By PAUL GOTHAM
Mike Lonergan’s University of George Washington Colonials limped to the finish line last season. After starting 12-3, the Colonials went 10-10 the rest of the way to finish 22-13. One year following an appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007, GW fell in the second round of the NIT.
Currently at 12-2/1-0 the Colonials look, at least on the surface, to be in the same spot they were a year ago. Patricio Garino and Kevin Larsen are posting strikingly similar numbers. Garino, who led GW with 12.4 points while grabbing 5.3 boards last season, posts 12.7 and 4.5 this year. Larsen led the team with 7.4 rebounds last season. He netted 10.9. This season the senior forward accounts for eight rebounds and 10.7 points.
The difference is the presence of Tyler Cavanaugh in the lineup. The junior transfer from Wake Forest leads the Colonials with 16.1 points per game. He has scored in double figures in all 14 of GW’s contests.
“Last year and this year we’ve been inconsistent as individuals,” Lonergan said during the weekly Atlantic 10 tele-conference. “He’s been our most consistent player… He just plays so hard. He has a business-like attitude on the court.”
The 6-9 forward can score on opposing defenders in the post. At the same he has hit 15 of 37 (40. 5 percent) from behind the arc.
“He’s definitely been as good as I expected or maybe even better,” Lonergan added.
Cavanaugh started 22 of 33 games his sophomore season with Wake Forest. He averaged seven points and 3.2 rebounds during his first two years playing at the collegiate level. He sat out last year after transferring.
“The year sitting out really helped him just to get used to playing with his new teammates,” Lonergan said.
The Colonials travel to St. Louis to take on the Billikens (5-8/0-1), Wednesday.
“He’s really a tough kid which is nothing new for George Washington,” Saint Louis head coach Jim Crews said. “They got a lot of tough kids. He can shoot the basketball. He is an excellent passer. He puts it on the floor for a big kid extremely well. He’s been around the game. He is an older kid and really has a good feel for it. He’s been huge for them.”
A 7 p.m. tip off is scheduled. The game will be televised on FS Midwest.
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