George Mason (2-0) is home for the third game of their five-game homestand. This time around they’re playing the Long Island University (LIU) (0-2) Sharks.
Mason has reached the 2-0 mark for the first time since the 2013-2014 season, the first season the Patriots joined the Atlantic 10 Conference. The 2013-2014 team went 4-0 to start the season, Mason has never gone 5-0 to start a season before.
The Patriots are reinvigorating an old rivalry from the 80s. George Mason and LIU faced off five times between 1980 and 1988, Mason is 2-0 in at EagleBank Arena (or the Patriot Center for you oldies) and has the 3-2 advantage in the series, including the most recent win in 1988, 78-74.
Let’s breakdown this game.
Breaking Down LIU
I have to be honest, the baby shark song (World Series Champs!) is currently stuck in my head because the team name is the Sharks, they are the only Division I school to have the team name of the Sharks.
LIU was picked to win the NEC in the 2019-20 Coaches’ Preseason Poll while receiving five first-place votes.
Be ready for a block party. While the Patriots have AJ Wilson, LIU has Ty Flowers. The Connecticut native registered eight blocks in one game and the most for an LIU player in over five years. It’s also the second-most in a single game by an NCAA Division I player so far this season.
Flowers is also keen on the offensive side of the ball, he had 19 points and a career-high 15 rebounds, recording the first triple-double in LIU men’s basketball history.
The Sharks also attempt an insane amount of threes in their games. Most recently against Rhode Island, the Sharks set a new program record. LIU had 44 three-pointers attempted, breaking a record that has stood for over 20 years. The previous record, set in 1997, was 43. The Patriots better be protecting the perimeter tonight.
Breaking Down George Mason
After Mason’s most recent win against Longwood, the Patriots will look to keep the ball rolling.
Javon Greene hit many vital threes in that game, finishing the game going 6-11 from the floor, 4-7 from behind the arc, 2-2 from the charity stripe, totaling 18 points. He’s currently second on the team in scoring averaging 14.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 4.0 apg.
Jamal Hartwell II currently leads this team in the scoring department with 15.5 ppg. Hartwell is shooting 42.9 percent so far and has only committed one turnover.
AJ Wilson is also up there with 13.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, and 5.0 blocks per game
Xavier Johnson does not look like he’s a freshman. He finished the Navy game with insanely good takes to the basket (2-3 FG). He’s averaging 10.5 points per game. This kid has some great potential to be really good.
7 pm Tip-off, EBA, be there.
