Men's basketball kept learning during difficult non-conference slate
By: Eric Detweiler, GW Athletics Communications
Taking on a grueling opening month that began with a stretch that included eight games across 16 days in six different gyms, Head Coach Jamion Christian figured to learn a lot about a revamped group fortified with the addition of five transfers and four first-years. Check.
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"I was impressed with our ability to stick with it when things weren't going great," Christian said. "When we were having a really tough late November, the energy in practice every day was electric. The focus to get right was in the right places. Guys didn't waste a second pointing fingers. They were saying 'What do I need to do better?'"
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After a patience-testing 2-8 start, GW regrouped with back-to-back victories to close the non-conference slate, a winning streak in which the Buff and Blue showed they could make adjustments on the fly and learn from their early-season mistakes.
Entering Saturday's Atlantic 10 opener vs. Dayton at Smith Center, Christian's squad has proven its resilience with its ability to stay upbeat, keep working and enjoy the ride.
"Everybody came into every practice and game with the same mentality," said James Bishop, who leads the team at 15.8 points per game after scoring 21 in the most-recent win over Radford on Dec. 13. "We didn't let games or outcomes change how we approach every day, approach each other. It was still the same love in the locker room and the same love for the game."
Brayon Freeman has provided a boost with his energy on both ends.
That chemistry started to pay more dividends on the court late in non-conference play thanks to a switch in offensive attack.
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During the opening stretch, Christian was pleased with the defensive effort but concerned by an offense that seemed less than the sum of its parts. Employing a set-based attack, the ball too often got stuck and led to difficult shots. There were few easy baskets out of halfcourt sets.
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One metric that stood out was the team's number of passes per game. Christian's target is 185 or more, and at times in the early going, it was a struggle to get to 150.
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Playing three games in as many days at the Naples Invitational provided a healthy supply of data points for the analytically inclined coach to fully evaluate the issues.
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Ultimately, he left the Sunshine State convinced that a change was necessary.
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"We played well but not well enough," Christian said. "When I was looking at it, I was like, 'Offensively, we're going to have to make a major switch.' Because I felt like the players were more than good enough. They're talented, their hearts are in the right place, I just felt like I was putting them in the wrong places."
Since then, the Buff and Blue have instituted a motion-based system meant to highlight the group's creative playmaking and explosiveness.
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It's a style that Christian hasn't regularly employed since his first coaching stop as a D-III assistant at Emory and Henry, but the free-flowing attack built on rhythm created by off-the-ball movement felt like the right fit for this group.
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The early returns have been promising. Each game, the squad has managed to increase the number of passes up to a season high of 195 in the Radford win.
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During the winning streak, assists are up and turnovers are down, boosted by the dynamic play of rookie point guard Brayon Freeman in increased minutes.
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"It's all about keeping the defense on their heels, causing a lot of uncertainty" Bishop said. "The defense really can't scout for our offense, so it creates a lot of opportunities for everybody."
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Other adjustments stretch beyond the Xs and Os.
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GW was outscored in the second half of eight of its first nine games. Sluggish starts out of the halftime break were a consistent problem.
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They reversed the trend in the wins over Coppin State and Radford, outscoring their opponents by a combined margin of 14-2 in the first four minutes of the second half thanks to a tremendous collective effort.
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"We're talking much more now about just being the aggressor and having a fighter's mentality," Christian said. "That's trying to win every possession out there on the floor defensively and then getting into our offense and moving the ball and seeing what happens."
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Christian gives major credit to the team-elected leadership committee for helping to keep the group moving forward through the tough start. The trio of Bishop, Amir Harris and Brendan Adams became a quartet with the midseason addition of Qwanzi Samuels.
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"We've talked a lot with them about leading when it's hard," Christian said. "They're learning how to sharpen their leadership sword because they've had to battle through a really tough time."
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The oldest of six children in his family, Samuels has been honing his leadership skills for as long as he can remember.
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Since arriving in Foggy Bottom late in the summer as a transfer via Florida Gulf Coast, he's emerged as a respected voice within the group. About a month ago, Christian made it official by adding him to the leadership group.
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"I've just tried to keep reminding everybody that we have a really good group," said Samuels, a junior who has provided quality minutes as a reserve forward. "It's just stay the course, stay focused and most importantly, stay together."
GW closed its non-conference schedule with wins over Coppin State and Radford.
Now, GW aims to carry that mindset over to A-10 play, building on the confidence created by its improvement in the face of adversity. The Buff and Blue have had a break in game action that's stretched to nearly a month because of final exams, the Christmas holiday and four postponements due to COVID-19 protocols.
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To be sure, Christian anticipated a learning curve with this group, and he's encouraged with the way that they've taken on the challenge.
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At the beginning of their journey together, the veteran head coach introduced an acronym that he coined, FIGHT: Fearlessly, Igniting, Greatness, Hustling, Together. It's as important now as ever, he said.
"Where we are in our program's history right now, we've just got to be super hungry and fight like hell for everything," Christian said. "I feel like we have a group of guys here that can go out there and embrace that."
