Saturday, December 22, 2007

Patriots pick up first road victory

Nothing like playing Florida International to get Dre Smith and the Patriot offense going. Last season Dre Smith had his first big game with Patriots in Fairfax against FIU and this year the location was different but the result was the same. Smith led the Patriots to a 86-68 road victory by scoring 21 including 5 three-pointers. If only we could play FIU more often to keep Dre's shooting touch up to par. Folarin Campbell showed success at the point in the absence of Jordan Carter who missed the game with an ankle injury. Louis Birdsong had a strong performance grabbing 9 rebounds while Thomas only managed 2 despite his 20 points. All five Mason starters finished in double figures so things seem to be back on track for the moment on offense. Campbell did a fairly good job protecting the ball but will he stay the point even after Carter returns? Cam Long was the only bench player to score in a game where the Patriots used only 8 players for the first time this season (I'm not counting Tate's few seconds of action). I don't really have much else to say about this game, it was a road victory that should have came easy to us and I am glad the boys are starting to gel.


*******

On another note freshman Jay Threatt has decided to transfer and is no longer a member of the team. I think I can speak for most Mason fans when I say good riddance. After a summer that saw Threatt in legal trouble most of us were uneasy about the character of a guy like him coming to the squad. Not to mention I was never thrilled of the idea of using our last scholarship on an under 6-foot point guard to join a team full of guards. The good news is that we now have another scholarship spot open for next season, the bad news is we have missed out on some guys who have already signed. Still, this is a chance for Coach L to bring in other forward (hopefully with some size). Here is list from scout.com that shows all the 2008 recruits Mason has been in contact with, including the ones they have already signed.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Patriots head to Miami

Exams are over and now Coach L and his boys head to Miami to take on FIU Friday night looking for their first road win of the season. I gotta admit I love seeing the headline "Men’s Basketball Hosts Nationally-Recognized George Mason" on any opposing school's website. Last season against Florida International Dre Smith had his coming out party scoring 20 points and showcasing his quickness. This matchup is an interesting one with the Golden Panthers being led by 7-0 250 pound, Pepperdine transfer Russell Hicks. The Patriots smaller lineup could run up the score with their quickness and athletic advantages, but I hate to jinx the squad predicting they will blow out anyone after the ECU debacle. The Patriots could get into trouble if Hicks size and strength causes foul trouble for the front court, but the team should be well disciplined after the long break. Another thing to focus on in this game is Folarin Campbell, who is rumored to be moving back to the point. A move I am not sure will make a whole lot of difference in the offense but I think a change in the lineup like this could be good for the team and shake things up. Frankly Jordan Carter is not impressing me this season and I would really like to see more of Cam Long at the point, who by the way is shooting over 57% from the field. Also, I am curious to see the play of Louis Birdsong, who now does not have to worry about losing his starting position with Monroe permanently sidelined for the year. Look for Mason to finally start off strong and hopefully remind us of the team we saw destroy Drexel.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Monroe Redshirts

Well I can't say that I did not see this one coming. Monroe, who has yet to play this year, is taking a medical redshirt and will be eligible for the '08-'09 season. I have mixed feelings about it and unsure of the impact not having Monroe for this season will have on the Patriots down the stretch. On the one hand we have experienced post player for next year after Thomas leaves but we also will have less depth in the front court this season. His redshirting kills off our last scholarship for 2008 but that only means that we will have a four person class in 2009. Another way to look at it is that we will have another senior next season, a valuable commodity for mid-majors.

Monroe had surgery on October 9th to discover the source of the discomfort in his toe. He obviously feels that he is not 100% and this is the right decision to make but I just hate the lack of depth it leaves the Patriots front court with. In the last couple of games we have seen the Patriots lack of depth at forward exposed and taken advantage of. Will Thomas has only really been in foul trouble once this season but the same can't be said for Birdsong or big Vlad. Chris Fleming really hasn't done much besides looking confused and has trouble guarding more athletic forwards. The problem is that Thomas is the only low post player on the team now with Monroe permanently on the sidelines. Birdsong plays his best when he's away from the basket and can use his athleticism to beat a bigger forward off the dribble. Not to say he can't step in there and rebound but he doesn't like to box out. Vlad is a typical European style big man who loves to step out and shoot. Unfortunately for him the shots have not been falling but he has shown at times that he can play some defense in the low post. If Vlad can start taking some smarter shots from the outside and connecting he could really open things up for the Patriots and create serious mismatches. At 6'10" he has a height advantage over almost anyone that will be guarding him in the CAA.

I really felt that Monroe coming back could give this time a boost after some rough play lately but now they have to move forward without the big man. This team already relies so much on Will Thomas that it would have great to see him rest a few more minutes each game if Monroe was back. It will also be interesting to see if Vlad and Birdsong can capitalize off Thomas' double teams like Monroe eventually did at the end of last season. If they can't they will be putting tremendous pressure on the guards, who besides Vaughan have been very inconsistent so far. The good news in all this is that the best teams in the CAA do not have huge threats at the low post, so I still feel like we have the advantage in that area.

Thursday, December 13, 2007

College basketball dead week

Final exam week is never fun for anyone but it's not only the students that suffer it's also fans of college basketball. Our friends over at Storming the Floor share a great perspective on this dreaded week. But hey at least there's football on Thursdays now! I will try my best to provide links and reading material during this week along with Mason analysis.

On another note I have been participating in the Blogpoll Top 25 over at NCAA Today, each week I rank the top teams in college hoops along with my fellow blogger nerds, and no I don't rank Mason #1 every week. But I do think I should be invited to the Local Hoops Poll over at the DC Sports Bog at the Washington Post.

Sunday, December 9, 2007

It Kent be true

When the schedule for this season was released I looked at this game as a possible first loss. Mostly because it was our first road game and I did think playing teams like ECU and Hampton right before would do us any good. The Patriots started off with some hot shooting but failed to take care of the ball in the 2nd half that eventually led to a 73-55 loss. John Vaughan was the only Patriot who was actually playing like he should. JV led Mason with 17 points while none of the other guards had a strong shooting night. Will Thomas was able to add 12 points but managed only 2 rebounds. Yes that's right, 2. Cam Long and Jordan Carter combined for 3 assists, aren't they supposed to be running the offense? The turnovers are largely based on teams just sitting in the post waiting for Mason players to pass the ball in to Thomas. Sometimes it is ridiculous to watch because everyone in the stadium knows your trying to go to him and yet the lazy pass is made and picked off. This is something that has been happening way too much this year when we get behind. I have never questioned Larranaga's coaching but I just don't understand how he lets his guards telegraph passes in to Thomas. Mason has a break until Dec. 21 due to finals, this probably couldn't have come at a better time.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Grinding it out

Coming into this game it was uncertain what role Folarin Campbell was going to have after being benched for all but two seconds in the second half of the ECU. Coach Larranaga started Campbell last night in Fairfax and as a result he contributed 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, including a three pointer with 1:57 to go that all but sealed the victory for Mason. The Patriots shot the ball well (48%) but still had their struggles getting to the free throw and line (60%) and connecting. At times it looked like the Patriots were shredding the Pirate's zone defense but then they would creep back in the game. Hampton's defensive play was able to force the Patriots to turnover the ball 11 times in the first half and yet they were still able to lead at by 8 at halftime. Hampton would not go away in the 2nd half and got a lot of second chance opportunities that help to keep them in the game. Will Thomas who failed to score double digits for the first time this season, seems to be the only forward we have that can rebound. Speaking of which, the Washington Post reports that Darryl Monroe might not return this season and could be redshirted, yikes. Forward Louis Birdsong, despite his nice scoring touch of late, is picking up more fouls than rebounds and failed to finish the game again last night fouling out when the Patriots needed his defense. It was also another night where Dre Smith did not see a shot opportunity he didn't like, shooting 1 for 6 from the field and 1 for 5 from the three point stripe. I really feel Smith's erratic shooting throws the Patriots off balance at times late in the game. You ever play NBA Live on Xbox or Playstation and create yourself in the game and then only use yourself to take every shot? Well that is what it is sometimes like to watch Dre Smith play and the difference is in real life you can't max out all your attributes to 99% if you have a bad shooting first half.

It was a less than impressive victory for the Patriots but it was a victory none the less against a team that did beat VCU. True it was not the Hampton Pirates of old but after an embarrassing loss on Sunday you would have thought that this game would have gotten ugly as the Patriots took out there aggressions at home. We did see improved defensive play but still way too many turnovers at key moments in the game. Luckily at half-time we got to forget for a few minutes about Mason's turnovers as the Doc Nix lookalike contest winner was announced. Pictured to the left you can see why I was not impressed with the kid's outfit but I do like the matching cane he pulled out. But seriously Mason, how about a "create a better mascot" promotional event, that would fill some seats.

Pictures from the CAAZone.com

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Wednesday Bullets

-Rivals.com ranks Will Thomas one of nation's best power forwards and Coach L gets some love too

-I am really sad that the '05-'06 Patriots squad is not on this list as a "classic" team in March Madness '08, I was really looking forward to seeing digital Jai Lewis in HD

-Ever wonder what Larranaga looked like with flowing hair during his playing days at Providence?

-Dick Weiss of the NY Daily News gives our 2008 recruit Ryan Pearson some praise

-Mason ranked #5 in the mid-major poll and also ESPN's Top 10 mid-majors

-Collegehoopsnet.com ranks Mason #7 in the "High-Major Power Rankings", which consists of the A10, CAA, CUSA, MVC, MWC, and WAC conferences

-Students at ECU camp out in line for tickets after the Mason victory

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Previewing Hampton

The Patriots will try to bounce back tomorrow night in Fairfax as they face off against another team nicknamed the Pirates. How fitting. Last time they played Hampton in Fairfax it was a blowout to say the least. But this is in no way a similar squad, as they have already taken down VCU on their current three game winning streak and lost to Maryland by only six. Hampton is lead by senior guard Rashad West (pictured to the left) who is averaging 17 points and was able to drop 23 on the Terrapins. They play a similar style of play to the Patriots and are not strong from the three point or foul line. They were 1 for 12 on three pointers in their game against VCU but did force the Rams to turnover the ball 21 times. The Pirates do not have much talent up front but then again niether did ECU. Can Mason take advantage and get Thomas and Birdsong involved early? I think that will be the key to this game considering the shooting roles of the guards for Mason has been way too inconsistent. Dre Smith and John Vaughan will light it up at times but then fade away when they are needed. In other words, the Patriots will have to get back to their bread and butter, which is feeding Thomas in the low post. Thomas, who should have been able to beat ECU by himself, will hopefully be able to stay out of foul trouble in this one. Watching him on the bench for that long on Sunday night was painful.

An interesting story coming into this game is Folarin Campbell and his recent benching by Coach L. Will he start tomorrow or is he still in the dog house? I kind of get the impression something happened during halftime in the locker room Sunday that led to his lack of play in the second half despite his poor first half performance. The team could not need him more at this point and it is unfortunate to watch a guy like Campbell struggle with all he has done in the past. But if he again gets less than 20 minutes will guys like Cam Long and Dre Smith be able to produce in his absence? This could really open the door wide open for a guy like Long, who I am liking more and more each game.

Monday, December 3, 2007

DC Meltdown

I had wait til today to write this post because I had hoped that maybe I would wake up this morning and realize last night's BB&T disaster was only a dream. Unfortunately that was not the case and today I have been mulling over how to write this post without rage and numerous expletives. A sad realization to have to deal with after dismantling a much more talented Drexel team a few nights ago. Let's break down this debacle.

Most people try not to look too far ahead in the season, but I am not one of them. I am always looking past opponents like ECU and apparently Mason did the same thing last night. I am always thinking of the strong possibility that we might not win the conference and get the automatic bid to the dance. If that is the case, every game counts. This is so much more emphasized this season as our out of conference schedule is weak. This game right now is considering a "bad loss" as the bracketologist would say. I am not sure what a good loss is but I guess that's why I don't work for ESPN. But it's the kind of thing that can be the difference between the playing in the NIT or the NCAA tournament. Our RPI went from the top 10 to the mid 50s. Mason fans can only hope ECU can pull off some more upsets to get their RPI to a respectable number.

The Patriots started off this game slow, big surprise, and almost seemed like they were not interested. Once again there were struggles from the three point line and the foul line. The shooting woes were a big problem but it was not the only one. I don't think I've ever seen Folarin Campbell and Will Thomas on the bench that long since before the '05-'06 season. Thomas uncharacteristically got into early foul trouble and Campbell struggling shooting and also getting beat on defense. Thomas, who usually averages about 32 minutes a game, played only 24 and Campbell only checked in for 13. Campbell's inconsistency is really starting to become puzzling considering he in his senior year. Louis Birdsong played the most he has all season and ended up with 12 points and 8 rebounds but in no way does he have the ability to take over a game like Thomas can. This was not the same team we saw play Drexel, where was the intensity? Where was the killer instinct?

I know I sound like the sky is falling and although the loss is devastating it's not the end of the world. It is better that this happen now in December rather then in February. Sometimes teams like Mason need to be knocked down a peg. Maybe they were reading too much into the media hype, I am guilty of that myself. We can only hope that this loss can serve as a slap in the face and a wake up call to the Patriots.

Saturday, December 1, 2007

East Carolina Preview

Ah the annual BB&T Classic is tomorrow and like every year I am less than excited for our match-up. In the past I always hated how we would play teams like Maryland (when they were good) and get waxed. Now in a year where we are on fire we get to play the mighty Pirates of East Carolina. Check out this preview from their conferences website. Here's my favorite quote from the article:
The Pirates are yet to win a game against Division I competition this season. Their victories came against Division II Limestone and Division III N.C. Wesleyan. ECU has one win in its last 28 games versus Division I opponents and has currently lost seven straight.
Yes, they are that bad. Their leading scorer is currently lighting it up as he is the only player on the team averaging double digits (10.8). In a season where this Mason squad could really do some out of conference damage, I hate to see teams like this on our schedule. It's a game where we only have something to lose and nothing to gain. Thus the life of a mid-major.

Friday, November 30, 2007

Wow.

I am almost speechless. I knew Drexel was not going to be the same squad that took down Syracuse, Villanova, and St. Joe's last season but I did not think they would end up on the wrong side of the biggest blow out in CAA history. Watching this game was like watching a father beat his son; offensive at first but yet you can't look away. Saying Mason was on fire last night is a serious understatement. Every Patriot scored at least 5 points except for Jay Threatt, even big Chris Fleming had 10 points. With Dre Smith knocking down three pointers, Will Thomas was barely needed in this one. Let's just think about this for a second, Mason won by 47 points, shot over 50% from the field and their best shooter (percentage wise), Will Thomas, attempted only 7 shots. Mason is becoming the definition of "depth" in the NCAA as I would think it difficult to find a squad that plays better as a team then these guys are right now. The half court offense never looked so swift as the Patriots were able to pass the ball between the low post and perimeter keeping Drexel off balance. The intensity on defense was really the difference in the game as Mason was able to force the Dragons into shots they did not want to take. Frank Elegar, the all-CAA guy I who I highlighted in my last post was held scoreless and attempted one field goal. It was hard not to feel bad for the dazed Dragons as the last 8 or so minutes of the game was basically them playing an AAU squad as Mason lineup consisted of 4 freshmen and Chris Fleming; and yet the Dragons couldn't even get the margin down to 40. Conference play is definitely going to be interesting this year. Oh and by the way, VCU lost to Hampton?

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Previewing Drexel

After a holiday weekend in Disney and some national attention, the Patriots play their first conference game Thursday against Drexel. The key matchup in this game is of course Will Thomas against Frank Elegar. Both are all-CAA material and have been putting up similar numbers thus far in scoring and rebounding. Elegar returns as the team's leading scorer from last season but the Dragons lost Bashir Mason (11.2 ppg, 3.4 apg, 2.7 rpg), Chaz Crawford (6.8 ppg, 9.3 rpg, 3.3 bpg), Dominick Mejia (11.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg). I am especially glad to see Crawford (last seasons CAA defensive player of the year) gone as he played superb defense against the Patriots last season in Philadelphia. Despite losing some key three point shooters from last season the Dragons have seemed to fill the shoes thus far in that area. As a team they are shooting over 42% from behind the arc as true freshmen point guard Gerald Colds has made 19 of 34 attempts. Interesting to note that as strong as a three point shooting team they are, they are have shot terrible from the foul line (56.9%). The Dragons do not have much size on the perimeter and boast a three guard lineup whose speed could give Mason problems like South Carolina did. Fiery head coach Bruiser Flint likes to operate a half-court offense and keep the game low-scoring. Last year Flint's defense only allowed opponents to shoot around 40%, this season they have only allowed an average of 38%. I know they really haven't played anyone yet besides UVA but Drexel might be the toughest defense team the Patriots will face so far.


****

A lot of people have been asking me about Mason getting snubbed in the polls. Normally I don't pay attention because they are always mindblogging if you look at them closely. Even though the panel failed to wait til after Sundays games to vote it still makes no sense that Mason received no votes in the Coaches poll and Kansas State received 50. In the AP poll Mason received 34 votes but K-State is ranked #25? Take my advice and don't even look at the polls, they only thing worse is the BCS system in football.


****

One last side, Will Thomas was named CAA player of the week for the second straight time, shooting 55.6% from the floor and going 14-17 from the foul line. 14-17? Who are you and what have you done with the real Will Thomas. Imagine what he will be able to do when sidekick Monroe and his excellent low-post passing skills return.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Mason finishes third in classic

Mason was able to squeak by South Carolina Sunday night to take third place in the Old Spice Classic, in a game where they missed their first 12 shots and shot under 50% from the free throw line. The Patriots were down 14-2 to start as the Gamecocks were able to contain Will Thomas. It was difficult to watch a guy who as only 5'9" (Devan Downey) drive to the lane against the Patriots almost every play and make something happen. Downey is arguably one of the fastest players in college basketball and was disruptive all night. Mason was able to bounce back in the second half with strong play from Will Thomas, freshmen Cam Long, and Louis Birdsong. Birdsong must have eaten something different for breakfast on Sunday or maybe he got a boost riding the Tea Cups at Disney World because it was like watching a different player out there. He ended being named the player of the game and had the winning tip-in. Will Thomas was named to the All-Tournament team and Cam Long poured on 13 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals. He had some no look passes that I think even faked out the camera guy. His strong play kept Jordan Carter on the bench for the longest time this season, I think Carter will definitely have to fight to get playing time if Long can keep this up. Carter has the experience on his side but Long was pulling off some pretty ridiculous moves and looked like a cool veteran running the point. Although Dre and Campbell did not have great shooting nights John Vaughan was able to add some excellent long range shooting late. Vlad the Impaler was held to only 5 minutes mostly due to more athletic front court of the Gamecocks, but like I said before, he will be fine, don't worry.

All in all it was a great weekend for Mason despite falling short of the championship game. The Patriots were able to play against some major conference opponents and get valuable experience for their freshmen. It was also a chance for them to showcase their talent on national television, which gave the world the chance to see Will Thomas hit his first career three pointer, hopefully his last. We saw the Patriots play their best ball of the season so far with a much improved defense. And don't forget Monroe will be back before you know it. Oh and apparently we are "back".

Saturday, November 24, 2007

First cut is the deepest

Well the Patriots were unable to pull off consecutive "upsets" as they fell to Big East power Villanova yesterday. The loss is disappointing from the standpoint that if Mason played as sharp as they did against Kansas State they probably could have easily taken this one. But Mason fans should not feel down about this loss, for starters it was the the second game in less than 24 hours against a nationally ranked team. Scottie Reynolds was held in check by the Patriots in the first half but then took over in the second. Mason shot well from the field and from the three point stripe but 'Nova just shot better. They boasted a lineup that often featured Reynolds and two other point guards, all of whom could hit threes from anywhere on the court. An offense like that is very difficult to defend, especially when they are shooting over 40% from long range. Will Thomas and Folarin Campbell were again able to carry the offense, but Vaughan and Carter were held to unproductive games. Dre Smith picked up the slack early and was deadly from three point land but was unable to be a factor late in the game. Carter managed only 1 assist after dishing out 8 against Kansas State. Cam Long had his best game as a Patriot scoring 7 points and made some great plays on offense and defense as well. His three point play early in the game showed he is going be a playmaker this year once he gets more minutes. Fellow freshmen Vlad Moldoveanu (which for some reason announcers have an easier time pronouncing then Folarin) got the start again and didn't play as well as he did the previous night but was able to get some solid experience against a serious opponent. Larranaga was not afraid to use him, Long, and Tate in this game, which will pay dividends later in the season during conference play.

Next up is South Carolina on Sunday at 4:30, who might not be the cream of the crop in the SEC but are a squad that gave a very good NC State team a run for it's money. It's hard to imagine but Mason actually has a small size advantage over this team. Will Thomas should be able to get back on track and dominate in this game. The Gamecocks are a very proficient three point shooting team and the Patriots will have to play some better perimeter defense then they did last night.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Taking'em to school

Oh how sweet it is to see Mason's experience take down another talent heavy but young squad. I figured I had to start this post with a sentence containing the word "experience" because the ESPN2 announcers probably said about 2345 times last night. It got to the point were my brother and I started to play a drinking game about it. I also love how every time Mason plays on ESPN some announcer has to say what "Folarin" means in Nigerian. But they were right, Kansas State's inexperience really showed in this game as the Patriots looked calm and cool throughout the whole game. Also I don't think it hurt that was some extra motivation involved here after Michael Beasley's name was being mentioned every five seconds. The Patriots are off to a 4-0 start for the first time in school history as Folarin Campbell, Will Thomas, and John Vaughan all had sensational games. That being said I can't anything away from that Beasley kid who despite having only six points at halftime, finished with 30 and 10. At times he was able to score at will, too bad no one else on that squad could score until it was too late.

Mason was able to shoot the ball very well and even went 8 for 17 from the three point line. The Patriots have not shot the ball this well all season and Vaughan seemed to be in the zone all night. Jordan Carter posted 10 points, 8 assists, and 9 rebounds and was able to set up a lot of three point chances for his fellow Patriots. Freshman Vlad Moldoveanu got his second start did a descent job guarding Beasley at certain points. Vlad is a star in the making, just you wait and see. I was also pleased the play of Cam Long, he has been handling the ball well and looks like a veteran out there. I had mentioned that long range shooting and getting to the foul line would be keys to this game but it was really Mason's defensive presence that took over the game. The Patriots had their share of miscues and sloppy play but unlike the Wildcats everyone on the floor for Mason was an offensive threat. It was a true test of veteran depth versus young talent. At many times during the game Beasley would simply just rely on his talents to score from anywhere on the floor and Mason could do nothing to stop him. But that didn't matter because Mason played better as a team, got everyone involved and played solid defensive. Sure it's not fun to watch at times but it's how Larranaga has been winning games for years.

Up next is Villanova, who had a little bit of trouble against UCF yesterday. I like our chances in this game but Scottie Reynolds could cause some problems. They are a much more polished team then Kansas State and have more experience. If Mason can play like they did last night they will be advancing to the championship game on Sunday.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Previewing Kansas State

On Thanksgiving night the Patriots will most likely face their toughest regular season opponent, Kansas State in the Old Spice Classic on ESPN2. The wildcats boast a young but powerful and high octane lineup which includes Michael Beasley; who so far seems to have the makings of the next Kevin Durant. Despite it still being very early in the season, Beasley seems to arguably be the best player in college basketball right now as he is averaging 30 points and 20 rebounds through his first 3 games (and no that's not a typo). I don't care who he was playing, those are ridiculous numbers. Beasley and his fellow top 2007 recruit Bill Walker create serious mismatches for the Patriots. Both will have more size and athleticism than anyone who will be guarding them tomorrow night. Even if Monroe was in the lineup, Mason would still be greatly out-manned in the lost post. What will Mason have to do to upset the wildcats?

Kansas State brings a lot of athleticism and speed to the floor but their guard play and lack of a strong long range shooter could open the door for the Patriots. They are a young team and have played sloppy and inconsistent in their three games this season. They barely got by Division II Pittsburgh State allowing them to go on a 15-0 run in the second half and needed Beasley to explode late in the game to beat Western Illinois. If Mason can play their historically tough defense and keep the game low scoring the wildcats could be forced to play a type of game they are not used to. The wildcats want a fast paced up and down the court game, a game in which Beasley and Walker will dominate. Mason will have to rely good three point shooting and getting to the foul line, like they did against Dayton. Will Thomas will have his hands full all night and mostly won't be able to carry the team like he's been doing. That being said Louis Birdsong and Chris Fleming are going to have to show up and help out Thomas in a low blocks. Guard play will be very important for Mason to pull off this upset, another strong night from Folarin Campbell and Jordan Carter is imperative. Let's hope Mason can play their game and pull this one off and not make their fans hope that the ESPN2 audience passed out during the second half due to turkey and wine.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Big Week for Big Willie Style

Well I think most Mason fans saw this one coming, Will Thomas is the CAA's player of the week. In this first week of action Thomas has been putting up some very impressive numbers and even improved his free throw shooting percent recently. I do believe his rebounding numbers are a little inflated due to the fact that Monroe is still out, but nonetheless it's an impressive stat line. I think the real question this poses to Mason fans is can he keep this up against Kansas State and will that even be enough? Thomas will need at least 20 and 15 to help Mason pull this off on turkey day and that might not even be enough if the team doesn't connect on it's three pointers. Now if only Folarin Campbell could show the same consistency Thomas brings every night...

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Record setting night

Now that is more like it. The Patriots were able to take down the Dayton Flyers last night in Fairfax, going 21 for 21 from the free throw line despite struggling from there in the previous contests. Mason is 3-0 to start the season for the first time in almost 30 years. Folarin Campbell was able to find his shooting touch and Will Thomas again was able to dominate on the boards. Jordan Carter also had a great night running the point and picked up three steals to go along with his 15 points. Big Vlad got his first career start but was held scoreless despite having a few open looks. His time will come, I'm not worried. Dre Smith seemed a little bit more like himself in the this game but still was 0-5 from three point land. The best thing to take away from this game was Campbell and Thomas really leading the way and setting the tone in a game that would have been a blow out without Dayton's Brian Roberts pouring on the points late. The only real downside in this game was Mason's poor perimeter shooting that is really starting to become painful to watch.

The guard play was much improved as Mason able to capitalize on Dayton double and triple teaming Thomas down low. Mason was able to adjust at half time and open things up more for Thomas who was uncharacteristically amazing from the foul line. This could really be a monster season for him if this keeps up. Having said that, the other forwards will have to step up their play for Mason to have any chance against Mike Beasley and Kansas State. Birdsong and Fleming have not shown much this season in Monroe's absence.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

It ain't pretty but it'll do

Sorry for the delay in posts, it's been a busy couple of weeks for me. Larranaga is off to a 2-0 start for the first time in his 11 seasons at GMU, although the wins have been less than stellar. Cleveland State and Vermont will not be going to the big dance this year without pulling off some miracles within their respected conferences, and yet Mason struggled at certain points in both games in Fairfax. Will Thomas and John Vaughan have been impressive but in both games the team looked a lot like last years squad and I'm not talking about the same squad that ran through the CAA tournament. Also, Darryl Monroe's absence might have more of an impact that I once thought. Let's look deeper into these games.

Vermont:

In a night that was filled with terrible shooting and Mason line-ups that were smaller than some area high school squads, we saw this squad come from behind in a late run that was help fueled by a freshman. Will Thomas saved the day with his career high 17 rebounds while Folarin Campbell's shooting woes, which we saw from time to time last season capped off a terrible shooting night from both the foul line and three point line. 1-17 from the three point line, are you serious? Does anyone else think Jordan Carter should shoot more, check the numbers, he has been the most consistent long range shooter but rarely takes enough shots. Although I did say the same thing about Dre Smith last season and he ends up with 2 points on 1 for 8 shooting. Where is the killer instinct he had last March? One can only hope to chalk this up to early season jitters but at least we saw that Vlad Moldoveanu can rebound and play some defense to go along with that scoring touch.

Cleveland State:

Another ugly game in which the Patriots were able to grind out a victory despite not putting up good numbers. Thomas and Vaughan again led the way in scoring while Campbell managed only 1 field goal for the 2nd straight game and committed 5 turnovers. No other Patriot managed more than one basket besides Thomas or Vaughan, wow. A better defensive team would have locked down the Patriots in the 2nd half with play like that. I would have thought to see some improvement in this game but hey a win is a win, right? The three point shooting did improve, but when are we going to see Isaiah Tate launching up some shots from behind the arch? Isn't this what he was brought in for? There were times in both this game and the Vermont game in which he services could have been used to provide a spark off the bench. Look for it soon if poor shooting from the field continues.

Monday, November 5, 2007

More Hype

Will Thomas and Folarin Campbell are ranked in the Top 10 CAA players on Collegehoopsnet.com, here's the full list:
"1. Eric Maynor, G, VCU
2. Antoine Agudio, G, Hofstra
3. Frank Elegar, C, Drexel
4. Will Thomas, F, George Mason
5. TJ Carter, G, UNC-Wilmington
6. Matt Janning, G, Northeastern
7. Herb Courtney, F, Delaware
8. Folarin Campbell, G/F, George Mason
9. Abdulai Jalloh, G, James Madison
10. Vladimir Kuljanin, F, UNC-Wilmington"

Also, Mason is projected in Lunardi's famous bracketology as an 11th seed. I wonder what changed since June that would make Lunardi add Mason to the field now. CBS has Mason as a bubble team with VCU projected as the auto-bid winner. And lastly Mason gets some love from the Storming the Floor blog and from the Washington Post at the end of this article. Love from the Post? Yeah I am shocked too.

Friday, November 2, 2007

One Week Away

The season opener against Vermont is a week away, here's some more hype for Mason to get you in the mood:

-Mason season outlook by blue ribbon yearbook aka "basketball bible"

-Will Thomas was named a mid-major all-american

-Mason is #9 on the first mid-major Top 25 poll

Friday, October 26, 2007

Tally the Votes

It's that time again, the first polls are being released. The AP Top 25 has not been released yet, but the ESPN/USA Today poll was and VCU received 5 votes, ODU 3, and our beloved Patriots received 2. I'd like to point out that that's one more vote than Maryland got, ha! This is great news for our conference showing that we already have some respect entering the season, unfortunately it makes it difficult for Mason or VCU to sneak up on other teams. Even though the out of conference schedule for our teams is not great, I still believe one of these teams will have a chance to crack the Top 25 by mid-season.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Florida Big Man Headed to Fairfax

At long last Mason has finally reeled in a big man in the 2008 recruiting class. Michael Morrison of St. Petersburg (Fla.) Lakewood has given a verbal to Coach L and at 6'8" (6'9" on some websites) he brings some size that Mason will definitely miss after Will Thomas and Darryl Monroe leave. Rivals.com has an article on him that states he is one of the "best shot blockers in the country". It's difficult for me to remember a time when any Mason forward had more than 2 blocks in a game, so a player like this could add a new dimension to Coach L's defensive schemes. This website ranks Morrison 44th best player in Florida when he was a junior and sadly we all know how well Florida is at producing athletes. Morrison is also a leader, much like the other '08 recruits, as he guided his team to the state championship game last season.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Pearson commits to Green and Gold

Coach L has gotten a third verbal for this 2008 recruiting class. The latest member is 6'6" forward Ryan Pearson from New York. This article mentions his solid rebounding skills in the Nike Super Six tournament. Check out him in action on these youtubes, he's number 24. Supposedly he chose Mason over a couple of Big East schools, largely because Mason came after him first and he loved the coaching staff. In these rankings from HoopScoop Online they rank Pearson #94, which is higher than Mason's two other '08 recruits. It's funny how the three recruits are ranked in different order in almost every website but that's just the way these player rankings go. The only question I have is what role he will play for Mason. He was basically a power forward in high school but I think he is undersized to play that at the college level, but Mason could definitely use a solid rebounding forward regardless.

Saturday, October 13, 2007

And it begins

It wasn't quite midnight and there wasn't much madness, but last night the Patriot Center was alive and well for the first basketball crowd of the season. Sure it may not have been on ESPNU this year but at least you got to see Gunston dance to "Bye Bye Bye". Here's some other things I took away from last night:
  • Darryl Monroe was in crutches, but don't worry it's only his toe, you can read more about his injury here
  • The spotlight dance show from Gunston did not win me over, I still hate him
  • Louis Birdsong jumping off the platform during introductions gave me a scare, has there ever been an injury report necessary after midnight madness?
  • Coach L came out but didn't have any new material, still sticking to the CAA/Mason related factoids to win the crowd over
  • Next year I would enjoy NOT seeing the wrestling team dress up in drag and sing "Grease Lightning"
  • Doc Nix was sporting the bald look and is it just me or did his cane get longer?
  • Jordan Carter still has the best dance moves on the team
  • Isaiah Tate has got some serious ups and seems to already be a fan favorite, helping the freshmen win the dunk contests
  • I can't wait to watch Dre Smith again this season, the best is yet to come

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

New Kids on the Block

With midnight madness only days away we will finally get a chance to see the our new freshmen players in action at the Patriot Center. Here's what we can expect from each of them this season:

Cameron Long: Can play either guard spot but will most likely need time to adjust to the level of play before he's a regular contributor off the bench. Cam showed in high school that he is solid leader as he almost single handedly carried his team into the state playoffs. Has great size for a CAA guard (6'4") and is the best one-on-one defender of the new guys coming in.






Isaiah Tate: When Tate walks on the court for the first time in Fairfax he will probably be the best free throw shooter on the team, if not the best pure shooter. He put up almost perfect free throw shooting in his high school days and almost Steve Kerr-like numbers from behind the three point line. Tate will most likely get more minutes than Long because of his ability to hit three pointers which was greatly needed in the end of some games last season.





Vlad Moldoveanu: The Final Four baby is the most highly touted freshmen to come to Mason in years. The 6-10 Romanian has international competition experience and is an excellent shooter. He is not a great rebounder despite his height and needs to add some bulk to his frame. That being said Vlad is expected to be a prolific scorer at the collegiate level and will log the most minutes of the newcomers, considering he is really the only true small forward on the team.




Jay Threatt: The small point guard probably won't see much action this season but his quickness and ability to get the basket do provide a great asset to the team. If he develops the ability to become a play maker I could see him getting some more minutes but he would have to excel better than Long or Tate and I don't really think he is up to their skill level.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Keep'em Coming

The 2008 recruiting for the Patriots is already starting to look very promising with Cornelius recently committing and now Florida native Kevin Foster entering his verbal yesterday. Yeah that's right he's from Florida. I would almost have to believe the commitment from Cornelius may have helped persuade Foster to come to Fairfax. I am just thankful that at last Mason has finally brought in a three star power forward, unfortunately he will have the task of filling the shoes of Will Thomas (who by the way is ranked the #24 power forward in the nation at collegehoopsnet.com). Prepstars.com has a write-up on Foster and mentions him as being "a high-major player for sure". But what I like most about what I am reading on Foster is his short hook shot and ability to get to the free throw line. Also the kid averaged 8 rebounds in his junior year, an area of the game Mason has been desperate to improve on for years.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Mason makes a Splash

Sorry for the long delay in posts but I come back bearing some great news and no it's not that Mason finally released a schedule. The 2008 recruiting class is already in full swing as Mason has received a commitment from Charlotte native Andre Cornelius. Coach L had been after Andre for awhile and he was coveted by many other top schools including USC, Tennessee, Oklahoma State, and Illinois. Scout.com has Cornelius ranked the #38 point guard in the nation despite being 5'10". What Andre lacks in size he makes up for with quickness and the ability to penetrate. He definitely fits the mold of a true point guard and will be needed with most of Mason's veteran guards graduating in the coming years. You can check out a video of him in action here. Future looks bright for Mason in the back court, but I am still waiting for Coach L to sign a big man to eventually replace Thomas and Monroe.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Let the Rankings Begin

As the summer is officially winding down you can expect every college basketball website to start putting out pre-season rankings. Collegehoops.net and Rivals.com have already gotten underway with this and recently Rivals countdown has placed Mason at #47. Whats interesting is that Maryland is listed at #48, ha I love it. Even though I've stated many times that these rankings are total bs, it's still entertaining. Rivals has mentioned that they believe both Mason and VCU should make the NCAA tournament this year, I couldn't agree more but at this point its mostly just hype. The article mentions that importance of the bench players contributing as the starting lineup provided a large majority of the scoring. Rivals seems to think Vlad Moldeveanu will be thrown into the fire early due to the lack of size and depth in the front court, but I'm not sure if we will see this right away. Vlad might be 6'10" but he is not a bruising power forward or center, his game is based mostly on his outside shooting. I could see Chris Fleming and Louis Birdsong logging more minutes in the frontcourt as they both showed improvement during the CAA tournament.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Mason not in Munson's Plans

After a lot of rumor and speculation by Mason fans that the former All-Met Dematha point guard Nigel Munson would transfer to Fairfax it seems that he is intent on attending George Washington. He is so intend on going there that he is attending community college this fall just so he can later enroll at GW. His desire to transfer to a school closer to home was made difficult after his release from VA Tech prevented him from directly transferring to GW because they were in the the Hokies future schedule plans. After hearing this news some Mason fans (including myself) held on hope that he would chose to play for Coach L as it would seem like the only logical choice if he could not go to GW. I'm not even sure if Munson was ever considering Mason but we fans are used to "Livin' on a Prayer" when it comes to these matters. But hey look on the bright side at least the charges against our recruit Jay Threatt have been dropped.

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Former 'Skins GM Joins Mason

In an interesting news story I just came across it seems Mason has brought in former Redskins GM and NFL analyst for CBS, Charley Casserly. Recently Casserly was with the Houston Texans and was the decision maker behind the selecting of Mario Williams over Reggie Bush or Vince Young in the 2006 draft. Wow, im so glad this sports genuis has decided to spread his "wisdom" with the Mason community. I'm not even a Texans fan and that draft still upsets me. But have no fear as according to the DC Sports Bog Casserly will be titled as an executive-in-residence and instructor of sport management, hopefully meaning he has no decision making abilities related to men's basketball. I'm not even going to continue the rumors that this move might show that Mason is making some sort of progress on getting a football team because I've given up on that for the time being. Lastly, Casserly's job description involves career counseling for Sport Management program students. Hope he doesn't come across any Texan fans while providing this counseling, as I'm sure they would have some "counseling" ideas of their own to share with him.

Thursday, August 2, 2007

More Than Just Hoops

Coach Larranaga: basketball coach, motivator, public speaker, geography educator? Yes, that is correct, Coach Larranaga's basketball summer camp apparently is not limited to just hoops. GMU Geography Department Chair Allan Falconer discovered that Larranaga would often quiz his campers on geography. This prompted Coach L and Falconer to develop the "Mason World Ball", an NCAA-regulation basketball that is also a globe providing a correct scale representation of the location and areas of the continents. I'm not making this up, take a look. I'm sure the campers loved that during their summer break from school their basketball instructor was quizzing them on how many U.S. states start with the letter 'M', I can hear the screams of joy now. I joke about it but it is free publicity for Mason as they teamed up with National Geographic Society and the Geographic Information System (GIS) software company ESRI to develop the ball which also sports the Mason logo. I think it's great Coach L is helping out other departments of Mason but for the love of God focus on getting us a football team first! Is that really too much to ask? Well it might be, but still.

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

BB&T Classic Update

I had mentioned in an earlier post that it looked like George Washington was going to be our opponent in this years BB&T Classic, but I've come to realize that's not happening. Instead of having the local teams play each other they are matching up Mason, Maryland, and GW with three different opponents. Makes no sense to me. Why can't this be an annual local rivalry tournament, wouldn't that draw more interest? Well anyway today in Andy Katz's insider blog he mentions that Mason's opponent in the BB&T Classic is in fact East Carolina.
"The love affair with the Patriots for TV, though is gone. The Patriots, who have nine of the top 10 back that played in the CAA tournament title game, should be co-favorites for the league title with VCU. But Mason couldn't get games better than Vermont and Dayton for its new home-and-home series. The BB&T Classic in D.C. got Mason a game with East Carolina. George Mason is in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando with Kansas State, N.C. State, Villanova, South Carolina, Central Florida, Penn State and Rider for what could be the best three games of its nonconference schedule."
Not really the news I wanted to hear, as our non-conference schedule is starting to look dreadful. Looks like after Drexel, Hofstra and ODU's non-conference success last year no one wants to play the CAA this season. I'm sure at least Gary Williams is happy.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Kenner League Champs

The Nike "Jabbo" Kenner League is among the premier summer college basketball leagues in the country and is annually held at McDonough Arena on the Georgetown campus. Every year most of Mason's squad participates and mix it up for some glorified summer street-ball action. You will even see some NBAers as Jeff Green and James Lang played as well as Tony Skinn, who was supposedly a player-coach. It's always a great chance for the new recruits coming in to get some experience as Vlad Moldoveanu, Cameron Long, and Isaiah Tate all played. Most of Mason's players were on the championship Meyers & Alterman team, with the exception being Will Thomas. Kind of interesting that both teams made up by mostly Georgetown players and recruits were beaten in their own gym by a team that had mostly mid-major players.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Scheduling Rumors

So far the word on the street is the beginning of our schedule will look something like this:

Friday, Nov 9 - Vermont (home opener)
Tues, Nov 13 - Cleveland State
Sat, Nov 17 - Dayton
Weds, Dec 5 - Hampton
Sun, Dec 30 - Liberty

I know what your thinking, wow we will never have an at-large chance with these guys on our schedule, but Dayton and Vermont could end up being solid RPI-opponents. Don't forget that we do play a stacked Kansas St. team in the Old Spice classic with the possibility of also playing Villanova. Also, the possibility of four consecutive home games in the beginning of the season is a luxury mid-major teams never see. Usually mids are on the road in the beginning of the season collecting game checks and getting hammered by powerhouses so they can pad the win column. Some people think its win-win, I think it totally sucks. Then again, why can't we pad the win column early in the year? Having consecutive home games this early helps Mason get into a rhythm and have confidence going into the conference schedule. Yes, it was cool to watch Mason last year on ESPN play Duke at Cameron, but that game did nothing but destroy confidence and rattle our young squad that was trying to find an identity from the previous years team. The big conferences schedule "cupcakes" teams early in the year to give their squads a tune-up, so why don't more mid-majors do it?

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

"Best Game I've Ever Seen"

On paper, it was one of the most improbable upsets; George Mason defeating UConn in the 2006 Elite Eight. A game I was able to witness live after spending the night in the GMU field house waiting in line for tickets with my fellow students. Some might say I am biased in saying it was the greatest game I've ever seen, but let me tell you that I have seen my fair share of great games long before I was a Mason die hard. Even today the game it's still getting press as Stewart Mandel from SI.com has it as his choice for best game he's ever seen. I'll never forget the entire student section singing Livin' on a Prayer in unison and the near fist fights my friends and I almost got into with 40 year-old UConn fans during halftime.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

A Change of Heart

It's been an interesting off-season for the Virginia Tech basketball team as their players seem to all the sudden have a change of heart about playing there. The team has already seen Augustus Gilchrist go the prep school route, 2008 recruit Shamarr Bowden withdraw his commitment, and backup center Robert Krabbendam quit the team. But there's only one guy I care about in this situation and that is Nigel Munson, who has recently been granted a release from his scholarship with the intent to transfer to a Washington area team due to personal reasons. According to the Post's recruiting insider, Mason is in the running for him. Coach L offered to him in 2005 and he also got attention from Georgetown. Apparently all the local "Georges" are in the mix, as GW is now also being mentioned. Munson, another product of the Dematha Catholic juggernaut, was rated a 4-star recruit on scout.com and ranked #16 out of all 2006 point guards. He averaged about 11 minutes a game in his freshmen year at Tech and shot over 38% from the three-point line. The possibility of an ACC caliber player coming to Fairfax is exciting but how real of a chance does Mason have in getting him? I think the fact that Mason was going after him pretty strong in 2005 might be a huge factor but I can't count out Georgetown who we annually lose recruits to, well expect for Folarin Campbell. Mason would provide Munson with the opportunity to play right away but will that be enough?

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Becoming a Threatt...

Jay Threatt, the last 2007 recruit signed by Mason is in trouble. Threatt is facing robbery and abduction charges in Richmond, where apparently he and two other teens held a 17-year-old boy at gunpoint looking for money. Authorities believe Threatt was the wheelman in this robbery possibly showing that his speed was not limited to the basketball court. Threatt is not able to enroll at George Mason until proceedings are completed but that probably won't matter because he will likely be dismissed from the team. This incident is similar to what happened with 2006 recruit Richard Flemming, whose scholarship was withdrawn by Larranaga following a summer incident. It will be interesting to see if that does happen will Larranaga try to sign someone before the summers over or hold on to the scholarship for a 2008 recruit. One possibly is local All-Met guard Deontay Twyman, who has committed Ball State but Coach Ronny Thompson could be on his way out, will Twyman bolt too? Twyman was also a football star and heavily recruited by Mason, getting him would be a major upgrade over Threatt. Washington Post recruiting insider Josh Barr speculates this as well.

I not too upset about losing a 5'8" guard, especially considering the depth Mason has going into next season. But Larranaga and his staff still put in a lot of effort in scouting and signing this kid that could have been used on someone else. I thought if we signed a 4th recruit this off-season it would've been a forward considering Monroe and Thomas are gone after next season. Now the scholarship can saved for next year giving the coaching staff some more options. I am almost wondering if Larranaga knew he was taking a chance on Threatt and that's why he was signed so late compared to the other recruits this off-season. Nevertheless, it's still a black-eye for the basketball program and the university.

Return of the Konkol

Scott Cherry might be heading out west but he will be replaced on Larranaga's staff by a familiar face. Eric Konkol, a Mason assistant coach from 2002-2005 returns to Fairfax after coaching high school basketball and a short stint at North Dakota State, where he resigned after about 2 months. An excellent scout and recruiter, Konkol is a great young coaching asset that already knows Larranaga's system. Losing Cherry was unfortunate but Mason does get back a great all-around basketball mind.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

BB&T Classic to Air on MASN

The BB&T Classic will be aired on MASN this year and not Comcast, thank god. If I had to listen to the college basketball "analysts" on Comcast call the games again I'd probably hang myself. The article mentions that the switch was made due to scheduling conflicts and the fact that MASN offered a greater subscriber base. MASN has a larger subscriber base than Comcast, who knew? I for one greatly enjoyed the amount of coverage MASN gave the Patriots last season and I'm hoping they won't drop us like Triple X radio did. It's not only the announcers that I liked but also that they would actually have some pre-game and post-game coverage. This was something Comcast never did because they always had the Redskins coverage or something else immediately after the game. Originally it seemed that Mason was going to be playing George Washington in this event but it looks like that match-ups and other teams are still waiting to be determined.

Monday, July 9, 2007

Cherry Pickin'

It's now official, assistant coach Scott Cherry will be leaving Mason to coach at Western Kentucky next season. The decision is based on a new opportunity for Cherry but also for him to be able to move his family closer to home. I wish Cherry the best of luck and maybe we might see him back at Mason in the future, but this move really shakes up the coaching staff as only Chris Caputo and big Coach L himself remain on the staff from last season. Will they look to hire someone with experience or bring in a young fresh face? Cherry was known more for his offensive strategies while at Mason but was also Larranaga's recruiting coordinator. But lately recruiting is not something I am worried about as the talent is starting to come in, Chris Caputo has been doing a great job of getting that talent in the DC area.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Thursday Bullets

Monday, July 2, 2007

Skinn and Stokes Reunion

I'm sorry but I can't over look this. It's true, Tony Skinn and Loren Stokes are both going to be playing on the Orlando Magic summer league team. Their reunion represents a dark day in college basketball and the CAA when Skinn's below the belt punch to Stokes made national headlines thanks to a North Carolina news channel. Good thing Mason's historic run through the NCAA tournament occurred right after this so most people quickly forgot about that incident. But you can't tell me this isn't going to be awkward, even if Skinn apologized I doubt there isn't still some bad blood. But now they are professionals fighting for a chance to maybe get on an NBA roster for next season. According to the Magic's website they will be broadcasting the summer league games on the internet and will have players blogging about the games and their experiences. Hmmm, this could be interesting.

Friday, June 29, 2007

Offers on the table

Another busy summer of hitting the recruiting trails continues for Coach L and his assistants. They have been heavily perusing four players from the DC Assault U16 AAU team which has garnered a lot of attention at local and nationwide tournaments. Larranaga is doing what he does best and trying to get after these kids before they start to get more attention from big conference schools. Mason has offered to 2009 prospects Javorn Farrell (Ireton), Rashad Whack (McNamara), and Rodney McGruder (Carroll), as well as 2010 PG Daryl Traynham. McGruder is a my kind of prospect as he is described as the kind of player that is very athletic and known to " punish rims and get up and down the floor". Meanwhile Traynham is a 5'9" floor general and has been talked about as the "best transition guard this area has had in awhile”. It has been very rare to see a rising junior sign with the Patriots this early on but I feel like these days it's a possibility that is starting to look realistic.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Lamar takes it to the streets

Lamar Butler, probably the most recognizable Mason basketball alumni, is spending his summer days playing in the Goodman League which is known as "Washington's Premier Streetball League". The games are played at the Barry Farms Dwelling basketball courts located at Firth Sterling Avenue in Southeast Washington, D.C. The league, which has been around since 1975, features current and former NBA players, college players, and participants from various communities. Gilbert Arenas played last summer and you can find a video of it here. To me it seems streetball leagues like this would be more of Tony Skinn's style instead Lamar's, considering I have never seen anyone on the And 1 mixtape tour shot a three-pointer.


Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Just watch them play!

The days of evaluating college players by actually watching them play might be numbered. Everywhere you look these days some "analyst" is making a case for some formula or equation they created that can more accurately evaluate talent. It's getting closer to the day when scouts won't even have to step away from their computers to evaluate talent. Soon NBA teams will hire guys like the ones from that show "Numb3rs" on CBS to tell them which players to draft. I think there is a reason guys like John Hollinger works for ESPN.com and not the front office of an NBA franchise; he has no idea what he's talking about. Take a look at his new system for evaluating college talent here. This article is free on ESPN insider this week, my god people pay to see this stuff? He goes on to explain the method to his madness and from reading it I can suffice it to say that I still have no idea how he is calculating this. One thing I noticed is that strength of schedule it not factored in. So basically he's basing some of his evaluation on situations like when Greg Oden grabbed 16 boards against Cleveland State or when Glen Davis scored 26 against Louisiana-Monroe.

It's a long math equation most likely that could probably only be understood by him and maybe Matt Damon's character in "Good Will Hunting". Not a bad idea if you trying to make some waves at ESPN. Make a long, difficult math equation to explain your rankings, its genius, not like anyone would actually go and check your work. No sports fan likes math, so why not use it as backup to justify why you think Mike Conley Jr. is the third best player in this year's draft.

Hollinger isn't the only stat guru out there with too much time on his hands. The Win Score model is something I came across on draftexpress.com and I like how it adjusts to the level of competition but I don't see how that can be explained with numbers. The guys over at kenpom.com are even more nuts. At least their website actually has useful information and analysts but trying to understand how they calculate tempo, pace, and efficiency is mind boggling. And they factor in "luck" to their equations, yeah and thats not a typo. Here is Mason's statistic page, you could literally spend hours trying to figure out what some of this means. One stat I do like is the free throw rate. I said all season long that the Patriots needed to get to the line more and heres proof, their free throw rate was ranked #328 in nation, pretty close to dead last.

I know most of these crazy calculations have their purpose but I think some of these guys are taking it to the extreme. Watch the boys play, that is the best way to evaluate talent. Greg Oden can shoot free throws with either hand, wheres the stat that tells you about that? There are just too many other factors besides numbers that tells me what makes a quality basketball player.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Let the smack talk begin

Is it ever really too early to start making preseason rankings for college basketball? Collegehoopsnet.com never seems to think so and although I constantly write how much preseason rankings are total bullshit I can't help but join in on the hype. I mean what else are preseason rankings good for in college basketball other than to be the source of smack talk? And maybe this website looks like a jumbled myspace page but they have some great analysis and reviews. The website's creator Shawn Siegel (who claims to be the hardest working man on the internet) has put out an updated Top 50 preseason ranking list and he has Mason listed at #44. I can't say that I disagree with this ranking and I'm not afraid to say it could even be higher considering we return almost our entire starting lineup. Also, every summer this site ranks the Top 144 teams in the nation and they do an analysis on each of the teams. Last summer they had Mason at #80 which turned out to be quite generous and they definitely pointed out some flaws that came true for us last season.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Thick Skinn

Last season I would have to say the player I missed watching the most was Tony Skinn. Seemed like no one could slash and drive to basket, get to the foul line and make plays. It was an element the Patriots were missing last year that led to some of their struggles. But at least Skinn's skills are continuing to be showcased as the once France baller has now been given a shot on the Orlando Magic summer league team. Starting next month Skinn will get his chance to showcase his skills in front of NBA GMs and play his way into a full contract with a team. Although the league is mostly of NBA rookies and bench players, Skinn will still be going up against some good talent. I'm sure he'd love to show up Joakim Noah or Corey Brewer, but he might have to settle for Lee Humphrey. Former CAA POY Jose Juan Barea used a solid summer league showing to earn a spot on the Dallas Mavericks bench and was also on their playoff roster. Tony doesn't quite have Barea's superb passing skills but he can flat out score and knock down outside shots. We already know from the UConn game that he can talk trash pretty well but his flashy game can also speak for himself; that's already half of what being an NBA player is all about. But truth be told things never came easy for Tony and this article from i95ballerz.com gives some interesting insight about his past.

I am hoping they broadcast some of the games on NBA TV, which I think my overpriced Cox cable plan carries. If not I will have to rely on YouTubes of Tony such as this one that can found on the website for his camp. Keep the highlights coming Tony.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Recruit the Babies

USC head coach Tim Floyd recently received a verbal commitment from an eighth-grader, and you might think that is weird but its actually the second straight year he has done this. With all the strange recruiting rules the NCAA has its amazing to me how they don't seem to care about college coaches hanging around middle school gyms scouting 13 and 14 year old boys. There's limitations on text messaging and phone calls but not an age limit to when you can start stalking these kids? Has the PAC-10 really got that competitive that coaches have now resorted to signing kids to scholarships that have never played in a high school game?

Frankly I don't see how watching any phenom prospect dominate eighth grade level competition can give you any insight as to what kind of player he will be like 5 years down the road; especially before he is even out of puberty. I for one would never want to commit to a college at age 14, how do you even know what to look for in a college when your 14? That would tell me that your parents are pulling all the strings and I don't know about you but I would not be happy with that. Especially at the ripe old age of 14 when disobeying your parents is more fun than Xbox. And who wants the pressure before you even enter high school of knowing that a university has already invested that much in you. Every other kid out there would literally be gunning for you game after game; who wouldn't want to show up the kid who got a scholarship offer in eighth grade? Recruiting moves like this will make Floyd either a genius or one of those guys from Dateline's "Catch a Predator". But I guess when your coaching at USC you can take more risks when guys like OJ Mayo recruit themselves to your school.

Patriots to Face GW in BB&T Classic

All I can say is its about time we get a chance to play local rival George Washington, even if it will be a watered down product from previous years. They have dodged us for awhile now and like Maryland have been scared to travel down the beltway to take us on in the Patriot Center. God forbid they could give up their 10th home game in the row in December. Thanks to the BB&T classic we have got chances to take on local teams such as Maryland, GW, and Bucknell. I would rather we have a home and home type deal set-up with GW but we will see what happens as I believe this is the last year we are locked in to playing in the BB&T. GW has lost some quality guys but do return their leading scorer, Rice, from last years squad that was blown out by Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Definitely a winnable game for the Patriots and a good early season test against a well coached team.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Weekend Bullets

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Suitable Replacement

When former Mason assistant coach James Johnson bolted from Fairfax to Hokie land in April he left a big void in the coaching staff. As if its not bad enough we lose recruits to a school that hasn't won consecutive NCAA tournament games since 1967 but now they get our coaches too? But hey yeah good for them, they need our help because Johnson is an excellent DC/Metro area recruiter and a defensive specialists. Although he was only at Mason for two seasons his efforts were no doubt a part of the Patriot's recent success. I can't confirm it yet but rumor has it that Larranaga is bringing in a former player he coached from his days at Bowling Green, Michael Huger to fill this last assistant position. Huger has spent the last two years as an assistant at Longwood, which might not sound like much but he was responsible for recruiting a lot of DC/Metro area players that made Longwood a respectable squad despite just recently joining the Division I ranks. Apparently Huger was at this past weekends "elite camp" at Mason which I mentioned in an early post is where a couple local prospects were brought in to be evaluated. Huger coming to Fairfax is good news and maybe Johnson going to VA Tech means maybe we can schedule a game with them in Fairfax this upcoming season! Hahaha yeah I know.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Weekend Update

As summer recruiting heats up, Mason had a visit this weekend from a rising local prospect. Chris Cooper from Woodbridge, VA had Mason as his first stop along with Virginia, Virginia Tech, Penn State and Pittsburgh, according to scout.com. He is listed as a three-star recruit with an excellent low post game and rebounding. The 6'8", 215-pound Forest Park recruit would fill a huge hole that Will Thomas will be leaving after the 2007-2008 season. I know what your thinking, finally a low-post player taller than 6'7"! Let's all keep our fingers crossed. He has started to get more attention from some high major programs after the Southern Invitational Tournament he participated in with his AAU team. In that tournament he showed off his low post scoring, which is a difficult commodity for mid-major teams to come by. He has already received offers from Marist, Delaware, and Richmond but look for Coach L to enter the mix soon as he has not put out many offers to big men.


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On an unrelated note, how is Mason's Final Four run not on this list?

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