The Ryan Pearson Montage

Apparently Ryan Pearson is more of an internet sensation than was once thought. I discovered this YouTube that is a collection of his highlights and it's 9 minutes long! I think the best thing to take away from this montage of Pearson is that he can run and get involved in fast breaks, much like Birdsong. What can also be seen in this video is his array of low post moves, which are sloppy at times but is not something that can't be developed while at Mason. Pearson definitely has athleticism for someone his size and seems to handle the ball well.

Ryan Pearson can throw it down

DunkTV, whatever that is, has named this dunk by future Mason freshman Ryan Pearson their "Dunk of the Year". Pearson, who was called for a charge on this play, looks like a man among children when he throws down the dunk. You gotta like the way this kid moves down the court and I really hope it doesn't take him too long to be pulling off moves like that for the Patriots next season.

Former Citadel player walks on

Interestingly enough this seems to be first reported on the Washington Post, but Mason has picked up a walk on player who formerly committed to The Citadel. His name is Brian Henderson (#5 in the pictures), and the 6-4 guard and likely practice reserve player falls into the "recruited walk-on" category, where Coach L had him on his radar for awhile but was unable to give him a scholarship, although the Post is reporting that he may have in fact received one. Former Patriot Tim Burns fell under this category while at Mason. Henderson is a native of Maryland and played his high school ball at Magruder High School in Rockville, Maryland.

Never hurts to have a tall guard on your practice squad and he could provide a lot of wisdom to the talented younger guards of the current Mason squad. From what I have found on rivals.com Henderson is a versatile player who plays excellent defense and has decent shooting range. He has played multiple positions in his career which could really help him possibly get some playing time down the road.

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Update 5/7/08:

Maryland newsite gazette.net has a story on Henderson and confirms that he indeed is a walk-on.

Why Larranaga stayed in Fairfax

Some might have called Coach Larranaga crazy when he turned down the Providence job but this article and interview from the Mason Gazette puts it in perspective for all those naysayers. Great work by the Gazette, it's refreshing to actually get some useful information about Mason basketball from them.

Pearson shines in Jordan Classic

Ryan Pearson is continuing to prove what a solid recruiter Jim Larranaga has been to the Mason program. Pearson exploded at the Jordan Classic for 36 points and 15 rebounds as he grabbed co-MVP honors playing against guys who will likely be one-and-done in the college game next year before jumping to the NBA. You cannot always put a whole lot of stock in these all-star game showcases as it is rare that anyone comes out looking bad but the fact still remains that Pearson was able to standout amongst recruits that were all considered to be more "talented" than him. Put up these kind of numbers against guys who will be starring at Memphis and Arizona next season, yeah I'll take that. Dick Weiss of the Daily News gives Pearson his praise:

"Forward Ryan Pearson from Christ the King – who has signed with George Mason – scored 36 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. He was a deserving MVP for the City team. What a steal for Jim Larranaga. Had Pearson – the most under-recruited player in the city – still been available, he would have wound up on some Big East or ACC roster next year."

Has Larranaga found another diamond in the rough? We shall see, but I will tell you this, Pearson has the kind of game that will help us deal with the pain of losing work horse Will Thomas. Paired with Monroe, Pearson could do some damage early and hopefully be more aggressive on the glass than Birdsong. With two other freshman forwards coming in and Monroe returning from injury, the Patriots will finally have an abundance of depth up front.

Cornelius can't get here fast enough

Star Mason recruit Andre Cornelius had a terrific day yesterday for the U.S. Team in the Capitol Classic. Granted it was an all-star game showcase with no defense it was still impressive to witness Andre dish out some of those passes. One would almost have to wonder if Chris Fleming is going to be able to handle those no-look passes. His speed was also impressive and I cannot wait to see him blow by CAA opponents in Fairfax. If you missed it check out the clip below where scenes of Cornelius start at the 45 second mark, he is #10 on the red team. Don't ask about the music in the video, it scares me too.

Thomas participates in Portsmouth Invitational

In what will probably be his last real basketball experience in the states, Will Thomas joined other college hoops standouts in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament this past week. Thomas had 17 points in the first game, and I wish I could be witnessing his last days of basketball in the U.S. before he undoubtedly ends up playing Pro ball over seas. Almost a sad realization that he will join the likes of Jai Lewis, Tony Skinn, and Lamar Butler playing ball in a distant far away land that is not the NBA. But then again playing basketball professionally any where for six figure salaries is nothing to complain about.