Bryon Allen's development has been a big part of George Mason's success

Before the start of this season the point guard position was up in the air. Cam Long and Luke Hancock handled nearly every Mason possession the season before and both were gone.  That left the Patriots with inexperience in the back court, especially after the 10-game suspension of Andre Cornelius.  Sophomore Bryon Allen and freshman Corey Edwards started off the season splitting time at the point and no one looked like the answer in the early goings. It looked like Paul Hewitt was starting to favor Edwards in late November when he gave the freshman two starts against Brown and Albany. Edwards didn't do much in those two starts and then got a concussion during practice which kept him out for two games. Allen thrived with the extra minutes and has been the starter ever since.  

In his first four games this season Allen had 16 turnovers and his erratic play had most fans and media thinking he wasn't going to be the answer at point guard for George Mason. Since that stretch Allen has only had three games where he turned it over more than three times and his assist-to-turnover ratio is currently at a healthy 1.4. In CAA games this year he is only averaging two turnovers a game. And while hemay only be averaging around 3.5 assists a game he has brought stability to the back court and it has been paying dividends for the Patriots. At times this season we have seen flashes of his ability to get to the basket and often set himself up for an easy three-point play. He also has great size for a CAA point guard and lately has been using it well to get to the basket and rebound.

The most important part of his progression this season is how he has looked running the offense. In the beginning of the year Allen looked rushed and often confused.  Most of that is gone now and his decision making has vastly improved.  He isn't putting his teammates in bad positions any more and has been a big reason why the Patriots have looked so good in transition recently.  You can tell his teammates are confident in his ability to be a floor general and that has been a boost for team chemistry. 

Most fans might think this year's George Mason squad can only go as far as Ryan Pearson and Mike Morrison take them but if they make it to the CAA tournament finals Bryon Allen will be a big reason they got that far.

[Photo by John Powell]