Photo by: Mitchell Layton
Men's Basketball Hosts (rv) Dayton Saturday at Noon Nationally on USA
1/2/2025 3:08:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The George Washington men's basketball team tips off 2025 with its Atlantic 10 home opener on Saturday, welcoming the Dayton Flyers to the Smith Center for a noon tip. The game will be televised live nationally on USA.<br />
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Dayton comes to DC as the recipient of Top 25 votes in both national polls and with an A-10 leading #44 NET ranking. The 11-3 Flyers are undefeated against unranked teams this season, having seen their only setbacks come at the hands of teams that were ranked #12 (North Carolina), #5 (Iowa State) and #19 (Cincinnati) at game time. Led by forward Nate Santos (13.6 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, .417 3pt. FG%) and guard Malachi Smith (11.0 points per game, 5.9 assists per game, .471 3pt. FG%), Dayton was one of two Atlantic 10 teams to win a game in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.<br />
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For the host Revolutionaries, Gerald Drumgoole Jr. is playing the most exquisite basketball of his journeyed career. The grad transfer by way of Pittsburgh, UAlbany and Delaware has finally found a home in Foggy Bottom and is delighting the GW faithful with his long range proclivity. In his last two games against Division I competition, Drumgoole is averaging 28.5 ppg while shooting 13-of-24 (.542) from behind the three-point arc. After scoring a career-high 30 points on December 18th, the Rochester, NY, native set a new career mark for triples in GW's A-10 opener with seven at Richmond on Tuesday. Drumgoole is shooting .379 from distance on the season with 36 makes in 14 games to rank 5th in the conference with 2.6 threes per contest.<br />
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Providence transfer Rafael Castro is also high among league leaders in rebounds per contest and field goal percentage, averaging 9.0 rpg (2nd in the A-10) and connecting at a .685 clip from the floor (also 2nd), while being especially adept of late, as he's pulled down 11.5 boards per game in the last four while making 17-of-22 FGs (.773).<br />
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In Dayton's most recent visit to the Smith Center, GW enjoyed a 76-69 win on January 21, 2023. <br />
Players Mentioned
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