Now that school is back in session and conference play is underway, DCist is giving you a rundown of all the local hoops teams, and we mean all of them. So if you need something to distract you from that other team in D.C., we have eight more that you can follow.
Georgetown (16-3, 6-2 Big East) – After dropping back-to-back games for the first time this season, the tenth-ranked Hoyas have won three in a row against Big East foes St. John’s, DePaul, and Rutgers. Senior guard Jason Clark has been sensational, leading the Hoyas in scoring as well as netting 31 points in their victory over DePaul. Meanwhile, freshman big man Otto Porter is averaging nearly seven rebounds per game, not to mention collecting 15 boards against the lowly Blue Demons. The Hoyas travel to a struggling Pittsburgh squad this Saturday.
Maryland (12-7, 2-3 ACC) – It’s been a tough week for the rebuilding Terrapins as they are in the midst of a three-game losing streak. After falling to Florida State and Temple, Maryland hosted sixth-ranked Duke at a sold-out Comcast Center on Wednesday night. It was emotional evening as the university named the court after former head coach Gary Williams before tipoff. Mason Plumlee, however, had other plans, as the Duke big man collected a season-high 23 points against the Terps in a 74-61 victory for the Blue Devils. Maryland will try to bounce back against Virginia Tech this Saturday in College Park.
American (13-8, 4-2 Patriot) – After a rough December in which they lost four in a row, the Eagles have won five out of their last seven games and are currently sitting in second place in the Patriot League. They faced conference leader Bucknell on Wednesday at the Sojka Pavilion, but the Eagles were outmatched by the defending Patriot League champions in a 67-61 loss. American travels to Lafayette on Saturday.
George Washington (8-12, 3-3 Atlantic 10) — While GW has been plagued by defensive lapses and very slow starts, the Colonials looked to be on the upswing lately, crushing Richmond 83-65 and then besting Charlotte and Rhode Island in their last three conference games. However, the defensive problems came back against a surprisingly strong La Salle team (15-6), which shot 73% in the first half to jump out to a 51-38 lead. GW returns to action at Fordham on Saturday — a game the Colonials ought to win, as Fordham is 1-5 in conference.
George Mason (17-5, 9-1 CAA) — Former Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt is doing quite well in his first year on the Orange Line, leading the Patriots to sound victories over every conference foe but second place Drexel. The team is still led by bearded big man Ryan Pearson, who is the only player in double figures with 17.0 per, adding in 8.5 rebounds. However, four other players average at least 8 points a game. The team will probably need to win the CAA tournament to get to the NCAA tournament, however, as their out of conference schedule was pretty weak, with a 286 strength of schedule. James Madison visits on Saturday.
Howard (3-16, 1-6 MEAC) — The Bison are off to another rough season, with seven straight losses and 11 of their last 12. Leading scorer Glenn Andrews has 15.3 per game, but he’s also shooting at 29.9%, and the next leading scorer is at 30.8%. Let’s hope the Bison’s shooting can heat up the Hilltop, or the team could be looking at a last-place finish in one of the worst conferences in the land. They face Savannah State on Saturday.
UDC (15-3, 6-2 East Coast Conference) — Yes, that UDC. While they aren’t a Division I program, the Firebirds are putting together a strong season up in Van Ness, led by former Virginia Tech player (and one-time GW transfer) Nigel Munson, who was the subject of a recent Washington Post article. They’re a high-scoring team, averaging 85 points per game, and are coached by former NBA all-star Jeff Ruland. A recent Examiner piece suggested checking out a game: it’s only $5.
Catholic (15-3, 5-2 Landmark) — Another non Division I school in the city that’s having a good year, the Cardinals (bird, not person) started the season 11-0, a school record. They have three players scoring more than 10 a game, with leader Steve Limberiou hitting 48 of 99 three pointers. The team has had some success in the past too, winning a DIII national championship in 2001 under current GW coach Mike Lonergan. They next face Scranton tonight. No word if any Dunder-Mifflin employees are making the trip.
Andrew Wiseman contributed to this post.
