George Mason Basketball: It's official, Erik Copes is coming to George Mason

Sunday, May 15, 2011

It's official, Erik Copes is coming to George Mason

George Mason got a huge commitment today from Erik Copes, a top 75 recruit and a rare steal for a team in the CAA. New head coach Paul Hewitt got a two-for-deal with the hiring of Roland Houston as Copes will follow his uncle to Fairfax. He is without a doubt that most highly rated recruit to ever commit to the green and gold, Scout.com has him rated #57 in the nation and ESPN at #55. Copes will have an immediate impact on next year's Patriots squad next season as he is the gritty blue-collar front court player they have been lacking in the front court. He should be a solid force on the boards playing with Mike Morrison and Ryan Pearson.

I've been reading some local articles from the Philadelphia media and they all speak to his work ethic and unselfish play. He labels himself as the "dirty man" that "cleans up everything". Here is a quote from Philly.com after he led team to victory in the state semifinals:

"What I like to do, everybody doesn't. Guys don't always want to rebound. Don't want to be the tough guy. Me? Hey, I'll do that."

I'd venture to say that it's hard to find a coveted recruited that has that kind of attitude. One of the things that made George Mason such a strong team last season was that they had a group of players that all know their roles. Copes seems like a guy to me that would really know his role and place on the team early and will do whatever he can to help his team win.

Copes is a big time rebounder and shot blocker but not a true scorer. In the game where the above quote was from he only attempted two shots from the floor and collected six total points. He averaged just under eight points a game during his senior year of high school. The report on him reads that knows how to use his strength and body down low to be a factor on the offensive and defensive glass. Copes not being a dominant scorer is no problem for the Patriots who will have no shortage of offensive fire power next season.

Here are some highlights of Copes starting at about the 1:25 mark:

The only real weakness to Copes seems to be his ability to run the floor. His conditioning needs to improve. Last year's Patriots' team was very good at running up and down the court but remember that Paul Hewitt's offensive strategy might consist of more half court sets. Endurance and conditioning however is something a player can overcome with proper training at the college level.

Labels: recruiting

53 Comments:

Mason Guy said...: Coach Hewitt is big on conditioning, I think he will have him ready. He can only get bigger and stonger. Welcome to George Mason Mr Copes!; 10:36 PM
Mason14 said...: George Mason will win CAA next year especially if Hancock returns; 10:52 PM
LawMom3 said...: Awesome block in the video. He's not afraid to get in there under the basket and throw his body in front of people. Seems more physical than Morrison.; 10:52 PM
Airgold10 said...: Huge coup for Hewitt in the Post-Larranaga era. Top 100 ESPN recruit (#55 overall) coming to Mason? Crazy. This will give Coach Hewitt (and Tom O'Conner) some credibility to Mason Nation as we begin our transition.; 11:20 PM
Mason's Money said...: very excited to see what next year's team can do - but it still comes down to meshing a new coach with an established team. think copes adds a lot and am very excited to see how this all comes together. Mason is def heading in the right direction so far in the post coach L days; 11:21 PM
Kdenton1 said...: Who needs Coach L?; 11:51 PM
Taylormade703 said...: I wouldn't go that far!; 12:08 AM
Matt said...: There was some commentary from the last post about this being shady recruiting. If Houston came to us from some marginally successfully high school then it would definitely seem strange but he was at GW which is on a simialart level to Mason (and the beat the crap out of us two year ago-granted Morrison and Andre were on the bench). Houston was already at a good school and the changes continued, one coach out another in, Copes-like any other player-Edwards, Alredge, Hancock-can explore other places why wouldn't he stay with his uncle who has a track record for big men. He stays in the area where he thought he would play. After last year wouldn't you rather play for GMU than GW? As far as him on the floor with Ryan and Mike at the same time, I can't remember the last time Mason had a true three forward line up, it would be interesting if it worked but it's still a guard heavy team in terms of who we've seen be most effective.; 8:24 AM
Matt said...: There was some commentary from the last post about this being shady recruiting. If Houston came to us from some marginally successfully high school then it would definitely seem strange but he was at GW which is on a simialart level to Mason (and the beat the crap out of us two year ago-granted Morrison and Andre were on the bench). Houston was already at a good school and the changes continued, one coach out another in, Copes-like any other player-Edwards, Alredge, Hancock-can explore other places why wouldn't he stay with his uncle who has a track record for big men. He stays in the area where he thought he would play. After last year wouldn't you rather play for GMU than GW? As far as him on the floor with Ryan and Mike at the same time, I can't remember the last time Mason had a true three forward line up, it would be interesting if it worked but it's still a guard heavy team in terms of who we've seen be most effective.; 8:24 AM
Matt Cerilli said...: Nothing makes me happier than going to different websites and seeing fans from Maryland, GW, etc. saying things like "I hate George Mason" A decade ago nobody even knew where GMU was, now were becoming the team that everybody hates aka is jealous of.; 8:29 AM
gmuhoops said...: So true. Bring on the hate!; 8:46 AM
Patotobin said...: With Tate, Long and maybe now Hancock gone, is this the new line up?

Copes
Morrison
Pearson
ACorn
Wright?

Losing Tate and Long leaves a huge gap to fill offensively. This group looks very weak on the offensive end to me, even more so if they're not in transition. We need Hancock back for sure to handle the ball and someone else to step it up big time on the parimeter. I like the addition of copes but see more problems ahead than answers with this group listed above.; 9:11 AM
gmuhoops said...: Ok we lost Long but we had 5 other leading scorers throughout the season and that's not counting Sherrod Wright. Tate is replaceable as a sixth man. Cornelius, Morrison, Pearson, and Wright look weak offensively? UM OK.; 9:17 AM
Kdenton1 said...: I am. When is the last time Mason got a top 75 recruit??? Without doing any research I would bet money on NEVER. I loved Coach L when he was Mason coach but it looks like on the recruit side of the ball we have a great replacement.; 9:48 AM
Taylormade703 said...: Don't get me wrong, Hewitt is an INCREDIBLE recruiter. There is no doubt about that. I believe he will do awesome things at George Mason. All I'm saying is that Coach L has been gone for 2 weeks and it seems some are already throwing him under the bus. Nobody is saying he' s John Wooden, but he was the greatest coach in GMU basketball (perhaps all sports at Mason) history.; 10:02 AM
Egross said...: I'd like to see a lineup of Peason, Copes, Cornelius, Wright, and Hancock as the starting 5. Can't think of any team in the CAA that would be able to compare with that. I'd like to see what the new coach can do with Aldredge as well. I think we saw flashes of brilliance from Johnny Aldredge against Villanova and he played a huge role in us winning that game. If Hancock leaves, I think I would still like to see 3 guards in the starting lineup, maybe vetrail vaughns could fill that spot. He would definitely spread the defense out with his 3-point shooting. Oh, Anybody know if Copes can shoot free-throws btw? I have a feeling he's gonna be fouled a lot.; 10:29 AM
Taylormade703 said...: Don't forget Morrison!; 10:35 AM
Patotobin said...: GMUHOOPS you listed names, but you don't understand the dynamic of change on this one. If Hancock goes, we will have lost 3 of our top 6 scorers. Now, if you add to this dynamic a player who averages 7 points per game in high school (Not exactly CAA basketball), it (the group i listed above) appears to have more problems (on offense) than answers. Can you afford to play two low post players on the blocks that can't score? This dynamic doesn't farewell for Perimeter shooters. Now, ACorn (5 fooot 9) will be smothered, Wright, who is a poor perimeter shooter already (25% 3 pt) will be heaving up bricks and Pearson will be a Senior adapting to a whole new offense. Hey, i'm just sayn'... individual scorers do not make a strong team offensively. Players have to complement each other GMUHOOPS.; 11:28 AM
gmuhoops said...: ACorn will be smothered and Wright will be heaving bricks? great analysis. Wright is a wing who slashes and goes going to the rim, pointing only to his 3pt numbers from freshman year are pointless in this argument.

Sure if they lose Hancock they will take a hit but you seem to be assuming no underclassmen step up or improve from last season. You don't think Vaughns will have a bigger role next year? What about Bryon Allen, Johnny Williams? Who are the two low post players that can't score? Copes will come off the bench and he is the only one that you can say has offensive problems. Pearson and Morrison are still going to be starters next season.; 11:36 AM
c hirsch said...: I was pretty distraught when I first heard about Hancock possibly leaving. Having had time to reflect, would like him to stay but he also disappeared down the strectch last year, so it wouldb't be the end of the world if he left.; 11:37 AM
Patotobin said...: GMUHOOPS, I don’t get it. I think you agree with me on some of this. We’re going to need guys that haven’t been able to step up thus far, to step up. Like I said, that leaves more questions than answers. As for Wright being a slasher, well… yes, his strong suit is slashing, but it doesn’t matter what his strong suit is. It’s the offensive dynamic that gives rise to opportunities. Do you think that having two bigs that can step out and hit three’s can stretch out a defense? Of course they can. How about two bigs that can hit from 10 or 12 feet, can they stretch out a defense? Of course they can. How about two bigs that can’t shoot 6 foot jumpers to save their own lives? GMUHOOPS, slashers can’t slash just because they want to. It’s just not that easy. As for The Vertrail Vaughns show, well… i think he’s a great asset but he’s a guy that exploits the wide open coverage just like Acorn. These guys can’t shoot over defenses. Cam, Isiah and Luke all being about 6 foot 5 could do this, but the little guys need the guys who won’t be out there next year. Like I said, more questions than answers.; 12:31 PM
Rmjank said...: I still think losing Hancock would have a major impact. Who else would fill the leader role on the team, and more particularly in the backcourt? Will Vaughns step up and be more than an ancillary sharpshooter? Is Wright fully recovered and ready to be a starter? Is Bryon Allen ready? Will ACorn up his consistency and leadership? Lotsa questions! And if we lose Hancock, that means we will have lost 3 players from last year who provided a lot of points, assists and leadership from the backcourt. And don't forget, we don't call Luke a "glue guy" for nothing!
Also, my two cents on Copes is that despite the promise, he will still be a freshman, so I would't expect too much contribution. If he can "eat up" some minutes while giving Ryan and Mo some rest, while wearing down the opponents, that would be great. The year after will be when he is really needed. Johnnie W seemed to gain offensive confidence with each game -- I think those two will make a good frontcourt combo.
And on Sherrod: someone mentioned his 3 point percentage being low, but don't forget he was pretty quiet for the first part of that freshman season, and then when he turned it on at the end he was hitting 3's, slashing to the rim, looking pretty strong all the way around offensively.
Stay Luke, stay!; 1:39 PM
Gio said...: Winning!! Loving the Start it up video as well. Getting me hype for next season. Jim who??; 1:58 PM
Guest said...: Patotobin, you are consistently the worst poster on this site. There are other ways to score than from 3. And talk about a guy who exploits the wide open coverage, look no further than Luke Hancock. His release is probably the slowest on the team. Sherrod has been working hard and growing as a basketball player for a year since the last time we saw him on the court. I know Luke was the hero against NOVA, but he's not our entire team. He has shown weakness in guarding the perimeter, and was turnover prone at times (@JMU). If he leaves, we've got the whole offseason to strategize how to replace his minutes and productivity. Maybe that comes from the returning starters, maybe from the bench, maybe from the incoming freshmen. GO MASON!; 2:14 PM
Mason guy said...: The big deal about Copes is he gives us a big body to put on the Sullingers of the world. Yes, a lot will depend on how the front court meshes, and IF Luke goes over to the dark side, if we can take up the slack in the back. Maybe we will see some quality frosh minutes from our recruits, it wont be dull next year though.; 2:41 PM
Livinghisway said...: I don't know about credibility, but I do know they are up to playing games. Everyone will see in the end.; 2:44 PM
Livinghisway said...: Come one doesn't every player on Mason team have a video that would show their talents. The problem is will they be able to display it. It's Soo political in basketball, that most people don't see the big picture until it's too late.....; 2:54 PM
gmuhoops said...: Yes it's 2011 every recruit has footage of their game. What's your point? I'm not allowed to show this fans so they can get an idea of his game?; 2:57 PM
Patotobin said...: Thank you for the compliment Guest. Like most things in life, it's a matter of chemistry. I just don't think the starting five i listed has it. Do you think Wright's ability to slash to the basket will be negated by two bigs that can't drag their defenders away from the lane? I think so. Do you think losing the offensive leader of our team will throw a kink into our offense? I think so. Do i think Ryan Pearson will struggle offensively with two bigs that can't get their defenders to stray from the blocks? i think so. Do you think we'll be able to adjust to these challenges with our bench and incoming freshman? I hope so. That's where the problem lies. We've got lots of talent, but who compliments who? Questions... questions... questions.; 4:15 PM
gmuhoops said...: I don't understand your issues with chemistry. If hancock stays we lost ONE starter and ONE reserve player. This team was balanced and on any night one of six guys could be the leading scorer. I have no idea what your comments about "two bigs next Ryan Pearson not being able to draw defenders away from the basket" is talking about. Are you saying they will be playing three forwards in the lineup all the sudden? And Mike Morrison will no longer be in the high post where he was the entire second half of the season?; 4:36 PM
EShine said...: I'd like to pass along my heartfelt thanks to Rashad Whack. Without his decision to transfer, we wouldn’t have had a scholarship available to land Copes. Thank you. I honestly wish you the best with your next program.; 4:45 PM
Patotobin said...: I've covered the issue concerning chemistry at length. Again quickly, 3 of top 6 scorers are gone (if hancock leaves), and one huge recruit coming into the fold that appears to have no offensive game. Hancock (some are already sick of that name), happens to run the offense. Well, who will take his place? Nothing disrupts an offense more than losing your leader. That's a huge change in offensive chemistry. Pearson having to adapt to a completely different offense his senior year will be no small task. As for all of a sudden, my orig post stated "is this our line up?" Copes, Morrison, Pearson, ACorn and Wright. My assumptions are entirely based upon Pearson playing inside out with the two bigs. If you've got another starting five, very interested to see you post it. Is it crazy of me to think that Copes, the highest rated recruit ever at Mason, will be an immediate impact player? A starter? I'm excited about next year; i just don't know what the team will look after all of this is figured out.; 5:33 PM
overrated14 said...: The ESPN Top Recruit numbers mean nothing. You guys should know that by now. Winning the CAA Title or championship-hmmm I wouldn't be too sure about that. It's all about the chemistry-new players, new egos- old players- old egos. Cam Long was the stablizer for this team. Granted, there are a lot of scorers on this team but there is no one on this team who has the PRESENCE to pull back when necessary. Who is going to be that guy? Please do not say Hancock. The only time he slowed down is when he was being set up by another teammate. Ryan, Mo, and Cornelius can all be a little reckless at times. As we all know-a scorer's mentality does not win titles or championships.; 7:42 PM
Guest said...: Hancock didn't play 40 minutes a game last year, we will be fine either way.; 8:02 PM
Ross_williams1 said...: One of these guys will step up to the leadership role. When the seniors depart we always ask who is the new leader and the next season one always emerges. I am not worried.; 8:03 PM
Brentrg said...: I LOVE all these comments! I agree that losing Luke would hurt, but I just think this team is so talented. I don't know what Patobin is talking about. We will miss Cam for his timely 3's, but I think Vaughn's can make up for that. There are not many teams where almost EVERY player can shoot the 3 like ours. I think Sherrod will step in and replace Cam pretty well. I think he will become a better slasher than Cam was, and don't forget how great of a passer Morrison became towards the end of last year. I think we would miss Luke's passing ability if he left, but I honestly think he's staying. Sit out a year just to play for Michigan when GMU has a better chance of going to the tourney the next few years anyways?

I think Corey Edwards, Sherrod, and Johnny Williams are going to be great players for us next year. Edwards sounds like an amazing floor general who has good court vision but doesn't score a ton. I know he's a freshman, but if Luke leaves, I think he gets tons of minutes. I also have always liked J Will. His biggest knock has been his aggressiveness, but man he played tough at the end of last year. He has such a great mid range game which I think will work great with Copes crashing the boards. Pearson can score in any offense so I am not worried about him at all. One thing on Copes.... how did he only avg 7 points a game? I mean he prob played guys smaller than him every week. He could just dunk on them, or get fouled and go to the line. Seriously, a guy of his size had to be playing guys 6'6 on a regular basis and that's all he could do? I am curious why he was rated so high. Just for being a good rebounder? Really? Don't get me wrong I am so excited to get him and think he will mature offensivly, but what are we missing?; 9:14 PM
Patotobin said...: Losing your team leader in assists will
A.      Make your offense click
B.      Maybe patotobin is right
Losing 3 of your teams top 6 scorers will
A.      Have no transitional consequence
B.      Maybe patotobin is right
Adding a freshman Big-man into the starting lineup who can’t score at the high school level will
A.      Do wonders for an offense that just lost 40% of its firepower.
B.      Maybe patotobin is right
Starting two big men (do I actually have to say their names?) who can’t make a shot beyond 5 feet will
A.      Stretch-out the defense
B.      Maybe patotobin is right
O.K. now, remember… my original post was this
·                With Tate, Long and maybe now Hancock gone, is this the new line up?CopesMorrisonPearsonACornWright?Losing Tate and Long leaves a huge gap to fill offensively. This group looks very weak on the offensive end to me, even more so if they're not in transition. We need Hancock back for sure to handle the ball and someone else to step it up big time on the perimeter. I like the addition of copes but see more problems ahead than answers with this group listed above.
·                I later changed the word problems to “Chemistry” to become more clear.
Specific to my orignial post, what is it that you don't understand?; 12:07 AM
BatMason said...: Even though Potato-Bin is that guy on the blog you love to hate, he does have valid concerns. It would not be good
at this point if we lose LH as a ball handler and versatility guy. Not to mention, we've seen what the Mike Mo/LH duo is capable of, maybe LH's leadership could give Copes a confidence boost in the post earning a few more points a game and add a 3rd player to the show. But Mike Mo w/out someone to aggressively dish it to him in the lane could be a scary prospect, I know I wasn't the only one beating his head against the wall during the NOVA game watching missed layups, turnovers and botched opportunities at the stripe.

As for Copes' offensive skills, room for potential growth is taken into consideration in the rankings. If his minds in it, the conditioning is the easy part. If he slams the boards he contributes to second chance on the offensive glass. His body will allow him to back into the lane and he can work on his confidence and his touch on short jumpers this off season and has plenty of time to mature. If he can muscle to the rim he's going to get hacked, so if he's putting in off season work at the line he will be able to contribute there as well. I think we can all agree an 8-12 boards/points p/g guy with physical presence is something we'd welcome and may be a realistic expectation for Copes soph. season onward.

Haha @ the dude who mentioned the haterade drinkers from other ball programs in the area, this is very good. From a big picture perspective we're ranked on ESPN, have a ranked ESPN player coming to town, not only because of the family affair but because he 'loved the campus' as mentioned by a fox news report yesterday. I don't know exactly what all this means...but it's got to be good, for the school, the community and the bball program.; 3:20 AM
BatMason said...: p.s. I still want Coach L back lol (seriously though); 3:26 AM
gmuhoops said...: Only thing you said that makes sense is about losing Hancock. But he's still here at the moment.

Also why are saying Copes will start? He will come off the bench instead of someone like Paris Bennett but according to you that is meaningless because he didn't avg 20 points in high school. Too bad defense and rebounding don't matter, what a shame.

Are you saying Pearson's game isn't beyond 5 feet from the hoop? Now your just making me laugh. Please search for the highlight video I posted of him awhile.; 7:03 AM
Patotobin said...: if you think my orig posts conclusion is wrong based upon the premise, why not post who you think is going to be the starting five?

I'm saying copes will start because he's by far the biggest fish we've ever caught... ever. Maybe he won't.

My orig post was speaking to the OFFENSIVE side of the equation. Maybe that team up there i posted would be a defensive monster. I commented on my concerns about the OFFENSE. Drexel looks to be our toughest foe next year and they have huge problems on the offensive side of the ball. Why would you say i don't think defense and rebounding matter?

The obvious two bigs who can't shoot from beyond five feet are obvious.

Again, who do you see as the starting lineup next year?; 8:34 AM
gmuhoops said...: Our starting lineup will be Cornelius, Wright, Hancock, Pearson, and Morrison. Yes Hancock leaving would leave a huge void but I don't think a burly freshman forward will instantly be a starter no matter how highly rated he was.

I guess you completely glossed over the reading points that Paul Hewitt's offense is heavily guard orientated. So I expect to keep seeing a three-guard lineup like we have for the past decade here.; 9:05 AM
Patotobin said...: GMUHOOPS, i appreciate what you've done here on your blog. I enjoy it a great deal.; 9:55 AM
Matt Cerilli said...: Very true. I remember when articles you posted would go days before being commented on. Now it seems like every new entry has dozens and dozens of comments. Love the fan interaction and reading different perspectives from people.; 10:06 AM
gmuhoops said...: Thanks guys.; 10:15 AM
Rmjank said...: On this starting lineup business.... are we sure either Cornelius or Wright can run the point? It seems like coach L was never quite comfortable with Cornelius, and Wright I just don't know -- and besides, if he's a Cam-like player, wouldn't it be optimal to keep him at SG? Luke can help a little here, but to me he always seems a bit too lanky to be the point guy. The wild card here is Bryon Allen. Remember how pumped we all were when we signed him? Well, now may be his time, and I'm sure Bryon really feels that way because of Edwards coming in behind him. I had this premonition, see, during the last part of the Ohio State game, watching him still playing with a spark even though it was garbage time, as if he realized it may be his team to run next year and so he was taking that idea out for a spin. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets a bunch more playing time as next year unfolds, especially if Luke leaves.
I agree that there might be a little trial and error as we configure the right team on the floor, especially on offense, but man are we ever loaded!!; 10:44 AM
BatMason said...: A true 100% PG who can handle the ball, thread the needle and control the pace would be icing on the cake...maybe we can develop one to add behind Acorn...or maybe if LH bails Hewitt can make another clutch pull?; 3:57 PM
Mason Guy said...: The thing is, a lot is up in the air. Coach Hewitt said he wasn't going to change much, but just tweek things. Will he keep the multiplayer system where any of several can bring up the ball? Who will distribute? Will he keep Mike Mo at high post? Will he start freshman? We don't know yet. We are loaded at PF Arledge, Morrison and now Copes. Will he go to pf c sf type line up? Rebounding isnt just defense btw, even if we don't get put backs, it means a kick out to a scorer. Lots of questions, but it will be fun to see how it develops.; 4:12 PM
Scottranda said...: With Copes and Morrison GMU can do the rejecting and not be rejected!; 9:55 PM
Charlie T said...: Been out of town for 2 weeks and every where I look there are coaching changes and/or player transfers. As for Mason things will change but I doubt we will fall off the face of the Earth. Coach L did raise the expectation bar for all of us and that will continue. I do hope all the players returning work on all aspects of their game. Hard works pays off. Got a real kick out of Juan Berea guarding Eric Maynor. Talk about hard work paying off. Understand about Luke but he has to know he is a fan favorite and has a real role with this team. If there is this much interest in May, October can not come fast enough.; 3:54 PM
Dave07840 said...: hancock is going to Louisville. first to reort it; 1:31 PM
Dave07840 said...: report*; 1:32 PM
Anonymous said...: According to this blog entry from a Louisville sports reporter, Hancock is transferring to Louisville

http://blogs.courier-journal.com/rickbozich/2011/05/21/luke-hancock-to-louisville/; 3:34 PM

It's official, Erik Copes is coming to George Mason

George Mason Basketball

Sunday, May 15, 2011

It's official, Erik Copes is coming to George Mason

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