GEORGE WASHINGTON COLONIALS
Coach: Mike Lonergan. First season; 377-156 overall
Key player: G Lasan Kromah. While Tony Taylor is a preseason all-Atlantic 10 pick, Kromah will be a vital cog for the Colonials. He averaged 11.8 points as a freshman in 2009-10, but missed all of last season with a foot injury.
Biggest loss: C Joseph Katuka. The only player who started at least one game who did not return this season, Katuka averaged 8.1 points and 5.0 rebounds. His size will be missed since the Colonials have only one player taller than 6-foot-8 available this season.
Top newcomer: F Jonathan Davis. The lone holdover from former coach Karl Hobbs’ last recruiting haul, Davis is a 6-foot-7, 215-pounder who averaged 17.8 points and 10 rebounds as a senior.
Best case: Taylor and Kromah team up to give GW one of the A-10’s most productive backcourts as the Colonials win 20 games and emerge as a top-four team in the conference.
Worst case: The Colonials struggle with an upgraded schedule early and their size limitations throughout the season while Lonergan endures a step backward from last year’s 17-14 record in his first season.
Key games:
* George Washington vs. VCU, Dec. 4. The Colonials’ annual BB&T Classic game comes against a Final Four team from a year ago. It will also be GW’s first game in the District since Nov. 11.
* Richmond at George Washington, Jan. 18. The Spiders, a round-of-16 bunch a year ago, lost a bunch off back-to-back NCAA tournament teams. This will be an early conference barometer for the Colonials.
* Xavier at George Washington, Feb. 1. The conference favorite comes to the Smith Center for the first time in two years; the Colonials see contenders St. Bonaventure, Saint Louis and Temple only on the road.
• Patrick Stevens can be reached at pstevens@washingtontimes.com.
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