George Mason appears to be turning a corner and finally ready to contend in the Atlantic 10 after a tough start since moving from the Colonial Athletic Association. The past few years in their new conference marked a stark change in the bottom line for a program that had been accustomed to winning and contending.
When George Mason came from the CAA, the Patriots didn’t have the kind of instant success that another former CAA program, VCU, had. While the Rams came in and contended right away, even winning a conference title in their third year, the Patriots struggled with two straight seasons of four conference wins and another with five, before finally going 9-9 each of the past two seasons. They finally won a conference tournament game in each of the past two seasons after going 0 for 3.
This was quite a stretch for a program that was much more than just a storybook Final Four team in 2006 during its days in the CAA. They were contenders quite often and had plenty of success in the conference tournament as well. They made five NCAA Tournament trips between 2001 and 2011, the latter their last appearance in the Big Dance. While much of their winning came during Jim Larranaga’s 14-year run, that is the modern-day George Mason program: a CAA stalwart that could contend almost every year. They were one of the signature programs of the conference along with fellow Virginia programs VCU and Old Dominion.
Last season’s conference mark and fifth-place finish gives reason for hope that a breakthrough is coming this season. The Patriots are the only team in the country to return all of their scoring from last season, which means all five starters return and more. The team also went on a trip to Spain in August that gave them extra time together on and off the court. What’s more, this is not a team loaded with seniors, so Dave Paulsen’s fourth season at the helm could be one to grow into much more.
Even with the underclassmen who will be significant pieces, seniors Otis Livingston II and Jaire Grayer will lead the way. Livingston is the do-everything point guard who can score and get others going, leading the team in scoring, assists and three-point field goal percentage last season. He should be an All-Atlantic 10 player, and Grayer will be his primary sidekick and a key leader from an intangibles standpoint. Grayer, who is the son of a former NBA player, did not have a full off-season as he had a procedure done on his foot after some pain had dogged him at times last season, but the team’s leading rebounder should be ready to go in time.
Completing the primary perimeter unit is junior Justin Kier, who had a major sophomore slump last season. While he led the team in steals, he shot just 17 percent from long range after leading the team in that category as a freshman at a 38.6 percent clip. He didn’t let that hurt other facets of his game, though, as he was actually second on the team in field goal percentage, rebounding and assists. When his shooting is off, he keeps competing.
Junior Ian Boyd and sophomore Javon Greene could get pushed for minutes by freshmen Jamal Hartwell II and Jason Douglas-Stanley, but at the very least the freshmen will add depth and give Paulsen more options to give guys like Livingston and Grayer a breather. If they all stay healthy, the Patriots will have a pleasant problem there.
A pair of sophomores lead the frontcourt, Greg Calixte and Goanar Mar, though both will play differently. Calixte does his work more inside, and he led the team in field goal percentage, while Mar is a threat from long range and led the team in offensive rebounds. Mar’s growth included a 26-point effort at VCU in the next-to-last game of the regular season.
Virginia transfer Jarred Reuter will certainly figure into the mix, but the question is how. The junior is good enough to take a starting spot from Calixte or Mar, and can face the basket as well as work on the post, so they can use him in a lot of lineups. Add in athletic sophomore A.J. Wilson and freshman Jordan Miller, who has some length, and the Patriots have options there as well.
Last season, the Patriots were eight deep. This time around, they should be at least ten deep, and they should have some lineup options. You can tell there is still plenty of room for this team to grow, and they will have to do that in a few key areas to improve further on last season’s result. Livingston was the only Patriot with more assists than turnovers, and they allowed opponents to shoot over 45 percent from the field at the defensive end.
George Mason still ended up below .500 overall last year after some non-conference struggles, and they will look to improve upon that in 2018-19. It won’t be easy, as they open up with defending Ivy League champion Penn and American at home, with the Eagles a team that should be significantly improved. They then go on the road to take on Georgia Southern, who should be among the favorites in the Sun Belt, before hosting Southern and NC Central in Emerald Coast Classic games before they go to Florida for the main portion of that event. There, they take on Cincinnati and either Baylor or Ole Miss. The only other road games are at former CAA foe William & Mary, a tough matchup, and Kansas State, who should be an NCAA Tournament team. They also host America East stalwart Vermont.
In Atlantic 10 play, they alternate a stretch with five of seven on the road with five of seven at home. While no team is likely to be an overwhelming favorite in what should be a rather wide-open conference race, they do get Saint Joseph’s and Rhode Island only on the road, with the Hawks likely to be among the favorites and the Rams having plenty of talent for a new head coach to work with, so they did not get the most favorable draw from that standpoint.
George Mason hasn’t had much success since moving to the Atlantic 10 just yet. The first five seasons have been a challenge for the fan base, but Paulsen has been building up to a season like this and beyond since taking over. His coaching chops are not in question, and now he has the best roster he’s had since coming to Fairfax. Contention in the Atlantic 10 appears to finally be on the horizon.
