George Mason Basketball: Bring on the Patrick Holloway/Stephen Curry comparisons

Mason lost to Maryland yesterday in the BB&T Classic but a bright spot for the Patriots was another strong outing from freshman Patrick Holloway. Holloway has already surpassed many preseason expectations, including my own. What is most impressive is not just his three-point shooting but his poise on the court. He is an undersized shooting guard but isn't afraid to shoot with a defender in his face or drive the lane for a quick floater. The kid just hasn't look much like a freshman and has been a breath of fresh air for a team that didn't exactly light it up from behind the arch last season. Holloway's been so impressive that fourth year junior Vertrail Vaughns, who started every game last season, picked up his first DNP yesterday. Paul Hewitt chose to go with Vaughn Gray and Patrick Holloway in the rotation and no one's going to argue with that when it comes to this team's offensive struggles.

In the mist of Holloway's 12 point first half yesterday, the Stephen Curry comparisons began to roll in from fans and media:

George Mason has had opportunities to inch closer but hasn't. Paul Hewitt looks committed to Patrick Holloway, has played down the stretch.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) December 2, 2012

Was Stephen Curry-esque for Team Takeover on AAU circuit. RT @robdauster: This kid Patrick Holloway for George Mason is pretty good.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) December 2, 2012

#Mason looks like they found a player with Patrick Holloway. Dude has a super quick release, looks like a Curry brother
— JP Finlay (@jpfinlay) December 2, 2012

Even Maryland player Nick Faust couldn't resist:

"Overall he's a great player," Terrapins guard Nick Faust said. "He's definitely a Stephen Curry type. I would say. He has a fluid shot...He definitely lit us up in the beginning."

Holloway has draw these comparisons since his AAU days so it's nothing new for him. I think he has a long way to go before he should be compared to Stephen Curry though. He is small guard like Curry, that plays a lot bigger then he looks and seems to rise to the occasion of an important game. It's also worth noting that Holloway seems to be in the early running for CAA Rookie of the Year, an award a George Mason player hasn't won since 1998 (George Evans).

[Photo by John Powell]

2 Comments:

GMU6 said...: He knows what he needs to work on and of course that will be defense. I doubt any of this will go to his head and he will only get better. He does have such a quick release plus the added baskerball smaller player IQ to go inside. No comparisons but he does try to get open and run his routes just like Reggie Miller. When you have shooters like he and Wright and I hope VV soon, our guys must remember picks and screens need as much practice as any other part of the game. Size did matter in this game yet we could have won it but just move on. They have to get rid of these time lapses when they do not do very many positve things. That will come.; 5:18 PM
Rick Jank said...: It was a tough loss to take as the expectations, which weren't too high before the game, grew a lot during the game. And Holloway is the main reason. So, tough loss, but it's hard not to feel a little giddy about the potential this guy has. And, as the commentators mentioned, we are a young team that is only going to get better as the year rolls on. AND next year when we lose nearly nobody.; 6:06 PM

Bring on the Patrick Holloway/Stephen Curry comparisons

George Mason Basketball

Monday, December 03, 2012

Bring on the Patrick Holloway/Stephen Curry comparisons

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