Open Practice 2026 - Tuesday September 22nd

[DRK331]

The Fourth Annual Mason Mile is set for Tuesday September 22!

• Pre-mile party at President’s Park on the Fairfax campus
• Mason Mile walk to EBA at 6:30 p.m.
• Open Practice from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Games, Hoops, Music, Food, Raffle Prizes and more at EBA to follow!

Mason students, sign up at the 360 link in our bio. All other interested participants can use the Google Form in our bio.

Come meet the team and kick off basketball season!

Free event

Students Register here:

Mason Mile - Mason Athletics

The Fourth Annual Mason Mile is here! Come walk or run a mile with the George Mason Men’s Basketball Team! Check-in begins at 5:30 PM, and the mile starts at 6:30 PM at President’s Park. The Gre...

mason360.gmu.edu

Non Students, Register here:

Mason Mile 2026

Walk a mile with the George Mason Men’s Basketball Team! Please RSVP if you will be attending the Mile, the Open Practice, or Both!

docs.google.com

@MasonMBB and @MasonAthletics on Instagram

 

[Stoolguy]

hope to see everyone there!

 

[NewPatriot]

Wait how many times do you have to walk around EBA to make it a mile?

 

[DRK331]

George Mason Men’s Basketball 2026-2027 Roster
Returning players (no particular order)

1. 6'5 Brayden O'Connor
2. 6'6 Malik Presley
3. 6'9 Emmanuel Kanga
4. 6’9 Ryan-Preston Mendy

Transfers (no particular order)
1. 6'9 Michael Marcus Jr. (from App State)
2. 6'9 Emmett Adair (from Loyola Maryland)
3. 6'6 Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor (from Butler)
4. 6’1 Lilian Marville (from UNC Greensboro)
5. 6’3 Baraka Okojie (from Mercer)
6. 6’3 Makhai Valentine (from Northern Illinois)
7. 6’8 Elijah Jones (from University of Texas El Paso)
8. 7’0 James Nnaji (from Baylor)

Freshman (no particular order)
1. 6'8 Shane Pendergrass
2. 6'3 Peyton Miller
3. 6’8 Bryton Barrett


Next Tuesday is the Mason Mile/Open Practice.

Sign up links in the first post of this thread

 

[DRK331]

The Open Practice is tomorrow, I'll be there to watch the team and give my basic thoughts afterwards. Never know which opposing coaching staff is reading this board.

For others going to the open practice tomorrow, please do not record any video footage.

 

[ProfessorCFK]

The Open Practice is tomorrow, I'll be there to watch the team and give my basic thoughts afterwards. Never know which opposing coaching staff is reading this board.

For others going to the open practice tomorrow, please do not record any video footage.

"All players are absolutely dominant on the front court, back court, midcourt, and even offcourt"

 

[NewPatriot]

"All players are absolutely dominant on the front court, back court, midcourt, and even offcourt"

You forgot the People's Court.

 

[gmutom]

The Open Practice is tomorrow, I'll be there to watch the team and give my basic thoughts afterwards. Never know which opposing coaching staff is reading this board.

For others going to the open practice tomorrow, please do not record any video footage.

I'm loving our chances against any team whose coaching staff relies on analysis and scrimmage video provided by fans on a college message board. I just hope they don't hear about Tony's plan to start Nnaji at point guard.

 

[mkaufman1]

I'm loving our chances against any team whose coaching staff relies on analysis and scrimmage video provided by fans on a college message board. I just hope they don't hear about Tony's plan to start Nnaji at point guard.

Crap, that’s the plan? I was hoping we’d maybe throw Baraka at center.

 

[jkh1978]

On scoreboard showed first game at 4pm and Friday gold rush at 7pm.

 

[Patriotsince81]

Just got back, a few random thoughts....

The crowd was a joke. LOL. See the attached. Hundreds, not even a thousand in attendance.

Talked with several fans on the way out. Former Gold Room members that I had never met or paid attention to told me they are out of the hospitality picture for the year, as are several friends of theirs. Not a great sign for the coming season.

The band, dance team, and cheerleaders get an A+ for attendance, effort, and enthusiasm. It's just a shame they played before a non-existent/dead audience.

Brayden O'Connor, while dressed, did not participate in the scrimmage. Did I detect a slight limp? Can't be sure. Saw him shooting around post scrimmage. Disappointed that no information about his status was given. Transparency has never been a GMU strong point.

James Nnaji did not participate. Again, no mention as to why.

Players that impressed or surprised.

Baraka Okojie, he could be a real asset to the team.

Kanga is explosive though still raw around the rim.

The freshmen played like freshmen. Potential is there but our results won't be dependent on them.

EOE surprised me by running the point at times, was better than I thought he'd be offensively, and has the potential to be a stud on the defensive end.

Ben Woodward is just a lights out shooter.

Ryan Preston Mendy had a few very bright moments, I wasn't even thinking about him going into the night.

DISCLAIMER: It was one freaking night, very early in the PRACTICE season. We could be 32-0, 0-32, or anything in-between. Time will tell. Take everything above with a grain of salt.

It was fun to get out and see the team. A night like tonight is a sign that the season is coming and that the long summer of discontent is beginning to fade. It sucks that the team has such poor fan support, but the university may have to own that with the price increases and the fact that we haven't danced since 2011.

Go Mason.

 

[psyclone]

In addition to BOC and Nnaji not playing, I thought that Valentine also wasn't dressed for the game. Basing that on the similarity with his picture in the handout of all the players that was distributed. He sat next to BOC on the bench.

That handout was not a lot of help as the uniform numbers often didn't match up. Given that many of the players were new, it wasn't always clear who I was watching. On top of which, there was no PA announcer indicating who just scored or who was going to the foul line.

In addition, although the assistant coaches "introduced" who were starting the game for their respective teams, all the players were on the bench listening to their coach's last-minute instructions and never acknowledged when their name was called.

So my goal for the evening to learn who the new guys were was mostly unsuccessful.

Did see a few fans getting (I assume) free pizza and ice cream at some tables set up on the floor behind the basket. No bleachers at that end.

 

[Stoolguy]

The rain definitely dampened() the event there were 230+ students that got “tickets” but I assume like many other people, after the long day of rain sitting and watching meaningless basketball (to them) was not their main priority.

None of the players who didn’t participate tonight have anything to worry about whatsoever.

 

[mkaufman1]

Just some load management for a few of the guya talked about and as hinted to above.

good updates, should be a fun season

 

[Jack Strop]

Just got back, a few random thoughts....

The crowd was a joke. LOL. See the attached. Hundreds, not even a thousand in attendance.

Talked with several fans on the way out. Former Gold Room members that I had never met or paid attention to told me they are out of the hospitality picture for the year, as are several friends of theirs. Not a great sign for the coming season.

The band, dance team, and cheerleaders get an A+ for attendance, effort, and enthusiasm. It's just a shame they played before a non-existent/dead audience.

Brayden O'Connor, while dressed, did not participate in the scrimmage. Did I detect a slight limp? Can't be sure. Saw him shooting around post scrimmage. Disappointed that no information about his status was given. Transparency has never been a GMU strong point.

James Nnaji did not participate. Again, no mention as to why.

Players that impressed or surprised.

Baraka Okojie, he could be a real asset to the team.

Kanga is explosive though still raw around the rim.

The freshmen played like freshmen. Potential is there but our results won't be dependent on them.

EOE surprised me by running the point at times, was better than I thought he'd be offensively, and has the potential to be a stud on the defensive end.

Ben Woodward is just a lights out shooter.

Ryan Preston Mendy had a few very bright moments, I wasn't even thinking about him going into the night.

DISCLAIMER: It was one freaking night, very early in the PRACTICE season. We could be 32-0, 0-32, or anything in-between. Time will tell. Take everything above with a grain of salt.

It was fun to get out and see the team. A night like tonight is a sign that the season is coming and that the long summer of discontent is beginning to fade. It sucks that the team has such poor fan support, but the university may have to own that with the price increases and the fact that we haven't danced since 2011.

Go Mason.

...and you're surprised that only a few showed up???

I'm about as true a Mason fan as they come. Haven't missed a home game in over a decade. I watched an open practice a couple of seasons back—TOTALLY BOOOOORING. Plus, some of the players that I would have wanted to see did not participate, as was the case yesterday. Double plus, it's early season practice. I don't expect any player to put on their A-game. Meh... not my bag.

THANKS for attending and providing your thoughts—truly insightful! Go Mason!

 

[mkaufman1]

Considering how Dave Paulsen talked about practice, I was expecting us to have as good of a practice yesterday as those teams

 

[Verdad]

I agree with everything that was said. EOE to me stood out the most.

I was impressed with how the other guys defended Kanga at the rim, as that is one of the biggest things we will need from RPM and Adair - being able to guard the low post.

Kanga looked bouncy, but a little rusty. Expect those finishes around the rim to improve.

The player that Okojie was primarily guarding was impressive as well - I kind of assumed it was Marville but it may have been Preston Miller - no idea.

I said going into the night that I really hope they put names on the jerseys so we know who they are, but also assumed they wouldn't because it is Mason. Low hanging fruit guys.

Credit for the free pizza/snacks - not sure if it was intended for the students only, but it really made it enjoyable for my two kids.

 

[DRK331]

I agree with everything that was said. EOE to me stood out the most.

I was impressed with how the other guys defended Kanga at the rim, as that is one of the biggest things we will need from RPM and Adair - being able to guard the low post.

Kanga looked bouncy, but a little rusty. Expect those finishes around the rim to improve.

The player that Okojie was primarily guarding was impressive as well - I kind of assumed it was Marville but it may have been Preston Miller - no idea.

I said going into the night that I really hope they put names on the jerseys so we know who they are, but also assumed they wouldn't because it is Mason. Low hanging fruit guys.

Credit for the free pizza/snacks - not sure if it was intended for the students only, but it really made it enjoyable for my two kids.

Baraka was guarding freshman Peyton Miller

 

[Verdad]

Baraka was guarding freshman Peyton Miller

That is what I was thinking after looking at the team roster photos.

 

[DRK331]

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Pictures from the open practice and Mason mile by Fourth Estate GMU