2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Nears End

This weekend is the 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four in Indianapolis. With only one #1 team left, the teams that remain are not the ones that were expected to be there.

On Saturday, April 3 at 6:07 p.m. the Butler University Bulldogs will play in their hometown against the Michigan State Trojans. Both teams were seeded five in their respective sections of the bracket. The Bulldogs have had several upset wins throughout the tournament that have allowed them to reach the final four. They beat the #1 seeded Syracuse Orange in the Sweet Sixteen and #2 seeded Kansas State in the Elite Eight. Michigan St. on the other hand has not had to face a team ranked higher than four because of various upsets including, Northern Iowa knocking off top seeded Kansas in the second round. Last year, the Trojans lost in the national championship game to North Carolina.

The second game on Saturday is between two teams that many predicted would make deep runs in the tournament. The Duke University Blue Devils, the last remaining top seed, will take on the #2 seeded West Virginia Mountaineers. Duke has not encountered any major trouble thus far in the tournament and has reached the Final Four for the first time since 2004. The Mountaineers' biggest test came in the Elite Eight against top-seeded Kentucky, where they were able to prevail by the score of 73-66. West Virginia was able to take down Kentucky with a score of 73-66. Tip-off for this game is at 8:47 p.m.

The national championship will be on Monday, April 5 at 9:21 p.m. All games will be aired on CBS.

She Got Game?

Beginning Selection Sunday on March 14 until the NCAA men's basketball national championship on April 5 sports fans across the country are consumed by March Madness. Some GW students have clear allegiances to their hometown teams, while others love the unpredictability of the tournament. Groans can be heard by those who have had their brackets "busted" due to Georgetown University and Kansas University's unexpected early elimination. What many people tend to forget that as the men fight for the championship title, the women are doing the same. Their championship game happens just one day after the men's, on April 6.

The difference in popularity for the two tournaments is staggering. According to NCAA.com, in the 2008 men's chamionship final Memphis and Kansas was played in front of a sold out crowd of 43,257 this is almost double the 21,655 people who attended the 2008 Women's Final between Tennessee and Stanford. In 2009 the Men's Final was held in an even larger arena in Detroit, where 72,922 fans were in attendance. Although the Women's Final in 2009 between University of Connecticut and Louisville was contested in front of a sold out crowd, it was in a much smaller arena in St. Louis that only sits 20,551. While most of the men's games have been played in sold out crowds in large arenas, the women's NCAA tournament is still advertising ticket sales.

Although TV viewership between the men's and women's college basketball is incomparable, there has been an increase in viewership for women. In 2006 the women's championship recorded a record rating, with 1.32 million household. Last year's men's final had 17.6 million TV viewers, which was down from the year before. Some efforts have been made to increase attendance and viewership for the women's tournament: having the final games in one location and having the women's final after the men's so it can officially end March Madness. However, TV viewership for women's is expected to be lower because ESPN and ESPN2, which airs the women's games reaches a smaller audience than CBS, which airs the men's games.

We see this gap in popularity between men's and women's sports here at GW. The GW women's basketball team has performed better than the men's team, but receives much less support at games. Since the 2006-2007 season, the men's basketball team has made it to the Atlantic-10 tournament two times and once to the NCAA tournament in the 2006-2007 season. The women's team on the other hand has made it to the Atlantic-10 tournament each year since the 2006-2007 season. The women's team made it to the WNIT tournament last season and reached the NCAA tournament the two seasons before that. The women's team was able to reach the semifinals of the NCAA tournament in the 2007-2008. This past season was the first time the GW men's team outperformed the women's team in recent years.

Rebecca Dauer, a sophomore at GW, has always been surrounded by college basketball due to her close proximity to Kentucky University. While she has attended many Kentucky men's basketball games and GW men's basketball games, she has attended less than 5 women's basketball games and none were for GW's team. She believes her lack of interest in women's basketball is due to her upbringing, "older generations really do not associate many sports with women and therefore when my dad took me to a game it was men's because that was what he was used to." Dauer goes on to state that she does not believe the difference in physical abilities between men and women contribute to her lack of attendance of women's basketball games.

DC Sports Roundup

In Basketball, the Washington Wizards lost a tight game at home against the Chicago Bulls on Monday. The final score was 99 to 101. The Wizards redeemed themselves on Wednesday with a 95 to 93 victory over Charlotte.

Despite the win, the Wizards have officially been eliminated from the NBA playoffs. They are the first team in the Eastern conference to earn that distinction. Their next game is at home on Saturday against Detroit.

In Hockey, the Washington Capitals lost on Tuesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs in a game that was decided by a shoot out. The final score was 2 to 3. Brooks Laich scored the game tying goal with only 57 seconds left in the third period to save the Caps from losing in regulation. Toronto goalie Martin Gerber was ejected after incurring a game misconduct penalty for shoving a referee after Laich’s goal. Toronto’s backup goaltender Curtis Joseph, known as CuJo, had a stellar performance that ultimately decided the game. The Capitals play their next game tonight at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Keeping with Hockey, the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey playoffs begin tonight. The nation’s top sixteen teams will be competing for a spot in the Frozen Four, which will be held right here in Washington, D.C at the Verizon Center.

-Joe Lewis

DC Sports Roundup

The George Washington Men’s Basketball Team won in over time on Wednesday evening against Charlotte. The final score was 92 to 88. Damian Hollis had 25 points on the night and scored two crucial free throws that saved the Colonials from losing in regulation. This was the third in conference victory for GW. The team will need to win its final two games if they want any chance to make the Atlantic 10 conference tournament. Their next game is tomorrow at Charlotte.

The GW women’s Basketball team did not fare as well. They lost on Wednesday at Charlotte, 57 to 59. The Women have their final regular season game at home this Sunday, against Temple. Tip off is at 1 pm.

Keeping with basketball, the Washington Wizards won last Friday at New Jersey, but then lost at home on Saturday against San Antonio, and again on Wednesday against Philadelphia. With 13 wins and 44 losses on the season, the Wizards have the worst record in the Eastern Conference. They play at home tonight against Chicago.

And finally, in Hockey, the Washington Capitals split the week with 2 wins and 2 losses. The Caps lost at home last Friday against Colorado, 4 to 1. They redeemed themselves with a strong 5 to 2 win against Eastern conference rival Pittsburg on Sunday. The Capitals gave up a one goal lead in the third period in Tuesday’s game against Philadelphia and ended up losing 2 to 4. Finally, with rookie goaltender Michal Neuvirth in net, the Caps held on to defeat the Atlanta Thrashers last night. The final score was 3 to 2. Donald Brashear earned his 10th major penalty for fighting with his second period bout with Eric Boulton. The Capitals’ next game is tomorrow at Boston.

-Joe Lewis

DC Sports Round Up

The George Washington Women's basketball played at home on Wednesday night and defeated the University of Massachusetts. Final score was 83 to 62. Only three games remain in the regular season for the Lady Colonials. They are currently ranked 5th in the Atlantic 10. Their next game is tomorrow, at home against St. Bonaventure.

The GW Men's basketball team won their second conference game last night after defeating the St. Bonaventure Bonnies with a final score of 90 to 62. Rob Diggs scored 26 points, and was just one of five George Washington players with double figures on the night. The men took an early lead and held it for the entirety of the game. Despite the stellar performance, hopes for a trip to the Atlantic 10 conference tournament are waning. Only five games remain in the regular season, but all are against conference opponents. Their next game is on Sunday at Xavier.

Keeping with basketball, the Washington Wizards defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves at home on Tuesday. The final score was 111 to 103. It was only the 12th victory for the Wizards this season. Their next game is tonight, at New Jersey.

Finally, in Hockey, the Washington Capitals defeated the Montreal Candiens on Wednesday in a game determined by a shoot-out. The final score was 5 to 4. David Steckel scored the game tying goal with less than three minutes left to play in regulation. Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom both scored in the shoot out to seal the win. However, it was Alex Ovechkin's goal in the second period that stole the show. Ovechkin collected the puck in the neutral zone, then banked an indirect backhand pass off the wall to himself to get around Canadiens defender Roman Hamrlik. Facing the back checking of Kyle Chipchura, Ovechkin was knocked down. Sliding across the ice in the front of goal, he maintained control of the puck and put it behind Canadiens' goaltender Carey Price. The Caps play at home tonight, against Colorado.

-Joe Lewis

DC Sports Update

After 11 strait losses, the George Washington Men’s Basketball team finally won a game after defeating conference rival Fordham last Saturday in the Smith Center. The final score was 87-62. The victory was the men’s first conference win of the season. Success was short lived for the Colonials, with a loss against LaSalle on Wednesday. Final score was 57 to 68. Time is running out for the Colonials and the Atlantic 10 conference tournament. Only seven games remain in the regular season, but all are against A-10 teams. Hope is still alive, but the men are going to need a hefty dose of that Karl Hobbs magic we all know and love. The men’s next game is tomorrow, at Charlotte.

The GW women’s basketball team lost on the road Wednesday against 19th ranked Xavier. The final score was 62 to 82. Xavier is undefeated in A-10 conference play. Unlike the men’s team, the lady Colonials, ranked 5th in the A-10, are comfortably positioned for a return to the conference tournament. The women’s next game is tomorrow, at St. Louis.

In professional basketball, the Wizards started the week with a win at home against the Pacers on Sunday. Caron Butler made a buzzer beating field goal to keep the game from going into over time. Final score was 119-117. The Wizards lost at Atlanta 90 to 111 on Tuesday, and then traveled to Charlotte where they were defeated 89 to 110 on Wednesday. The Wizards’ next game in Tuesday at home against Minnesota.

Finally, in hockey the Washington Capitals suffered a shoot-out loss on Wednesday to the New York Rangers. The final score was 4 to 5. Every goal of the game for both teams was scored in the first two periods. Mike Green scored twice for the Capitals, and tied the NHL record for consecutive games with a goal by a defenseman. For just the fourth time this season, the Caps had multiple fights in the same game as Donald Brashear took on Colton Orr and Matt Bradley squared off with Aaron Voros. Brashear earned his 201st five minute major for fighting with the bout. Ranger’s all-star goalie Henrik Lundqvist made the game breaking save against Brooks Laich in the shoot out to seal the win for New York. The Capitals play again tomorrow, in Tampa Bay to face the Lightning.

-Joe Lewis

WRGW Sports Break

With the release of the men’s and women’s basketball schedules, Colonial fans can begin to get excited for the upcoming season. On November 8^th, the men’s basketball team will host the West Georgia Wolves in an exhibition game. The first official men’s game will be on November 19^th against the Binghamton Bearcats. It’s the eighth year that the colonials will be led by Coach Karl Hobbs.

The women’s exhibition game is scheduled for November 5^th, but their opponent is to be announced. Their first official game will be held on November 15^th against UMBC. This will mark Coach Mike Bozeman’s first season with the team, after Coach Joe McKeown’s unexpected departure earlier this summer to Northwestern University.

George Washington University has welcomed another new coach into the athletic department family – Terry Shaffer is now the head coach of the men’s golf team. Shaffer is an alumnus of GW, graduating in 1979. He was named the team’s MVP in his senior year of George Washington. Since graduating, Shaffer has been a PGA head golf professional, the head golf coach at Division I Mount St. Mary’s, and has continued to help students improve their golf skills. The men’s golf team season begins today, September 12^th.

2008 graduate Sarah-Jo Lawrence has been nominated for the 2008 NCAA Woman of the Year award. Lawrence was on GW’s women’s basketball team for the four years she attended the university and is currently a Presidential Administrative Fellow. She is listed as 13^th in GW’s top scoring list with 1,373 points. Nominees are selected due to their excellence in academics and athletics. There will be another three rounds of elimination before the winner is announced in Indianapolis on October 19^th.

- Roxanne Martin

Pre-Convention Briefs

We're less than a week until convention time!  Jesse Regis and myself will be in Denver from August 24th until 29th covering the Democratic Convention and going behind the scenes.  We'll have interviews from delegates, volunteers and of course, a few surprises along the way!

But for now, a few headlines from GW and the metro area over the past two weeks:

• We're mid-Olympics and that means it's time for an Olympic Update of sorts.  Unless you've been living under a rock, you probably know that Olympian Micheal Phelps lives in nearby Baltimore County.  Phelps's history making eight gold medals call for celebration and Baltimore has plans in the works.  The "Phelpstival" could be held over the Labor Day weekend, but no official date has been set.  Marjorie Hampson with the county communications office says they originally envisioned a parade around the county seat that could end at Towson University's more than 11,000-seat Johnny Unitas Stadium, just a few miles from where Phelps grew up in Rodgers Forge. But now she says they're not sure that venue is big enough to contain the crowds who will want to come out to see Phelps.  If you're looking for something to do when you get back on campus, a trip to the Phelpstival might be a good idea.


• Former GW women's basketball players Elisa Aguilar '00 and Anna Montaňana '05 have been representing Spain in the Beijing Olympics. They have helped the team advance to the elimination stage of the 2008 Olympic Games after finishing preliminary round play with a 3-2 record.  According to a GWsports.com press release, Montañana leads Spain and ranks in the top 7 among all players in the Olympics in scoring (14.8 ppg), field goal percentage (51.7 FG%) and steals (2.6 spg) through the five-game preliminary round. She scored 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting in a 74-55 victory over Czech Republic on Aug. 13, and had 13 points, nine rebounds, six steals and four assists in a 79-47 triumph over Mali Sunday.  Aguilar has averaged 5.4 points and 25.8 minutes in five games. She scored eight points in victories against Czech Republic and Mali and in a 67-64 loss to host China on Aug. 9.  Spain plays Russia in a quarterfinal matchup today, with the winner likely to face the United States in the semifinals Thursday, Aug. 21.  The medal games take place Saturday, Aug. 23.


• One more Olympic note - 28 GW graduate students are in attendance at the 2008 games along with their professor, Lisa Delpy Neirotti.  As an associate professor of tourism and sports management, Deply Neirotti has attended 14 consecutive Olympics and this will be the ninth time she has included students to learn about the latest sports marketing and business ideas.  The students will collect survey from spectaors on their spending habits and feelings on customer service.  Delpy Neirotti has attended 14 consecutive Olympics, and this will be the ninth time she has included students.  "The Olympics is a testing ground for new ways of marketing. Students also have the opportunity to meet a lot of key people for future jobs, and it's a great chance for both education and networking," she says.


• If you're living off campus next year, DC's Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs has lots of advice for you.  Their new Collegiate Off-Campus Housing Initiative has a great new blog:  http://thisshouldbeillegal.com  It will help college students in DC know if they're being rented to legally.


• According to the Hatchet, the EMeRG ambulance is finally certified!  GW started the certification process in 1999 and after much red tape, the process is complete.  The ambulance was purchased in 2006 for $7,000 and remained parked on the Virgina campus and next to the Marvin Center.  University Police Chief Deloris Stafford said that the service will be provided free of charge.  This could save hospitalized students anywhere from $500 to $800 if the ride wasn't already covered by their insurance compay.  Also in EMeRG news - their new headquarters will be located in the top floor of the former home of DJ's Fastbreak.


• The AP reported on the Amethyst Initiative, a movement to lower the legal drinking age from 21 to 18.  Over 100 college presidents have joined the movement, saying that a higher drinking age creates a dangerous climate of secretive binge drinking.  Knapp's name isn't on the list, but two local college are represented.  C.D. Mote, Jr., the president of the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University president William Brody have both signed on as a supporters.


• Construction at the CVS is 2000 Penn is scheduled to start soon, depsite the business not opening until February, according to the Hatchet.  The new CVS will be the fifth CVS within a three block radius of campus. 

-Mallory Thompson

Post CI Briefs

We hope that you future freshmen had a nice time visiting GW. It won’t be quite like that when you come back in the fall – we promise! If you’re still interested in joining the news team and didn’t find the WRGW table at the student org fairs, we would love to have you! Just send me an email at wrgwnewsdirector (at) gmail.com.

• If you haven't heard, we have a new mascot. Little George is a thing of the past and now it’s just plain “George.” The new George is made of felt instead of the paper-maché. Little George is renovated every year, but Spirit coordinator Nicole Early-Macchione told the Hatchet that after twenty years, "it was getting to the point where there was nothing else we could do. We had to say goodbye." Photo courtesy of the Hatchet.

• The men’s basketball schedule is out. From the WRGW Sports blog:

HOME GAMES: Charlotte, Dayton, Fordham, La Salle, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Temple

AWAY GAMES: Charlotte, Duquesne, La Salle, Massachusetts, Richmond, Saint Joseph's, Saint Louis, Xavier

Charlotte, Richmond and LaSalle are the three teams the Colonials play home and home's against and the schedule lends itself to some winnable home games with Fordham, LaSalle, St. Bonaventure and Richmond all coming to the Smith Center.
The Colonials also get Dayton, URI and Temple at home avoiding the UD arena, the Ryan Center and the Liacouras Center. GW will be on the road against Xavier, UMass and St. Joe's who are playing this season in the Palestra while construction is done on Alumni Hall.

• The University has raised $1 million for the Smith Center renovations – so they’re one-tenth of the way there. If you remember back to February 14th, President Knapp announced that the Smith and Kogod families had given $10 million towards the renovation of the Smith Center - under some stipulations. The University must match the $10 million from other donors. The University will pay the remaining amount to complete the project. The remodeled Smith Center will feature an academic center for student-athletes, improved seating in the arena, new locker rooms, remodeled office space, enhanced training facilities, a renovated pool area as well as a new main entrance, box office and concessions concourse. The renovation project is expected to take three years, during which time the building will remain open. Check out the design concept here.

• I’m not sure why most of these updates are sports related, but DC has a new tennis team. The Washington Kastles. But what do Kastles have to do with DC? Not much, but the owner of the team, Mark Ein is the founder of Kastle Systems, a security system. The team includes a few big names – like Serena Williams and Justin Gimelstob. But be forewarned - this isn't normal tennis. The Kastles are part of the World Team Tennis Leauge. The style of play is quite different from regular tennis – the points of each game are counted from 1 to 3, instead of 15-30-40. They play five sets, each won by only five games, in various combinations of singles and doubles in a single evening. Also, cheering and noise are encouraged at WTT matches. The season is only a month long with eleven games played. Intrigued? Their next match is tomorrow against the NY Sportimes. If you want to check them out, they play at a new stadium on the old convention center site and ticket information can be found here.

• And just for fun – the world might be coming to an end. The Post reported today that 17 ducks were found dead in the capitol reflecting pool. Pretty creepy stuff.

-Mallory Thompson

Bozeman's the Man

It’s official. GW Director of Athletics Jack Kvancz announced yesterday that assistant coach Mike Bozeman has been promoted to head coach of the Colonials' women's basketball program. Bozeman, who has been an assistant coach at GW the past three seasons, becomes the eighth head coach in the 34-year history of the program.

"We wanted to get someone in before the recruiting process started in July, and that mission was accomplished," said Kvancz. "One person stood out amongst our group of candidates and that was our new coach – Mike Bozeman."

Bozeman said, "This is going to be a family affair and that's how we are going to do things here at George Washington...We went back-to-back Sweet 16's, 78 victories the past three years. I don't see that changing. The group we have coming back right now, I'm very passionate about and we're going to get it done."

The Bozeman File (from gwsports.com)

Born: November 29, 1966
Hometown: Washington, DC
Education: BA -- Sociology (Fairleigh Dickinson, 1988 )

Athletic Achievements:
College of Southern Maryland (Charles County CC) (1985-86)
• Most Valuable Player - Region 20 All-Star Game
• First Team All-Maryland Junior College Conference
• All-Region 20
• Helped Hawks to 26-4 record and National Division title

Fairleigh Dickinson University (1986-88 )
• ECAC Metro All-Newcomer Team
• Averaged 11.2 ppg as Knights went 42-17 in two seasons
• Helped FDU to 1988 ECAC Metro title and NCAA Tournament

Resume:
• June 24, 2008 -- Head Coach, GW

• 2005-2008 -- Assistant Coach, GW (78-20 record)
- 3-1 record as interim head coach
- Guided GW to 2006 San Diego Surf `N Slam Classic title, including victory against No. 11/10 Georgia. Other 2006-07 victories against UMBC and San Diego State.

• 1999-2005 -- Head Coach, Bishop McNamara High School (151-35 record) - Three-time WCAC Conference Champions

- Mallory Thompson

CI Briefs

Welcome CI-ers. From DC’s unique culture to Colonial basketball games to plenty of politics both on and off campus, we hope you grow to love GW as much as we do. If you’re looking for somewhere to fit in, stop by the WRGW tables at the CI student org fair. We’d love to meet you and if you’re interested in broadcast journalism, we want you to join our team! Just give us your email and we'll get you on the air in the fall. If you miss us at the fair, don't worry. You can email me at wrgwnewsdirector@gmail.com to let me know you're interested or to ask any questions.

Now on with the news!

• President Emeritus Stephen Joel Trachtenberg will sign copies of his book Big Man on Campus: A University President Speaks Out on Higher Education at Politics & Prose (5015 Connecticut Ave., NW) on Friday (tonight) at 7pm. Trachtenberg's new book is about the current state of higher education. With more than 30 years of experience, Trachtenberg helps to reveal what goes on behind the scenes of running a university.

• Comedian Robin Williams will headline this year's Colonials Weekend, University officials announced last Friday. Williams will perform at the Smith Center Friday, Oct. 17 and Saturday Oct. 18 at 9:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. July 8, and cost between $57 and $150, according to a news release. Peter Konwerski, assistant vice president for SASS, told the Hatchet that Williams was the "first and top choice" for Colonials Weekend.

• Women's basketball coach Joe McKeown, resigned this month after 19 years in Foggy Bottom to become the women’s basketball coach at Northwestern. McKeown announced his decision June 9 in Evanston, Illinois. "I just felt like I had been at GW for 19 years and I was very fortunate to have a great run there," McKeown told the Hatchet. "But Northwestern came after me and really emphasized the potential for women's basketball there, being in the Big 10." McKeown’s autistic son was a significant factor in his decision to move. Although McKeown’s contract was extended through 2014, Director of Athletics Jack Kvancz said there was no buyout in the move. Kvancz said he will begin the search for a new coach immediately and hopes to finish it as soon as possible.

• Pops Mensah-Bonsu is back in Dallas to try out for the Mavericks. While Pops was recovering from a knee injury that kept him from playing most of his senior year at GW, he played in 12 games during his rookie season with the Mavericks in 2006-07. After a stint playing abroad in Italy, he’s hoping for another shot at the NBA.

• A recent GW grad is already making a name for herself – as Miss DC. Kate Marie Grinold won the May 31st contest and will go on to compete in the Miss America Pageant in January. The Miss D.C. pageant awarded Grinold a $5,000 academic scholarship and she will now have the opportunity to compete for more scholarship money in the Miss America Pageant. The competition will be held in Las Vegas, and contestants will be filming a reality television show about the Miss America pageant this fall.

• GW's wireless network has expanded throughout the Marvin Center. Ronald C. Bonig, vice president and chief information officer, said, "This move gives the university community the flexibility to work throughout the campus and remain connected to our wireless network." This is part of a university-wide initiative to expand wireless connectivity throughout the Foggy Bottom Campus. The next buildings to receive wireless installations are the Academic Center, Media and Public Affairs Building, Old Main, Ross and Tompkins halls, and Fulbright and Thurston residence halls.
  


• Hillary Clinton suspended her run for the White House in DC last week. She spoke to 3,000 people at the National Building museum. Arriving 45 minutes late, she pledged her support to competitor Barack Obama saying, “So today, I am standing with Senator Obama to say: Yes we can.” Obama will be confirmed as the Democratic nominee at the Democratic National Convention in Denver later this summer. Photo courtesy GW student Kat Overland.
  

• Friday the 13th was full of confusion in DC as a massive power outage crippled the center of the city. The outage was from the PEPCO substation in Chinatown and knocked out power for 30 blocks, including three metro station, for nearly three hours during the morning workday. Also, in a seeming unrelated event, two fires broke out in Metro Center station caused by smoldering stud bolts and while the station was only closed briefly, they added major delays to the morning rush. In fact, Metro had its share of problems last week. Besides Friday’s red line disaster, the orange line was affected three times last week, stranding commuters after a train derailed last Monday and then trains having to single-track around kinks in the line caused by the excessive heat near the West Falls Church stop. Investigations are underway for both the power outage and metro’s derailment.

• If you’re in DC this summer, a few new restaurants in our area are worth checking out. There’s a new Spanish tapas spot in Georgetown – Bodega. It’s open 11 during the week and until midnight on the weekends and boasts traditional Spanish tapas, much like Jaleo in Penn Quarter. Also new in the Georgetown area is Tacklebox, a lobster shack. From the same owners as Hook, Tacklebox is located next door in the old Georgetown Baglery. They offer affordable seafood and for all of you New Englanders – Lobster Boil pots to go. And finally, former Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelson will be flipping burgers at his family’s new restaurant, Good Stuff Eatery which will open later this month. Located at 303 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, it’s only a few blocks from the Capitol South metro stop. Burger prices will likely range between $5.50 and $7.95. The Mendelson family has plans to open 50 nationwide over the next decade.

- Mallory Thompson

Post-Commencement Briefs

With Colonial Inauguration less than a month away and most GW students headed home for the summer, I though it was a good time to give WRGW's first summer update.

• DNC Chairman Howard Dean was on campus last week. He helped commemorate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month at an event co-hosted by the College Democrats, Indian Students Association and the Racially and Ethnically Mixed Students Association (REMIX). "The overwhelming majority of AAPI elected officials are Democrats, and we intend to keep it that way," Dean said. "Democrats have long championed the values we share with the AAPI community, including a strong work ethic, a commitment to education, and respect for families."

• Commencement was held Sunday on the National Mall with over 25,000 guests, despite a rain-filled forecast. The rain didn't start until former president Stephen Joel Trachtenburg spoke to students. As thousands of umbrellas opened, he made light of the situation by saying, "We've been soaking you for 20 years, so what's a little drizzle now?" He added, "I've been saving that line for a long time." Controversial keynote speaker Julian Bond, the current head of the NAACP and a civil rights leader, told graduates to "do well and do good." He reminded them that while they have the potential to achieve great things with the knowledge they've gained at GW, they should also focus on social issues.

• Kim Beck was drafted by the Seattle Storm last month and scored her first WNBA points last night against the Indiana Fever. She'll be coming to DC on July 20th to take on the Washington Mystics. Also in Women's Basketball news, Sarah-Jo Lawrence will be sticking around GW next year as one of the eight Presidential Administrative Fellows. She was one of 72 applicants for the 8 spots. PAF's receive full tuition and housing stipends to pursue GW master's degrees, while working with the university in various capacities.

• Major changes to J Street will occur for the fourth year in a row. The university announced that the J Street Cafe will feature more and gluten-free choices as well as greater variety for vegetarian diets. Additionally, a kosher deli will replace the current 5th Avenue Bagels. Freshmen and sophomores with unused Sodexho dining dollars will be able to roll over up to half of these funds to the following year, giving freshmen up to $700 and sophomores up to $250 in rollover dollars. Also, they announced that Campus Support Services is working with Sodexho to offer better and cheaper student catering options for student organizations.

• Also interesting to note, beginning in August, 47 graduates will teach in 19 different regions across the United States, making Teach For America the top employer for GW seniors. The university's acceptance rate in the program is 32 percent -- more than double the national average of 14.5 percent. "Public Service is an integral part of the GW experience and is embraced by our students, faculty, staff, and alumni," said GW President Steven Knapp. "We are proud that so many of this year's graduates have chosen to make this exceptional commitment."

-Mallory Thompson

Spring Break Briefs

• Vishal Aswani won the SA Presidency the Thursday prior to Spring Break. The results took only half an hour from the closing of the polls to be verified by the Joint Elections Comittee. With a little over 3,000 students voting, Vishal beat opponent Kevin Kozlowski by a 55.1% to 44.82% margin. Vishal will be joining WRGW sometime this week to discuss the win and his plans for next year.


• Program Board announced last Saturday that Gym Class Heros will be the musical act for Spring Fling. The event is planned for Saturday April 5th in University Yard. Tyga and Kidz in The Hall will also be performing at the event. More on this later in the week.


• Hillary Clinton was on campus last Monday to deliver a foreign policy address. As her third event in the last three weeks, she spoke about Iraq policy on the week of the five year anniversary of the invasion. She remained strong on her belief to pull troops out of Iraq and used this event to focus not on differences with Democratic opponent Barack Obama, but differences with Republican nominee John McCain. "Despite the evidence, President (George W.) Bush is determined to continue his failed policy in Iraq until he leaves office and Sen. McCain will gladly accept the torch and stay the course keeping troops in Iraq up to 100 years if necessary," Clinton said. "They both want to keep us tied to another country's civil war - a war we cannot win."


• The women's basketball team headed west to the big dance on Wednesday. Playing at Stanford University, the Colonials defeated Auburn on Saturday in the first round of the tournament, 66-56. The second round took place on Monday, where the 5-seed team took on 3-seed Cal. Sarah Jo Lawerence made a last second layup propelling the team forward to the Sweet 16 in Greensboro after a 55-53 victory. Check out our sport's director Frank Dale's blog for all the details from the trip.


• GW Baseball inaugurated the new Nationals Ballpark on Saturday. The 9-4 win over St. Joes was the first game played at the park. Nationals officials hoped that this would serve as a practice game for ballpark employees. More on this later in the week.


• The University announced today that Julian Bond, the chairman of the NAACP, will be this year's commencement speaker. The commencement ceremony on May 18th coincides with the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr's assassination. More on this later in the week.

- Mallory Thompson

Maureece Rice Off the Team

When the men's basketball team holds senior day on its last home game against Massachusetts on Saturday night, they will be without this year's most celebrated senior.

In the recent heyday of GW men's basketball with now-graduates Pops Mensah Bonsu, Mike Hall, Omar Williams and Carl Elliot - Maureece Rice was the reigning king of shooting threes. In the 2006-2007 season, Rice averaged 15.8 points per game. However, since conference play began this year, his points per game average has dropped to 9.6.

Rice was dismissed last night for failure to adhere to team rules. It is unclear to what the rule was. Rice was suspended twice earlier in the season - missing games against UMBC on November 24th and Longwood University on December 23rd.

Rice did not travel to Charlotte last night, where the team lost 77-61, all but killing the hopes of making it to the A-10 tournament next week in Atlantic City.

The official statement from GW:

George Washington University senior Maureece Rice (Philadelphia, PA) has been dismissed from the men’s basketball program, GW coach Karl Hobbs announced Thursday. Rice was dismissed for failure to adhere to team rules, according to Hobbs.

- Mallory Thompson

Basketball Update

The GW men’s basketball team lost to St. Louis last Wednesday night, 63-38. St. Louis was a season-best 14 for 27 from the 3-point range in the second meeting against the Colonials. They lost to GW 49-20 back on January 10^th at the Smith Center. In that game, St. Louis set the record for the lowest score in shot clock history. The Colonials were held to 26.9 percent shooting, have lost 8 of 9 and are 0-10 on the road. Rob Diggs had 14 points, but was 5 for 14 shooting.

The Colonials’ record now stands at 6-14 overall, and 2-8 in the A-10 conference. They have dropped to 13^th place in the A-10 since UMASS beat Fordham University on Thursday 74-72. For the first time, they are on the verge of not making the A-10 tournament. The Colonials will need at least two wins in their last six games to be eligible for the conference tournament. The men’s team earned a critical victory when they defeated St. Bonaventure on Saturday, 80-71.

In other news, the 14^th ranked GW women’s basketball team beat UMASS last Wednesday night, 69-45. Jessica Adair scored 14 points to lead four George Washington players in double figures. Whitney Allen had 13 points and 11 rebounds while Sarah Jo Lawrence scored 12 and Jasmine Adair added 11. The Colonials played without starting point-guard Kimberly Beck, who was sick, ending her streak of 107 starts and 119 games played. But GW didn’t miss a beat – the Colonials won their 20^th game for the 9^th straight season and 17^th of the last 18 seasons. They are now 20-4 overall, and 8-1 in the A-10 conference.

All GW men and women’s basketball games (home and away) can be heard on only one station – GW Radio, broadcasting on the web at gwradio.com!

- Lyle Leitelt

GW Basketball Weekend Wrap-Up

On Saturday, the GW men’s basketball team beat Dayton 57-54 at the Charles E. Smith center. Wynton Witherspoon hit a 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds remaining to give GW the lead, snapping the Colonials' seven-game losing streak. Rob Diggs scored a career-high 29 points and had 11 rebounds for the Colonials. Senior Captain Maureece Rice did not score for the second straight game. He entered the game averaging 11.1 points. GW led 26-14 late in the first half and 30-25 at halftime. Neither team led by more than five points in the second half. The most talked about play of the night was Rob Diggs alley-oop dunk. The play was featured on ESPN Sportcenter as the top play. The Colonials now hit the road for the next two weeks - their next match is at St. Louis on Wednesday.

On Sunday, the number 13th ranked GW women’s basketball team defeated Richmond at 78-51. Jessica Adair scored 27 points; Kim Beck scored 18. It was the 501st career victory for George Washington Coach Joe McKeown, who was honored before the game and with a halftime video tribute in recognition of his 500th victory, which came in the Colonials' 73-65 win at Duquesne on Feb. 2. In the game, the Colonials scored 28 points off of 24 turnovers. George Washington was 23 for 28 from the free throw line, setting season highs for percentage (82.1) and free throws made. Adair was 11 for 12 from the line. The 27-point margin of victory was the largest for GW in a conference game this season. The women will be on the road this week, with their next game at the University of Massachusetts on Wednesday.

Photo courtesy of the Hatchet.

- Lyle Leitelt

Coach Joe's 500th Win!

GW Women's basketball head coach Joe McKeown became the 34th Division I women's basketball coach all-time to reach 500 career victories while playing against Duquesne at Palumbo Center Saturday night.

McKeown, who won 68 games at New Mexico State from 1986-89, improves to 432-151 in his 19th season at GW.

Below is an except from WRGW Sports Director Frank Dale's blog.

"When I was a young reporter in my first season of covering GW basketball, I was sent on a Friday-Sunday road trip with the women's team at Duquesne and at St. Bonaventure. While it was exciting to head out on my first road assignments, the prospects of a seven-hour Greyhound ride (during which I was offered drugs twice) and visits to Pittsburgh, PA and Olean, NY in early February dampened the joy just a little bit.However, looking back on it now, it was the best decision I've made in my time at WRGW. For those of you who don't know, McKeown and the rest of the players and coaches on the women's squad treat us like members of the team when we're on the road with them. Whether it's coordinating travel or paying for the occasional meal, we have been spoiled by McKeown's crew over the last few years.Anyhow, it was a Saturday night in Olean when we were invited to watch the coaching staff break down some film of St. Bonaventure in preparation for the following day's contest. It was a pretty cool experience. Then, once all the coaches had left, McKeown sat with the two WRGW underclassmen, both of whom he barely knew, and talked about basketball and life for about two hours. As I have said in the past, most of it was off-the-record, but it was a conversation I'll never forget.

Including the time I spent reporting on high school sports for various publications in northern Massachusetts, this is my eighth year covering athletics. In all of that time, I have never encountered a coach like McKeown. He calls the team's beat reporters by name, answers the tough questions with class, and has never once disrespected a journalist. He's the type of coach, educator, and person you'd want your children to be around.

As a journalist, I've learned a lot from McKeown in my nearly four years here, and not all of it has to do with my profession. Whether it's the way he talks about and treats his family or the work he does with Autism awareness, there is a lot to commend. It has been an honor following McKeown's squad for the last few years and I look forward to hopefully continuing to do so deep into March. Congratulations, coach. 500 victories couldn't happen to a better person."

 

Hail to the Buff & Blue!

It’s back! After a one-year hiatus, the popular event Colonial Invasion is making a return to the GW campus. The event, which was cut last year due to the over $900,000 in budget cuts, will be returning thanks in part to the successful lobbying of the SA.

The event will take place on October 26th and will feature New York rapper Fabolous, according to Tuesday’s WRGW interview with SA President Nicole Capp.

Colonial Invasion will be a part of a week long celebration called spirit week. Although basketball is the primary focus, the week will feature events that will be promoting all athletics at GW. The week will also feature contests, prizes and other activities to involve students.

In years past, Colonial Invasion has been the first practice of the year where people could view the teams in action. This year, however, the format will be similar to that of watching the teams in a game-type setting.

The event will take place on Friday, October 26th, with doors opening at 8PM. Admission is free with a GWorld and it is expected to run nearly two hours.

- Taylor Barnes