George Evans "The Patriot" Highlight Video

Really well put together highlight reel on Mason basketball legend George Evans. I'm really glad to be able to show this to young fans who didn't get to witness his CAA dominance. If not for bouncing a ball off his foot and out of bounds against Maryland in the 2001 NCAA tournament, there could have been a different national champion and Mason could have gotten it's first tournament win 5 years earlier. Evans was a three time CAA player of the year and ranks first all time at George Mason in steals (218) and blocked shots (211). Also, he is one of just four players in NCAA history to record more than 200 steals, assists and blocked shots for a career, joining former Kansas star Danny Manning, former LaSalle standout Lionel Simmons and current NBA player Shane Battier.

(http://www.youtube.com/user/MasonBasketball)

Slam Online breaks down Mason's incoming freshmen

Great little write-up from Slam Online about the Patriot's incoming freshmen:

"The rest of the CAA likely isn’t thrilled with the talented six-man group that George Mason will be welcoming to the court this season. The Patriots loaded up in the backcourt, starting with Mount Vernon standout Sherrod Wright. The 6-4 wing had USC, Oklahoma State and Xavier on his radar before opting to go green. The New York native is an outstanding athlete who thrives on his ability to get to the rim on a regular basis; improving his jumper will drastically increase his threat as a big time scorer.

Guards Rashad Whack and Vertrail Vaughns will be joining the backcourt as well, providing a pair of aggressive backcourt players who will keep opposing defenses on their toes. Whack, a 6-2 shooting guard from Maryland, is constantly in attack mode, looking to beat defenders off the bounce. His ball handling skills will need to improve somewhat as he won’t be able to blow by defenders as easily as he did in high school. Vaughns is a lightning quick point guard who joins Mason from Mesquite, Texas, where the lefty made a name for himself as a stellar passer. He is a great facilitator in the open floor and when he opts to shoulder the scoring load, is at his best pulling up off the dribble from mid-range.

Forwards Paris Bennett and Luke Hancock bring a mixed bag of talents and abilities to the table. Bennett, a rugged 6-6 combo forward from east coast power St. Patrick’s in New Jersey, has a motor that seemingly never quits. Packing just 190 pounds onto his frame, Bennett is a bit too thin to be a consistent four, but isn’t still a bit too raw to constantly operate on the perimeter. Look for him to be a player who floats inside and outside, while making things happen with his hustle and athleticism. Hancock is a 6-5 small forward fresh off a year of prep school at Hargrave Military Academy. A Virginia native, Hancock is a great spot up shooter from the outside and will provide the Patriots with a weapon to stretch opposing defenses.

Lastly there is the one true interior presence signed by Mason this season, 6-8 center Johnnie Williams out of Memphis. Williams is a strong post player with range out to the foul line who will provide solid defense and rebounding early on as a freshman."

It's exciting to hear more about how these guards coming in are aggressive and know how to get to the rim. I'm still not sold on what kind of role Paris Bennett might have. He seems to be like a tweener, caught between the 3 and 4 spot on the floor. Luke Hancock is another wild card but if he can constantly knock down outside shoots he could see a lot of minutes early. Mason was lacking a consistent outside shooter last season. Johnny Williams will hopefully bring some rebounding help to the front court, which was also lacking at times last season. Morrison and Pearson made huge strides but rebounding was not their strong point. Meanwhile Louis Birdsong has never been a dominant rebounder and he won't be, so hopefully adding Williams to the mix will bolster that area in the front court.

Mason to play Villanova in Puerto Rico Tip-off?

Rumor has it Mason will play Villanova in their first game of the Puerto Rico Tip-off this November. What a great test for the Patriots if this turns out to be true, especially with 'Nova's Scottie Reynolds returning this season.

Intense Mason Basketball Video

This one contains that memorable game winning three pointer by Tony Skinn against Wichita State in the 2006 Bracketbuster match-up.



(video: http://www.youtube.com/user/MasonBasketball)

Mason's play-by-play voice joins WJFK radio's new format

In case you haven't already heard, DC radio station 106.7 WJFK is going all sports talk. The DC Sports Bog is saying Mason basketball's play-by-play voice, Bill Rohland, will have a show with Mike Wise (Washington Post) from 10-12 daily; while the Sports Junkies will remain in the mornings before that. In the battle to keep the DC metro area sports fans entertained throughout the day, you have to wonder how another all-sports talk radio station will fare in DC along with ESPN 980 radio. This new station could bring new hope to having better coverage of Mason basketball on the local airwaves. Can someone say Coach L's own show weekly? I dream.