Basketball is a sport that feeds off the outwardly impossible. Players appear to soar as they make incredible dunks; seemingly insurmountable leads are overcome in minutes; and on those rare occasions a desperate buzzer-beater will hang in the air as a moment stretches into eternity. This year, the men’s basketball program has done what may have previously seemed impossible. Following two severely disappointing years, the team overcame the last two seasons’ failures with impressive zeal.
Before this season, the GW men’s basketball program faced a losing record and, as players began to leave the school, a perception that the team was somewhat dysfunctional. All this sits in stark contrast to this year’s performance. The Colonials produced a respectable record with a young team that fans perceive as both more functional and approachable.
Fans will be sad to see seniors Damian Hollis, Hermann Opoku and Travis King leave. However, crowd favorites junior Joe Katuka and sophomore Tony Taylor will return after building a name for themselves this year. Perhaps the most exciting narrative of the 2009-2010 season has been the story of GW’s freshman players. Dwayne Smith and David Pellom were both impressive in their debut year, and Lasan Kromah established himself as a player to watch by being named to the A-10 All Rookie team.
At the end of every season – which we’ve reached, barring an invitation to a low-level postseason tournament – followers quickly shift focus to the upcoming year, and this year fans like what they see coming. We anticipate the men’s basketball program will continue to expand on this year’s momentum.
From kicking off the year by running with fans, to the success of the Beat George Mason game, to handing out pizza in residence halls, the men’s basketball program has bounced back in a big way this year. Not only does GW have a team that wins games, but it is composed of personable and respected players, interested not only in the points they score but their contributions to GW as a whole. It seemed impossible, but it is good to be a Colonial fan again.
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