Photo by {ryan}.While 2011 is winding down, college basketball is about to pick up. Area schools are about to begin — or have already begun — conference play, which means it’s time for the first of many college hoops roundups this season. So whether you follow the Hoyas, Terps, Colonials, Patriots, Bison or Eagles, we here at DCist have got you covered:
Georgetown (11-1, 1-0 Big East): The Hoyas are all the buzz right now, having surprised pundits left and right with their strong 11-1 record, most recently by topping fourth-ranked Louisville on the road in a 71-68 nail-biter. In Big East play, Georgetown could not have asked for a better way to kick off their schedule than with a victory over the Cardinals. They host Providence on Saturday at the Verizon Center.
Maryland (8-3, 0-0 ACC): The Terps have been transformed into a complete team under first-year coach Mark Turgeon with the additions of sophomore point guard Pe’Shon Howard (returning from a foot injury) and, more importantly, 7’1″ Ukrainian big-man Alex Len (coming back from a ten-game suspension). Len had a sensational debut against SUNY Albany, scoring 14 points, collecting eight boards and blocking three shots. Prior to Howard and Len’s return, the Terps only had seven scholarship players at their disposal. Maryland hosts the Samford Bulldogs on Saturday at the Comcast Center.
George Washington (4-8, 0-0 A-10): The Colonials have a new coach, Mike Lonergan, and an upgraded schedule against the likes of Syracuse, Cal, Kansas State and VCU, but so far both seem to have backfired. They’ve lost seven in a row with lackluster efforts on both sides of the court. In their last three games against UAB, JMU and Bradley, the team came out flat in the first half and was forced to claw back in the second, getting close but not close enough. All-league guard Tony Taylor has been a bit off this season and the other players haven’t stepped up consistently yet. GWU faces Delaware State on Saturday at the Smith Center before starting conference play.
American (8-6, 0-0 Patriot): The Eagles have lost four straight games in what has been a rebuilding year for Jeff Jones’ team. They were only able to score 42 points in their most recent loss to Mount St. Mary’s, as the team has struggled offensively all season. They travel to Brown University on January 2.
George Mason (8-4, 1-0 CAA): George Mason has been up and down this season, with a fairly tame out-of-conference schedule. Regardless, Forward Ryan Peason has been tearing it up to the tune of 18.2 points and 7.9 rebounds a game. The Patriots will have to step it up during the conference schedule to beat a surprising VCU team. They face a strong College of Charleston team today.
Howard (3-10, 1-1 MEAC): The Bison actually only have three wins against D-1 teams, and have been getting blown away by ranked teams. However, when it comes to the MEAC, the conference schedule is the most important, and so far the Park View residents are 1-1 with a win against Delaware State and a loss to Hampton. However, the Bison now have Glenn Andrews, a transfer from Tulsa who is their leading scorer over the four games he’s been eligible. It remains to see if the team can stay close in an improved MEAC this season. They visit Kansas State on Saturday.
Andrew Wiseman contributed to this post.
