George Mason misses out on Devin Wilson, recruit commits to Virginia Tech

Well 2013 point guard prospect Devin Wilson has committed to Virginia Tech. I'm surprised he picked them over both George Mason and a school close to his hometown, Saint Joseph's. You have to wonder that since he has a big interest in football and even had aspirations of playing in college, if that had something to do with the decision. Either way it's a solid get for former George Mason assistant James Johnson, now the head coach at Virginia Tech. The Mason staff was very high on Wilson but will have to move on to other prospects. 

With few good point guard prospects remaining in the 2013 class where does the staff go from here? Let's take a look at some options:

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Another 2013 PG recruit set to visit George Mason

We now know of at least one open scholarship for next season with the news that Vertrail Vaughns is leaving the program. The coaching staff has already been going after point guard prospects including Devin Wilson who visited George Mason recently. Wilson is set to announce his commitment before April 17. He might choose Mason, he might not, so there's always other kids in the mix. A new name that has popped up is 6'3" point guard Jalen James from Chicago, Illinois. He was originally committed to Illinois but when head coach Bruce Weber left the program he reopened his recruitment. James plans to visit George Mason in early May but obviously that could change if Devin Wilson commits before then.

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Will Johnny Williams and Vaughn Gray be the next to transfer?

With news today that confirms redshirt junior Vertrail Vaughns is leaving the program, their is talk that he won't be this off-season's only transfer. Sophomore Vaughn Gray and redshirt junior Johnny Williams are the names being mentioned and there is evidence to support both requesting a transfer.

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Vertrail Vaughns is transferring

A lot of people were wondering who was leaving program given that the coaching staff had been offering scholarships to 2013 recruits. It looks as though Vertrail Vaughns is transferring by word of one of his  former AAU coaches. Still waiting to hear back confirmation from the team but Vaughns was one of the obvious front runners to be leaving the team. Vaughns, the redshirt junior, is graduating this May and would be eligible to play immediately anywhere.

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PG Devin Wilson has George Mason in his final top three

Point guard Devin Wilson, who recently had a visit to George Mason, has narrowed down his choices to three final schools. Per Western Michigan's Rivals.com affiliate it seems that Wilson cancelled his official visit to Western Michigan and will choose between Virginia Tech, St. Joesph's, and George Mason:

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Recruit Devin Wilson visits George Mason

Early this month we talked about the coaching staff's interest in Devin Wilson, a 2013 point guard prospect from Pennsylvania. The 6'4" Wilson is a dual sport threat, earning high praises in both basketball and football but has decided to stick with hoops at the college level. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette just recently named him their player of the year. So very much like Patrick Holloway, Wilson is a proven winner. In that same article is mentions that Wilson visited George Mason's campus on Thursday:

"Interest in Wilson has increased over the past few months. He visited George Mason Thursday and also is expected to make visits to Western Michigan, Saint Joseph's and Virginia Tech."

Some highlights from his high school career, both basketball and football:

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2013 point guard prospect visiting George Mason

Well the 2012-2013 season is likely over, barring an embarrassing appearance in a third-tier tournament, so now it's on to obsessing about recruiting again. Today's headline is interesting because the Patriots aren't losing any scholarship players to graduation but have a 2013 recruit visiting them soon. Perhaps someone might be transferring or a current player's scholarship might not be renewed, who knows. 

Anyway, the prospect is 6'4" 180-pound point guard Devin Wilson from Pennsylvania. Recently Wilson made the decision to pursue basketball at the college level instead of football. Perhaps his combo of football and basketball skills can help Mason break a press once in awhile if he comes to Fairfax. 

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Johnny Williams' younger brother doesn't pick George Mason

Johnny Williams' (J2) younger brother, Jonathan Williams III (J3) is a very talented young prospect. Last night he announced his college choice, which ended up being Missouri. Michigan State, Georgetown, and Tennessee were also in the mix and at the last second the Williams' mother placed a George Mason hat on the table, right in the middle. J3 did have an official offer from Paul Hewitt and George Mason and even attended Mason Madness, but we all knew the chances of him coming to Fairfax were slim and none. Still though, it was a nice gesture to show Mason respect and mention them among the other schools during his selection process. 

George Mason commit Jalen Jenkins continues to earn high praises

Jalen Jenkins gave a verbal commitment to come to George Mason back in June, and while we still don't know if the 17 year old will attend prep school for a postgraduate year before coming to the program, he continues to earn high praises this summer. Zach Braziller of the NY Post is a mainstay in the NYC area hoops scene and has covered Jenkins a lot. He had some words about Jenkins in his article yesterday as he gave a few player evaluations:

F Jalen Jenkins, Cardinal Hayes (New Heights)
If he hadn’t verbally committed to George Mason in June, a swarm of major Division I schools would be after the 6-foot-7 small forward, who may do a postgraduate year before heading to Mason because he is a year young. The former Cardinal Hayes standout’s ability to bang inside, lead the break, shoot from deep and facilitate are qualities seldom seen in players his size. Mason head coach Paul Hewitt is getting a big-time recruit and an even better kid in Jenkins.

Seems as though Jenkins has the potential to become Paul Hewitt's biggest recruit at George Mason to date. The 6'7" has a wide variety of skills and is also known as his team's defensive anchor:

The George Mason verbal looked like an absolute steal for Paul Hewitt and company with his play in the 17U tournament.  A face-up 4, he showed the ability to hit open jumpers and get to the basket from the wing.  Jenkins also was able to finish at the rim with either hand.  Defensively, he anchored the New Heights team all the way to the 17U title game with his rebounding and shot blocking.

It would be great if Jenkins came to Mason in the fall and redshirted for a season but I'd imagine it's difficult to sell that scenario to a 17 year old kid. If he came this fall and didn't redshirt I can't imagine he'd get many minutes on what would be a crowded roster. Hopefully we will hear some news on what is happening soon as the fall semester is approaching.

Jalen Jenkins commits to George Mason

Paul Hewitt and his staff got a verbal commitment from 6'7" small forward Jalen Jenkins over the weekend. Jenkins, a native of NYC, already knows current George Mason point guard Corey Edwards from his AAU team and chose the Patriots over Iona, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Temple, and Providence. 

Jenkins is often described as a versatile and athletic forward and resembles the template for that type of guys Paul Hewitt likes to have on his roster. He seems to have a ton of upside and is a labled as a hard worker on both ends of the court. Zach Braziller, who covers high school basketball for the NY Post says high majors were also after him:

"There were high major schools to inquire and show interest in Jenkins, he said, like Providence and Marquette, but he felt George Mason fit him like a glove."

Jenkins also seems to have a lot of potential and upside when you read what his coaches have to say about him:

"George Mason is getting a multidimensional player in Jenkins. A combo forward who can step out behind the 3-point line, score inside and distribute and lead a fastbreak, one Division I coach familiar with Jenkins said he has the “potential” to be an all-conference performer in the CAA."

For George Mason to play uptempo and fast they need players like this and it is easy to see what Hewitt likes about this kid. You can watch some video on Jenkins here, he's number #13 and his team is wearing the maroon jerseys. You can see he sometimes handles the ball and is a terrific passer. I like the way he gets up and down the court, especially for someone his size.

According to the report from Adam Zagoria, Jenkins may prep a year, which means he could actually be a 2013 recruit and wouldn't enroll at George Mason this fall. This would also be the program's last available scholarship, unless someone transfers or redshirts in the future. 

It's definitely an interesting move by the staff given the point guard and overall ball handling situation. Hewitt seemed to be scouting a ton of point guards and I wouldn't rule out seeing the staff still actively pursue one. 

Recruiting update: George Mason eyeing impact guards for 2013 class

With the 2012 recruiting class complete it's time to move on to the 2013 prospects. So far it looks as though Paul Hewitt and his staff are going after impact back court players for their 2013 recruiting class. They are high on Tim Quarterman, the 6'5" shooting guard from Savannah, Georgia, but so are a lot of other big programs. Quarterman has also played point guard in high school and has great size for a guard. He's been receiving a lot of praise recently in his area and truly fits the mold of a Paul Hewitt type guard. How desperately could this team have used a wing player who could dish and handle the ball well last season?

Quarterman isn't the only guard they have offered, as there is news today that the staff has offered a scholarship to AJ Riley, a 6'2" point guard from Peoria, Illinois:

Class of 2013 PG AJ Riley @Ajice2 of Peoria Manuel HS has picked up an offer from George Mason after his stellar play this weekend.
— Scott Burgess (@scott_chihoops) April 30, 2012

Riley was the MVP of the Philly JamFest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania this past weekend and most certainly caught the eye of a few coaches. He's already received several offers from MVC schools. 

Current starting point guard Bryon Allen will be a senior for the 2013-2014 season and Corey Edwards will be a junior, so the search for their successors at the point is something the staff is making a priority this off season. Hewitt's offense relies heavily on strong point guard play and a lot of the team's struggles from this past season stemmed from there.

The interesting thing to follow with this recruiting class is how much an official announcement of George Mason moving to the Atlantic 10 could have. Stay tuned.

Marko Gujanicic officially signs on for 2012 recruiting class

We have been talking about Marko Gujanicic for awhile now since he verbally committed to George Mason back in  late January. There is still a lot of mystery to him since most of his playing experience comes from overseas but now that he has officially signed his letter of intent we will start to learn more. Gujanicic joins Patrick Holloway in the 2012 recruiting class, which is probably now complete, otherwise I think they might have waited to release this news officially in the event that another prospect signed on. Paul Hewitt initially saw Gujanicic in Lativa when he was coaching the USA U19 team last summer and he continued to follow him when he went to Stoneridge Prep in California.

From the school's official release:

A native of Cacak, Serbia, Gujanicic most recently played at Stoneridge Prep in Simi Valley, Calif., where he averaged nearly 17 points and more than ninerebounds and six assists per game. A 58 percent shooter including a 40 percent mark from 3-point range, Gujanicic is a versatile post player who has the ability to shoot from beyond the arc as well as put the ball on the floor. Gujanicic helped lead Stoneridge to a 25-win season this year, earning team MVP honors and a selection as one of the top five prep players on the West Coast.

His versatility will be a huge asset to the team, as he has size and can handle the ball well. The team might have a much easier time breaking presses next season with guys like him and Anali Okoloji. Also the fact that both incoming recruits have impressive three-point shooting numbers is something to get excited about.

Here is what Marko's high school coach had to say about his recruitment:

"Marko is the ultimate skill player for any level of Division I basketball," said Stoneridge coach Les Bean. "He is an excellent player and excellent teammate, can do anything and can be a size mismatch on the floor.

"He had so many options but as soon as Coach Hewitt and Coach [Roland] Houston started talking to him, the level of professionalism and selling the program really turned heads with me, Marko, and his family and friends," Bean added. "I have such a level of respect to see Coach Hewitt and Coach Houston recruiting the right way, and I think that's why Mason got the quality of player in Marko that they did."

Next year's team is going to be very different from the 2011-2012 team and there are a lot of question marks. It's difficult to project just what kind of roles Holloway and Gujanicic will have next season. Gujanicic probably have a chance to see the floor more as the team lost two key forwards and he can play at a number of different spots. If his shooting is as good as advertised I think Hewitt will definitely find a way to get him into the rotation, especially at the three or four spot.  

Patrick Holloway is the Washington Post's All-Met Player of the Year

The Washington Post officially released their Winter All-Met teams today, we already knew recruit Patrick Holloway was on the first team but turns out he was also named Player of the Year. A great honor for Holloway as he becomes the first ever George Mason recruit to earn this award.

Here is the write-up the post had on him:

"George Mason recruit saved his biggest performances for the season’s biggest games, leading the No. 1 Panthers to a 35-3 record, their first Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship, the City Title and a Virginia private schools championship. Made a buzzer-beating three-point shot to beat No. 1 DeMatha during the regular season and made the game-winning basket in the teams’ rematch in the WCAC championship game. One of the region’s best pure scorers, the 6-1 guard averaged 13.2 points and shot 35 percent from three-point range."

[Photo by Ricky Cariot/Washington Post]

Incoming freshman Patrick Holloway named to first team All-Met

By now you know about how great of a senior year Patrick Holloway is having, especially over these last two months. Today Holloway announced on twitter that he was named to first team All-Met. A tremendous honor given the talent in the area:

Today I found out I made first team all-met. I am truly blessed.
— Patrick Holloway (@Pat_Holloway10) March 23, 2012

Previous All-Met players in George Mason's recent recruiting history include Jonathan Arledge (2010 third team), Cam Long (2007 first team), Vlad Moldoveanu (2007 second team), Folarin Campbell (2003 & 2004 first team), and Lamar Butler (first team 2001).

Congrats to Patrick.

George Mason recruit Patrick Holloway helps power Paul VI to first City Title

George Mason recruit Patrick Holloway has already proved he's a winner, hitting big shots in games here and here. Last night he hit three big shots to stop multiple rallies from Coolidge to help his Paul VI squad in Fairfax win their first ever Abe Pollin City Title. Holloway finished the game with 15 points and you have to enjoy seeing him continue to take big shots for his team, especially in front of a 4,000+ crowd. This shot, as described by SB Nation's Samuel Chamberlain is probably my favorite after watching Mason's three-point shooting this season:

"The second big shot, another three-pointer, came from behind the NBA line from the right elbow and made the score 53-42."

Let's hope he can adjust to the Division I level sooner rather than later in his freshman season because the team could use his three-pointer shooting right away. Something else encouraging to see is that Holloway seems to have done a better job creating his own shot. Some high school shooters have trouble creating for themselves once they move up to the college level, so watching him get shots around other future Division I players is great to see. Congrats to Patrick and Paul VI on an amazing season.

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Don't forget to the vote in the 2011-2012 George Mason Post-Season Awards

Paul Hewitt talks about scheduling on ESPN980

Yesterday afternoon George Mason head coach Paul Hewitt was on the ESPN 980's "March Madness Today Hour" show. Along with the NCAA tournament they also talk about a little bit about George Mason and Hewitt's first season here. The most interesting part of Hewitt being on the show is when they discuss scheduling and differences between the ACC and CAA. When the topic of scheduling local schools comes up Hewitt says he wants to play them and they are working with John Feinstein to play in the BB&T Classic again. Perhaps against Maryland? Hewitt ends it with saying it's a "we'll see what happens" type of thing. With Gary Williams no longer there you have to wonder if this might actually happen. Listen to the podcast below:

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Also, some recruiting news that we came across today as it appears Hewitt and his staff have shown interest in a new point guard, per TheRecruitScoop:

George Mason is now expressing interest in Trey Dickerson, a 2012 PG from Price (CA). He decommitted from Seattle yesterday.
— Alex Kline (@TheRecruitScoop) March 20, 2012

This interest shows that like most of us fans, the staff probably isn't completely sold on either Bryon Allen or Corey Edwards running the point next season. Perhaps the staff is just doing their due diligence on a recruit that just hit the market again and nothing more. He says in this interview that he wants to play in an uptempo offense and be on a team that is on TV a lot. Hopefully the staff can sell him on the CAA's new NBC Sports TV deal! Also in that interview he states a lot of big time programs were looking at him and I'd have to figure most don't have a scholarship open for next season like Mason does. The Recruit Scoop also seems very high on him and says he does a good job getting his teammates involved, an area Mason was really lacking in point guard play this season. This could be an interesting development to follow but the bottom line is I don't see them using this last scholarship on a point guard.

UPDATE: I received word that the staff does not plan to offer Dickerson a scholarship.

George Mason recruit Patrick Holloway hits another game-winning shot

Back in late January, George Mason recruit Patrick Holloway hit a game-winning shot against DeMatha in a huge win for his Paul VI squad. Well last night he did it again against DeMatha and this time it helped his school with their first ever WCAC title. Holloway again came up back in an important game for his team in front of a crowd of 3,400 at American University's Bender Arena. The kid definitely has ice water in his veins and that is a trait you can't coach.

DMV Elite has the highlights from the game. Holloway is number 10 in white and you can watch his game-winning shot at the 4:22 mark:

A closer look at George Mason's newest recruit Marko Gujanicic

Marko Gujanicic joins Patrick Holloway in George Mason's recruiting class of 2012 after giving a verbal commitment to Paul Hewitt and the coaching staff over the weekend.  Gujanicic, a native of Serbia, is one who has great passing skills for a 6'8"-6'9" guy and can put the ball on the floor.  If you watched the video in my post from yesterday you will notice he also can be a deadly three-point shooter. His size gives Mason the possibility of having some "big" lineups that most CAA teams won't be able to match up with. Consider a lineup that includes Marko with a combination of  Jonathan Arledge (6'9" 228lbs), Anali Okoloji (6'8" 232), Johnny Williams (6'8" 266), and Erik Copes (6'8" 244).  Can't remember the last time I've seen that much height/size on a George Mason roster. How Hewitt and his staff utilize Marko's skill set will be interesting to see. Will he play the wing in a small forward role, or will big man coach Roland Houston try to make him a post player? With what Houston has done for Pearson and Morrison this season I wouldn't mind seeing the latter. 

Back in November, Andy Durham of Greensboro Sports saw Gujanicic play against national high school powerhouse Oak Hill Academy. Here is his evaluation on Gujanicic:

"Gujanicic is your genetic highly skilled European player. At 6’9", he can play on the perimeter or in the low post area. This past summer, Gujanicic played on the Serbian 19U National team and averaged 10 PPG and 6 RPG. He is highly skilled, fundamentally sound and is deadly from the 3 point line. He has the ability to put the ball on the floor and is excellent ball handler and passer for his size and position. Gujanicic enjoyed a solid night for his team by having a team high 18 points. He is very versatile and fluid and without question is a lock for mid-major plus program and could easily step into a high major program that is in need of a talented face up PF. Currently, he has offered from UTEP and Rhode Island, but this list should continue to grow once more schools find out about the talented Gujanicic. In speaking with his high school coach, Gujanicic is averaging 17 PPG, 11 RPG and 4 APG for Stoneridge in their first 4 games."

Scoring 18 points against an Oak Hill team that is littered with Division I talent is nothing to scoff at. Both incoming recruits are excellent three-point shooters, which is nice because this year's Patriots squad has struggled from behind the arch. The one thing I worry about is how he plays defense. Most Euro players and even Mason's most recent one Vlad Moldoveanu, don't play much defense. He might very well be a sound defender but it's tough to tell from watching highlight videos. Back in the Jim Larranaga era if he didn't think you were putting in enough effort on the defensive end you'd be benched.  Paul Hewitt isn't nearly as defensive minded as Larranaga and we've yet to see him yank freshman off the court as much as he did. So that issue might not be as big of a factor with Marko under Hewitt, but it is something he will most likely have to work on as he transitions to Division I.

Good to see his high school's website wasted no time putting this image up:

You can check out the rest of his school's website here.

Marko Gujanicic commits to George Mason

Recruiting prospect Marko Gujanicic recently attended a George Mason home game and with him currently being in California we knew it was probably a big deal. Turns it out he has verbally committed to come play for Paul Hewitt next season. A few people close to the program have emailed me this and there is talk at CAAZone as well. Gujanicic is a 6'8" forward currently playing at Stoneridge Prep in California but is originally from Serbia. He caught the coaching staff's eye when he played against the USA U19 team that Paul Hewitt coached over the summer. He isn't a post player but has great shooting range and excellent passing skills. He also drives to the basket with authority and certainly seems like he would fit into what the Patriots are doing now. Here is a video from one of his recent high school games, Marko is #40:

He could definitely create some interesting mismatch problems in the CAA, especially if he is an effective outside shooter at the Division I level. With him playing professionally overseas he will be a bit older than your average freshman, he turns 20 this September. This situation reminds me of when the Patriots brought in Vlad Moldoveanu, a Euro player with similar type experience. I felt Larranaga and his staff really didn't use Vlad properly and as a result he transferred to American. Hopefully Paul Hewitt has a better plan in place for this kid.

[via @TheRecruitScoop]

Future Patriot Patrick Holloway hits game winner against DeMatha

If watched the stream to last night's Paul VI-DeMatha game that I posted yesterday boy were you in for a pleasant surprise. 2012 recruit and future George Mason Patriot Patrick Holloway had a big game last night in Paul VI's win over Maryland power DeMatha high school. Holloway along with Mason's three walk-ons dominate the front page of the Washington Post sports section this morning. Pretty cool. Last night Holloway hit a game winning buzzer beater with two tenths of a second remaining to help his team pull off the upset.  Here is the video:

Holloway finished the game leading all scorers with 20 points. DeMatha was led by a kid that has committed to play at Syracuse next season.  Paul Hewitt was in attendance to witness the game winner and I'm sure he hopes that Patrick brings that clutch shooting to George Mason for four seasons.  This big game experience is something you can't coach and is certainly an asset for any kid making the transition to Division I basketball. Can't wait for this kid to come to Fairfax.