George Washington first-year head coach Ganiyat Adeduntan remembers the 2018 Revolutionaries team, one which came together to emerge victorious at the Atlantic 10 Championship and earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. Adedentun played a crucial role in that team's historic run, serving as the team's top assistant coach.
Even today when it is brought up, the same smile forms across her face. The example those Revs set have laid a foundation across her coaching journey from Colgate and now back in the buff and blue.
“It was a team that peaked at the right time, it didn’t start that way, but it was a reminder that a season is very long,” Adeduntan recalled. “The consistency that’s needed and the growth that’s needed are not always linear. I’m pulling that into these first couple of months and into the next couple of months. One day at a time, can we just get better at something every single day and can we stack days?”
Returning to GW is an opportunity Adeduntan states she is both humbled and grateful for. It has been a handful of months since she arrived back in Foggy Bottom, but the building blocks are already in place.
George Washington boasts a full roster of 14 players committed to team values and there is a clear belief that the program is on the rise.
“The days are flying by, but we’re having a lot of fun getting to know our players as people on and off the court,” stated Adeduntan. “It’s all starting to come together.”
Here is a look at the Revolutionaries
Coach- Ganiyat Adeduntan - 1st season
Last year- GW went 13-18 overall with a 5-13 A-10 mark. The Revs concluded regular season play by besting a Rhode Island team which made the Atlantic 10 Championship final the previous year. This momentum extended into the A-10 Championship itself, beating Loyola Chicago before falling to the Rams in a rematch.
They’ll miss- Makayla Andrews (11.6 ppg/4.5 rpg), Paige Mott (7.2 ppg/6.3 rpg/52.1% FG)
Impact returners- Gabby Reynolds (10.5 ppg), Sara Lewis (7 ppg/5.5 rpg), Kamari Sims (6 ppg/44.2% FG)
Adeduntan has been very pleased with Lewis, most specifically, who epitomizes what a competitor is, showing up every day and playing as hard as possible.
For her part, Lewis is clearly pleased with this system and it has translated on the court.
“Our style of play is a lot freer, it allows me to do the things I enjoy doing and then get better at the things I am not as good at,” she revealed. “I can bring my game to a whole other level. So far in practices I have seen tremendous growth from my teammates and I, so I am excited to see where we take this thing.”
Newcomers of note- Nya Morris (20.2 ppg at Chaflin), Emma Theodorsson (9.3 ppg at Loyola Chicago), Jaeda Wilson (Georgetown)
Reasons to be optimistic: If Adeduntan has anything to do with it, the offense is back.
A lot of focus has gone into the decision-making and taking shots considered to be strengths.
“We use the words 'hunting great' often,” Adeduntan explained. “We’re teaching our team to play basketball and not just run plays and actions. If we’re understanding how to make reads, it doesn't matter what an opponent does defensively, we’re just going to take whatever they give us. We want to be up-tempo and play in transition; a lot of our emphasis is space and pace. We want to take the first great shot for us. We’ll be very strategic in what we do. I love coaching teams with multiple scoring threats; it make it a lot harder to be guarded.”
X Factor- That defense which has been a staple at GW has returned — after all it has been the team’s identity to stay determined, aggressive and disciplined. By maintaining that standard, it can take care of a lot.
The communication piece is pivotal because for Adeduntan, a quiet or silent gym is a sorry one and she never wants this to define her team.
“The energy and enthusiasm for anything with these girls is amazing,” Lewis confirmed. “The coaching staff and players, we come together and bring so much high vibrations when it comes to practices and different activities that we have.”
Circle the date- GW travels to face a Temple team coached by former assistant Diane Richardson on Nov. 7. The Owls won 20 games last season. The Revolutionalaries also will play a local rivalry matchup at Georgetown on Nov. 21 and a neutral site game on Nov. 28 against Miami in the Grand Cayman Islands.
Bottom line: There has been a clear intentionality in how GW is trying to improve and Adeduntan spoke for the team, expressing how much it can establish a standard.
“What we’re trying to do is be a team where if you see us play, we want to have a great product that is competitive,” Adeduntan concluded. “We’re going to fight and make it really hard for our opponent.”