News DC to host 2018 Atlantic 10 Tournament

[Robot]

Posted on the MasonHoops.com Blog:

"DC to host 2018 Atlantic 10 Tournament" by Chris Metsala

Raphielle Johnson at CollegeBasketballTalk is reporting that Washington, DC will host the 2018 A10 Tournament. Back in late March the Atlantic 10 deciding to move its conference tournament from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn in 2017 and 2018 to allow the ACC to move its annual event north, with the A-10 also receiving benefits in non-conference scheduling in […]

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[Patriotsince81]

We may actually be good by then, nice.

 

[Vurbel]

Not traveling to a rivals backyard for a post season tournament? This is gonna feel strange!

 

[Five Two]

Not traveling to a rivals backyard for a post season tournament? This is gonna feel strange!

GW doesn't count?.....

 

[Pablo]

Not traveling to a rivals backyard for a post season tournament? This is gonna feel strange!

Pittsburgh (Duquesne) & Washington, DC (GW) in 2017 & 2018, respectively.

 

[Vurbel]

GW doesn't count?.....

Not yet. Sure, we compete, but that's where it ends. Now that may very well be different in 5 years.

 

[Washingtonian]

At least one upside, don't have to worry about hotel costs, that saves hundreds right there.

Regardless whether we are competitive or not.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

Can we take a moment to rejoice that we aren't playing in Richmond and get to have a championship in our backyard - even if we share it with GW. This has so much win in it I can't stand it.

 

[polepino]

Great news!

 

[Vurbel]

Pittsburgh (Duquesne) & Washington, DC (GW) in 2017 & 2018, respectively.

The point is our rivalry with Duqesne or GW pales in comparison to anything we encountered at the Richmond Coliseum. It's not even close.

 

[GSII]

It's Mason's turn to enjoy what vcu had for years. But will our fans show up like theirs have in years past? (assuming we have a top 4 team)

 

[polepino]

It's Mason's turn to enjoy what vcu had for years. But will our fans show up like theirs have in years past? (assuming we have a top 4 team)

Well... After last year, im not sure losing is going to help any.

 

[Vurbel]

Well... After last year, im not sure losing is going to help any.

If it was 5 years ago, the answer would be a resounding yes. But I have a feeling Edwards will have us back by 2018. We have too much going for us to be down for an extended period of time.

 

[patriot2000]

If it was 5 years ago, the answer would be a resounding yes. But I have a feeling Edwards will have us back by 2018. We have too much going for us to be down for an extended period of time.

I have to agree with the optimism in this post. Mason, as an institution, has too much going for it to be a flash in the pan. Larranaga may have taken his time rebuilding after the graduation of lewis/butler/skinn, but he had us back in 2011. There is absolutely no reason to believe that next season wasn't going to be absolutely magical. His exit, TOC's shortcomings, and the last 2 years of Paul Ball will prove to be simply a bump in the road

 

[Pablo]

Vurbel & patriot2000,

What action(s) do you expect AD Edwards to take to enable the Patriots to realistically compete for the 2018 A10 championship?

 

[GMUgemini]

Vurbel & patriot2000,

What action(s) do you expect AD Edwards to take to enable the Patriots to realistically compete for the 2018 A10 championship?

Step one: If Hewitt has greater than 14 losses this season, we cut him loose the day after the A10 tournament. And hire a coach who will bring an exciting brand of college basketball to Fairfax.

Step two: Ensure the new roof on the Patriot Center goes up without any delays and includes hopefully a few new bells and whistles for the bells and whistles crowd (video scoreboard, upgraded sound system, modern lighting

Step three: serious upgrade our streaming capability inside the Patriot Center and possibly offer it as a free service (which would probably require us to switch our hosting partner, but that's OK, they kind of suck anyway -- run the damn thing in-house).

Step four: Increase donor levels by near or the same percentage he did at Jacksonville (which should put us at around the $2 million mark).

Step five: Rebrand the team with new logo, new uniforms, and new theme song (Living on a Prayer sticks around, but only shows up for special occasions).

Step six: aggressively market the crap out of the new and improved The George Mason Patriots.

Optional step seven: dust off that practice facility, send the original plans back to the architects and say, "I want this, but twice as good."

 

[Pablo]

Step one: If Hewitt has greater than 14 losses this season, we cut him loose the day after the A10 tournament. And hire a coach who will bring an exciting brand of college basketball to Fairfax.

Do you mean effective and fundamentally sound like Jim Larranaga or exciting like Paul Westhead?

 

[GMUgemini]

Do you mean effective and fundamentally sound like Jim Larranaga or exciting like Paul Westhead?

I mean both, like Shaka Smart or Archie Miller. If Jim Larranaga can bring a dynamic offense and defense to Mason and make it fundamentally sound I'm all for hiring him.

Edit: Sorry, thought you were talking about one of his sons, not the man himself, so disregard the "hire him section."

 

[Pablo]

I mean both, like Shaka Smart or Archie Miller.

How about a coach similar to Bo Ryan at Wisconsin? Am I the only one on this board who would be in favor of his brand of basketball?

 

[GMUgemini]

How about a coach similar to Bo Ryan at Wisconsin? Am I the only one on this board who would be in favor of his brand of basketball?

To be honest with you, Pablo, as long as the coach can win consistently I don't care what brand of basketball he employs.