Fresh off the season’s best win, the Colonials won’t face the same caliber team as they did in the Diamond Head Classic when they take on the Virginia Military Institute at home Tuesday night.

The Keydets have plenty of offensive firepower, but that hasn’t gotten them very far, and the Colonials should be able to roll by getting to the basket at will. The biggest task for GW should be avoiding any letdown after the high-caliber tournament and continuing to destroy opponents in the Smith Center as the team gears up for Atlantic 10 play.

There’s a bit of history on the line as well, as a win over VMI would give the Colonials double-digit wins in back-to-back non-conference seasons for the first time in program history after going 12-2 last season.

The case for VMI:
The Keydets score a lot of points: They enter the game tied for the top-scoring offense in the nation at 87.7 points per game.

Leading scorer Q.J. Peterson is ranked eighth nationally at 20.8 points per game, and VMI is tops in the country in both 3-pointers attempted and made.

The Keydets haven’t played since Dec. 22. As long as there isn’t any rust to shake off, they will be by far the fresher team, as the Colonials have played three games since that date.

The case for GW:
While the Keydets have a top-ranked offense, the Colonials have been a defensive powerhouse so far. GW is giving up just 57.6 points per game, good for 23rd nationally.

It’s also bad news for VMI that they’re taking on the Colonials at the Smith Center, where GW has won 19 of its last 20 games and outscored opponents by 28.3 points this season.

If the non-conference college basketball season has shown one thing, it’s that anything can happen, so no win should be taken for granted. Still, GW shouldn’t have much trouble knocking off VMI. In that case, the measuring stick becomes how dominant and coordinated the team looks.

If GW doesn’t skip a beat after the Wichita State win, it would be a good sign for the team heading into conference play Jan. 3.