Miami vs. George Washington: College basketball game preview, TV schedule

Miami basketball will be traveling to the nation’s capital to take on George Washington. Will they leave with an unblemished record?

TV schedule: Saturday, Dec. 16, 12:00 p.m. ET

Arena: Charles E. Smith Center in Washington D.C.

The No. 6 Miami Hurricanes (8-0) will be on the road for the first time since winning a statement game at previously No. 12 Minnesota. Dewan Huell had 23 points in what was a coming out party for him on a national stage. He mans the paint while having one of the better backcourts in the country with Bruce Brown and Ja’Quan Newton. Altogether, four players currently average double-digits in scoring while top-50 freshman Lonnie Walker is just under at 9.9 ppg.

The Hurricanes under Jim Larranaga have always been a good defensive unit, but, this year, he has been elevated to “elite” status. They currently have the top defensive rating and only Virginia gives up fewer points per contest than them.

Miami takes on George Washington (5-5), a middle of the road team in the Atlantic 10 Conference. After a few years of contending towards the top of the league, departures in talent have brought the team down a bit.

But there are still good players hanging around, starting with senior Yuta Watanabe, a player who has grown from a role to the lead scorer and rebounder at 15.1 ppg and 6.9 rpg. Sophomore Jar Bolden is second in command, averaging 14.5ppg. Outside of these two, finding consistent scoring can be an issue, with the team currently in the 300s in several offensive categories including scoring.

GW as a team is inconsistent with the high of beating a talented Temple squad and the low of losing to an inferior Rider team. Still, this team has shown in the past that they can hang with power conference programs.

Next: Miami favorites to win the ACC

On paper, this game appears lopsided, but, with it being a road game for Miami combined with the fact that it’s being played at noon eastern time, it could be an early surprise. Expect a slow start for the Hurricanes before they pull away.

Prediction: Miami 64 – George Washington 53