George Mason is in first place in the Atlantic 10.
I know. I know. It’s still early, but the Patriots (13-5, 4-1) moved into the top spot with a 67-59 win at Dayton.
George Mason’s defense has been its show pony all season, and in the first half, it was on full display. The Patriots were physical. They controlled the boards and transitioned from offense to defense in a blink of an eye.
In other words, they played the first 20 minutes like some of the top Dayton teams in the past.
This version shows the Flyers searching. Dayton started out in a zone, and George Mason shot them out of it. On paper, it makes sense. The Patriots aren’t going to kill you from three, but by going zone, the players who are capable of making three-pointers, particularly Darius Maddox, got into a rhythm.
Maddox is the Patriots’ most dangerous scorer on the roster, even if it hasn’t always shown. Maddox was 3-11 from three in the first three conference games. In the last two games (UMass and Dayton), he’s 6-12 from long distance.
Despite some ball security issues down the stretch, George Mason’s primary ballhandlers held up well. Brayden O’Connor (UMass-Lowell transfer) continues to get more comfortable as the lead guard after playing off the ball at his last stop.
O’Coonor’s success at the transition allows head coach Tony Skinn to use veteran KD Johnson (Auburn transfer) and freshman Justin Begg off the bench.
Big man Jalen Haynes is perfect for the offense and is lighter on his feet than he looks. He scored 12 points on an efficient 5-8 shooting night. What’s holding Haynes back in conference play is his foul trouble.
If there was a negative, it was how George Mason finished the game. Turnovers and wide-open shots made the score closer than it should have been. The Flyers also started the half gobbling up real estate on dribble penetration.
But for the most part, George Mason spent the night looking like the best team in the Atlantic 10. Something that Dayton is used to saying.
