Still in the infancy of conference play, George Mason (8-7, 2-0 A10) takes on the reigning A10 champions, the Davidson Wildcats (10-4, 1-0 A10) in Fairfax.
In the last meeting between these two programs, Davidson came out on top with an 86-59 win in Fairfax. This contest will mark the seventh matchup, with the Wildcats holding a 2-1 series lead at EagleBank Arena.
Davidson is currently coming off of a win against Duquesne and has won 2 of their last 4 games. The two losses were against a couple of small programs, Wake Forest and 12th ranked UNC.
Mason is coming off a 2-0 start in conference play and a hard-fought battle against Kansas State. They have won 6 of their last 8 games and 4 of the last 5 games.
Breaking Down Davidson
While this matchup may look daunting, ESPN gives Mason a 55 percent chance of winning this game. The Wildcats are a top contender this year to win the regular season, as I predicted. The Wildcats have had some injury problems with Kellan Grady, but he seems to have returned to normal.
When I started to pull stats for Davidson, I found out that they’re a little behind the curve when it comes to website development.
Hopefully, they play as bad as they can code decent websites.
Some players to look out for:
Kellan Grady, a preseason all-conference selection is leading Davidson in scoring, averaging 19.2 ppg. He’s my pick for POY, but what do you think?
Jon Axel Gudmundsson, another preseason all-conference selection is right behind Grady in scoring, averaging 17.2 ppg.
Luka Brajkovic is leading the way in rebounding with 6.6 rpg and also is averaging 12.1 ppg.
Breaking Down George Mason
Mason started 2-0 in conference play for the first time since joining the Atlantic 10 in 2013.
In the last game, Justin Kier recorded his 4th double-double in the last 6 games, scoring 15 points and 14 rebounds. He currently sits on a list with Duke’s Zion Williamson for players who average at least 14 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals per game.
The Patriots showed restraint against the Bonnies only fouling ten times in the ENTIRE game, with the Bonnies only making it to the charity stripe three times.
Otis Livingston II recorded 13 points in this contest to take 4th place on the all-time scoring list. He went 5-11 from the field, 3-8 from three, and also registered 2 rebounds. He needs to remain hot for the Patriots to have a chance in this one.
Ian Boyd hit another buzzer beater just before halftime in the last game to give Mason the lead 28-25. If you’re looking for some “Buzzer Bearder” shirts you can find them here!
Who wants a shirt?!https://t.co/0Y0dD4JD3z pic.twitter.com/lVnF7d2IDh
— By George. (@ByGeorgeGMU) January 9, 2019
Prediction: I think this will actually be close, but I think Davidson will come on top, a George Mason “L”.
