Have we done a Greatest Mason Basketball Player contest/poll? We should identify 16 players and vote via poll on who is ultimately the Greatest Mason Basketball Player of all time. List your favorites in the comments. The 16 players mentioned the most will be in the Sweet 16. Each decade must have at least one player. Pairings will be based on most mentions. Any POY is automatically in regardless of mentions. Edit: List your top 10 in the comments Edit: POYs: Evans, Pearson, Sanders, and Yates. Edit: Last day to post your list is Labor Day
George Evans if not one of the 80's guys is fine. If Evans was too old but you are too young and worthless to remember the 80's, let's go Will Thomas. Too lazy to do more.
Top 10 Will Thomas George Evans Kenny Sanders Carlos Yates Rudolph Jones Ryan Pearson Rob Rose Cam Long Curtis McCants Jai Lewis Should also receive consideration Andre Gaddy Myron Contee - not among the greatest but one of my all time favorites. Folarin Campbell Lamar Butler Mike Morrison Tony Skinn Jason Miskiri Ricky Wilson Sherrod Wright Nate Langley Marquise Moore (Senior Year) Erik Herring
Sherrod big shot Wright probably isn’t it, but def should be in the conversation. Marquise easily has the best single season IMO but don’t think he’s there if you are looking at it as a career.
Ultimately for me it's really down to two....... George Evans and Will Thomas. Both are #1 in my book. My 2 cents.
I would say these are the top 10 players of all time (in order in which they played), and I think you could make an argument for either Carlos Yates or George Evans as the best player ever. Andre Gaddy Carlos Yates Ricky Wilson Rob Rose Robert Dykes George Evans Kenny Sanders Will Thomas Ryan Pearson Lamar Butler Honorable mention: Jai Lewis, Cam Long, Sherrod Wright
I agree that Ricky Wilson (the only Patriot to play in the NBA playoffs) should be in the top 10. But, why no mention of Nate Langley, Curtis McCants, Jason Miskiri (the last Patriot to play in the NBA), or Erik Herring?
I'm only a fan for the last 18 years so my apologies for not including Carlos Yates or George Evans, merely because I never saw them play. But based on how I feel, this is how I would list today: 10. Shevon Thompson 9. Mike Morrison 8. Marquise Moore 7. Sherrod Wright 6. Ryan Pearson 5. Will Thomas 4. Otis Livingston 3. Cam Long 2. Jai Lewis 1. Lamar Butler Honorable Mention and personal favorite even though he left for Louisville: Luke Hancock Joke List top 5 5. Petersen 4. DeAndre Abraham (notice Abraham not Abram) 3. Erik Copes 2. Danny Dixon (for @sleeperpick) 1. Anali Okoloji (for @CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY )
There are a lot of players I considered for my honorable mention, and I agree Langley and Miskiri are worthy of being added. Given your knowledge of Mason's hoops history, I'd love to see your Top 10. General note: I don't think seeing the players should be a prerequisite for anybody in this thread listing specific guys in their Top 10. I never saw Andre Gaddy play, but I know from doing research that he absolutely belongs on the list. I also never saw Babe Ruth play, but I would definitely list him in my Top 10 of greatest baseball players ever.
I will do a list over the weekend...in the meantime I am not too lazy to criticize others who actually do the work.
All this time, if we just had recruited another Ike Tate you would have been happy? Also, you listed seven instead of the ten Walter requested. Lazy f*ck.
In my era (2005 and beyond) it's Will Thomas. Best combination of counting stats, team accomplishments, and pure unstoppability in clutch moments. I'm sitting on my couch reading this thread and getting irrationally angry Kaufman has him #5. This thread will probably get locked. It's cool hearing the olds talk about the guys I never saw but I've never really dug in enough to have much of an opinion, beyond that Yates and Evans were obviously monsters. Cam, Sherrod, Otis, Lamar, Folarin, Jai, Pearson, and Mike Mo are the next eight. Would have to think harder about who gets the 10 spot between Allen, Marquise, Tony, and maybe a couple others.
Petey, below is a great reference. I’d definitely put Will Thomas in the top four along with Evans, Yates and Kenny Sanders. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Mason_Patriots_men's_basketball_statistical_leaders
Will Thomas was selected 3 times to the CAA All-Defensive Team (2006, 2007, & 2008), and was 8-0 (in high school and college including the NCAA Elite 8) vs. Rudy Gay. Thomas was definitely the best Mason player of Petey's era.
Tom, I concur with the first 9 of your Top 10. But, as much as I liked Lamar Butler who had an immediate impact on the program, I don't believe that he was good enough defensively to warrant Top 10. IMO, Cam Long was a better all-around guard than Lamar.