Today The Hatchet’s annual Basketball Preview Issue is released. It has six in-depth stories on the two teams, including a full two-page spread with the teams’ rosters and schedules. We tried to write a mix of stories, some that focus on the team itself and others that focus on the players as people. Inside you’ll find:

• A longer piece about Jessica and Jazmine Adair, stars on the women’s basketball team. I accompanied them to Anacostia High School, where we met with their high school coach and father figure, Frank Briscoe. It’s a little bit different than the type of thing we’ve done in the past, but hopefully will learn a little bit more about the twins as people, as opposed to players. Check out Ryder Haske’s video about the trip.
• An interesting story by senior staff writer Dan Greene about Noel Wilmore, the renaissance man.  He talks to Noel about his interests and plans for the future, some of which may surprise you.
• A look into Travis King, who is returning from a knee injury that kept him out last year, by assistant sports editor Alex Byers.
• A straight news story on what it will take for the fans to take back GW’s men’s basketball team after last year’s disastrous season.
• A profile of the three members of GW’s frontcourt: Wynton Witherspoon, Damian Hollis and Rob Diggs by staff writer Jake DiGregorio. The three have different personalities and games, but they are confident they will compliment each other rather than come into conflict.
• A look into the shake-ups that the women’s basketball team faces, with a new coach and six freshmen, by reporter Joel Goldberg.

Online, you’ll also find a Meet the Colonials feature for the men’s team, by Byers and Web Director Andrew Nacin.

We’ve also launched Hatchet Alerts. Now you can sign up for in-game basketball updates to your mobile phone or e-mail address. In the future, The Hatchet plans for breaking news through this medium as well.

I think the issue turned out really well. Check it out online and in print as a pull-out from the main paper.

Feel free to share your comments – we’d love to know what you guys think of it.