Previewing George Mason at Old Dominion

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This is first game of the 10 day stretch that will be pivotal for George Mason this year. They haven't won at the Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk since February of 2004, as they always seem to get ODU's best game there despite the year they are having.  Both teams have taken a big step back from what they were last season but are still expected to be in the CAA's top four.  ODU's season has been with its share of ups and downs like Mason but are much more battled tested.  They had very good showings against Kentucky and Missouri already this season but struggles on offense prevented them from performing any upsets. And like Mason they are a hard team to get a read on at this point.  Some of that is due to player turnover, as Donte Hill and Richard Ross weren't available at the beginning of the season, and some is due to some terrible shooting on the floor.

The Monarchs are currently #322 nationally in field goal percentage (38.9%) and in the first half of their last game at JMU they went 8-for-32.  They came back in the 2nd half with much better shooting but are very capable of going on big scoring droughts.  The Patriots have a real advantage here if they can push the tempo because they have had no trouble scoring this season.  The key for Mason to take advantage of this on the road is to get things going early and not be sucked into a half court game.  The Monarchs have excellent rebounding percentage numbers and Mason will mostly likely struggle to win that battle on the glass.

Another area that Mason has the advantage is three-point shooting. The Monarchs are last in the CAA in three-point shooting percentage and have been allowing their opponents to average over 34% from there.  Mason is improving in this area since the return of Andre Cornelius and will be looking to get him the ball for some open looks.

One match-up to watch closely is Chris Cooper vs Ryan Pearson. Cooper has been a double-double machine this year and gets to the foul line. Pearson needs to stay out of foul trouble because Mason relies too heavily on him.  

College Basketball

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Patrick Stevens of the Washington Times has quite a stat in his article today: George Mason is 24-4 (13-1 in CAA games) when Mike Morrison scores at least 10 points.