Previewing George Mason vs Georgia State in the CAA quarterfinals

TV: CSN+ find channel here

Time: 8:30 pm

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Georgia State quickly dismantled Hofstra last night 85-50, in what was the largest margin of victory by any team in CAA tournament history. It has been a long and tough season for Hofstra but this was still an impressive game for Georgia State as they shot the lights out last night. Wouldn't you know it that George Mason gets paired in the same bracket pairing as the hottest team on Friday. 

Here is breakdown of their night:

-The Panthers shot nearly 60% for the game from the field.

-Scored 48 points int he paint, Eric Buckner had 21

-Scored 23 points off Hofstra turnovers

-And went 20-for-24 from the foul line

Combine that with their shifting zone defenses and this is George Mason's worst nightmare. Granted Mason isn't Hofstra but the Panthers played them tough back in early January at the Patriot Center. Ron Hunter's game plan against Ryan Pearson worked well and his defensive sets confused the Patriots all night long. That time the game was ugly but that won't necessarily be the case tonight. Forward Eric Buckner has been strong on the boards lately and he is a pivotal part to Georgia State's success. 

Here are the keys tonight for George Mason:

Go right at Eric Buckner. They need to get Georgia State's front court in foul trouble and get Ryan Pearson and Mike Morrison going right from the start. Morrison had a good night against this team last time out because Pearson was getting so much attention. They need to make Buckner work all night, which will result in a lot of their shots being blocked, but also some easy trips to the foul line. Mason is deeper in the front court than the Panthers and they need to control the paint in order to win. 

Keep turnovers under 14. They cannot play as sloppy against this team tonight as they did back in January or else it will be a quick out for the Patriots. I'm sick of talking about turnovers but it's a reality we need to face for the rest of the the season. They have won a ton of games this season when they have kept the number under 15. Keeping it around 10 or so would be great but at this point I think that is wishful thinking. They need to make things easier for Bryon Allen and Corey Edwards, and get the ball out of their hands quickly before GSU's defense has a chance to set. Hofstra tried to run up and down the court on the Panthers last night and failed miserably. Mason will most likely try to do this as well but they need to be careful with distributing the ball.  

Pump up the up tempo offense. Too often this season other teams have forced Mason to play a half court game, using presses and other traps. They need to use their athleticism and run on this team tonight.  If they can do that they can take Eric Buckner out of the game. This also makes it a lot more difficult for the Panthers to get back in their defensive sets, where they are so good this year. Andre Cornelius, Bryon Allen, and Vertrail Vaughns are key here and they need to push the ball when they have the chance.