It’s official. George Mason is having a special season.
Once again, the Patriots (20-5, 11-1) pulled out a close win. The last time out, they won in overtime at Saint Louis after a disastrous last 20 seconds of regulation.
Next is a home date with a St. Joseph’s (15-9, 6-5) team that has won two in a row and is tied for fifth place.
St. Joe’s Leaders:
Points: Xzayvier Brown 16.5
Rebounds: Rasheer Fleming 8.9
Assists: Xzayvier Brown 4.8
Keys:
Turnovers:
In the last two wins (Rhode Island and Saint Louis), the Patriots have had under 10 turnovers. When George Mason takes care of the ball, playing at a comfortable pace is more achievable.
Give Tony Skinn some credit. How many times have you seen a coach be able to balance a three-headed monster at point guard successfully?
That’s why the numbers bad numbers are misleading. The Patriots have a negative Turnover Margin and are last in Assists/Turnover Ratio.
The players play a style of basketball that impacts winning.
Stay Out of Foul Trouble:
George Mason has an advantage when Jalen Haynes and Giovanni Emejuru can avoid foul trouble.
Haynes played 40 out of the 45 minutes against Saint Louis, and he’s a match-up nightmare. It’s hard to single-cover Haynes in the post. Bringing a double team opens up the floor for open three-point attempts and creates driving lanes.
If Haynes stays out of foul trouble, it allows Skinn flexibility on Emejuru’s minutes and when he wants to play, either big or small, inside and on the perimeter.
Three-Point Line:
George Mason isn’t considered a three-point shooting team, even though the Patriots are fourth in the Atlantic 10 in three-point percentage. That’s because George Mason is last in three-point attempts.
The Patriots valuing the quality of the three-point attempt over being a volume-shooting three-point team is unusual for this era, even on the college level.
On the flip side, the Patriots are first in Opponent 3P Percentage. Because of their length and team defense concepts, they hold opponents under 30% from the three-point line.
Watch how many quality contests the Patriots’ defense gets. Watch the rotations. Skinn has implemented a 5-man defense, starting with ball pressure and knowing the scouting report.
