The Smith Center is loud. It has always been loud when things are going right. If you’ve ever sat in those steep bleachers in Foggy Bottom during a narrow Atlantic 10 matchup, you know the specific, echoing chaos of George Washington University basketball. But lately, that noise has felt a bit more like a memory than a nightly reality.
Success is tricky here.
GW isn't a "small" program, but it isn't a blue blood either. It occupies that strange, high-stakes middle ground where the fans expect NCAA Tournament bids every few years, yet the reality of modern NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) and the transfer portal has made the path to the Big Dance feel like a mountain climb in flip-flops. People look at the history—the 2006 team that went 27-3, the Sweet 16 run in '93, the NIT Championship in 2016—and they wonder why the Revolutionaries (formerly the Colonials) aren't a permanent fixture in the Top 25. It’s a fair question. Honestly, the answer is a messy mix of coaching turnover, geographic competition, and the sheer volatility of the A-10.
The Post-Lonergan Hangover and the Identity Crisis
You can't talk about George Washington University basketball without acknowledging the Mike Lonergan era. It ended abruptly in 2016 amidst controversy, but on the court? That was the last time the program felt like a true powerhouse. Winning the NIT was a massive statement. Since then, it’s been a revolving door. Maurice Joseph tried. Jamion Christian brought the "Mayhem" style from Mount St. Mary’s, but it never quite clicked at the Smith Center.
When Chris Caputo arrived from Miami, there was a collective sigh of relief. Caputo brought that ACC pedigree, having been Jim Larrañaga’s right-hand man during Miami’s historic Final Four run. He understands the "underdog" mentality. He knows how to recruit players who have been overlooked by the Dukes and Marylands of the world. But rebuilding a program in 2026 isn't just about X’s and O’s anymore.
It's about the portal.
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One day you have a star freshman who looks like the future of the Atlantic 10. The next day? He’s in the portal heading to a Power 4 school for a six-figure NIL deal. That is the reality GW faces every single offseason. It makes building "culture" feel like trying to build a sandcastle while the tide is coming in. You've got to be fast. You've got to be adaptable.
Why the A-10 is a Brutal Neighborhood
The Atlantic 10 is arguably the most stressful conference in college basketball. It’s a "multi-bid" league, but barely. If you don't win the conference tournament in Brooklyn, your chances of an at-large bid are slim to none unless you’ve played a flawless non-conference schedule.
Think about who GW has to play. Dayton is a machine. VCU has a fan base that travels like a cult. Saint Louis and Loyola Chicago have resources that rival some Big East schools. For George Washington University basketball to stay relevant, they have to win games in places like Olean, New York, and Kingston, Rhode Island. Those aren't easy road trips. They are physical, gritty, and often decided by a single possession in the final minute.
GW’s advantage has always been its location. You are in the heart of D.C. You are blocks away from the White House. For a recruit, that’s a hell of a pitch. But D.C. is also a talent hotbed (the DMV area), and every scout in the country is living in these gyms. Keeping local talent at home is the hardest job Caputo has. Most of the elite kids in the DMV are looking at Georgetown, Maryland, or leaving the region entirely for the blue bloods. GW has to find the "diamonds in the rough"—the kids like Yuta Watanabe or Tyler Cavanaugh—who have the chips on their shoulders.
The NIL Reality in Foggy Bottom
Let's be real. Money talks.
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At a school like GW, the donor base is wealthy, but they aren't always "basketball-first" wealthy. Many alumni are focused on politics, international affairs, or law. Funneling millions into a collective for a mid-major basketball program is a tougher sell than it is at a school like Kentucky or Kansas. However, the "Friends of George" and other NIL initiatives have started to pick up steam. They have to. Without a competitive NIL structure, George Washington University basketball is essentially a farm system for the high-major conferences.
We saw this with James Bishop IV. He was a scoring machine, a guy who could get you 20 points in his sleep. Keeping a player of that caliber for his entire career is a massive win in this era. It showed that players want to be in D.C. if the environment is right.
But scoring isn't enough.
The defense has been the Achilles' heel for years. In the A-10, if you can't stop a high-ball screen, you're dead. Caputo’s system relies on intelligence and positioning, but it also requires a level of lateral quickness that the roster has lacked at times. They are getting smaller and faster, which is the trend, but they’ve struggled with interior depth. If you get bullied in the paint in this league, you’re looking at a long season of 12-18 or 14-16 records.
Looking Forward: What Needs to Change?
The rebrand to the "Revolutionaries" was met with mixed reviews. Some loved the fresh start; others missed the "Colonials" tradition. But names don't win games.
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What wins games is a consistent defensive identity.
To get back to the NCAA Tournament, George Washington University basketball needs to do three things:
- Own the DMV "Tier 2" Market: They won't beat out North Carolina for a five-star recruit. But they must win the battle for the four-star kid who wants to play immediately and stay close to home.
- Scheduling Aggression: You can't play a "cupcake" non-conference schedule and expect the committee to look at you in March. They need to schedule home-and-homes with the Big East and the American. They need those Quad 1 opportunities.
- The Smith Center Experience: The gym needs to be a fortress again. When the students are packed in and the energy is high, it's one of the toughest places to play in the Northeast.
There is a sense of cautious optimism right now. The coaching staff is modern. The school’s administration seems more aligned with athletic success than they were five years ago. But the margin for error is razor-thin. One bad recruiting cycle can set you back three years.
George Washington University basketball is a sleeping giant of sorts. It has the location, the history, and the alumni base to be a top-50 program annually. It just needs that one "spark" season to remind everyone why D.C. basketball matters.
The road back to the Big Dance isn't paved with good intentions; it’s paved with defensive rotations and NIL checks. If they can balance both, the Revolutionaries might actually live up to the name.
Strategic Steps for Following GW Basketball:
- Monitor the Transfer Portal Windows: Watch for April and May specifically. This is where the GW roster is either built or dismantled. Pay attention to "downward" transfers—players leaving the Power 4 for more playing time in the A-10.
- Check the KenPom Defensive Efficiency: For GW to be a contender, they need to rank in the top 100 nationally in adjusted defense. If they are in the 200s, they are simply a high-volume shooting team that won't survive the A-10 tournament.
- Attend a Mid-Week A-10 Game: To truly understand the program, skip the high-profile non-conference games and watch them play Davidson or St. Bonaventure on a Tuesday night. That is where the league is won and lost.
- Follow the NIL Collective Progress: Stay updated on how the school is engaging with local D.C. businesses. The strength of these partnerships directly correlates to the program's ability to retain veteran talent.