Game 10: GMU (4-5) vs Navy (6-2) on Tuesday, December 7, at 7PM.

[GMU79]

It's him or Golden, followed by Luka and Osun, and then man do the pickings get slim. Bigs who can score >>>>>

I think Golden has the edge. He can pass.

 

[sleeperpick]

It's him or Golden, followed by Luka and Osun, and then man do the pickings get slim. Bigs who can score >>>>>

Golden is also a A+ level passer as a big man, so for me that puts him at 1 with Josh at 1A. If Josh could pass even minimally better from a double I see no reason why he couldn't be 1.

 

[GMUgemini]

Good game.

The old Assist/Turnover ratio seems to be a clear indicator of Mason's success. With the exception of the win vs Penn and the loss vs SD St - that stat alone tells the game story.

Last night was a pleasing 14 assists to 8 turnovers. Navy didn't seem too aggressive vs say a JMU but they do sit in the top 1/3 in KenPom's TO%. Hopefully this is a sign of progress.

Sounds like the team over corrected trying to fix the turnovers and started playing too slowly. Now, they're trying to play at the speed English wants them to play while protecting the ball better. We will probably have to wait a good 8-10 games to see how it all works out and if they can figure it out.

That game against vcu early in conference will tell us A LOT.

 

[tblack33]

Sounds like the team over corrected trying to fix the turnovers and started playing too slowly. Now, they're trying to play at the speed English wants them to play while protecting the ball better. We will probably have to wait a good 8-10 games to see how it all works out and if they can figure it out.

That game against vcu early in conference will tell us A LOT.

I'm not looking forward to that game at all. In Richmond, conference opener, with either XJ or Polite in their second game back starting at point, recipe for disaster.

 

[tblack33]

Golden is also a A+ level passer as a big man, so for me that puts him at 1 with Josh at 1A. If Josh could pass even minimally better from a double I see no reason why he couldn't be 1.

Agreed that he's a better passer. Still think Josh's footwork/ability to finish is better than Golden, but at that point they are just about equal and it's little pushes here and there. Oduro's stat lines are going to look better than Golden's at the end of the year though.

 

[Earl the Squirrel]

O3 went for the ball, then bounced it off #55. Hustle. Mason ball.

Count me as another person excited to see Frazier get more run. He was terrific last night. Provided us with a real spark in the first half. Did anyone notice that after English took him out around the 8 or 9 minute mark our offense languished? I'm not suggesting Frazier not being out there was the reason, but...

 

[Earl the Squirrel]

Also noteworthy was our ball control. Were it not for our sloppiness in the last minute of the game (when we turned the ball over three times), we would have finished with 5 TOs! As Gemini points out we need to see how we perform on this front over the next month in order to know whether we have turned the corner.

But one can hope.

 

[gmujim92]

I'm not looking forward to that game at all. In Richmond, conference opener, with either XJ or Polite in their second game back starting at point, recipe for disaster.

We’ve beaten vcu in Richmond the last 2 years. Making it 3 in a row would be amazing.

 

[smccart5]

I like Gray’s defense a lot more than Hartwell. Hartwell just gets exploited too much. Every team we face engineers their offense around getting their best shooters onto Hartwell and you can’t hide him forever. Don’t know if I would trust him with 15 minutes a game backing up XJ yet. But Hartwell’s ballhandling doesn’t make up for his limitations on defense right now.

Our offense was definitely flowing better with him on the floor, but he is such a massive liability on defense. I'm not the most keen observer but in the last few games they just go right at him and score every time. He would need to be making at least 3-4 3's/game on 6 shots to make up for it...and he's not close.

Once XJ and Polite are back, he should just get 5-10 minutes a game as a spark 3 point shooter or to help get out of a press.

 

[FreeGunston12]

I like Frazier and hope we see him more, but I just wanted to point something out. I know people get excited when a bench player gets in and plays well for 10 minutes and we rush to come on here and say they should get more minutes (I'm guilty too):

So far this season our players have practiced roughly 9,600 minutes (20 hours per week is the NCAA max - started practice in mid October). You just saw 10 minutes of them playing. The staff has seen 9,600 minutes. Their critique is based off of a ton more than just the 10 minutes that we have seen. The cream will rise to the top eventually, but just remember they are basing their minutes off of a lot more than what we see.

Practice? We talking bout PRACTICE? Not a game. Not a game. PRACTICE?

But seriously some dudes just show up when the lights come on. And some dudes are practice all stars that choke. Aren't we all tired from the DP years of hearing about practice?

 

[tblack33]

Anyone have a link for the presser last night?

 

[JimP]

Yeah. Just that we are going to have the same problems if we switch Dinkins onto opposing 5s.

He may have an alpha dog personality, but 5-10 155 is 5-10 155. Listed the exact same height and weight as Hartwell. No one that size can guard D1 centers, so we'd better teach Oduro when to switch and when not to switch.

Watched a little Georgetown vs. UMBC tonight. UMBC has a 5'2" PG!

 

[psyclone]

Anyone have a link for the presser last night?

from p.5

Post-game press conference: https://www.facebook.com/MasonAthletics/videos/george-mason-athletics/489078089103312/

 

[GMU79]

Watched a little Georgetown vs. UMBC tonight. UMBC has a 5'2" PG!

Mugsy Bogues' son?