After a disappointing season, George Washington basketball starts fresh in hopes of conquering the A10.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: George Washington basketball.
After winning 21 games, most in nearly a decade, two seasons ago, there was a lot of buzz on George Washington basketball heading into last season. They had a roster good enough to win the A10, and an up-and-coming coach who could take them there. Unfortunately, the opposite happened, finishing 8th in the A10 and losing some true head-scratchers along the way. They still won 19 games, but definitely fell below expectations.
This year, they clean house, returning just 12.1% of their minutes from last year, second-least in the A10. The one key returner is Jean Aranguren, who led the team in assists last season. Other than him, it seems like head coach Chris Caputo’s strategy was to acquire players who played at Power 5 conferences last season, but in a limited role. Hopefully, playing down a level and increased minutes will result in success for this George Washington basketball team.
It’s a bold strategy, but the talent is there, and most of these players were coached by some of the best in college basketball. We may see some bumps early on, but by conference play this team can excel.
Head coach: Chris Caputo (4th season overall, all at George Washington)
2025-26 record: 19-16 (8-10)
2025 postseason finish: NIT Second Round Exit
Notable departures:
- Rafael Castro (15.3 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.7 APG)
- Garrett Johnson (11.4 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.2 APG)
- Trey Autry (11.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.5 APG)
- Christian Jones (10.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 3.1 APG)
Notable non-conference games:
- at Boston College (Dec. 12)
- vs. San Francisco (Dec. 19)
- vs. Utah State (Dec. 21)
Projected Rotation
PG: Jean Aranguren (6-3, 195, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 8.2 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 48.6 FG%, 36.5 3P%, 70.2 FT%
SG: Omari Witherspoon (6-6, 225, So.)
2025-26 stats: 7.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.5 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 38.0 FG%, 64.5 FT% (Pitt)
SF: Terrence Arceneaux (6-6, 200, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 3.8 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 41.0 FG%, 32.6 3P%, 77.3 FT% (NC State)
PF: Dylan James (6-9, 215, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 4.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 46.1 FG%, 75.6 FT% (Georgia)
C: Andrija Vukovic (6-11, 270, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 5.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 0.6 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 62.2 FG%, 69.0 FT% (Oklahoma State)
6: Felix Kossaras (6-6, 195, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 4.6 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 0.4 APG, 0.5 SPG, 50.0 FG%, 38.0 3P%, 75.0 FT% (Colorado)
7: Ryder Frost (6-7, 215, So.)
2025-26 stats: 2.7 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 0.2 APG, 40.4 FG%, 38.5 3P%, 62.5 FT% (Notre Dame)
8: Andrew Phillips (6-5, 220, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 13.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.3 APG, 1.2 SPG, 39.8 FG%, 71.3 FT% (Lafayette)
9: Malachi Arrington (6-9, 230, Jr.)
2025-26 stats: 3.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 0.0 APG, 0.7 BPG, 59.7 FG% (NJIT)
10: Lovro Urbiha (6-8, 235, Sr.)
2025-26 stats: 8.2 PPG, 4 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.6 SPG, 49.3 FG%, 40.2 3P%, 62.5 FT% (Slovenia)
George Washington Basketball team MVP: Jean Aranguren
As mentioned earlier, Aranguren is the only main returner from last year who got minutes. Amir Arrington was the other, but he played just 12 minutes all season. Aranguren put up solid numbers last year, shooting relatively efficiently for a guard while also averaging over a steal a game. He had a triple-double last year, scoring 18 points and grabbing 10 rebounds and assists against Dusquesne last year.
As the point guard, a lot of responsibility will fall on him, especially as this new team attempts to mesh early on; expect him to bail them out consistently. We saw at Hofstra the season before his scoring ability, and perhaps he’ll be able to showcase that a bit more this season.
George Washington Basketball make-or-break player: Omari Witherspoon
Witherspoon started 25 games his freshman year at Pitt and put up respectable numbers for the Panthers. He shot inefficiently at just 38.0 FG% and 28.7% from three. However, he did show flashes of what could be in the ACC tournament, averaging 15 PPG on 50% shooting.
If Witherspoon can build off that and become a more efficient and confident shooter, then he’ll provide a huge boost for this program. He was a positive defender last season, so that part is covered; now it’s just about getting it done on the other side of the floor at a high level.
Stat to know: Offensive rebounds per game
When you have a player like Rafael Castro on your team, offensive rebounding becomes a crucial part of your success. As a result, they averaged 11.1 offensive rebounds a game, 23rd best in college basketball. Castro himself had 82. With him gone, you have to wonder if anyone can come close to replacing that. They have size in the frontcourt with Dylan James and 6’9 and Andrija Vukovic at 6’11, and Arceneaux showcased in his time at Houston that he can crash the boards as well.
Offensive rebounding isn’t the make-or-break between them being a tournament team or not, but could be the difference between a win and loss more than once this season.
George Washington Basketball 2026-27 projections
Projected conference finish: 4th in A10
Projected postseason ceiling: No tournament / NIT appearance