No Fly Zone

Rob Lowery of Dayton stole the show late in the 2nd half to prevent the Patriots from upsetting the Flyers on their home court. The same court not too long ago Mason started it's historic run in the 2006 tournament. The depth of Dayton's squad came on when they needed to and thwarted Dre Smith's big night. Dre finished with 22 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and hit 4 three-pointers. Definitely the Dre Smith we had hoped to see this season. Cam Long was also stellar running the point and finished with 15 points but more importantly he looked very poised on the road in a hostile environment. The difference in the game to me was that fact that Dayton's big front court really prevented Mason from getting any help out of Monroe and Birdsong late...

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Previewing Dayton...

So it's come to this: Mason's chance to add a marquee win to their resume before conference play kicks into full gear. The Flyers are without a doubt going to be the most talented and well-rounded squad the Patriots have faced to date. They are deep and much like the Patriots squad they aren't depending on one guy every night. Someone to keep an eye on is Chris Wright, who is a 6'8" forward and is wildly athletic, creating problems on both ends of the floor. To understand more of what I mean, watch this youtube:Dayton's bread and butter is their defense and rebounding, while they struggle with three-point shooting. In their win over Auburn they went 0-for-24 from behind the arch. Wow. Could this be an advantage for the Patriots? We have seen lesser talented squads creep back into games...

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Vlad Moldoveanu is transferring...

Just saw this today from Jeff Goodman's blog over on foxsports.com:"Just got word from a source close to the situation that George Mason 6-foot-10 sophomore Vlad Moldoveanu is transferring.Moldoveanu is averaging 2.3 points and 2.1 rebounds per game this season - identical numbers to what he put up as a freshman a year ago while playing about a dozen minutes per game."Not real shocking considering how Vlad's playing time hasn't improved since he was a freshman and let's face it he doesn't play defense or rebound enough to be a true Larranaga guy. Maybe it would have been different if he started hitting three's like everyone (including me) kept saying he was capable of. I don't think he fits in Coach L's system and he probably feels he can...

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Mason to play GW in 2009

Finally, some local rivalry games. I have always thought it was ridiculous that there are never any good local games between all the great college teams in our area (Maryland, Georgetown, GW, even American). This is from the Washington Post:"George Mason has a tentative agreement to play at George Washington next season and host the Colonials in 2010-11, Patriots Athletic Director Tom O'Connor said. The teams have met only 10 times, most recently in 1998."This a great step in the right direction to hopefully getting more local rivalry games in the future. Gary Williams won't be bringing his Terps to the Patriot Center any time soon but hopefully we are moving closer to that day....

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Mason grinds out win over Tulane

Ugly, boring, and somewhat frustrating but still a victory for the Patriots last night. Mason shot 29 percent in the second half of this game and made 1 of 11 three-pointers. The one positive stat in this game besides the final score was that Mason had 9 steals and only 10 turnovers. Forwards Darryl Monroe and Ryan Pearson (5 offensive rebounds) helped keep the Patriots ahead for most of the game. John Vaughan had another good night with 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals. But it was another night were we saw poor shot selection (and numerous air-balls) and some inexcusable turnovers that let a weaker team hang around against the Patriots. Some good free-throw shooting helped Mason seal the victory but the team still saw a 12-point lead...

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Mason receives vote in AP Poll

The AP poll was just released and apparently someone else besides us fans thinks the Patriots are playing some good basketball right now. Although it may seem shocking at first, keep in mind that it would not be a surprise to see the two teams we lost to (Hampton and Liberty) ending up in the NCAA tournament come March. Personally I do not think we have accomplished enough to be mentioned in the same breath as some of the teams even near the bottom of the Top 25, but hey bragging rights are f...

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Mason takes down Radford

Mason beat Radfornd Friday night to stay unbeaten at home and over .500 all-time. After looking rusty in the 1st half, the Patriots came alive late with the help of Cam Long (Cam Ward to ESPN apparently) who at one point scored 9 straight points to spur a Patriots run in the 2nd half. Long played the way I had hoped he would be playing all along this season. He is still not exactly a floor general but he's starting to learn how to set up his teammates better. Dre Smith looked as if he found his shooting touch, somewhat, as he and John Vaughan connected on a couple of three-pointers. Interesting about this win is Darryl Monroe finished with zero points and Andre Cornelius only 3. These guys have been key players in Mason's home games and...

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Previewing Radford...

Fresh off a break from action due to finals, the Patriots take the floor tomorrow night against Radford. Let's hope they did some fine-tuning over the break and start out strong against a delpleted Radford squad that has already seen three players leave the team this season. The Highlanders have been wildly inconsistent this season (sound familiar) including almost upseting UVA but then being blown out by William & Mary. Kenny Thomas leads the way for them and so far he has connected on 25 of 58 three-point attempts (.431). In three games this season he has hit four or more treys. Not really exciting news considering the Patriots have been yielding opponents to shoot over 32% from behind the arch so far. Along with Thomas, Radford boasts a 6-11 center, Artsiom Parakhouski from Belarus,...

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Mason recruit written up on ESPN

Johnnie Williams, probably the incoming freshman next season I am most excited about, gets a little press here from ESPN.com. They list him as a surprise player at Marshall County's Hoopfest event in Kentucky:"Williams is a strong and physical post player who has the ability to step out and knock down jumpers to about 15 feet. He competes and plays with urgency at all times. He is a good athlete who finishes above the rim with authority. He runs the floor consistently, and in the half court, he is a low-post scoring threat. Williams can score with drops from either side of the lane and he does a great job working for post position and giving the post feeder a big target. On the left low box, Williams likes the quick turn shot. He has excellent hands and finishes drop-off passes created by...

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Mason holds off Drexel

Well it was not pretty but the Patriots escaped from the DAC with a victory. A victory that easily could have been a melt-down in the closing seconds as Drexel, down by three with three seconds remaining saw Scott Rogers drive to the basket (going for 2, not 3 mind you) and get intentionally fouled by Darryl Monroe. The result gave Rogers two free throws and then possession back to the Dragons. I don't know what was more of a dumb move, Rogers driving the lane as time was expiring when down by three or Monroe bailing him out for the dumb move by horse-collar tackling him. After the Patriots started off the second half on a 17-4 run you would have thought the Patriots offensive fire power was too much for Drexel, but they responded with their...

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Previewing Drexel...

The Patriots hit the road for their first CAA game this weekend at Drexel. The Dragon's are coming off a dreadful CAA campaign last season and return only two starters this season. It's difficult to assess them so far this year because they have only played three games, with their one loss being an 83-51 drubbing from Georgetown. With Tramayne Hawthorne returning, the team looks to be more of a perimeter shooting squad, but through the first three games Hawthorne is only 6 for 29 from the three-point line. Their shooting from the field has not been much better (.305) and they been averaging under 60 points a contest thus far. They start two guards who are under 6-feet tall, could that be an advantage for the Patriots or a window for them...

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Post Game Media from Liberty game

Video highlights and pictures from libertyflames....

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About last night...

The Patriots suffered their second loss of the season last night at Liberty and all I can say is Stephen Curry and his younger brother seem to have that same clutch ability late in games. Seth Curry not only hit a three-pointer late in the second half, from what seemed like mid-court, but he hit a jumper and two free-throws in the last 41 seconds of overtime to power the the Flames to victory. Did I mention he was a freshman? Liberty connected on 11 for 34 from three-point range while Mason started off the game going 0 for 9 from there. It seems to me that every Mason game starts off the same: a burage of three-point misses. Sure it's great when they actually connect on some of them, like at the Ohio game, but on the road every miss...

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Mason takes down Ohio

The Patriots never trailed and Cam Long and Dre Smith each finished with 15 points yesterday in Fairfax. After leading but as much as 19 Mason did see their lead shrink somewhat but ended the game hitting 9 of their last 10 free throws to seal the deal. The Patriot's defense once again stole the show as points off turnovers helped set the tone and maintain a lead. Freshman Ryan Pearson and Andre Cornelius each logged 24 minutes in this game scoring 13 and 12 respectively. Starter Louis Birdsong saw the least amount of action of the season and finished with 1 point after fouling out; while Vlad Moldoveanu and Isaiah Tate did not enter the game. I am not sure why Coach Larranaga played such few guys, especially when there were some streaks...

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ESPN tabs Mason recruiting class tops among Non-BCS schools

Some reading for you after a long day of Black Friday shopping.George Mason, Rice lead non-BCS schools"1. George Mason PatriotsCoach Jim Larranaga most certainly knows talent and is one of the best teachers in the business. This fall, Larranaga and his staff signed five excellent recruits who appear to have the talent to match that of the Patriots' 2005-06 dream team, which knocked off North Carolina and No. 1-rated Connecticut to advance to the 2006 NCAA Final Four. The chances that any team would repeat such a miraculous season are unlikely. But George Mason again should be one of the nation's elite mid-major programs and a dangerous team for high-majors to play.Prominent among the newcomers is powerful athlete C/F Johnnie Williams (Eads, Tenn./Briarcrest Christian), a player who has the...

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Second half surge leads Patriots to victory

The night did not start off as planned in this game as the Patriots came out flat. Shot selection was poor and Mason was just plain getting out hustled by Mount St. Mary's. Then Larranaga put in his star freshmen, Cornelius and Pearson, and the tide began to turn. The freshmen duo (still working on a nickname) provided a spark for the Patriots and instantly started hitting shots and making plays on both ends. Darryl Monroe on the other hand proved in this game that he doesn't need to be the leading scorer to be a huge factor for the Patriots. Monroe's low post passing was on point again last night setting up his teammates and doing all the little things necessary to get them back on track in the 2nd half. The low post scoring was greatly...

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Previewing Mount St. Mary's...

Mason faces their toughest out of conference opponent tomorrow night in Fairfax as they take on Mount St. Mary's. The Mountaineers return 4 starters from last year's NEC conference champions and NCAA tournament participant. They gave Virginia Tech a battle recently on the road and forced to Hokies to commit 20 turnovers. That was a week ago, so they have had a lot of down time, will that hurt them in this game? Mason on the other had has played twice since November 17th. The Mountaineers have a mix of seniors and juniors in their starting lineup but other than that they are a very young team depth wise. Guards Jeremy Goode and Jean Cajou (Fairfax, VA native) lead the way for Mount St. Mary's and have been shooting the ball well so far this season. Mason will have a significant size...

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Cornelius leads Patriots over Pirates

Mason earned it's second road win last night, which compared to last season at this time, is impressive enough on it's own. But factor in that freshman guard Andre Cornelius put on a show and Mason fans should be a little less worried about the upcoming season. Cornelius drained five three-pointers while he and Birdsong finished with 19. Birdsong has been leading the way in scoring two straight games, something we did not see last season. It was great to see Mason get this victory without Monroe having a great night. Although the big man did finish with 9 points and 9 rebounds but was less involved down the stretch. Mason's guards needed to show up and make shots after the Hampton game diaster. Not only did they shoot the ball much better...

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Previewing East Carolina...

The Patriots don't have time to sulk after their loss to Hampton because they hit the road again Saturday to play another Pirate team. East Carolina returns only one starter this season but has had no trouble scoring points in their first three games averaging over 83 a contest. This doesn't bode well for Mason who last night had trouble reaching 20 in the first half. But the Pirates are a young team like Mason, having 9 out of their 11 players in their first or second year. The team's only returning starter, Sam Hinnant, has been leading the squad so far averaging 17 ppg. Backcourt mate James Legan has been scoring 17.7 a night, while sophomore point guard Brock Young has been averaging over 7 assists. In the front court Chad Wynn (6'10" 240) will give Darryl Monroe his first challenge...

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About last night...

Just how poorly did the Patriots play last night?They did not score a FG for nearly 11 minutes to start the game23 turnovers to 4 assists (wow)33% FG2-17 from the 3-pt linethey only got to the free throw line for 7 attemptsAndre Cornelius (22 min) and Ryan Pearson (10 min) had a combined 2 pointsEven Gomason.com can't believe it: "To say that Mason's offense started off slowly would be like saying clowns wear a little makeup."Mason was able to spoil a great defensive effort by not being able to hit the broad side of a barn last night. The Patriots did not allow a Pirate player to reach double digits and held the team to under 40% shooting from the field. They did not give up three-pointers and out rebounded Hampton, but you know the night isn't going well when Louis Birdsong is your leading...

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Lamar Butler back in the states

Final Four alum and poster boy Lamar Butler is back in the states after a brief stint overseas. Apparently Butler has been invited to a training camp for the NBA Developmental League (D-League) team, the Colorado 14ers. In case your wondering what a 14er is, check here, because I didn't believe it either. Now I know this move isn't for money because you basically make more working the night shift at McDonalds than you do as a D-League player, so Lamar must still think he has a shot at the NBA. Each D-League team has two NBA affiliates and the 14ers are with the Denver Nuggets and the New Jersey Nets. Fellow CAA alum Jose Juan Barea, now with the Dallas Mavericks, took the D-League root to the NBA successfully so seeing Butler make it to...

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Previewing Hampton...

The Patriots travel down south this Thursday to face Hampton, a team that has lost a lot of scoring power since the fight they put up last December. They do however return Rashad West who scored 22 in that game last season and was All-MEAC but did not play in the first game this year. West, along with junior guard Vincent Simpson will provide most of the team's scoring, while getting little help. Hampton does have some size on it's roster, with three players standing 6-10, but none of them have any experience. Mason's athletic forwards should not have much trouble in this match-up but will have to be careful of the Pirates shot-blockers. Perimeter defense might not be the Patriots point of emphasis in this game, as Hampton only made one three-pointer in their first game against Iona which...

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Post Game Media from Brown game

Pictures from Flickr and Caazone....

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Freshmen shine as Mason routs Brown

It was a great night. Not just because Mason won big but because they have a new mascot. Who apparently doesn't have a name yet, and Mason is opening it up to suggestions. Really a work of art compared to his predecessor. Now about the game. Mason took control early, creating steals and opportunities for their guards. Darryl Monroe was big in the low post but not needed much. John Vaughan (18pts) , Dre Smith, and even big Vlad shot the ball well from behind the arc. Even walk-on Jimmy Nolan nailed a three-pointer. But the most exciting thing to watch was freshman Mike Morrison (15 pts), who like Ryan Pearson on Saturday looked very comfortable for a freshmane forward. Morrison is long, very long; and can move well for his size. It was encouraging to see Vlad and Birdsong play well...

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Previewing Brown...

Big night for Mason basketball, first home game, CAA champions banner to be raised, and the unveiling of a new athletic mascot. All this after coming off an impressive down the wire road victory to start off the new season. Fans should be glowing with excitement to see such a road victory when thinking back to how terrible some away games have been the last two seasons. Fans should also be gitty over the play so far from freshman Andre Cornelius and Ryan Pearson, who were inserted into the lineup early on Saturday and didn't look like they were playing their first Division I game. Darryl Monroe's play was probably the most exciting thing for Mason fans to see as he gives reason to think the front court won't be a glaring weakness this year. Now on to Brown. This Ivy league team is not something...

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Vermont Post Game Media

Here are two videos, one with some game highlights and the other is a post game interview with Vermont Coach Mike Lonergan.Pictures from the Burlington Free Pre...

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