Fear the Beard Campaign: 1st Edition

Ryan Pearson will be in the running for the 2011-2012 CAA Player of the Year award when it's all said and done this season. With that in mind I have started the #FeartheBeard24 campaign on here and twitter to track his progress this season and update on him now and then. Here is his current stat line through the first seven games:

NCAA Basketball

What he's been doing well: So far Pearson has been as good as advertised and has led the team in scoring in every game but one. He is currently ranked 23rd nationally in PPG. Often his shots look off balanced but they continue to fall. In his senior year he still seems to be finding new ways to get around defenders and to the basket. He has the ability to carry the team on his back and just flat out gets the team a basket when they need one. Also his production on the glass is team-leading and ranked fifth among his CAA peers.

What he could improve on: His turnover numbers are up this season, mostly because he's been handling the ball more than ever. Mason as a team needs to handle the ball better but it all starts with Pearson because he's getting the most possessions this season hands down. At times Mike Morrison looks like a better passer in the post, and with the amount of attention Pearson often gets he needs to find the open man more. In general I think he has the ability to make the players around him better but we just haven't seen that happen yet. Sure, we can't expect Pearson to do everything but as a team leader he needs to be involved with remedying any team issues.