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Best NBA Playoffs 2011 Photos
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NBA Playoffs 2011 photos
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NBA Finals 2011 Photos
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Los Angeles Lakers Logo and Team Wallpapers
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The Patriots left Pittsburgh with a thrilling double overtime victory over Duquesne 85-79 to improve to 9-2 on the season. This is Mason's best start to the season since 1983 when they achieved the current team record winning streak of 11 games and started off 12-2. Cam Long and Ryan Pearson might have led the Patriots in scoring with 17 each but Isaiah Tate was the real star in this one. Tate scored 7 of his 14 points in the second overtime period that helped secure the victory coupled with clutch free-throws from Ryan Pearson down the stretch. It was just the kind of back and fourth gritty battle you want your guys to experience on the road although I'm sure they were exhausted afterwards. Neither team backed down at any point and Mason was able to beat the Dukes at their own game: from behind the three-point line. However defensively you have to applaud the team's effort because they were facing a very talented offensive group and didn't let them get into any type of a rhythm. The Patriots did turn over the ball a lot in the beginning of the game but never let the Dukes capitalize. It was a great balanced team victory and the Patriots did a lot of things well in this one.
Offensively it was another good shooting night from the three-point line for Mason as they shot better form there (42.3%) then they did from the field (38.9%). They dominated the boards and ended the game with 26 offensive rebounds, they had been averaging about 11.5 up until this point. Of course they had a lot of opportunities for offensive boards because of their poor shooting from the field but they made good on a lot of second chance points. Both teams got to the free-throw line about the same but Mason ended up having the last laugh in OT. They have been slowly improving in this area this season and I think it's going to pay off a lot by the end of the season. Another area the team did well in again was dishing out assists as they finished with 16 in this one. The Patriots are 7-0 this season when they record 16 or more assists.
The veterans on this squad really stepped up in this game. Luke Hancock was badly a sore shoulder and didn't play his usual game. Even without Hancock's crafty scoring the Patriots didn't miss a beat down the stretch as Cam Long, Isaiah Tate, and Ryan Pearson filled the void and really carried the team. Last season the team was desperate for moments like this and it's really a big improvement this year. Coach Larranaga in the post game says they "played George Mason basketball" and they really didn't stray away from their game in this one even when the Dukes kept battling back. They never let the Dukes force their game onto them and that's something you really want to see out of your guys on the road.
The Patriots head back into action tonight after having some time off for exams. It's been 11 days since their last game at Liberty and now they travel to Pittsburgh to face talented and high scoring Duquesne squad. Don't let their record fool you this will a tough test for Mason as the Dukes are nationally ranked in a lot categories. They are ranked 19th in the country in points per game (80.7), 2nd in assists (19.9), and 10th in three-point field goal percentage (.422). Mason hasn't faced a team with this much offensive firepower yet this season and yes that includes the NC State game in Charleston. I don't think I have to tell you that defense will be the key tonight for the Patriots. They have recently overwhelmed a few teams with their own offensive power but they can't rely on this for tonight's game.
The Dukes sport a four-guard lineup that often leaves forward Damian Sanders in the middle. Sanders is a shot-blocking machine and on pace to break the school's record for career blocked shots. On paper they seem like a guard heavy sharp shooting squad but don't discount their inside presence with Sanders. Another player to watch is guard/forward Bill Clark who is the team's leading scorer. Clark leads a group of guards that almost all shoot better then 41% from the three-point line. This will be a true test to reserve guards Isaiah Tate and Vertrail Vaughns who have been productive off the bench. Cam Long and Andre Cornelius will be tested all night and the team needs their bench to step in and keep up the defensive intensity.
Keys to the game:
-Like Coach Huger says in the video, keep the game under 80 points. In every single one of their losses the Dukes were held under 80 points and if the score starts to get high early the Patriots are playing the Duquesne's game and you don't want that on the road.
-Guard the perimeter. The Patriots have faced good three-point shooting teams this season and held them in check. This will be their toughest test of it so far this year and they need to limit the outside shot opportunities. A team that shoots threes well is never out of the game and this will end up being a total team effort on defense.
-Get Ryan Pearson and Mike Morrison involved early. Luke Hancock and Cam Long have been solid all year and they will get their points but what we haven't seen yet is both Pearson and Morrison starting off hot. It could be a huge advantage in this game because despite the Dukes shot blocking presence in Damian Sanders the team doesn't have any depth at forward. If Pearson and Morrison start rolling on offense it will disrupt Duquense's game plan.
The team and rest of the George Mason student body are currently taking their fall semester finals and getting ready for winter break. Coach Larranaga and his squad are currently riding a six game winning streak and during all eight of their total wins they have not allowed their opponents to score more than 56 points. That's pretty impressive defense even when you factor in the level of teams they have beaten so far. You can downplay their soft out of conference schedule all you want but the Patriots are still 1st in the CAA in FG percentage (both their own and their opponents'), 3rd in points scored (72.5), 1st in scoring defense (57.9), and 2nd in assists (15.5). Nationally their FG percentage is ranked in the top 20 out of all Division I teams.
The stats really paint a picture of how the team has improved from last season. The balanced scoring attack continues on as the Patriots have three players averaging 12 or more points a game, Luke Hancock, Cam Long, and Ryan Pearson. Long seems to be much more comfortable this season and I think you can attribute that to him having consistent scoring efforts from his teammates. Their free-throw shooting and rebounding have only slightly improved but they are still middle of the pack in the CAA in those areas. And let's face it, with some of the shooting efforts we have seen there hasn't been many chances for rebounds for the Patriots.
Their scoring numbers will drop as they start to face some tougher competition but I think if you look at how they are scoring and winning you still be very confident in this team's ability. They have been doing a much better job sharing the ball and finding the open man for easy shots. You haven't seen many one-on-one battles since the NC State game, it's been a lot of unselfish play-making. Mason has also been getting points by getting to the line, something they were awful at doing last season. Even if they aren't always shooting well from there it's still another dimension to their game and disrupts the other team's flow. And let's not forget three-point shooting. Last year's numbers were also impressive but it's a bit more consistent this year and more players are hitting from there. Andre Cornelius inflated last year's numbers by hitting almost half his attempts. This year you have Cam Long, Luke Hancock, Vertail Vaughns, and Isaiah Tate shooting well from behind the arch.
And lastly, their defensive numbers are probably the most impressive statistics that has improved when compared to this time last year. As I said earlier they are clamping down on their opponents and giving them no easy shots. A big improvement you can notice is how they are forcing other teams at the Patriot Center to play their style of basketball. They are getting about 8 steals a game and have a turnover margin of +3.20 good for 2nd in the CAA so far. They are generating a lot of points off these turnovers and disrupting their opponents flow. Because of this I believe that even if the Patriots weren't shooting the ball as well they would still be where they are now.
The hot shooting for the Patriots continued last night as they dismantled Liberty 84-54 in Lynchburg. The game wasn't even close as Mason shot 74% from the field in the 1st half. They took advantage of Liberty's sloppy defense which left them with a lot of open shots, especially from the three-point line. Cam Long, Ryan Pearson, and Luke Hancock again had strong games with all of them scoring in a variety of ways. The team was flying up and down the court, creating shots for eachother, and hitting almost every shot they took. The fact that they were playing their first real road game didn't seem to faze the Patriots at all as they looked as strong as they did during their recent homestand. The numbers were impressive: they scored 40 points in the paint and 29 off of Liberty's 17 turnovers while also dishing out 16 assists. Isaiah Tate and Vertrail Vaughns were productive off the bench and helped the Patriots jump out to the early lead. Their continued production will be helpful in the team's next couple of road games.
Both the Mason and Liberty are entering this Saturday's game in Lynchburg on winning streaks but for the Patriots this is there first real road test of the season. Yes the Charleston Classic wasn't at the Patriot Center but that's neutral for both teams and come on Mason had Bill Murray behind their bench that weekend. Last time Mason traveled down to the Vines Convocation Center they lost in overtime to talented young Liberty that got an exceptional effort from Stephen Curry's little brother Seth (now at Duke). What's funny is this year's Liberty team again has a younger brother of a college star turned NBA player, Evan Gordon, whose older brother Eric played at Indiana and now for the LA Clippers. Gordon recently scored 26 points in the team's last game against Winthrop where they won 75-72. That was a high scoring game for the Flames who usually only average about 66 points per contest. I think their last two games shows the team can put points on the board despite what their season numbers might say about them.
The Patriots are the better shooting team in this matchup, which they have been most of the time this season. The Flames make up for their poor shooting by rebounding the ball well on both ends of the court however their leading rebounder is a 6-4 guard. Liberty's will test the defense of Andre Cornelius and Cam Long, who haven't really been challenged since the NC State game. Cornelius has been much improved in this area since a year ago. The guards haven't done great when they have been pressed and this was an issue on the road last season as well. If the Flames start to press early I am curious to see how Mason reacts to it. I think they will make it a real effort to throw the Patriots off their hot three-point shooting ways. If that happens Luke Hancock will be needed to do this thing.
Mason has a big advantage in the front court so Mike Morrison getting quick fouls in the 1st half will hurt them more than it did on Wednesday. Ryan Pearson efforts on the offensive glass will be needed as well especially if the team doesn't start off shooting well. Pearson has been doing a great job of getting to the line recently and I think if does that well again tomorrow it can be another huge advantage as the Flames don't have much depth at forward. If Mason establishes an inside presence early I don't think the Flames will be able to keep up unless they are draining threes.
A few things to look for tomorrow night:
How will Mason respond to the press? I just have a feeling the Flames will press a lot in this game as they are an athletic group who often sports a four-guard line-up. If that is the case, how will the Patriots respond? NC State and GW had some success disrupting Cam Long and Luke Hancock when they were pressed.
What if Mason doesn't jump out to the early lead? During Mason's five game homestand they enjoyed an early lead every time, mostly because of early success from behind the three-point line. What if those shots don't fall right away on the road? How will the team react if they get behind? A little too often this season Mason has built an early lead and let up. This didn't really effect those games much because they were playing teams they didn't have the fire power to make a comeback, Liberty's not a juggernaut but they are more talented offensively.
What will they get from their bench? Bench players are always more needed on the road, that's just the way it is. Vertrail Vaughns and Isaiah Tate had big nights against UNCW but were scoreless against Loyola (MD) Wednesday night. With Liberty's depth at guard Mason will need another good defensive night from their reserve guards. If Mason gets behind early look for Larranaga to insert Vaughns and Tate for a spark on offense. In the front court Paris Bennett and Johnny Williams are struggling but Jonathan Arledge has shown some promise, especially on defense and rebounding. I hate to say it but I see either Pearson or Morrison getting into foul trouble at some point so they could be a heavier does of Arledge.
The Patriots finished their homestand 5-0 and improve to 7-2 on the year with Cam Long joining the 1,000 point club at George Mason. They have won each game during their home stretch by at least 14 points, however Loyola was the first team to shoot higher than 38% from the field against them. Still an impressive game for the Patriots who ended up forcing 17 turnovers and getting 18 points off them. Luke Hancock had another complete game which he started off by assisting on the first four baskets for Mason Their free-throw numbers weren't great but they continue to get to the line more than the opposing team. Defensively they weren't as tough as they have been as the Greyhounds got a little too many open looks in the 1st half. They were also beat on the boards more than I would like to see against a team like this. Some of that was masked by great scoring efforts from Cam Long, Ryan Pearson, and Luke Hancock. The team needs to see more scoring nights like this from Pearson because it can really establish an inside presence. Long has been consistent and Hancock usually is too but Pearson can be a tough man to guard for opposing teams and we haven't seen the team take advantage of that enough. His spin move to the basket in the 1st half showed how dangerous of a scorer he can be when he's not frustrated. Meanwhile Mike Morrison was a total non-factor and played all of 3 minutes in the first half after two quick fouls. Paris Bennett and Jonathan Arledge got more minutes because of this and Arledge looked good. In the first half he left after it looked like he hurt his shoulder and that opened the door for Johnny Williams who looked pretty awful. I think all those commenting here asking why he doesn't play much should go back and look at the tape from this game.
After getting a lot of scoring from their bench against UNCW we didn't see anything from Isaiah Tate or Vertrail Vaughns. Jonathan Arledge looked good off the bench and the coaching staff has be excited about his defense and toughness in the middle. I think Arledge, who could still use a lot of work on his offensive game, will end up being a solid rebounder for Larranaga. Paris Bennett and Johnny Williams continue to look lost on defense at times which isn't a good thing as the full CAA schedule is just around the corner. With Morrison on the bench as long as he was you have to wonder what is going to happen against team's like JMU and ODU who have much better front court players than Loyola.
The Patriots do enter these next couple of road games with some confidence as they have showed dominance on offense and defense through their last couple of games. It will be interesting to see how they do against some better competition away from the Patriot Center. Rebounding is probably the only area they need to improve on to be successful on the road. They are shooting the ball better, getting more assists, and forcing more turnovers than they were at this point last season. Overall they are a more disciplined squad and it seems like more players are comfortable with their roles on the team.
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