitting because they’d each contributed to the victory, including a couple stretches with the whole group playing together.
Nelson recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, plus six assists, an effort highlighted by a clutch runner in the waning moments of the third overtime to extend the game.
For Battle, it was a career-high 25 points, fueled by four 3-pointers and a 9-of-10 effort at the foul line, in an eye-popping 58:53 on the floor, while Paar delivered his second straight double-double with career highs of 13 points and 16 rebounds.
Walker provided a spark off the bench after Armel Potter went down with an injury, delivering five points in 13 minutes.
ICYMI ?????? #RaiseHigh | #R1SEWITHUS pic.twitter.com/AiLLM8UYKY
— GW Men's Basketball (@GW_MBB) January 31, 2020
Ultimately, the Colonials needed every last clutch bucket and defensive stand to outlast the Wildcats.
“We just couldn’t help but laugh about it,” Nelson said with a grin. “How many OTs we went through. And the stops we made. And the opportunities we had.
“We just talked about how much fun it was.”
The marathon contest provided another sure sign of the group’s immense growth since the start of the season.
Head coach Jamion Christian and his staff have shown his belief in the talented newcomers by allowing them to play through and learn from their mistakes.
Thanks to plenty of hard work behind the scenes, they’ve responded by continuing to improve individually at every turn, and their collective development has stoked the Colonials’ rise in the Atlantic 10 standings.
It’s been a gratifying process for all involved, but it’s little surprise to Christian that Nelson, Battle, Paar and Walker have risen to the challenge.
“I think as a coach if you really enjoy coaching you love the process of watching people become the best they can become. It’s all about the development, all about the growth.”Head Coach Jamion Christian
“I think in our recruiting process we’re always trying to evaluate those who have the capacity to reach their full capacity, and that’s a long process that takes continuing to put in the work, but we felt pretty strongly after recruiting these guys that they had the capacity to be able to do that.”
There’s no doubt that it’s helped to go through it together.
The newcomers share a bond largely built on the ordinary: going out to eat, watching movies, listening to music and playing video games. “Every night is like a sleepover, to be honest,” Walker says.
And that friendship has made a real difference on the basketball side. There’s always someone around to discuss questions, provide motivation and even dole out tough love when necessary.
They’ve worked together to make performances like the one vs. Davidson possible.
“We’ve been able to hold each other accountable and help each other grow and get better,” Paar said. “Just seeing each other improve and seeing it translate on the court has been great to be a part of.”
With the ball in his hands and the game on the line vs. Davidson, Nelson felt comfortable and confident.
Looking back on his driving hoop to push an epic battle into a fourth overtime, the guard from suburban Philadelphia is grateful more than anything.
“It meant a lot,” Nelson said. “I knew my coaching staff trusted me and my team trusted me. I just felt like I needed to deliver.”
Nelson earned the moment with his impressive game-by-game progression.
Christian has joked that there was nowhere to go but up after Nelson committed nine turnovers in two of his first three outings in Buff and Blue, but the youngster has put in the work to get there.
Nelson has hit double figures in six of his last eight outings. The run included a career-high 22 points on 8-of-10 shooting in a win over Saint Joseph’s, his father’s alma mater.
Just as important, he’s cut down the turnovers, committing two or fewer in six of the nine A-10 games, highlighted by a four-assist, no-turnover effort over 33 minutes in the Jan. 18 win at UMass.
He’s still specializing in the high-flying dunks and acrobatic layups that bring the Smith Center fans to their feet, but he’s learning when to pick his spots.
“We really had no doubts in this office space how good he was going to be,” Christian said. “It was just really a matter of when.”
Indeed, the staff expected a learning curve for Nelson, who only began focusing full-time on hoops as a high school sophomore.
With help from assistant Graham Bousley, Nelson has broken down every mistake in film study and built his understanding of Christian’s system. A move off the ball helped ease the burden on the youngster, but he’s also cut down on his turnovers by simply making smarter decisions.
Bousley pointed to Nelson’s 13-point, no-turnover performance off the bench at South Carolina as a breakthrough in his development. He’s started every game since then while continuing to learn on the fly.
Going forward, Christian has challenged Nelson to fill up the stat sheet even more. He’s got the tools to pile up assists, rebounds and steals every time out, and the next step is more consistency.
As he heads into the final stretch of his rookie season, Nelson is eager to continue the journey under Christian and his staff.
“It’s been amazing,” Nelson said. “They’ve been true to what they said since they recruited me. They’ve believed in me for a long time, and they’ve really upped my game and trusted me. I just really appreciate it.”
Christian’s phone buzzed on the bus ride home from Fordham on Jan. 22.
It was a text message from Battle taking ownership for the loss to the Rams. The first-year forward wanted to apologize – not for 1-for-10 effort from 3-point range but rather the poor body language and low energy that came along with the tough shooting night.
“If my shot’s off, I’ve got to still do other things,” Battle said. “I was missing shots, and I let that affect my game, and it affected the team.”
Battle’s uncommon maturity has been on display since his debut in the Buff and Blue back in November.
Over 21 games, the Minnesota native has established himself as one of the top rookies in the A-10 thanks to his incredible outside marksmanship and infectious personality. He ranks second among Colonials in both points (12.4) and minutes (34.9) per game, while his 66 triples lead the conference and rank first nationally among first-years.
True to form, Battle rebounded from the stumble at Fordham with an energetic effort vs. Saint Joseph’s in which he notched 15 points, three rebounds, three steals and two drawn charges. And then he followed with the career-best effort vs. Davidson for good measure.
That emphatic response offered another sign that he’s become a leader for these Colonials.
“I love his confidence in himself and the things that he can do but also his confidence in others,” Christian said. “We’re fortunate that he makes a lot of big plays for us and gives us great energy, but I think what he does for everyone on the roster is just giving them confidence with how he believes in them.”
Battle has proven in recent weeks that there’s more to his game than shooting.
With defenders pressing out to take away his jumper, Battle has proven eager and able to put the ball on the floor.
In turn, he’s shown a reliable midrange game and a willingness to attack the rim. It’s no coincidence that he's already shot 32 free throws in nine A-10 games after attempting just 10 freebies in 13 non-conference contests.
He’s answered Christian’s challenge to be more active as a rebounder by collecting 6.0 boards per game in A-10 play, including a pair of double-doubles. And he’s been more of a factor defensively as he adjusts to the speed and physicality of the college game, too.
As he becomes more comfortable, Battle has let his dynamic personality shine through. Whether it’s pulling out his saxophone to play a Christmas tune for a social media spot, tossing an old-school boombox on his shoulder to serenade his teammates during a shootaround or gesturing the Smith Center faithful to their feet after a momentum-swinging long ball, he’s left no doubt he’s enjoying his time in Buff and Blue.
“I just want to keep doing what I do best – I think that’s really the mantra of this team,” Battle said. “For me, that’s rebounding, defending and scoring. If I do all those things, I think I can help the team tremendously, and if everyone does that, the sky’s the limit.”
As Paar walked off the court after fouling out at Saint Louis on Jan. 8, Christian offered a pat on the back and three words of encouragement: “Just keep learning.”
The big man from nearby Mount Airy, Md., had committed five fouls in 11 minutes in his second career start as the imposing Billikens provided a lesson in the physical and mental toughness it takes to compete in the post at the collegiate level.
“Obviously, you’re coming in never playing these guys, you’re not really sure what to expect,” Paar said. “After every game, I sit back and reflect on what I could’ve done better and what didn’t go so well and just learn from it that way.”
It’s a mindset that has served Paar well in making a swift adjustment to the college game.
The 6-foot-9, 220-pound center showed through the summer and fall that he had the mix of size and skill to help right away, but an injury just before the start of the season set him back.
After missing most of the first two months of the season, he’s back to full health and showcasing the impact he can make at both ends.
Parr has averaged 9.7 points and 10.0 rebounds over his last three games, including his back-to-back double-doubles in victories vs. Saint Joseph’s and Davidson.
He’s gotten comfortable playing an important role in Christian’s system, especially with his efficiency orchestrating the screen-and-roll game. His timing and ability to catch and score are a byproduct of his consistent dedication to drilling under assistant coach Ryan Devlin.
Paar’s tenacity on the boards was an asset vs. Davidson with his five offensive rebounds turning into five points, including his free throw that tied the game in the final minute of the first overtime. He’s also getting more confident challenging shots, as evidenced by his five total blocks over his two double-doubles.
“He’s just doing a great job of learning and attacking the moment when it’s there,” Christian said. “I’m just so proud of him. His ability to continue to improve from Saint Louis until now has really been special for us. It’s fun to coach him and fun to watch him continue to improve every day.”
That Parr was ready to hit the ground running is a testament to his attitude while sidelined.
The young big man stayed even-keeled and kept finding ways to push his season forward. He maintained an active role in film study in order to gain a better understanding of the demands of the center spot from watching his teammates in action.
Determined to stay in shape, Parr took on extra cardio work, whether that was riding the stationary bike during practices or running stairs during shoot-around on the road.
When his chance came, Parr was ready to answer the bell. His perseverance has paid dividends during this recent run, and he’s excited about the chance to continue to grow under Christian’s leadership.
“I’d say this is a really different environment from what I’ve had in the past,” Paar said. “It’s a lot of positivity and a lot of fun. I think this has been the most fun year I’ve had playing basketball in a while.”
Trapped between two Saint Joseph’s defenders and the sideline, Walker never panicked.
The first-year guard simply whirled and beat the double-team with a leaping cross-court pass to Maceo Jack, who jab-stepped and drilled a 3-pointer to transform a would-be turnover into a highlight.
Walker’s energy off the bench made a difference in the win over the Hawks with five assists in just 5:22 on the court. The Colonials scored on seven of nine offensive possessions he was directing the offense.
“I wasn’t overthinking it,” Walker said. “I was just playing, finding guys. The game goes much better when you rely on your instincts. I was just able to find guys, and they hit open shots.”
Walker has adapted well to a tough role as a reserve point guard, showcasing his mental toughness to make the most of whatever minutes come his way.
Starting with his A-10 debut when he had six points in 14 minutes vs. George Mason on Jan. 15, the North Carolina native has seen action in six straight games.
“He’s been in a great place,” Christian said. “I just try to keep stressing to him to continue to keep working. Because I see what he’s doing, and I understand what’s going on, and he just needs to have trust and faith in the process. He’s done a great job of that.”
Christian likes what the 6-foot-6 Walker can bring to the offense with his size offering the ability to see over and pass around defenses.
The son of a long-time college coach, the rookie guard has a knack for making the right decision well beyond his years, especially useful in a complex system like Christian’s that puts so much responsibility on the point guard to make the correct read.
Defensively, the rookie is advanced, providing a matchup problem for smaller guards with his length and quick hands.
Yet Walker understands that he has to continue to add strength and seasoning to his game. He said he’s leaned on prayer in recent months as he’s worked through the typical first-year ups and downs.
After a string of encouraging outings, Christian calls Walker “a glue guy,” a meaningful compliment as he continues to grow into his newfound role.
“I just take an approach of trying to get better every day and not worrying about my minutes,” Walker said. “Every single day whether it’s practice or a game or on my own time, I just try to stay present in the moment and just keep trying to get better.”
