In this article, we will be rating players on a 20-80 scale. This will likely be familiar to those who follow baseball closely. In theory, 50 is average, and each 10 both ways is a standard deviation. Since walk-ons exist, there will be more 20s than 80s. This will also be scaled for the A10 level, and it is only for this season. Shane Pendergrass’s ceiling in year 4/5 will be much higher than what is listed for this season.
20-80 Scale Explanation
20 – Walk-On – Practice player, thank you for your service.
25 – This guy is still a walk-on but can last for a minute or two on the court and not look like they are playing 4 v 5. (Kam Johnson)
30 – Developmental scholarship player, probably has at least one A10-level skill or overall athleticism, but doesn’t do enough that you want them out there in any meaningful minutes (Bryson Cokley, Austin Ball).
35 – End-of-rotation guy that shouldn’t be guaranteed minutes, can play real spot minutes with certain matchups (Devin Booker, Stas Sivka).
40 – Solid rotation player that can bring value, may have one outstanding skill, but can get run off the court in certain situations (Malik Henry).
45 – Back-end starter/sixth man; probably want them coming off the bench, but not a massive disadvantage with him in the starting lineup (Fatt Hill, KD Johnson).
50 – Average starter for top four contender – Very okay with this guy starting, probably has some weaknesses that can get punished if the other team’s best player is this position (Zach Anderson).
55 – Plus starter on a top four contender – Guy that is a bonafide starter, you will always be happy with him on the court (Ticket Gaines)
60 – All A10 third team/honorable mention caliber – Really really good, doesn’t really ever take over games, but definitely a positive at all times, and can be your second option. Not too much of a gap between 55 and 60 (Jared Billups, I don’t care that he came off the bench).
65 – All A10 second team caliber – Probably want as your second best player as a contender but can be your number one on a deep team (Darius Maddox).
70 – All-A10 first team caliber, guy that you have no question can have you contending as your best player (Jalen Haynes).
75 – Pretty solid A10 POTY, doesn’t feel like the award “had to go to someone” like the Ace Baldwin year. 2025-26 Robbie Avila is the perfect example, Jordan King goes here even if he had not gotten half of the award. Elevates the best team.
80 – Generational player. Slam dunk POTY, probably getting All-American consideration. DaRon Holmes would be 80, Obi Toppin would be 80+.
2026-27 Mason Player Ratings
Palmer’s Ratings
This section will be putting the players into that scale, with two numbers, an expectation and a ceiling. The ceiling isn’t an absolute ceiling, but what is within reasonable expectations of how much they can improve by the end of the season. It is not a career prediction. They will be in order of how long they have been here. Joe will also give ratings.
I am trying my best not to be a homer, but am not immune, so some ratings may seem slightly low or high.
Brayden O’Connor – 55/65 – There is a lot of fog of war here. BOC was a starter on a great team, probably a 50, but was playing out of position. For that, I move him to 55 with him presumably playing his more natural position. The 65 is because it seemed like he was in a self-creation/scoring role before his injury, albeit a very small sample size. The 6’5 guard will be two years older than his first season with the Patriots.
TJ Prosise – 20/25 – Prosise hasn’t showed us that he can really play in games, and that is ok. He doesn’t have to.
Ben Woodward – 20/25 – Woodward also hasn’t shown us either, and that is also ok. Maybe he can theoretically shoot.
Emannuel Kanga – 50/60 – The 50 is pretty much scaling down his production last season and stretching it to 25 minutes per game along with natural progression, as Kanga was probably a 45 last season. The 60 is if he can do what he did, with all of that rebounding, energy, and foul-drawing, for 25 minutes a game.
Malik Presley – 35/40 – It is really hard for a non-shooting wing who is just good, not great on the defensive end to break into a deep rotation. Presley will have to make major strides. The indicators on his shooting improvement (volume, mid-range, free throw %) do not give me too much optimism on his jumpshot without a complete overhaul.
Ryan-Preston Mendy – 30/40 – RPM is a big mystery box. Just based on seeing him around other players on the team, it feels like he is taller than we expected him to be. The Frenchman was a jack-of-all-trades, master of none as a prospect. He either needs to have developed an outstanding skill, or have noticeably increased his skill at everything. A jack-of-all-trades is cool when all of their skills are B-, but not as useful when everything is C.
Shane Pendergrass – 35/45 – It is very hard to predict how a player translates from high school to college in this current era, where everyone is old. Pendergrass feels like the most well-rounded and “pro-ready” prospect during the Skinn era. Kanga became an impact player as a freshman due to being great at a couple things, while still having some glaring weaknesses. Pendergrass can be something of a plus Ryan-Preston Mendy, where instead of everything being a C, maybe it can be a mix of C+ and B-.
Peyton Miller – 30/35 – It is incredibly difficult for a PG to come in as a freshman and make an impact. Usually if the freshman PG has to play (Justin Begg, Devin Dinkins), there is something going wrong at the point guard position. To me, Miller is more
Emmett Adair – 50/55 – I believe with a lesser self-creation role and with real playmakers around him, the offense can take a big jump, along with the defense.
Michael Marcus – 40+/50 – There could be a false ceiling here, as we didn’t get to see him use his size and physicality at Appalachian State, where he pretty much played the Stas Sivka stretch 4 role in a lot of minutes, despite being built much bigger. The role change could unlock him, or it could put him into a tweener spot. A 40 is very good still. Marcus’ shooting and speed can lead to some dreaming.
Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor – 50/65 – The ceiling is really there. The true ceiling is probably 70, but that would be if both the jump-shot and handle take major jumps, and he turns into A10 Zion. EOE is going to bring guaranteed value with his defense, passing, and slashing.
Baraka Okojie – 70/75 – It would be incredibly difficult for Okojie to be any more than a 70, but I am also pretty confident he will hit that. The foul-drawing, the playmaking, the volume at Mercer, the shooting improvement; if you combine all of that, it is hard not to see him being absurd at the A10 level, where we saw him do extremely well as a re-classed freshman 3 years ago.
Makhai Valentine – 45/55 – The shooting is there, along with the tools for being a great defender. The 55 could happen if the shooting efficiency increases in a better environment while also not taking a massive step down in volume.
Lilian Marville – 40/50 – The 50 is if the little bit of self-creation we saw at UNC Greensboro can be replicated at a higher level. The 40 is if shooting is really only his plus skill. I am not super confident he can be the only playmaker on the floor, and think he will need to be on the court with a Brayden O’Connor and/or EOE to make sure the ball doesn’t become dead.
Elijah Jones – 50/65 – There is definitely a ceiling here. Jones was incredibly efficient at the rim and from three, but took a lot of midranges that went in at a lower rate than the three-ball. If the Moreyball efficiency can be even better optimized and the percentages hold, you have a true difference-maker.
Bryton Barrett – 30/35 – It is so hard for freshmen to be real rotation players, but I really would not be shocked if Barrett could play a bit, with his ball-handling and playmaking at that size.
James Nnaji – 40/50 – The ceiling is probably higher than 50 with Curran’s track record of developing big men, but I do not want to set unfair expectations. Height-weight-speed freaks will always have a place on the court to some degree.
Joe’s Ratings
Thanks Palmer for letting me join in on this.
It’s always fun to analyze players in this way. I think Palmer has made up a really interesting system here that can fit every team. Maybe we’ll get to that on a slow September day or something…
Anyhow, let’s get into the players
Rating of 20: None
Yes, I actually don’t think any of Mason’s players belong in this category.
Rating of 25: Ben Woodward, TJ Prosise
How I use this rating simply comes down to if I think a walk-on could survive in spot minutes if it had to come to that. I would say yes for both of the Patriots walk-on’s in Ben Woodward and TJ Prosise.
Neither are undersized (Woodward is listed at 6 ‘4, Prosise at 6’ 3), which is usually the biggest issue for walk-ons. Neither have the physical gifts to get to a 30, but if the injury bug strikes to a point where one of them have to play a three to five minute stretch, I’d be ok with either, though I’d lean Prosise as the first walk-on to use in that case as I think he’s a little more toolsy than Woodward.
That can go either way, but I think Mason has two walk-ons in the high echelon of walk-ons that you can get at the A-10 level. Which you always take.
Rating of 30: Bryton Barrett, Peyton Miller
Putting two of the three freshmen here.
This rating is basically built for a freshman like Barrett. And it shouldn’t be seen as an insult that he’s here. He was a fairly late add to the 2026 class, as he didn’t sign until early-June, which meant that he was likely seen as a developmental add for most of the teams looking at him, Mason included.
He has some tools that I like off the bat- he has great length and the athleticism is there, but he’s a very raw overall player. I think he was a player who had a late growth spurt and he kinda looks like it too in the way he plays. I think there’s a A-10 caliber big wing in Barrett, but it won’t be this season that we see it come out.
On Peyton Miller, I kept going back and forth on whether to put him here or at 35. Because of the depth at the guard position this year with Okojie/O’Connor/Valentine/Marville/EOE and questions about his defensive ability in year one, I’m putting him here.
Miller could definitely get minutes on worse teams, but he’s still a developmental player. He’s not elite at any one thing, though I think he has a future as a reliable 37%+ three point shooter at this level, and again, there’s defensive questions for Miller that a year of pure development should help fix. I don’t think we’ll see many minutes from either of these guys this season outside of spot minutes in some blowouts.
Rating of 35: Ryan Preston-Mendy
I know there will be a few who argue that Preston-Mendy should be in the rating of 30 group, but a year of experience in the system bumps him up to a 35 in my eyes.
Preston-Mendy is still very much an end of the rotation guy and I have him slotting in at spot 13 in the rotation among the 15 scholarship players, but do I think he could see some real spot minutes this year? Yes I do.
RPM has always been a wildcard player in my eyes. Really long and athletic at 6’9 coming out of France, but so much still has to be developed in his game. Now, if he’s much further along than many of us thought, then watch out, because he could suddenly be much more effective than any of us thought he could be.
Which would be awesome, if having the negative effect of making an already loaded front court for the Patriots a bit too loaded- someone who should get 10 minutes a game will get less than that in the group of front court players we have this season. I’m interested to see who that is, but I don’t think Preston-Mendy is part of that group yet, but I think he takes another step forward this season towards being a rotation player.
Rating of 40: Shane Pendergrass, Malik Presley, Lillian Marville
A freshman and two guys where putting them here may be a bit controversial- but I like controversy.
Let me start with Pendergrass first. Similar to Emmanuel Kanga last season, I do think Pendergrass is talented enough to play 10-15 minutes a night as a freshman. The issue is, as I mentioned before, the loaded frontcourt. I just don’t know what his minutes look like or if he’s talented enough to get ahead of guys like Jones, Adair and Marcus Jr. There will still be spots for Pendergrass to get game time, because he should. He’s too talented to not play. I’m just not sure how much of it we’ll get to see.
Now, onto Presley. I just don’t know what Malik is. He’s certainly better on the defensive end, especially as a perimeter defender, but got lost on switches and rotations far too many times last season. Offensively, he does not have a reliable three point shot and he was abysmal even when getting to the basket during conference play last year. He was 7-24 from the field during A-10 play in 2026- not good enough. Now, he does have another year in the system and is one of the few returners from last season’s team. That is a plus in his favor, which is why I still expect to see him get opportunities this season. But I need for him to get better at finishing at the rim or become a three level defender for his role and his rating to be higher.
With Marville, he does one thing clearly very well and that’s shoot the ball. Even if it’s clearly very unlikely he shoots 50.6% from three again this year, Marville is going to be a plus shooter on this team. And that is a useful tool. I just don’t see him getting major minutes over Okojie/O’Connor/Valentine. Okojie in particular seems set to eat up 30-35 minutes a night and I don’t think Marville has the all around talent to take more from Okojie, even if he is a better shooter. I have questions about his ability on the defensive end at his size, as he’s the shortest player on the team this year. Love the shooting, he needs to prove he can do more though.
Rating of 45: Emmett Adair, James Nnaji, Michael Marcus Jr.
Now we’re getting into the meat and potatoes of the lineup. All three of these players I think will see consistent gametime, albeit coming off the bench.
Starting with Adair, his offensive prowess is well known. I think we’ll see it more from the four spot instead of the five spot this year, but the interior offense is there and he has room to grow as a three point shooter as well. I don’t think he’s better than Kanga or Jones, especially on the defensive end, where improvement is needed if he wants to be a starter at this level. But the offensive touch is absolutely there. He’s comparable to Allenspach, if not as clearly good on the offensive end and on paper worse defensively than Allenspach was- which is why Adair won’t start. But I think a full time shift to the four will help him in all aspects of his game and should see him get a comfortable 12-15 minutes a night.
Marcus Jr. is another player who can arguably play both the four and the five spots that Tony Skinn brought in this season. He’s more defensively capable than Adair, but not as good offensively, though he has a three point shot in his bag too. I just don’t see as much growth with it as I think Adair has with his. In the end, I think Marcus Jr. ends up playing more of his time at the five spot as the backup to Emmanuel Kanga. Tony Skinn has liked having a big man who can step out and shoot a three, and Marcus is the one of the trio of himself, Kanga and James Nnaji that can do that. Like Adair, he’ll have his role and he will be a key rotation player in this group.
Here’s where it gets interesting with James Nnaji. Now, take away all the things about his time as a pro in Europe and his status as an NBA draft pick- he was a player who didn’t average more than 2 ppg at Baylor last year and looked out of place.
Now, there are also some details within that which suggest Nnaji is primed for a bounce back (he was still recovering from back issues, plus he didn’t arrive in Waco until December), but this is still a raw prospect that Mason has coming into their group. The fact is though, that in his spare minutes, the analytics liked Nnaji on the defensive end, which is no surprise considering his 7 foot, 265 lb frame. Nnaji will be bigger than 99% of the A-10 this year. That alone is a weapon.
The question with Nnaji is whether or not he can develop any semblance of a consistent offensive game to usurp at least Marcus in the rotation. That’s a question that no one really has an answer to in the public sphere yet. I do think the defense has the potential to be elite at this level though, if in part because he’ll just be bigger than everyone else. And that will get him time in the rotation.
Rating of 50: Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor, Makhai Valentine
One of these players will not be a starter this year for George Mason. But I think they absolutely both could be on good A-10 teams.
I’ll start with EOE. He may have the highest athletic ceiling on the roster. There’s so much to like in that aspect of the game. His first step, he’s quick and agile, he has jump. There is a reason he was recruited to a P5 out of high school and started games for Butler last season. There is also a reason why he’s now in the A-10 instead of still at a P5 school.
Like many similar players, EOE struggles offensively. Defensively, the effort and ability is there. He is likely the best all round defender the Patriots have on the roster this year and they will need him to play for the defense to be at his best. However, there’s no proof that a three point shot has developed and to turn into a truly elite player at this level, he has to get better at finishing at the rim- he only shot 51.3% there last season. He has playmaking skills in his game too, but until the finishing gets better, he’s a high level defensive stopper, but not much else.
Valentine is the player I think most likely to prove me wrong on this list. He was part of an awful Northern Illinois team last season, but he was by far and away the best player on that Northern Illinois team. I have questions about the defensive side of his game (though he had little help on that side of the ball as well) and how much time he may actually get with Okojie and O’Connor likely ahead of him.
But there’s so much to like about Valentine. He may end up being one of the best three point shooters on the team this year, he was solid from the free throw line and finishing at the rim last season, even if he at times fell in love with the midrange, it wasn’t often. The thing that’s holding me back is whether he fully translates to this level, which you can say about every transfer, but is always more of a question when the transfer up in level is high.
Rating of 55: Brayden O’Connor, Emmanuel Kanga
I had a really hard time on where to put O’Connor. As Palmer explained- the difference between a 55 and a 60 is not very much. But I’ve decided to rate O’Connor here.
That’s certainly not an insult to his game. O’Connor is a good player on what should be a good team, no question about it. Did I ever agree with the preseason A-10 first team nod that he got last year? No, I understood why they did it, but I’ve never seen O’Connor as someone who can be that level of a takeover player. He is a great leader and teammate, can play both the 1 and the 2, solid finisher at the rim, solid from the free throw line and solid from three.
However, he is not elite at any of those traits. He is a good overall player, but he has very few elite traits. His return will bring some important defensive stability to the perimeter and it will be nice to have another 36% three point shooter back in the fold. Unless he turns into an elite three point shooter, I don’t think he’s at the best of the best of the A-10. But, he’s pretty good and I am sure glad to have him back in the fold.
I had an easier time with Kanga. I think a 55 rating is the perfect spot for him in what should be a strong sophomore year.
Even with the numerous additions in the front court this offseason, Kanga seems set to both take another step forward and take the starting spot at center for the Patriots this season. He already has a reputation as one of the best rebounders in the A-10 on both sides of the ball, putting up excellent offensive and defensive rebounding percentages in his minutes last season. He is also already pretty good at finishing at the rim, putting up a 67% FG on his rim shots as a freshman.
I expect both of those aspects of his game to continue to get even better, particularly his finishing. His defense is also already well regarded- he was certainly the best defender Mason had playing center last season and had a decent block percentage as well.
The big question with Kanga is the foul issues he put himself in all season. That is historically something that gets better as players age and gain experience, but Kanga plays an aggressive game that could lead to him being off the court at times. He also does not have a three ball in his locker, nor do I think he will be the focal point of an offense like some of the other big men in this league will be. He still has aspects of his game he needs to get better at before becoming an all-conference player. It could happen this year, if he turns into a truly elite finisher or defender, but I don’t think Kanga will get there yet this season.
Rating of 60: N/A
Yea, you should know what’s coming.
Rating of 65: Elijah Jones
I am a huge fan of Jones. I think he’s got the potential to be the best wing Mason has had under Tony Skinn as he just does so many things well.
First, I recognize the defensive analytics didn’t love him last year, UTEP played Jones at the 5 for all of last season. Jones will be a big four under Tony Skinn, which should fit his attributes way better on the defensive side of the ball. He’s a good perimeter defender with the ability to help down low. Honestly, he’s athletic enough to where I think he can play the 3, 4 and 5. That’s how good I think he will be for Mason.
Offensively there’s so much to love. A history of decent free throw shooting, the three point shot developing into elite territory last season and a 79.7% fg percentage while shooting at the rim last year. I don’t know if the midrange is good enough to declare Jones a three level scorer (30% on 97 attempts last year in the midrange), but he’s close.
Jones reminds me a lot of Jack Clark. And Jack Clark was crucial for that 2024-25 VCU team. I think he could play a very similar role for Tony Skinn this year, but with a higher offensive ceiling. He should make an All A-10 team if expectations are met and he is critical to the overall success of the 2026-27 Patriots.
Rating of 70: Baraka Okojie
I’m placing my flag on this- Baraka Okojie will be a first team All A-10 player this year.
I hear the criticisms- he doesn’t have a good enough three point shot and he’ll be less effective against better defenses in the A-10 compared to the SoCon. I get it and those criticisms are not necessarily wrong. But the fit is too perfect.
His best attributes on defense (speed and quick hands) will be used perfectly under Tony Skinn’s Patriot Pressure system, just like they were when Okojie was a freshman. He’s become a better passer too and his playmaking will only help create space for the Patriots offense.
He’s elite at getting to the free throw line, which in my opinion deletes much of my concern about Okojie’s ability to shoot effectively. If he only shoots 55% at the rim, but gets to the free throw line over 250 times while shooting over 80% from the line- I will take that.
And speaking to his three point shooting, Okojie shot a perfectly ok 32.5% from three last year and it actually got better in conference play, where he shot 34.2% from three. A version of Okojie in the A-10 that is as effective at getting to the line as he was last year with a 34% three point shot is a first teamer in the A-10. And I have no doubts that Okojie is going to do that for the Patriots this season.
