George Mason Basketball: Live Blog and Game Day Links: George Mason vs Northeastern

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Live Blog and Game Day Links: George Mason vs Northeastern

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Previewing the regular season finale against Northeastern

Live Stats

Game Notes

Statistical Breakdown

Spread: George Mason 2.5 underdog

Senior day for Louis Birdsong

George Mason's Louis Birdsong making the most of his senior season

Labels: game day links, Live Blog

14 Comments:

Brann...it's good for you. said...: Another disappointing loss. I don't have a lot of confidence going into the CAA tourney. This team may not win their first game.; 8:48 PM
greenandgold said...: I'm with ya Brann..... Looks like we will probably play VCU first round-uh oh; 9:02 PM
Mr. Miles said...: Heartbreaking or Stupid? Good question but here is a better one. Was Pearson's foul a player that was playing as hard as he could and just made a mistake or was it a player that knows not to foul on a desperation shot and just not thinking? I mean did he really need to play D on him then. What about all of the other open looks throughout the game that were uncontested. He waits till now to play D..

This team is lacking on some serious fundementals. If they want to do anything in the tournement, or farther in their careers they have to learn the fundementals of the game. These are not something they learn will in College these are supposed to be there already that is why they have scholarships!!!! WAKE UP!!!!

go mason.; 10:20 PM
Unknown said...: I actually wondered if Pearson was just doing his fatal play out of a need for being the high drama savior, but it was incredibly stupid. Well, they made the top 4, which is more than they deserved. I still see the hope for this team as the freshmen, and Larranaga needs to see the issues with this team are actually almost everything but the freshmen. Yes the freshmen need to improve on lots of things as freshmen do, but it's time to recognize Cam Long is not a consistent performer and Larranga needs to strategize accordingly. Also, the sophomores with their poor attitude and mediocre talents aren't going to help. Another depressing game and I don't see the land of plenty next season...but the freshmen offer a very bright note.; 10:24 PM
greenandgold said...: De Ja Vu It is the beginning of the season all over again. Cam is running the point. He passes the ball and never sees it again until the clock is winding down. There are no screens or picks being set. There is no movement. Everyone is standing around waiting to get the ball so that they can go one-on-one. Do the same thing-Get the same results=low scoring games and far too many defeats. Blame it on whomever and call it what you may. There are a bunch of highly recruited scorers on this squad and very few teamplayers.; 9:52 AM
HL said...: No_point_guard. None. Tough to beat anyone without one.

Our guards are very effective if they attack. I would zone us all day long. We have no consistent spot up shooters. The only reason teams don't zone us more is its too easy to double team our guards for turnovers. I love Cam, but other than Hancock I don't see anyone on the team that passes well when doubled.

You can talk about Pearson's dumb foul, but he played well and if Morrison had just put back an earlier miss instead of trying to rip down the rim, we win. Dumb stuff from young guys. But honestly, I don't know if that approach to the game ever changes with guys like that. It's a basketball IQ that is lacking. And Mooky, I know I've said this before but in the many highly sought high school players, oftentimes there is a complete lack of fundamentals. Their physical gifts are so great versus the other players in high school they NEVER HAD TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY THE GAME. Look at Morrison. It's astounding how lost he looks sometimes. I do like him. He tries hard. I hope he matures.

Positive take aways from the game?

1. Nice zone D.
2. Nice press.
3. Brought a front court player out to the high post(Foster). Actually not that big a deal but he tried it.
4. Hancock. If he works over the summer and gets stronger and keeps his head in the game and stops jawing with everyone from the opposing coach (he did, with Cohen) to the other players to the Masonettes, he brings a lot. He gets his hands on the ball on D, rebounds well. Tough. Good instincts. I dissed him earlier but he's a freshman and he understands the game. He just needs to stfu and play hard. Actually, that goes for the whole team.; 9:55 AM
Reston Irregular said...: First, we don't want to admit it, but watching college basketball is a little like going to the theatre. At the theatre you have to suspend your disbelief. At college basketball games, you have to forget what you know about the rules and pretend that the officials are trying to enforce the rules consistently. The officials' performance yesterday was probably worse than usual, but still, as they say in medicine, within normal limits. Which is sad because the calls yesterday bore no resemblence to the rules and the officials made no attempt to be consistent. What was a foul in the first five minutes was miles different from what was a foul in the last five minutes. And so on.
Again, it's thought impolite to say so, but any objective observer watching a game like yesterday's would immediately suspect that the outcome had been fixed in advance. You don't even have to get to the final minute to suspect that the officials knew who was supposed to win. The officiating was that far from the rules. Frankly I suspect that the typical college ref would not knowingly fix a game, but nearly all of them are so deluded about their objectivity that they in fact influence unfairly the outcome of most games they officiate without being aware of it.
Final thought -- it will be a very long time before a CAA ref gives Mike Morrison the benefit of the doubt.
Perhaps one of the worst played games I have seen in some time, but GMU actually showed some pluses -- much better defense than the first game against NU in particular. But it showed that this is a team in transition. No one seemed to know the plays or the defenses. Everyone hesitated and was tentative.
I suspect that we will see next year that the sophs and juniors on this team are not, in fact, the best players. I think we see more of Williams, Foster, Wright and Hancock and even the guys who have been picking up splinters and less of Long, Pearson, Morrison and Tate.; 10:17 AM
Ryan said...: I agree, we don't have a strong point guard to fall back on in these situations and it hurts big time.; 11:11 AM
greenandgold said...: Okay so who was the point guard last year for Mason when they went as far as the CAA finals and NITs? Who was the key substitute when Mason won the CAA championship and went to the Big Dance? He is the same point guard that we have today. The problem is he doesn't have a TEAM to work with! If you guys are correct about next year, who is going to play point guard if Long is on the bench? Mason has gotten very little from Cornelius. Hancock does not handle the ball well and cannot run plays except for the alley-oop. Wright just thinks about scoring. We cannot blame just the guards. This collective of guys just do not have the CHEMISTRY to make up a team. That's why Larranaga spends most of his time in the huddle teaching/coaching individual players. It's pretty hard coaching a team that you just don't have...; 1:46 PM
HL said...: G&G,
Last year it was point guard by committee too.
Corny averaged 18 minutes a game while John Vaughn, Dre Smith, and Cam each played 32, 32, and 28 minutes a game. Maybe I'm old school but I want my point guard playing most of the game.
Mason was blown out by VCU in the CAA final, beating Towson and Madison to get there. I think he gets overwhelmed by teams with quick athletic guards. I don't see Corny playing much against VCU as he can't cover Rodriguez. Hope I'm wrong.; 7:11 AM
greenandgold said...: I just think it's unfortunate that people fail to see the obvious-These guys are not clicking. To point the finger at 1 position or 1or 2 players just isn't fair. Point the finger at the coaching staff who recruited freshmen and sophmore solely based on points per game and not their behavior. Larranaga said it himself: most of my guards think shoot first and pass second. Common sense should have told the coaches-if you have so-called point guards averaging 25-30 points per game in high school, he is calling his own number and not sharing the ball. Shame on the coaching staff not the players!; 9:39 AM
Ryan said...: I'm not blaming the losses this year on one position, it's obvious the team just isn't playing well together as a whole. However, a strong point guard makes a team go and can hide your weaknesses on a roster I feel.; 9:44 AM
HL said...: I agree, and I've said it I think after the W&M loss: they're not a "team" yet.
It's not just about one position, but the point is the QB and he initiates the offense and takes care of the ball. He can keep a team in a game by controlling the tempo and distributing the ball and not turning it over. Teams that don't have a strong one to rely must have several guys who can handle the ball really well and we don't. Our other guys, as evidenced against NU get trapped too easily and turn it over when they put it on the floor without a specific reason to do so. Hancock is more of a swing man and has a big loopy dribble that teams jump all over. But he has good instincts and he passes well so he gets away with it a lot. Cam, if he were in the right scheme and could attack from the wing with some clear outs, and he can post people up but again, he can't get himself the ball if he's required to bring it up and go take care of it when it has to be reversed back out. You see how teams play him. They will not let him get off. Once he gives it up it is very tough to get it back to him.
I'm not piling on Cornelius. The team has other issues. He's got a lot of time left to improve but he doesn't get it done now which is why he gets pulled.
The smartest, most aware guy on the floor has to be your point guard. if it's not you have to get creative and I think Coach L has had to do that the last 3 years.; 10:20 AM
greenandgold said...: Funny you guys say you are not blaming the point guard position but that is all your responses focus on. I still say most players on this team are very selfish. Yes the opposition has focused more on Cam. It is not the opposition that is denying him the ball. It is our players desire to score and/or inability to pass. So why hasn't the coaching staff addressed this and designed plays specific to this issue? Maybe they have but the players are either too selfish to run the plays or like Mooky said do not know the fundamentals of setting screens/picks, moving without the ball,passing, etc. It's very hard to control the tempo when the other 4 guys are doing there on thing. Mason has issues in every position-perimeter and interior. Ideally, when you have a TEAM then a not-so-strong point guard can do a good job and a strong guard can do a better job. But again, when you don't have a TEAM this becomes a mute discussion.

Pre-Season 2010-2011 Recommendation (within NCAA guidelines) TEAMBUILDING; 1:41 PM

Live Blog and Game Day Links: George Mason vs Northeastern

George Mason Basketball

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Live Blog and Game Day Links: George Mason vs Northeastern

14 Comments:

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