Dave Paulsen

[Jack Strop]

Jack, I will respond to your accusations and I have highlighted key points to help you understand it this time around. I apologize to everyone else on here for the long winded reply, but I don't appreciate being accused of something I have not done.

I have never requested a meeting, I didn't want any meetings and I still don't want any meetings. After they did not follow-up on my inquiry about season tickets (which they have acknowledged dropping the ball on, so stop trying to make this out as if I was being too demanding) I went away quietly. I did not reach out to them. They had seen me at a game where I was a guest and spoke to my wife briefly. She responded to their question about why I wasn't coming to games regularly.After that, they requested I meet with them, I obliged. I discussed it with senior level personnel in the AD, at their request, not mine. After meeting with them I decided and informed them that I was no longer interested in donating and/or buying tickets at the current time because I wasn't convinced the athletic department was headed in the right direction. THEY proposed that I meet with BE to address my concerns. I said I'd be glad to hear BE out. The meeting never happened. After a couple months of waiting, I decided I was no longer interested in even discussing the topic with them. They didn't even follow up with me until more than six months later, coincidentally, after I posted something on here about the issues... My expectations used to be that if I reached out to the athletic department, or was told something was going to be scheduled, that it would be followed up on. Silly me for having such high expectations and being so demanding.

You should be relieved to know, as far as my relationship with Mason at this point, I have zero expectations. I couldn't possibly have lower expectations of Mason. I did not request season tickets this year. I have no plans to become a season ticket holder again or even purchase tickets to any Mason games, for that matter. I have no plans to make any significant donations now or in the future, and will likely stop even making the token donations I have made the last couple years. I had only made those to keep my Patriot Club priority points accruing, but, if I am not buying tickets, there is no need for that any longer.

Am I cynical or critical of AD activity (or a lack thereof) at this point? Yes, I am. It comes out of a love for the Men's basketball program and a desire to see it succeed even if I am no longer there in person. I have a concern that, while we have a great coach, that the athletic department may not be keeping up to support him and the basketball program as well as it could. I hope I am wrong. I hope BE and the rest of the AD raise a ton of money and build the basketball program a practice facility that is the class of the A10 and can afford to take charter flights to every away game, and any other improvement that may help the team be the best team in the A10.

Hopefully that clears it up. If you and ticket office guy stop accusing me of doing something I have not done, I'll stop posting about the season ticket debacle of 2015.

Thanks for the more clear explanation. Many of your previous posts were perceived with ambiguity.
~Cheers!

 

[Mason2005]

Perhaps, this is the case with 240 first-time donors. But, check out what vcu is raising - http://vcuathletics.com/sports/ramFund/raf-numbers-1516.

Def don't fully trust their numbers when they claim to sell out every game but you see huge chunks of open seats when you watch them on TV

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[GSII]

Def don't fully trust their numbers when they claim to sell out every game but you see huge chunks of open seats when you watch them on TV

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

Point is they sold the seat. Whether that person sits in it or re sells tickets, is a different story. Probably the reason we have empty patches in prime spots.

 

[Pablo]

Mason Basketball‏@MasonMBB 27m27 minutes ago

• "We've been practicing well. We've just played some very good teams of late. We have a lot of basketball left in our tank." - Coach Paulsen

• Mason Basketball‏@MasonMBB 28m28 minutes ago
  "We've turned the ball over way too much over the last three games. Points off turnovers is a big focus of concern for us." - Coach Paulsen

 

[psyclone]

Coach's teleconference:
http://www.atlantic10.com/mediaPortal/player.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=31600&id=5996209&db_oem_id=31600

 

[smccart5]

Mason Basketball‏@MasonMBB 27m27 minutes ago

• "We've been practicing well. We've just played some very good teams of late. We have a lot of basketball left in our tank." - Coach Paulsen

• Mason Basketball‏@MasonMBB 28m28 minutes ago
  "We've turned the ball over way too much over the last three games. Points off turnovers is a big focus of concern for us." - Coach Paulsen

Very glad Paulsen brought up turnovers. The last few games have been almost unbearable with the amount of times we're turning the ball over. I juts kept yelling STOP TURNING THE BALL OVER time and time again. And they all seemed somewhat careless...a travel here, a dribble off the foot there, a stupid pass...etc. Jalen especially needs to get it under control. We are good enough that if we play a clean game we can compete with just about anybody.

 

[gmutom]

Jalen especially needs to get it under control. We are good enough that if we play a clean game we can compete with just about anybody.

Jalen is getting really bad at holding the ball in the low post. It's one thing to wait a few seconds to see if a double team comes, but he needs to make a quicker decision on whether to take it to the basket or get it out for an open shot on the perimeter or find a teammate cutting down the lane (Will Thomas was a master at this).

I counted one possession in a recent game in which Jalen held the ball 12 seconds on the low block before being called for traveling. His indecisiveness brings our offense to a grinding halt and gives the defense way too much time to set up and anticipate his next move.

 

[Jack Strop]

Jalen is getting really bad at holding the ball in the low post. It's one thing to wait a few seconds to see if a double team comes, but he needs to make a quicker decision on whether to take it to the basket or get it out for an open shot on the perimeter or find a teammate cutting down the lane (Will Thomas was a master at this).

I counted one possession in a recent game in which Jalen held the ball 12 seconds on the low block before being called for traveling. His indecisiveness brings our offense to a grinding halt and gives the defense way too much time to set up and anticipate his next move.

Jalen's 3-second violation at GW in the second half was costly.

I'm pinning all these mistakes on trying too hard. Coach Dave said Sunday that Saturday's practice was excellent—then the hair-balls were wretched out during the game.

I hate it when that happens!

 

[gmujim92]

We can all nitpick this or that, but 14 turnovers really isn't that many when you consider we had about half of them in the first 8-10 minutes.

That was just about as good an offensive performance as we've put together all season. One layup after another. Ball movement and spacing was excellent with a few exceptions and we scored at will for long stretches, even with not getting several calls at the rim that could've resulted in free throws.

74 points should be enough to win. We just couldn't get stops.

 

[Jack Strop]

We can all nitpick this or that, but 14 turnovers really isn't that many when you consider we had about half of them in the first 8-10 minutes.

That was just about as good an offensive performance as we've put together all season. One layup after another. Ball movement and spacing was excellent with a few exceptions and we scored at will for long stretches, even with not getting several calls at the rim that could've resulted in free throws.

74 points should be enough to win. We just couldn't get stops.

I agree. None of Mason's turnovers resulted in fast-break points. But GW still made us pay for the miscues.

 

[dr. gunnie]

They had 17 points off turnovers - we had 2. It wasn't just our turnovers at some crucial times, but we didn't force any. We sagged so far off the ball because of the ball screens that we didn't pressure them... and they were hitting some tough shots. They earned that win, they played well.

I agree 14 turnovers isn't a lot, but it's worse when you only force 5, it's a big deferential.

 

[gmujim92]

They had 17 points off turnovers - we had 2. It wasn't just our turnovers at some crucial times, but we didn't force any. We sagged so far off the ball because of the ball screens that we didn't pressure them... and they were hitting some tough shots. They earned that win, they played well.

I agree 14 turnovers isn't a lot, but it's worse when you only force 5, it's a big deferential.

I think we sagged into the paint so much this time because they destroyed us in the paint in Fairfax.

We just don't have a roster yet that is capable of taking away the paint and still pressuring the ball on the perimeter. It's coming, though. We will get there.

 

[GMUSig03]

I think we sagged into the paint so much this time because they destroyed us in the paint in Fairfax.

We just don't have a roster yet that is capable of taking away the paint and still pressuring the ball on the perimeter. It's coming, though. We will get there.

Dave specifically mentioned that in post-game presser, saying that they couldn't switch off of Cavanaugh (since we learned last game that Otis covering him was a mismatch).

 

[Falco]

I think we sagged into the paint so much this time because they destroyed us in the paint in Fairfax.

We just don't have a roster yet that is capable of taking away the paint and still pressuring the ball on the perimeter. It's coming, though. We will get there.

Wait for AJ Wilson, and Marr. They seem like true rim protectors and are athletic enough to get out on the perimeter and block a shot.

 

[smccart5]

I think we sagged into the paint so much this time because they destroyed us in the paint in Fairfax.

We just don't have a roster yet that is capable of taking away the paint and still pressuring the ball on the perimeter. It's coming, though. We will get there.

This is why i was thinking Abram would be a good fit for the GW game. Some added length out their that could guard on perimeter and down low. Would be great to see him in action again, i mean he seems like someone capable of giving us at least 10 good minutes a game- his wingspan alone in a zone D would be helpful

 

[JimP]

This is why i was thinking Abram would be a good fit for the GW game. Some added length out their that could guard on perimeter and down low. Would be great to see him in action again, i mean he seems like someone capable of giving us at least 10 good minutes a game- his wingspan alone in a zone D would be helpful

It is kinda crazy how he went from starting to no PT at all. Love to know the inside scoop.

 

[Falco]

It is kinda crazy how he went from starting to no PT at all. Love to know the inside scoop.

Petty Buckets puts together some really neat highlight tapes, Abram would defiantly spice up the highlight tapes with his dunks haha.

 

[Falco]

I've heard Paulsen say numerous times; he adjusts his style of play based on his rosters strengths. He wanted to create driving lanes for Moore, and that's why he tends to play small ball.

Any speculation as to what kind of style Mason will play next year. We will have some real length next year. Wilson, Mar on the wings, Maybe Abram comes off the bench even.

Thoughts...

 

[Vurbel]

Jalen is getting really bad at holding the ball in the low post. It's one thing to wait a few seconds to see if a double team comes, but he needs to make a quicker decision on whether to take it to the basket or get it out for an open shot on the perimeter or find a teammate cutting down the lane (Will Thomas was a master at this).

I counted one possession in a recent game in which Jalen held the ball 12 seconds on the low block before being called for traveling. His indecisiveness brings our offense to a grinding halt and gives the defense way too much time to set up and anticipate his next move.

Ala Adrian Dantley!

(some are too young to get that)

 

[MasonFanatic]

Acoording to KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency, this year's Mason team is the best offense Dave Paulsen has ever had at the D1 level. Remember last season when we were worried where the scoring would come from this season? Hah. It seems so long ago.

Turnovers definitely hurt us, and some of them were very avoidable, but our offense also isn't why we lost the GW game. Our inability to get a stop in the second half is what hurt us most. And some of that was GW hitting tough shots.

One key difference between this year's Mason team and Paulsen's best Bucknell teams is our 2PT% on defense. Those Bucknell teams were Top 30 in the country. We're 135th.