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The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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Officials name senior vice president, chief of staff
By Fiona Riley, Assistant News Editor • March 26, 2024

Recruit struggles in Capital Classic

After back-to-back seasons of disappointing losses and consecutive 13th-place finishes in the Atlantic 10, fans of GW men’s basketball got a sneak peak at the potential future of the program Thursday night at American University’s Bender Arena in Capital Classic high school all-star game.

That preview came in the form of 6-foot-6 guard Lasan Kromah, who started for the Suburban All-Stars in their 113-104 loss to the District All-Stars in the opening game of the 36th annual Capital Classic. Kromah struggled throughout the game, scoring only six points on one of five shooting and grabbing three rebounds in 17 minutes. Even after his mediocre performance, Kromah seemed confident about his game.

“I consider myself a scorer,” Kromah said, adding that his game also focused on “doing all the little things, rebounds, steals, defense – all that stuff.”

His assessment of his own game is backed up by his statistics from this season. Kromah averaged 22 points, eight rebounds and two assists in his final season at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Prince George’s County, good enough to earn him first team all-county honors and fourth team honors on the Washington Post’s All-Met team.

Kromah’s play Thursday was not without some upside. The Greenbelt, Md., native demonstrated an ability to drive to the basket that this season’s Colonials at times appeared to lack, and he managed to drain all four of his free throw attempts, another category in which GW struggled at times this season. Kromah also said he hopes to fill a role as a team leader that had been largely missing for the past two seasons.

“Coming from my high school, me being a leader on my high school team, I think I can take some of that and bring it over to GW and help out with that, if needed,” he said.

As for his decision to come to GW, Kromah, who was also recruited by Virginia Commonwealth University and George Mason University, said he feels he fits in well with head coach Karl Hobbs’s up and down system and that Hobbs’ desire to have Kromah contribute right away as a freshman made the decision easier. More than anything, Kromah said getting to play for Hobbs was the biggest factor in his coming to Foggy Bottom.

“It was a big part,” he said of Hobbs’ influence on his decision. “He gets into his players, demands a lot out of them. He’s a real good coach who cares about his players.”

After a two-season slide, however, Hobbs’ once rock-solid job security is nearing the breaking point. Should the Colonials – who have six incoming freshmen – struggle again next season, Hobbs could be out as head coach, but Kromah said he was not worried.

“I haven’t really thought about it like that,” Kromah said of potentially losing his head coach one year into his college career. “If the situation comes, then I’ll deal with it.”

Still, as he prepares to join a team that has been almost constantly surrounded in controversy, Kromah is optimistic about his team’s chances.

“I know Coach Hobbs is a good coach,” he said. “This year, he wanted to change things, turn it around a little bit, and I trust him to do that.”

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