Game 10: GMU (9-0) at Va Tech (7-2) on Saturday, December 6, at 3:00 PM.

[Verdad]

I know this - this years team is definitely better than last years team through the first 9 games.

 

[MASONscott]

Trying to get a gauge of just how many away fans we will have!! Right now thinking anywhere from 50-100 students how many of you all are going??

There are four of us going. LFG!!!
Hoping the snow doesn't impact the team's travel and prep - Friday's forecast is for 3-5 inches in Blacksburg.

 

[MasonSAE4]

I was going to counter and say last year's team had better defense anchored by Jared Billups, but then I asked ChatGPT:

Category	2024–25 (Full Season)	2025–26 (9–0 Start)	Edge
Adjusted Defensive Efficiency	~Top 100	~Top 40–60	This Season
Opp. Points Per Game	~68–70	~60–65	This Season
Opp. FG%	Middling	Much lower	This Season
Opp. 3PT%	Too high	Strong suppression	This Season
Turnovers Forced	Average	Higher	This Season
Rim Protection	Inconsistent	Strong	This Season
Defensive Rebounding	Good	Even better	This Season
Consistency	Up and down	Extremely stable	This Season

F*ck it, if we beat VT on Saturday, I will fully buy-in.

This alone should be proof enough for you to never trust AI. If you’re watching this season vs last season and think this season’s defense is better, I just don’t know what to tell you.

That being said, I think we’re a more balanced team. Potentially better, although I hold judgement until conference play.

 

[GMUgemini]

Sure, this year can have a higher Kenpom and NET ranking but unless we're A10 regular season champions and make the tournament final again...who had a greater legacy? Attending the final at Cap One Arena was the most our program has peaked since 2011. I don't want to damper how great this season is going so far, I just have a new unfair level of expectation now.

Maybe this year's team is better, and I really hope they are

I don’t know that I’d compare necessarily just conference finish. This season, the conference is looking much tougher with big improvements from GW, Richmond, Davidson, and SLU. There are 8 teams in the top 100 and 3 in the top 50 right now. It’s going to be a much tougher slog of a season and it can easily break one way or another.

The conference will be in the conversation for 2, maybe 3 bids (last season even vcu might have been on the out if they lost to us). I think Mason could finish as low as 4th and be a bubble team going into the conference tournament.

I think the stats bear this out: we are a better offensive team this year; we were a better defensive team last year. The NET rewards offensive efficiency. Does that make this team “better?” Maybe. Maybe not. What I will say is Fatt, Troutman, and Mincy could have all been starters last year and only one of them are starting right now, and there’s no guarantee O’Connor will win his starting job back if he comes back from injury and that’s not a bad problem to have.

Edit: changed “would have” to “could have been “to say what I really meant (don’t necessarily think all three of them would start together, although a lineup of Mincy, Maddox, Hill, Troutman, and Haynes is tempting).

 

[MasonSAE4]

This is from top to bottom the most talented roster in Mason history. This team has literally won half the games missing 3 starters and is just integrating 2 coming injuries in the last 4 games.

Coach says the roster is incredibly connected which will continue to speed up acclimation process.

The team really hasn't even scratched the service of how good it can be. The rest of conference is in for a wakeup call.

Bit of a weird one, the thing with the starters. Great to have gotten the ones we have gotten back into the lineup. Brayden is an odd case though. Great player for us but turnovers continue to be our Achilles heel, and he isn’t exactly the most careful with the ball. Will his addition be that much of a boost? Gonna be very interesting. Will be great to have depth though.

 

[MasonSAE4]

I don’t know that I’d compare necessarily just conference finish. This season, the conference is looking much tougher with big improvements from GW, Richmond, Davidson, and SLU. There are 8 teams in the top 100 and 3 in the top 50 right now. It’s going to be a much tougher slog of a season and it can easily break one way or another.

The conference will be in the conversation for 2, maybe 3 bids (last season even vcu might have been on the out if they lost to us). I think Mason could finish as low as 4th and be a bubble team going into the conference tournament.

I think the stats bear this out: we are a better offensive team this year; we were a better defensive team last year. The NET rewards offensive efficiency. Does that make this team “better?” Maybe. Maybe not. What I will say is Fatt, Troutman, and Mincy would have all been starters last year and only one of them are starting right now, and there’s no guarantee O’Connor will win his starting job back if he comes back from injury and that’s not a bad problem to have.

We can finish fourth IF we have like four combined losses and they’re all to 1-3. No margin for error this year.

 

[GMU79]

Bit of a weird one, the thing with the starters. Great to have gotten the ones we have gotten back into the lineup. Brayden is an odd case though. Great player for us but turnovers continue to be our Achilles heel, and he isn’t exactly the most careful with the ball. Will his addition be that much of a boost? Gonna be very interesting. Will be great to have depth though.

Yes, I'm wondering about BOC too.

 

[BraddockBeach]

Fans have already started tailgating in the parking lot of Cassell Coliseum...
View attachment 2884

they all look the same

 

[GunstonsGhost]

Tried to keep the theme of the VT fanbase.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

WTF is a hokie??

 

[tblack33]

I like this team a lot but I still think Team 59 was better. This year's team is more deep but Team 59 had an A10 DPOY, an A10 First Team big, and an automatic knockdown shooter in Maddox. I also doubt this year's team can go 15-3 in conference play but we will find out. Outside of Mincy, nobody stands out to me as a bonafide game-changer.

I'd be willing to change my opinion after conference play, but I still have a lot of love for last year's team that I've yet to find with this year's team.

I’m with you. I’ve had a blast the last 6 weeks and obviously winning is a lot of fun, but while I’m optimistic it’s still very cautious at this point because I don’t think this team has been tested nearly as much as last year at this point. I think we’ll have a much better idea of what this team is on Saturday, and we’ll know for sure by mid January.

 

[tblack33]

We can finish fourth IF we have like four combined losses and they’re all to 1-3. No margin for error this year.

Which would knock us off the bubble because we’d have 0 signature wins. No chance to be a real bubble team with our schedule and not finishing 1st or 2nd in conference.

 

[GunstonsGhost]

Utah State gets upset by South Florida. 15 undefeated teams remain...

 

[Stoolguy]

Just spent 5 hours in photoshop making a graphic for if we win... man oh man we NEED to win now

 

[Pablo]

Mike Young gives a concerning Tobi Lawal injury update after OT win at South Carolina

When it was announced that Tobi Lawal was going to miss the Hokies' semifinal round game against Saint Mary's Thanksgiving afternoon in the Battle 4 Atlantis, i

fightinggobbler.com

Mike Young gives a concerning Tobi Lawal injury update after OT win at South Carolina​

This doesn't sound promising.

By Scott Roche: Dec 3, 2025

"When it was announced that Tobi Lawal was going to miss the Hokies' semifinal round game against Saint Mary's Thanksgiving afternoon in the Battle 4 Atlantis, it created a cause for concern for Hokies fans. Losing your best athlete and leading scorer, and rebounder is not ideal early in the season."

"'It's a lower body injury, and it's going to be a bit,'' said Young. 'I don't know two weeks, I don't know a month, I don't know six weeks yet. We'll know more as we go along, but it's not going to be a quick turnaround. But he's healthy. Could have been a lot worse. And he's getting excellent care with our medical team, so he'll be fine.'"

 

[GMUgemini]

Which would knock us off the bubble because we’d have 0 signature wins. No chance to be a real bubble team with our schedule and not finishing 1st or 2nd in conference.

Depends. We’ve got 2 games with both GW and vcu. And then home games against Dayton and SLU. SLU would be a Q1 game even at home now.

Guys, there are 9 teams in the top 100 in NET right now. There are lots of good opportunities on our schedule. Got to avoid the Q3 and Q4 losses but we’re going to get several Q1 games and a decent number of Q2 games in conference play.

 

[variaban]

Mike Young gives a concerning Tobi Lawal injury update after OT win at South Carolina

When it was announced that Tobi Lawal was going to miss the Hokies' semifinal round game against Saint Mary's Thanksgiving afternoon in the Battle 4 Atlantis, i

fightinggobbler.com

Mike Young gives a concerning Tobi Lawal injury update after OT win at South Carolina​

This doesn't sound promising.

By Scott Roche: Dec 3, 2025

"When it was announced that Tobi Lawal was going to miss the Hokies' semifinal round game against Saint Mary's Thanksgiving afternoon in the Battle 4 Atlantis, it created a cause for concern for Hokies fans. Losing your best athlete and leading scorer, and rebounder is not ideal early in the season."

"'It's a lower body injury, and it's going to be a bit,'' said Young. 'I don't know two weeks, I don't know a month, I don't know six weeks yet. We'll know more as we go along, but it's not going to be a quick turnaround. But he's healthy. Could have been a lot worse. And he's getting excellent care with our medical team, so he'll be fine.'"

I'm glad that he'll be ok, a sports injury that derails a season or career is heart breaking. Even more glad he's not going to be ready by tomorrow though

 

[Patriot Blue]

I'm glad that he'll be ok, a sports injury that derails a season or career is heart breaking. Even more glad he's not going to be ready by tomorrow though

He must have really polished up his offensive game to be their leading scorer.

 

[thebiasedannouncer]

Bit of a weird one, the thing with the starters. Great to have gotten the ones we have gotten back into the lineup. Brayden is an odd case though. Great player for us but turnovers continue to be our Achilles heel, and he isn’t exactly the most careful with the ball. Will his addition be that much of a boost? Gonna be very interesting. Will be great to have depth though.

Brayden would be another driver to the basket and a plus defender on the perimeter. You take that back every day, especially in conference play.

 

[ProfessorCFK]

I'll be there! Ticket office finally got tickets squared away at the 13th hour.