George Mason hosts Santa Clara at the RAC for game two of CBI championship

George Mason needs to win games two and three of this series to be CBI champs after losing game one at Santa Clara. The Patriots looked sluggish in their short west coast trip and weren't playing with the energy and intensity on defense like we saw in earlier CBI games they played. Perhaps playing in the RAC will give them a lift, after all it is where they practice and are comfortable. The atmosphere will be something they have not experienced, especially when you consider the noise level and being in such a small venue for a home game. An uptempo game, with a loud crowd on Mason's side should be a small advantage. From what we saw in game one, the Patriots will need all the help they can get trying to slow down that Santa Clara offense. If anything the game will be a unique experience in the RAC for the team and the fans. 

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Game 1 CBI Finals: George Mason at Santa Clara

The best of three CBI finals starts tonight at Santa Clara (10 p.m. tip-off) with George Mason being tabbed the underdog. The Patriots have been playing some inspired basketball lately and this should be a fun series to watch. Santa Clara's Kevin Foster is a dangerously good shooter and is the school's all-time leader scorer and three-point shooter. On top of that the Broncos have three other 1,000-point scorers on the roster, including skilled big-man Marc Trasolini. Foster's been averaging 30 PPG during the CBI and will be drawing a lot of attention from the Mason defenders. The Patriots will have to rely on their versatility and balanced scoring to counter the Broncos strong one-two punch of Foster and Trasolini. Perimeter defense will be most likely be an issue for Mason and they need to not leave others open by focusing too much on Foster. Santa Clara however sends opponents to the free-throw line more than the other teams George Mason has faced so far in this tournament and they will need to continue to be aggressive in that area.

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George Mason vs Western Michigan in CBI semifinals

Lost in all the Atlantic 10 news is the fact that George Mason basketball is still playing in the CBI. Tonight they host Western Michigan in the semifinals. The Broncos could pose a few mismatch problems for the problems as they have a very strong inside scoring presence. On top of that Kenpom shows that only five more teams in the entire country got to the free-throw line at a higher rate than Western Michigan this season. That could be a big problem for Mason, who as we have seen, fouls at a very high rate. They were better at keeping it under control against Houston but in this game they will be facing a different kind of offense. Shayne Whittington will give Mason problems inside and Erik Copes and Jonathan Arledge will have to be disciplined and stay out of foul trouble.

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George Mason at Delaware for regular season finale

Delaware has clinched the #2 seed in the CAA tournament and George Mason can clinch the #3 with a win Saturday or a James Madison loss. As you can see from the projected bracket below the #3 seed is a bit more favorable than the #4 seed. It's very difficult to imagine George Mason winning three games in row next weekend but no one has really looked all that dominate this year in the conference. The favorite Northeastern, has recent losses to UNCW and Delaware and needed overtime to beat Georgia State on Wednesday night. Delaware is probably the hottest team right now and have won six of their last seven. Their only loss during that stretch was a one-point decision against James Madison and all the rest were either one or two point games. 

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George Mason hosts Towson for final home game of the season

George Mason still has a chance to grab the #2 seed in the CAA tournament bracket, but they will have to win these next two games. Tonight they host Towson in their final home game of the year and are looking for their third straight win. Mason won at Towson back in late January by 10 points despite getting killed on the glass. The Tigers grabbed 21 offensive rebounds compared to the Patriots eight. For the most part they held forward Jerrelle Benimon in check and didn't let him take over. Erik Copes and Jonathan Arledge have been playing much better since that game and essentially the Patriots have a different look in the front court. Lately they hasn't been foul trouble issues and they will need to again be careful tonight. 

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George Mason looking to break home court skid

George Mason returns to their home floor Saturday afternoon against William & Mary. Not an ideal opponent for the Patriots, who are trying to avoid their first four-game home losing streak since the Paul Westhead years. The Tribe are on a three-game winning streak in which they have won by an average margin of 10 points. Their most recent win was over Georgia State and they had an exceptional night shooting the ball. A win Saturday for George Mason would be impressive given the type of defense we've seen from them lately. They got a break against Hofstra on Wednesday and didn't have to do much on defense as the Pride had an awful night shooting the ball. William & Mary on the other hand is on a hot shooting streak. Last time these two teams faced Sherrod Wright shredded the Tribe for 28 points but we haven't seen a performance like that from him in awhile. Overall, an improved performance on defense Saturday would show me that this team was embarrassed for how they played against Georgia State and are still believing in themselves for the CAA tournament. 

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2013 Homecoming Game versus Georgia State

George Mason will be looking to build some momentum after their impressive road win against Drexel Thursday night. This year's homecoming game won't be as exciting as prior years but remember the Patriots are still playing for a more favorable seed in the CAA tournament bracket. The Patriot Center hasn't been packed since the first game of the year against UVA and hopefully there will be a similar atmosphere Saturday. Mason hasn't played great at home lately but they fed off the crowd in that UVA game and will do the same in this one. Georgia State isn't eligible for this year's conference tourney but they have potential freshman of the year, RJ Hunter, who has the potential to light up the scoreboard on any given night.

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George Mason travels to Drexel

On this day one year ago George Mason defeated VCU at the Patriot Center on a Sherrod Wright buzzer-beater. Fans were starting to feel a bit more confident in how the Paul Hewitt era would turn out. Fast forward to one year later and the Patriots are barely holding on to the 4th seed in the CAA tournament. And a loss at Drexel tonight would knock them into the 5th seed. Drexel has only won three games at home this season and Mason has played some good basketball in road conferences games this year. The last two times George Mason and Drexel has played the big story has been Dragon's swingman Damion Lee. The Patriots seem to bring out the best in this sophomore, who dropped 29 points on them two weeks ago.

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George Mason hosts Delaware Saturday with a chance to climb the CAA standings

George Mason is back in action Saturday against Delaware after playing three games in five days. They went  2-1 during that stretch and won the two road games. This game against the Blue Hens is important because a win can put the Patriots in second place in the conference standings. After watching ODU beat Drexel last night, it's obvious anything is possible and the final standings are anything but set at this point. With Jonathan Arledge in the starting lineup, Mason has looked more fluid on offense. They need that to continue and hopefully these last few games have helped solidify the ideal rotation for this group. Rebounding has been a big key lately, and they will be facing the CAA's second leader in that category in Jamelle Hagins (10.6 RPG). Delaware also has the conference's leading scorer, Devon Saddler. While they haven't played the best team basketball this season, the Blue Hens still have some guys who can hurt you. With the amount of individual performances that have beaten Mason's defense this year, those two names will be something to keep on eye on.

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George Mason looks to regroup against Drexel

Both Drexel and George Mason have had their share of disappointing losses this season. First place in the CAA standing seems out of reach for both and their could be a log jam for second place very soon. The Patriots were just ran out of Boston last weekend against Northeastern, who are clearly the favorite to claim the CAA's autobid to the dance this year, and are looking to regroup. They have responded well to losses like this during the year but there have still been too many of them. As it stands now these games are nearly just preparation for the CAA tournament in March, because that is Mason's only shot at a postseason berth. We haven't seen this team improve much during the course of the year but February is certainly a good time start. 

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Sunday night showdown at Northeastern

George Mason is at Northeastern tonight for a rematch against the first place Huskies. Last time around the Patriots played their worst conference game in a home loss to the Huskies and their perimeter defense was greatly exposed. Since then Mason's defense has been tighter on the perimeter and their offense has started to show some consistency. Bryon Allen being in the starting lineup will give the Patriots a much better look in the beginning of the game against these guys. He makes them tougher to defend on offense and he's been a solid defender these last three games. NU's Jonathan Lee will give Mason headaches again but they have to be careful to not let their attention wonder on defense. It killed them last time around when they allowed a freshman to have a big night. Tonight's game isn't a battle for first place but it is an important one. A Huskies win means they will be controlling the CAA race down the stretch. 

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George Mason heads to Towson to take on a surprising Tigers team

The Towson Tigers are currently in second place in the CAA standings. I'm sure they'd be more excited if they were actually eligible to win the CAA's autobid to the NCAA tournament. They are a far cry from last year's squad that won only one game and went a calendar year without a victory. Georgetown transfer Jerrelle Benimon is a big reason for this year's turn around and he's playing like a conference player of the year. He's been all over the court this year, averaging 17 PPG, 11.7 RPG and shooting around 55% from the field. Early foul trouble is an obvious worry for George Mason in this one and they won't win without discipline on defense.

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George Mason takes on Hofstra

George Mason takes on Hofstra Saturday looking to get back in the battle for first place in the conference standings. The Patriots haven't lost to the Pride at home since 2007 but any given night seems like it could end up being a close one for them. Hofstra has been playing better than expected despite losing four players earlier in the year to suspensions. They recently played Northeastern much tougher on the road than Mason did against the same team on their home court. On paper the Pride have some terrible offensive numbers but as always a loss of focus on defense by the Patriots often gives poor teams a chance.

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George Mason hosts ODU for final time as CAA opponent

George Mason hosts Old Dominion tonight for their third conference game. Last time out they handled William & Mary on the road in a game where we saw Sherrod Wright score 10 of 28 points in the final seven minutes. The offense ran a bit smoother and Corey Edwards and Bryon Allen sharing the court looks to be a good fit. ODU has been awful this season and are one of the worst defensive teams in the country. Blaine Taylor's teams are never this bad but they just can't seem to score or stop anyone else from scoring, simple as that. In their last game against Delaware, the Blue Hens managed to get to the free-throw line for 50 attempts. That's amazingly bad for the Monarchs. 

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George Mason begins CAA schedule against Northeastern

The non-conference portion of the schedule is over and George Mason now has 18 games to prepare to the CAA tournament; which will most likely determine their postseason chances. The CAA had a terrible time with their non-conference opponents this season and only achieved one Top 50 win. The Patriots will be looking to become the leader of the pack in the conference and earn that #1 seed. The #1 seed has the easiest path this year in the CAA tournament, getting a bye on Saturday and only needing to get a win on Sunday to go to the championship. Mason seems like a shoe-in for this #1 seed but they still have to get the work done.

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George Mason heads to South Florida for last non-conference game

The Patriots have their non-conference finale tomorrow at South Florida (TV: MASN), the last of a good group of opponents this year. While they have may have missed their opportunities to capitalize on this tough schedule, this last game is another one that will help them more establish themselves as the leader of the pack in the CAA. It will be important to see if Mason can finally start to show some consistency and follow up that thrilling win against Richmond without another strong performance against a Big East school. 

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George Mason heads to Richmond for Governor's Holiday Hoops Classic

George Mason is back in action Saturday afternoon after a two week break for final exams. The first ever Governor's Holiday Hoops Classic has the Patriots matched up against Richmond. The game is at the Richmond Coliseum, where the Patriots haven't had the best track record and were flat out embarrassed there by VCU in the CAA tournament last year. This Classic however is another good test for Mason as Richmond has beaten CAA members William & Mary, ODU, and James Madison already this season. The Spiders have only lost to Minnesota, Ohio, and Kansas thus far. 

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Northern Iowa comes to town

The Patriots have the toughest stretch of their non-conference schedule over the next three games. Northern Iowa is up first and visits the Patriot Center Saturday. Much like George Mason they have only losses to respectable teams and missed opportunities for big wins in their early season tournament. This is the final game before the break for exams starts so it will be important for the Patriots to get a win heading into the long break. Last time these two teams met was during the 2010-2011 season in the Bracketbusters event. For some long time readers you may remember the drinking game post I had for that one, good times. 

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George Mason back in action tonight against UMBC

George Mason has a quick turn around from their loss at the Verizon Center on Sunday and hosts UMBC tonight at the Patriot Center. Statistically this is the worst team Mason will face in their non-conference schedule and it would be nice to finally see a decisive blow out. It's difficult to predict an easy win for the Patriots at this point because they have played down to a lot of competition this season. The Retrievers are allowing an average of 75 points a game from their opponents and actually get to the free-throw line at a less frequent rate than George Mason, so it won't be a slow game. It's going to be another one of those, 'which George Mason team shows up tonight', but it's more likely we see the Patriots get back on track in this one.

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George Mason squares off against their toughest remaining non-conference opponent: Maryland

George Mason is coming off two, less than stellar performances heading into this Sunday's BB&T Classic. They are still winners of their last three and now face Maryland, the toughest remaining non-conference opponent on their schedule. A win on Sunday would certainly throw the Patriots into that early at-large, bubble team talk if they don't stumble later on. However the Patriots are faced with a daunting task of having to defend a potential NBA lottery pick at center, Alex Len and a very good wing scorer, Dez Wells. 

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