Sophomore George Gale posts up in the paint in a recent game against Rose-Hulman on Nov. 15. (Alexandra Acevedo | Contributing Photographer)

Coming into the 2024-25 season, the No. 4 WashU men’s basketball team had high expectations. They were coming off of a Sweet 16 appearance in last year’s NCAA tournament, and were ranked No. 4 overall in the nation. While they’ve only played three games, and it’s still early in the season, the Bears have, so far, looked the part of a national championship contender.

WashU faced two opponents this week, coming out of each game with a blowout victory, first against the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology at home with a final score of 84-59 on Nov. 15. Then, a few nights later on Nov. 19, the Bears bested Webster University 92-66 at Webster. Each game saw the Bears jump out to an early and sizable lead that they would hold onto the entire game.

WashU vs. Rose-Hulman

The Bears came out sharp against Rose-Hulman’s Fightin’ Engineers, jumping out to a quick 12-point lead in the game’s opening minutes. After starting their season-opening game a little slowly with signs of rust, it was a welcome sight to see the Bears get off to a fast start in their second game. Rose-Hulman would make a few runs, but the Bears never trailed in the entire game. 

The Bears scored 20 points off turnovers, as their defense and transition offense continue to be a strength for the team. Leading the charge once again was junior guard Yogi Oliff, who led the team with eight rebounds and was a key cog in starting the transition offense.

“We prioritize getting out in transition — that’s where we want to score,” Oliff said. “We have a lot of quick guys who can get the rebound and just go. If we don’t have to run any half-court offense, that would be ideal.”

The fastbreak has been a point of emphasis early on, as it was for last year’s team. As soon as a player grabs the rebound, all five Bears players are racing down the court to beat their defender. It doesn’t matter who has the ball — the Bears want to push.

“We have multiple players who are comfortable initiating. We call them ‘pushers,’” head coach Pat Juckem said. “If you grab a rebound — especially those longer rebounds — if we can bypass making an outlet pass to a designated point guard, it just puts a lot of pressure on defenses … When we pass the ball ahead of half court, our outcomes on the possessions are very good.”

The offense was firing on all cylinders for the Bears, evident by their 84 points scored, 10 points ahead of their average points per game from last season. 55.7% shooting from the field fueled WashU, who had five different players reach double-digit scoring, with nine total players scoring overall. That depth plays beyond just scoring, too, as everyone from point guard to center is capable of grabbing a rebound or being a pusher.

“It’s always better when you have more players who are capable,” Juckem said. “We can call a play or get the ball to a certain player, but we play against good coaches. They scout you, they take away your best option. You have to be able to create good opportunities … We really look for those possessions where all five players have a role.”

Senior guard Hayden Doyle was key in running the offense, with 15 points to go along with eight assists. His eight straight points to start the second half gave the Bears a comfortable lead they would never look back on. 

“It’s a collective effort,” Doyle said. “We’re all very unselfish — if one guy has it going, we get him the ball, and it’s just a lot of very talented players.”

WashU vs. Webster

Against the nearby Webster University, the Bears once again proved too much to handle. After taking the lead seven minutes into the match, WashU never looked back in a decisive victory.

The blowout win allowed the Bears to once again empty out their bench this season, and Juckem — who earned his 300th career win — was able to split minutes among the whole team, with no player reaching the 25-minute threshold. All 14 athletes saw the court for the first time this season.

Scoring was spread out once again, but the Bears played the whole game through their big man Calvin Kapral who dominated for his best game of the young season. He scored 19 points on an efficient 9-11, shooting to lead the team in scoring in only 18 minutes. He helped anchor a once-again strong Bears defense, and the Bears held Webster to below 40% from the field.

Sophomore guard Ryan Cohen contributed immensely, with five three-pointers made on six attempts, all within just 12 minutes. His instant offense helped the Bears jump out to the huge lead that ultimately resulted in the Bears’ best offensive output this season. WashU was remarkably efficient, shooting 54% from the field and a deadly 47% from three.

The Bears will hit the road for a contest on Saturday, Nov. 23 against Carroll University before heading to Memphis for the Rhodes Classic next weekend on Nov. 30.