By Palmer Johnson
The good news keeps rolling in for Mason Nation as the fourth recruit of the week, Nicolas Pavrette, has committed to play for your George Mason Patriots.
George Mason has landed a commitment from Nicolas Pavrette following his Official Visit with the Patriots.
The 6’11 C has two more years remaining. Originally from Lyon, France, Pavrette spent the last two years at Central Michigan. He averaged 4.6ppg and 4.5rpg last year. https://t.co/UHeZ1ZPxma pic.twitter.com/hPAHGR3zxw
— George Mason Recruiting (@GMURecruiting) April 22, 2023
After visiting Mason on Thursday, Nicolas has decided to make Fairfax his home for the next couple of years.
Pavrette is a 6’11 center from France who played at Central Michigan for two seasons before entering the portal. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
At 6’11, Nicolas is the tallest player on the team. This size is important since there were times last season where Mason’s big men somewhat struggled against some bigger A-10 centers.
In the 2022-23 season, the Frenchman averaged 4.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 1 block, and 0.5 steals while shooting 59.4% from the field in 16.9 minutes per game in 29 games, being a starter in 16 of them.
On offense, Pavrette plays mostly around the rim while being extremely efficient. He isn’t much of a jump shooter but can hit some shorter hook shots. He is great in the dunker spot, he knows how to use his size and protect the ball from smaller defenders.
Nicolas is a solid passer and can consistently hit the open man when he’s been doubled team or gotten a rebound. He is able to hit surprisingly long outlet passes after grabbing boards. Mason Nation will be on their feet in EagleBank when he throws an absolute dot to a streaking Ronny Polite.
On the other side of the court, the Frenchman is a long defender and doesn’t let up any easy baskets in the post. He had the best defensive rating for the Chippewas last season, which shows his impact on the defensive end.
I think that Pavrette will play a similar role to what Malik Henry did in the 2022-23 season. He will probably start a handful of games but will mostly be the first big man off the bench.
Looking forward, I could see him being a full-time starter in his senior season if Malik does not use his COVID year.
Nicolas Pavrette is the younger big that fans have been waiting for, and he will be everything we want and more. I cannot wait to see what he and Tony Skinn can do together.
