Game 0: GMU (0-0) vs Northeastern (0-0) on Thursday, November 26, at 2PM.

[Patriotsince81]

Northeastern was 17 - 16 overall last year and finished 9 - 9 in CAA play.
They lost in the CAA tourney to top seeded Hofstra.

Schedule: https://nuhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule/2019-20
Roster: https://nuhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/2020-21
Stats: https://nuhuskies.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats

The Huskies lost their top two scorers from last year. Their leading returning scorer is Sophomore Tyson Walker who averaged 10.4 points per game last year and also led the team in assists. He scored 32 in one contest against Elon.

One potentially impactful addition to the team could be Chris Doherty who left Notre Dame to join the Huskies. Doherty is 6’8” and weighs 235. He was a three star recruit coming out of high school. He is described as being a swingman who can stretch the floor with his shooting and drive to the rim. He played very limited minutes in just 17 games for Notre Dame which was the reason for his decision to transfer. He averaged 0.9 ppg and 0.8 rebounds.

Northeastern averaged 71.1 ppg while giving up 66.4 ppg last year. As a team they shot 47.4% from the field and 37.1% from 3. Opponents shot 45.4% from the field and 32.8% from 3. They averaged 11.9 turnovers per game during the 19-20 season. They are very young with no seniors on the roster.

Northeastern is picked 4th in preseason CAA polls.

The game is on ESPN+.

My prediction: I hope DP doesn’t screw around and experiment with minutes, has his rotations set, and prepares from day one for A10 play. This should be a win. GMU 75 - Northeastern 65.

Discuss.

 

[tblack33]

WE'VE GOT GAME THREADS BABY!!!!!!

 

[tblack33]

This will be closer than any of us think it should be though. Year in year out, for better or worse, Dave has used the entirety of OOC and even the first few games of A10 play to tinker with the lineups. I'm expecting to see the freshman for 8+ minutes in this game at various points.

NE does not matchup well with us, and they do not have the depth to hang around with us after the 30+ minute point. This should be a comfortable 14 point win, but I'm saying we pull away and win by 5 in the last minute.

 

[mkaufman1]

This is going to be close. Coen can coach and always does more with less.

that said, this is a lower mid major team, mason is experienced. Northeastern shouldn’t be a problem but they probably will be.

mason 68
Northeastern 60

 

[GSII]

Some random NE player will set a career high in made 3pt's. We will have excellent week of practice..... or we won't bc guys are injured to some degree, and post game will be the first time anyone hears about it. Will hear how freshman are freshman and next year is a 3 year season bc of covid and one or all the freshman are all conference players but might not be bc it depends how they ride their bmx bikes in relation to not injuring their hips. Then some shit about burning a boat and/or next man up, family, brothers, close knit group, best I've ever coached in my 27years.... they, fight fight fight...blah blah blah. LoL.....

Top 4 finish is all I care about this year. Not that, he gotta go.

How is Gregg Marshall looking in Green n Gold??

 

[mkaufman1]

Some random NE player will set a career high in made 3pt's. We will have excellent week of practice..... or we won't bc guys are injured to some degree, and post game will be the first time anyone hears about it. Will hear how freshman are freshman and next year is a 3 year season bc of covid and one or all the freshman are all conference players but might not be bc it depends how they ride their bmx bikes in relation to not injuring their hips. Then some shit about burning a boat and/or next man up, family, brothers, close knit group, best I've ever coached in my 27years.... they, fight fight fight...blah blah blah. LoL.....

Top 4 finish is all I care about this year. Not that, he gotta go.

How is Gregg Marshall looking in Green n Gold??

Hahaha that first paragraph sums up Dave's tenure here really well.

 

[gmujim92]

How is Gregg Marshall looking in Green n Gold??

I truly hope you are either joking or just stopped taking your meds ... seriously f*ck that piece of sh!t

 

[tblack33]

Some random NE player will set a career high in made 3pt's. We will have excellent week of practice..... or we won't bc guys are injured to some degree, and post game will be the first time anyone hears about it. Will hear how freshman are freshman and next year is a 3 year season bc of covid and one or all the freshman are all conference players but might not be bc it depends how they ride their bmx bikes in relation to not injuring their hips. Then some shit about burning a boat and/or next man up, family, brothers, close knit group, best I've ever coached in my 27years.... they, fight fight fight...blah blah blah. LoL.....

Top 4 finish is all I care about this year. Not that, he gotta go.

How is Gregg Marshall looking in Green n Gold??

Lol this reads like the PaulsenPresserBot is malfunctioning and just spitting out all the talking points at once.

 

[GSII]

I truly hope you are either joking or just stopped taking your meds ... seriously f*ck that piece of sh!t

POS? Do explain. I haven't heard anything about him sans the alleged verbal abuse. Which honestly, F these the spoiled brats. What really is verbal abuse these these days, was considered motivational friendship when we were growing up on the playgrounds playing ball with Bubba Chuck.

 

[GMUgemini]

POS? Do explain. I haven't heard anything about him sans the alleged verbal abuse. Which honestly, F these the spoiled brats. What really is verbal abuse these these days, was considered motivational friendship when we were growing up on the playgrounds playing ball with Bubba Chuck.

Tbis is like saying Bobby Knight was just hugging his players for motivation.

 

[JPgmuswim]

POS? Do explain. I haven't heard anything about him sans the alleged verbal abuse. Which honestly, F these the spoiled brats. What really is verbal abuse these these days, was considered motivational friendship when we were growing up on the playgrounds playing ball with Bubba Chuck.

He punched one of his players in the face at practice the same day(5 hours after) that player had told him his mother had cancer.

He also choked one of his assistant coaches, both of those instances have been backed up by numerous witnesses.

Slightly a little more than verbal, but I am sure there was a lot more of that then the actual physical.

 

[mkaufman1]

Ok lets get back on topic and discuss Mason vs NE instead of abusive coaches. Gregg Mashall is not coming to Mason if Dave gets fired.

Anyone want to go over memories of playing NE back in the CAA?

I remember the game I think it finished 49-48, where Mason got called for a foul in the final few seconds. I think it was 2009-2010. Such BS.

 

[GMUgemini]

Ok lets get back on topic and discuss Mason vs NE instead of abusive coaches. Gregg Mashall is not coming to Mason if Dave gets fired.

Anyone want to go over memories of playing NE back in the CAA?

I remember the game I think it finished 49-48, where Mason got called for a foul in the final few seconds. I think it was 2009-2010. Such BS.

That was homecoming wasn’t it? .5 second right? I think it was a tied game and NE was on a runout after a non-call against Pearson the other way. Game ended 50-48 on two free throws. I actually flew out to see that game.

But the most annoying game was Hewitt’s first year. Semifinals of the tournament where we dominated for most of the first half only to watch them drain threes on us over and over again and in typical Hewitt team fashion just fell apart. I suppose we should thank them for beating us because there is no way we lose to JMU in the final and then we’d have been stuck with Hewitt for much longer.

 

[mkaufman1]

That was homecoming wasn’t it? .5 second right? I think it was a tied game and NE was on a runout after a non-call against Pearson the other way. Game ended 50-48 on two free throws. I actually flew out to see that game.

But the most annoying game was Hewitt’s first year. Semifinals of the tournament where we dominated for most of the first half only to watch them drain threes on us over and over again and in typical Hewitt team fashion just fell apart. I suppose we should thank them for beating us because there is no way we lose to JMU in the final and then we’d have been stuck with Hewitt for much longer.

I believe it was homecoming you are right and a crazy last minute finish.

I think that game you are referencing was Hewitt's 2nd year? They were up by like 20 and then completely collapsed.

Also, there are other games to remember, like when JV collapsed in Boston (not sure who won, but I think Mason pulled that one out). If someone wants to go to the record books and pull formal summaries have at it.

 

[GMUgemini]

I think you are right. Hewitt’s first year was the vcu infamous 31-2 scoreline.

Yes. JV getting elbowed in the face going for a rebound and fainted while the player who elbowed him in the face was shooting FTs because they called a foul on JV!

 

[mkaufman1]

I think you are right. Hewitt’s first year was the vcu infamous 31-2 scoreline.

Yes. JV getting elbowed in the face going for a rebound and fainted while the player who elbowed him in the face was shooting FTs because they called a foul on JV!

32-4 but better we not remember that at all haha. Lowest moment as a Mason fan was attending that in person...

 

[PoorManProfit]

NE pulls this out unfortunately. I’ll assume BC has his team ready to play. Not that St. Thomas USVI is amazing, but how disappointing for the players to have to participate in the “Paradise Jam” in cess pool DC. Which teams bailed?

 

[PDGL Hoops]

I hope we win.

 

[GMUgemini]

What I’m looking for out of this game:

1) I’m curious if the 1-2-2 zone press will be a feature of the defense this year and if they’ll be more aggressive trapping out of it when their best players are on the floor. In the half-court, we technically shouldn't have to rely on a pack-line with Oduro, Calixte, and AJ being able to guard the post. Can we be more aggressive out on the perimeter, or will our guards continue with the ole defense and struggle with screens like they did last year?

2) I'm also hoping that Paulsen trusts the players enough to space the floor and open up the offense more this year. I think we'll learn pretty early if we're stuck with another year of a stagnant dribble handoff or not. I'm hoping XJ worked on his shot and is more confident in pulling the trigger this year, and that Kolek is the sharpshooter we've been hearing about, and that Hartwell goes back to his freshman year/first half of sophomore year, and that AJ continues to shoot the way he did the back half of last year...because if so, there's no reason why we can't space the floor with XJ, Greene, Miller, and AJ to open up space for XJ and Greene to have the ball in their hands and get to work. It also makes no sense to be super conservative on the offensive side when you've got Miller and AJ's ability to crash the glass.

3) I'm fine with Paulsen experimenting a little early season with rotations (especially since this is not an at-large worthy OOC), but I'll be curious to see who is coming off the bench first and who is on the floor at the end of the half/game (especially if it's close). What role are Kolek, Polite, Hartwell, and Boyd going to have?

 

[mkaufman1]

What I’m looking for out of this game:

1) I’m curious if the 1-2-2 zone press will be a feature of the defense this year and if they’ll be more aggressive trapping out of it when their best players are on the floor. In the half-court, we technically shouldn't have to rely on a pack-line with Oduro, Calixte, and AJ being able to guard the post. Can we be more aggressive out on the perimeter, or will our guards continue with the ole defense and struggle with screens like they did last year?

2) I'm also hoping that Paulsen trusts the players enough to space the floor and open up the offense more this year. I think we'll learn pretty early if we're stuck with another year of a stagnant dribble handoff or not. I'm hoping XJ worked on his shot and is more confident in pulling the trigger this year, and that Kolek is the sharpshooter we've been hearing about, and that Hartwell goes back to his freshman year/first half of sophomore year, and that AJ continues to shoot the way he did the back half of last year...because if so, there's no reason why we can't space the floor with XJ, Greene, Miller, and AJ to open up space for XJ and Greene to have the ball in their hands and get to work. It also makes no sense to be super conservative on the offensive side when you've got Miller and AJ's ability to crash the glass.

3) I'm fine with Paulsen experimenting a little early season with rotations (especially since this is not an at-large worthy OOC), but I'll be curious to see who is coming off the bench first and who is on the floor at the end of the half/game (especially if it's close). What role are Kolek, Polite, Hartwell, and Boyd going to have?

Good thoughts. I hope we see the zone press this year too. They certainly have the length and now with more depth hopefully they can be more aggressive, especially in the OOC. Also, if I have to see handoffs and then flashes to the middle by Oduro I'm pretty sure I will break my TV, and I will hear @Patriotsince81 screaming from Northern VA.