Game 3: GMU (2-0) vs Morgan St. (2-0) on Sunday, November 14, at 6 PM.

[Patriotsince81]

The Bears are picked #2 in preseason MEAC Northern Division polls and 5th overall.

They are 2-0 on the young season with wins against Division 3 St. Mary’s College of Maryland (118-55) and Division 2 Penn St. Allegheny (126-71).

The Bears have 5 selections to the preseason All-MEAC team.

The season is young but so far the Bears have been led by 6’4” De’Torrrian Ware who has averaged 22.0 ppg to go along with 4.5 rebounds. 6’3” Keith McGee (18.0 ppg), 6’4” Malik Miller (16.0 ppg), 6’8” Lagio Grantsaan (13.5 ppg & 5.5 reb), and 6’7” Douglas Myles (9.5 ppg & 6.0 reb ppg) balance out what has been an explosive offense. Seven other players average between 5 and 9 points per game.

Schedule: https://morganstatebears.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule
Roster: https://morganstatebears.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster
Stats: https://morganstatebears.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2020-21?path=mbball

On the season the Bears average 122 ppg while giving up 63 ppg. That is not a typo, their current margin of victory is 59 points per game. Yes, I know they have played D2 & D3 cupcakes. As a team they shoot 60.1% from the field and 35.6% from 3. Opponents to shoot 35.5% overall and 21.5% from 3. They have out rebounded opponents by 5.5 boards per game. One astounding stat is opponents have averaged 38 turnovers per contest.

The game is on ESPN+.

My prediction: This should be entertaining. It’s hard to know how good they really are. They are picked to do well in conference but they have played glorified scrimmages to date. The Bears have beaten weak teams using a defense that has been classified as being “frenetic”. In the win against St. Mary’s the Bears forced 36 turnovers which led to 48 points. In the win against Penn St. Allegheny they scored 53 points off of the 40 turnovers they created.

Captain Obvious says we will have to take care of the ball, continue to defend at a high level, and rebound. We do. Mason wins 75 - 68 bringing Morgan St. back to reality. Kim English moves to 3 - 0 on his way to a record 1,400 wins at Mason.

Discuss.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

Someone tell them to break out the preparation H and anal lube - it’s going to be a looong night

 

[GreenLantern]

Undefeated 111
No longer Undefeated 110
OT

 

[dr. gunnie]

 

[tblack33]

My wife was stoked because she thought the announcer said we were playing Oregon state at home. I told her give us two years and we would be.

Wanna be Smokey the bear: 63
Kim’s warriors of all that is good in the world: 74

 

[mkaufman1]

Good guys 125
Morgan is not a state 45

Kidding, but this should be another relatively easy win tune up

 

[GMUYoda]

I hope we don't get caught looking forward to the MD game. I expect a win, but it's a bit closer than we want it to be.

Morgan State 71
Mason 78

 

[psyclone]

Kenpom has Mason as an 8 pt favorite. Mason is now #177 (from 190) vs Morgan St #254.

Took at look at Penn's schedule--games on Sunday (Bucknell), Tuesday (Lafayette), Thursday (Utah St). 5 games in 8 days!! What are they thinking?!

 

[Quentin Daniels]

Ticket clamps down Ware. Oduro & Schwartz go inside/outside.

Patriots by a dozen.

 

[phoenix-arizona]

''I hope we don't get caught looking forward to the MD game. I expect a win, but it's a bit closer than we want it to be.''

That's a good point Grogu--glad this isn't a road trap game. It's just a home potential looking forward to Maryland trap game.

 

[GMUgemini]

''I hope we don't get caught looking forward to the MD game. I expect a win, but it's a bit closer than we want it to be.''

That's a good point Grogu--glad this isn't a road trap game. It's just a home potential looking forward to Maryland trap game.

Cooper on the twitter spaces last night “you’ve got to respect everyone. They are D1 for a reason.” The players are locked in.

 

[GMUgemini]

On the players being locked in: I think it's safe to assume, even after just two games, that English nailed all three of the major transfers.

Losing Greene, Miller, and Kolek from last year's team could have meant a year of growing pains if English had stuck with the old coach's playbook of ignoring the transfer market and recruiting strictly four year players, but to have two graduate students, and a third year player in Gaines, be able to come in and bring their experience to bolster who stayed has been huge.

It's also going to allow guys like Blake, Gray, Frazier, and Henry to get minutes as they earn them and to get better without having to shoulder the minutes burden that an upperclassman should be playing.

The team would be better regardless, but they aren't winning games by 20+ to start the season without Schwartz, Cooper, and Gaines playing smart, veteran basketball.

 

[Quentin Daniels]

if English had stuck with the old coach's playbook of ignoring the transfer market and recruiting strictly four year players,

Dude, you do realize the “transfer market” as you’ve put it has never existed like this past year right? The extra season of eligibility and no penalty transfers is a complete game-changer.

 

[GMUgemini]

Dude, you do realize the “transfer market” as you’ve put it has never existed like this past year right? The extra season of eligibility and no penalty transfers is a complete game-changer.

Yes. But it’s also a fact that Paulsen said he wanted to focus on 4-year players. And it’s also a fact that he had precisely 1 transfer in his entire tenure. It’s also a fact that for the last several years, the NCAA has been handing out a lot of waivers leading up to this decision. And it’s also a fact that when you look at other programs that used the transfer market effectively before 2021 (Lonergan, Dambrot, Grant, Ford, even Mooney) not being able to land a single impact transfer really held back the team.

 

[sleeperpick]

Yes. But it’s also a fact that Paulsen said he wanted to focus on 4-year players. And it’s also a fact that he had precisely 1 transfer in his entire tenure. It’s also a fact that for the last several years, the NCAA has been handing out a lot of waivers leading up to this decision. And it’s also a fact that when you look at other programs that used the transfer market effectively before 2021 (Lonergan, Dambrot, Grant, Ford, even Mooney) not being able to land a single impact transfer really held back the team.

@Quentin Daniels and @GMUgemini you know it is possible that both of you are right ya know? Because you both are. Paulsen was pathetic in a good transfer market for at minimum 3 years and CKE is taking advantage of something never seen before in the transfer market

 

[GMUgemini]

@Quentin Daniels and @GMUgemini you know it is possible that both of you are right ya know? Because you both are. Paulsen was pathetic in a good transfer market for at minimum 3 years and CKE is taking advantage of something never seen before in the transfer market

Yes. I think that’s true.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

Prediction:

Mason 83
Morgan 72

No Overtime.

 

[dr. gunnie]

Mason opens up as a 9.5 fav
o/u 144.5

 

[mkaufman1]

@Quentin Daniels and @GMUgemini you know it is possible that both of you are right ya know? Because you both are. Paulsen was pathetic in a good transfer market for at minimum 3 years and CKE is taking advantage of something never seen before in the transfer market

Agreed with this. After Reuter didn't perform up to the hype, there wasn't any transfer signings for year 5 or year 6 to try to help the program (and probably try and save his job). It was crazy because everyone was a few years into diving into the portal at this point.

Anyway, back to Morgan State. Excited for gameday once again. Hopefully Mason will put on another show and win this one easily as well.

 

[dr. gunnie]

Line has moved to -11.5 and 147