Previewing Florida Atlantic

George Mason gets a real test this weekend at Florida Atlantic. The Patriots will be playing in front of a sold out crowd and will give the young players plenty to deal with on the season's first real road game. Sherrod Wright will be playing despite taking a hard fall on his wrist against Monmouth, but Paris Bennett is listed is a game time decision. The possible return of Bennett might help with the turnovers and give the team a bit more stability on both ends. This is the type of game the Patriots need their veterans to step up because it's very possible the young back court struggles early with an intense crowd.  

The Owls haven't gotten off to a great start this year, much like Mason, but I think they are better than their 1-3 record.  They hammered Georgia State from behind the three-point line on a neutral court (15-for-25) but then had an awful shooting night at American.  They are a strong rebounding team, especially on the offensive glass. Mason gets to the free-throw line more than the Owls and have been more successful from there. The Owls most consistent player is big forward Kore White, who is the only starter that has scored double digits in each of their four games. The Patriots usual game plan of driving to the basket could thwart a good shooting night by FAU. 

Knowing that FAU has the potential to hit the open three-pointer is something that worries me in this game.  Mason's perimeter defense has looked pretty awful so far this year and things could get away from them early if they leave guys as open as they did against FIU.  The uptempo offense they have been running has been putting points on the board but has led to a lot of mistakes and miscues on the floor.  It will be interesting to see if the Patriots show improvement in ball control on this trip.

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