NCAA Championship Odds 10/3/16 – Lonergan's exit changes dynamic at GW

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George Washington named Maurice Joseph its interim head men’s basketball coach last week. Will the 31-year-old be able to keep the Colonials humming in 2016-17?

Joseph, who had served as an assistant at the university for the past five campaigns, replaces Mike Lonergan. The latter was recently dismissed by GW following an independent investigation into claims that he verbally abused players.

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Just a few months ago, a magical run through the National Invitational Tournament obscured anything bubbling below the surface. The Colonials were busy celebrating their first postseason title. George Washington’s 76-60 rout of Valparaiso at Madison Square Garden even set a school record for wins in a season.

Irrespective of the recent tumult, GW is expected to remain a major force in the Atlantic 10 moving forward. But can Joseph’s troops stand up to the most formidable league foe of all? Handicappers definitely gravitate toward Dayton when evaluating potential Big Dance sleepers. In fact, online sports book Bovada.lv gives the Flyers odds of +20000 to cut down the nets next April.

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The Colonials’ veteran-laden roster opens up Nov. 11 vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore. Look for Joseph, a former guard at Michigan State and Vermont, to lean heavily on Tyler Cavanaugh. The senior forward scored 97 points and corralled 45 rebounds during the program’s five-game NIT stretch.