The George Washington University Revolutionaries men’s basketball team, currently ranked 59th in preseason projections by Bart Tovik, will test themselves against the best of the best during their nonconference slate, highlighted by a tilt against defending national champion Florida on Saturday, Dec. 13.
GW will go against the Gators in the Orange Bowl Classic on Saturday, Dec. 13 at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, home of the NHL’s Panthers. That matchup is first for GW against a defending national champion since squaring off with Duke in 2006. The last time the Revolutionaries played against the Gators was in the 2016 NIT quarterfinals, where GW won 82-77 in Gainesville, Florida. That victory helped propel GW to the NIT championship.
The tilt with the Gators is the exclamation point on a challenging nonconference slate, which begins with an exhibition against Georgetown on Oct. 18th at the Charles E. Smith Center. The last time the Hoyas played in the Smith Center was on Dec. 13, 1980, and the last game between the schools was played a year later on Dec. 16, 1981.
GW opens its regular season schedule against Maine on Monday, Nov. 3 at the Charles E. Smith Center, a venue that is celebrating its 50th anniversary of hosting GW basketball. The Revolutionaries will host local rival American University on Nov. 12 and regional foes Old Dominion Nov. 15, UMBC Nov. 19., William & Mary Dec. 6, Delaware Dec. 10 and St. Mary’s (Maryland) Dec. 22.
In addition to Florida, GW will also play a neutral site game against the University of South Florida on Saturday, Nov. 8 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, as part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off. During Thanksgiving Break, the Revolutionaries will participate in the Cayman Islands Classic, where they will play McNeese State on Nov. 23, Middle Tennessee on Nov. 24 and Murray State on Nov. 25.
GW will play a true road game at Army on Tuesday, Dec. 2 in West Point, New York.
Anticipation is high for the Revolutionaries with the team returning six players from the program's first 20-win season in nine years and a return to the postseason for the first time since the 2017 season. Joining the half-dozen returners are five talented transfers who have been cited amongst the top Mid Major transfer classes in the country.
