Atlantic 10 Basketball: Analyzing George Washington 2021 recruiting class

The George Washington Colonials have their best recruiting class under third-year coach Jamion Christian.

George Washington has struggled mightily the last four seasons, which includes posting a 17-32 record over the last two years. The Colonials, who are just 9-17 in Atlantic-10 play over the last two years, have struggled on both ends of the floor under Jamion Christian but offense has been the biggest issue. GW has averaged around 67.5 points under Christian, and their scoring margin is over minus four points a game.

The good news is that the Colonials return a couple of key players — leading scorer James Bishop and Ricky Lindo Jr., who averaged a double-double over seven games, and this year’s recruiting class is arguably Christian’s best as it is rated No. 71 in the nation by 247Sports. This class features eight players that include four transfers and two 3-star freshmen.

9. Laziz Talipov

The 6-1 walk-on guard will likely not see the court much during his tenure at GW. Talipov, a native of Orlando, scored over 1,000 points for his high school career and averaged 16.9 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.0 rebounds for Trinity Prep this past season.

8. Tyler Warner

The 6-10 Rochester(NY) native is also a walk-on, and he likely won’t see much time this season. He could see a few minutes here and there as the Colonials are not deep in the frontcourt.

7. Ira Lee

The Arizona transfer, a former consensus 4-star recruit, would have likely started at the 4 or 5 and been a major help on the defensive end. However, Lee will miss the entire season after the patella tendon ruptured in his knee playing pickup basketball and will be out for the next eight months.

6. Brian Knapp

The 6-1 guard is a grad transfer from Cornell, which didn’t play last year due to Covid. Knapp, a shooter, has his best season in 2019-20 though he struggled putting the ball in the hoop on a consistent basis. Knapp averages 4.0 points and 1.3 rebounds while shooting 42.7% from the field and 41.5% from beyond the arc in 70

5. Daniel Nixon

The 6-7, 215-pound small forward, a native of White Plains (NY), picked GW over offers from  Iowa, Wichita State, Ole Miss, Wake Forest, and Georgetown, among others.

"“We are building this roster around guys who can play multiple positions, have tremendous ball skills, and play with great toughness,” said Christian. “Those are a few of the best qualities that Daniel brings to the table. Obviously, when you see him his size jumps out at you. Walking in the door at the size and strength of an A-10 player already is very important as we continue to add key pieces to the roster."

4. Brayon Freeman

The 6-1 point guard, a consensus 3-star recruit, chose GW over Florida, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, and Massachusetts, among others.

"“Brayon has a level of confidence that is infectious and he’ll provide an extra boost of energy to our program from the minute he steps on campus,” Christian said. “He will pair well with our other guards to give us as dynamic of a backcourt as anybody in our conference, with an ability to control the game on both ends of the floor."

3. Qwanzi Samuels

The 6-8 forward is a transfer from Florida Gulf Coast, where he played extremely sparingly, averaging less than 10 minutes in 27 appearances over two seasons. He was productive in his six games for the Eagles in 2020-21, tallying 10 points and nine boards in 18 minutes over three games.

Samuels is athletic and has good length. He is a decent defensive rebounder though he has things to work on the offensive end.

over w.denverpost.com/2021/08/17/breaking-down-the-costa-rica-exhibition-trip-for-cu-buffs-mens

2. Brendan Adams

The 6-4 guard is a transfer from UConn, where he served as the Huskies’ first guard off the bench for much of the last three years. Adams is more of a slasher than shooter although he is not hesitant to launch 3’s up. He averaged 4.5 points along with 2.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists while producing an effective field goal percentage of 38.1%.

1. Joe Bamisile

The former 4-star recruit is a transfer from Virginia Tech. Bamisile didn’t see much time in a loaded Hokies backcourt last year, compiling 3.5 points and hauling in 1.5 caroms while shooting 37% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc in less than nine minutes over 13 appearances. He did put up 11 points doled out three assists and grabbed two boards in a season-high 25 minutes against Miami.

Bottom line: GW lost three of their top five performers from a year ago. Lee not being able to play this season really hurts.  While there is some promise to this class, there is no sure thing besides perhaps  Bamisile, who will likely start alongside Bishop.

Adams and Samuels will definitely have important roles and likely start. The success of the newcomers will likely come down to the production of Freeman, Nixon, and Knapp unless Bamisile fulfills his unlimited potential.