George Washington is riding its second five-game winning streak of the year heading into the Atlantic 10 Tournament, which begins today in Atlantic City, N.J. With the No. 3 seed and a first-round bye into Thursday’s quarterfinals, theColonials (20-8) just might be legitimate title contenders.
Q Carl Elliott leads the A-10 in assists and steals, yet he was only a third team all-conference selection. What’s the deal?
A I’m really disappointed with that. When you look at the success he’s had over his career, he’s one of the very few players that for three straight years has been in postseason play. When you look at that and what he’s done this year, it’s unfortunate that he’s not being rewarded properly.
Q On a more positive note, your young players are really stepping up and taking ownership down the stretch. Freshmen Damian Hollis and Travis King combined for 29 points, 18 rebounds and 11 assists in Saturday’s regular-season finale win over Duquesne.
A They really are. That’s exactly what they’re doing and at the most opportune time. It’s that time of year when other folks have got to step up, and in different situations, we need Damian’s scoring ability and rebounding. This past weekend, Maureece [Rice] wasn’t feeling well because his grandmother had just passed away, and Travis jumped right in and made a major impact in the game.
It’s part of the process, not an event. That was our 28th game. It takes a while for guys to understand what it takes. Damian is still trying to understand you’ve got to play defense hard for 40 minutes.
[Against Duquesne] the guy made a 3-pointer at the end, and Travis thought he was so far out that he didn’t contest it. In that kind of situation, that’s experience, knowing those shots have to be contested because that shot can go in. They’re still developing, learning, going through it and getting better.
Q How far has the team come this season, and how does it compare to others in your six years at George Washington?
A This team’s come as far as any team I’ve coached at GW. When they had their backs against the wall, they handled it. We also had our adversity in losing some games on the road, and then we beat Rhode Island, then relaxed and said, “Hey, we’re in first place.” They didn’t understand that now we have to play even harder.
To me, this team was the least talented and experienced team I’ve had since my very first year and when Mike Hall and Pops Mensah-Bonsu were freshmen.
Q Fresh off his new contract with the Washington Wizards, Mike Hall was in attendance for the Duquesne game. What was his message to the current Colonials?
A He spoke with them privately and then visited with us coaches. We just told him how proud we were, and we talked about — just like we are with the current team — handing adversity, him going to the NBA Developmental League and playing hard, being cut at the last moment [earlier in the season] and having to deal with that before getting another shot.
— As told to The Examiner’s Craig Stouffer
