George Mason has their last non-conference game of the season in Fort Worth, Texas. The Mason Patriots (11-1) look at add another win on the road against TCU (8-3) to their historic start.
The TCU Horned Frogs will be the Patriots’ third Power Five opponent this season. Currently ranked 67th overall on KenPom and 95/96th on the NCAA’s NET Rankings, a win against the Horned Frogs would be a quality win to add to the Patriots’ resume. With a 22% to 23% chance of winning (ESPN/KenPom), a win will not come easy for the Patriots.
Breaking Down TCU:
Coming off a loss against Xavier, the Horned Frogs look to continue their success at home with a 7-1 in Schollmaier Arena this season. Led by Desmond Bane, averaging 15.9 points per game, TCU averages 72.4 points per game compared to Mason’s 71. TCU is one of the better defensive teams in the country ranking 37th in Defensive Efficiency and with a turnover margin of +5 (KenPom).
The story of the game will be graduate transfer and Flint, Michigan native, Jaire Grayer. As a starter, Grayer has played a limited role in purple this season averaging around 9 points per game with a season high of 15 against Winthrop.
The Horned Frogs have faced similarly ranked opponents in this season, barely beating UC Irvine (116) 59-58 — a team they had a projected 85% chance of beating. Looking past the Patriots to Big 12 play could be costly.
Breaking Down George Mason:
With just two games played in the last three weeks or so, the Patriots will have to be running on all cylinders going into Fort Worth, Texas. The last three opponents George Mason faced were all ranked below 200 so this will be a major leap for the Patriots.
The Patriots are 0-1 on the road (3-0 on neutral courts), luckily most college students are on winter break so the environment at TCU may resemble more that of a Neutral site game (fingers crossed). This is the 12th meeting between the Patriots and a Big 12 Conference squad, the first with TCU.
The Patriots will face an overall larger line-up, with TCU’s smallest player being Edric Dennis at 6-3. Playing smart and taking care of the rock will be key. For the Patriots, Jordan Miller and Javon Greene will play key roles in offense, leading the Patriots against UMBC with 17 and 14 points respectively.
The game will be on MASN2 at 9pm EST. The GiantKiller team will be in Fort Worth, Texas covering the game thanks to our partners KMN Law Firm. Need a Lawyer? Request a free initial consultation today! Let them know the GiantKiller team sent you.
