Game Thread: Mason (11-1) vs. TCU (8-3), Monday, Dec. 30th, 9:00 PM

[sleeperpick]

It’s super tough to gauge a team when they play mostly powderpuffs. Forget last night the loss doesn’t hurt that much in grand scheme. But go out and beat vcu or at least make it a one score game and that will be a good look for our conference hopes. Around 6-9 finish is probable. Hopefully we trend upwards rather than downwards. Need to beat good teams

 

[GreenLantern]

Recorded the game, then ended up watching on maximum fast forward. Yuck.

 

[tblack33]

Actually we have one.

13 games into the season, we have one good win and zero bad losses ... and we still have no clue what kind of team we really have.

Hopefully we add a second good win on Sunday, but I’m not optimistic about our chances.

LOL give us all some of whatever you are smoking if you don't think last night was a bad loss. They were a better team and higher ranked so in that sense yes, but holy shit we got wiped that is gonna wreck our kempom/NET rankings.

 

[sleeperpick]

LOL give us all some of whatever you are smoking if you don't think last night was a bad loss. They were a better team and higher ranked so in that sense yes, but holy shit we got wiped that is gonna wreck our kempom/NET rankings.

We had people in here talking at large bid if we won last night. Most people didn’t expect to win but for the amount that were talking at large this should be a bad loss. A win last night puts us nowhere near at large either but it would have helped

 

[gmujim92]

LOL give us all some of whatever you are smoking if you don't think last night was a bad loss. They were a better team and higher ranked so in that sense yes, but holy shit we got wiped that is gonna wreck our kempom/NET rankings.

Was it an unpleasurable experience watching our guys get their ish pushed in for 40 minutes? Absolutely.

But losing to a decent Big 12 team on their floor is not a “bad loss.”

Anyhow, on to Feces U

 

[gmujim92]

Yes, but you’d think they’d have learned that last season after giving up 96 points to Georgia Southern, almost all layups...

I want to see Kier and XJ in the starting lineup on Sunday.

A. How many of these guys played major minutes (or played at all) in the GaSo game? Pretty sure it was just Kier and Greene. This is still a pretty new team in a lot of ways ... hard for them to take much from a game in which they had little to no role.

B. Agreed. Kier needs to start and I think X has earned his shot. Love Jamal and Javon, but we cannot afford to get off to another plodding start against vcu.

 

[gmutom]

B. Agreed. Kier needs to start and I think X has earned his shot. Love Jamal and Javon, but we cannot afford to get off to another plodding start against vcu.

I think this will also help Greene settle into the game more. He picked up quick fouls yet again, and that makes him less effective offensively. I would also love to see Paulsen run some more plays early on for Miller to get him going sooner. He was very proactive in second half last night, but he looked a little lost before intermission.

 

[mkaufman1]

Was it an unpleasurable experience watching our guys get their ish pushed in for 40 minutes? Absolutely.

But losing to a decent Big 12 team on their floor is not a “bad loss.”

Anyhow, on to Feces U

TCU was picked 10th out of 10 in the Big 12. I'm not so sure what they are, but to call them decent might be a stretch. I guess we'll find out though. The announcers said last night was the most complete game TCU played under Jaime Dixon.

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

cant wait to see what our friend Vinay has to say lol

He is just too small. I don't question his heart.

 

[CHRISTOPHER JAMES JOLLAY]

I mean, I expected some kind of variation of this loss...I took TCU -10.5 for 90 bucks, though I would have been happy to have lost. TCU will beat some good teams at home.

Win/lose, we got through non-conference still in NIT and really still NCAA at-large discussion. That's all that matters...not saying we do either of those or that we're actually that caliber team, but...that's all that matters and a huge change from the previous couple years.

Phase two starts Sunday and I agree a good showing/win is pretty important. Win or lose I look forward to leading a more prosperous life than virtually any vcu grad, however.

 

[gmujim92]

I think this will also help Greene settle into the game more. He picked up quick fouls yet again, and that makes him less effective offensively. I would also love to see Paulsen run some more plays early on for Miller to get him going sooner. He was very proactive in second half last night, but he looked a little lost before intermission.

The whole team looked lost in the first 15 minutes, except Oduro. We need to get guys back playing to their strengths instead of trying to do stuff that is outside their skill set.

 

[Falco]

Mason needs Kier to step up this season. He seems to be the only one who can create his own shot. I thought Hartwell was going to be Otis 2.0, but he looks gased already. Maybe he needs to relax instead of practicing after every game.

 

[Copes4Three]

Actually we have one.

13 games into the season, we have one good win and zero bad losses ... and we still have no clue what kind of team we really have.

Hopefully we add a second good win on Sunday, but I’m not optimistic about our chances.

NM State was an okay win. Other than that, there was nothing on our schedule that screams out as a huge win. All of our W's were at home against .500 or less schools. Got smoked in the second half by Maryland and Lost by 30 to TCU. If we would have lost in the 10-15 range to both schools it would have looked better.

 

[Quentin Daniels]

Didn't watch, just going off box score so take w/a grain, or an entire bag, of salt but losing to TCU on their court doesn't necessarily feel like a bad loss, that's a quality team. Losing they way we did thought, that's a bad loss.

Not going to win many when Greene & Hartwell go a combined 1 for 10 from the field for 4 points between them. Small consolation but I'm glad Grayer played poorly too. (or at least his stat line was lousy)

 

[sleeperpick]

Didn't watch, just going off box score so take w/a grain, or an entire bag, of salt but losing to TCU on their court doesn't necessarily feel like a bad loss, that's a quality team. Losing they way we did thought, that's a bad loss.

Small consolation but I'm glad Grayer played poorly. (or at least his stat line was lousy)

LOL consolation that Grayer played poorly... we lost by 40.

 

[Quentin Daniels]

LOL consolation that Grayer played poorly... we lost by 40.

Like I said, small consolation. Very small.

Surely you aren't going to be the one to challenge me on being petty though.

 

[sleeperpick]

Like I said, small consolation. Very small.

Surely you aren't going to be the one to challenge me on being petty though.

Not at all. I am not the soft one. His teammates were literally giving up open looks to pass to him for shots last night.. That is how much they toyed with us. Game was super forced. He played just fine. Don't need to score when Bane couldn't miss. If game was closer on our side Bane might have had 45.

 

[GMUgemini]

LOL give us all some of whatever you are smoking if you don't think last night was a bad loss. They were a better team and higher ranked so in that sense yes, but holy shit we got wiped that is gonna wreck our kempom/NET rankings.

NET stops counting after 10 points, but our offensive efficiency and defensive efficiency numbers went into the toilet.

 

[Pablo]

https://gofrogs.com/news/2019/12/30/mens-basketball-tcu-dominant-to-end-decade.aspx:

"Team Notes
- The game was the first meeting between TCU and George Mason.
- TCU moved to 7-17 all-time against teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference.
- The Horned Frogs moved to 20-5 in December games and 38-3 against non-conference opponents at Schollmaier Arena under Dixon.
- TCU started with the lineup of Edric Dennis Jr., Desmond Bane, RJ Nembhard, Jaire Grayer and Kevin Samuel for the sixth consecutive game (4-2).
- TCU outrebounded George Mason 38-28. The Frogs improved to 8-1 this season, 67-19 under Dixon and 76-19 since the 2015-16 season when outrebounding their opponent.
- TCU shot 57.9 percent from the field, its highest of the season.
- The Frogs shot 58.3 percent (14-of-24) from beyond-the-arc, the second-most in the Dixon era and the most since shooting 58.8 percent at Kansas State on Feb. 1, 2017.

Individual Notes
- Kevin Samuel tied a career-best with six blocks. He's had six blocks three times in his career, the last was against Louisiana this season on Nov. 12.
- Desmond Bane posted a season-high 30 points on 12-of-16 shooting from the field, including 5-7 from beyond the arc. It was Bane's third-career 30 point game.
- This marked the third time this season and eighth time of his career that Bane has connected on five or more 3-pointers in a game.
- Bane's 30 points tied for the second-most by a Big 12 player this season.
- Bane's 12 field goals were the second-most in his career and the second-most by a player in the Dixon era.
- Bane made his 94th career start moving him into a tie for seventh place with Karviar Shepherd and Larry Frevert for the most games started in a Horned Frog uniform.
- Jaire Grayer finished the game with five points and six rebounds against his former team.
- Diante Smith recorded a career-high eight points on 3-5 shooting off the bench."

 

[sleeperpick]

https://gofrogs.com/news/2019/12/30/mens-basketball-tcu-dominant-to-end-decade.aspx:

"Team Notes
- The game was the first meeting between TCU and George Mason.
- TCU moved to 7-17 all-time against teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference.
- The Horned Frogs moved to 20-5 in December games and 38-3 against non-conference opponents at Schollmaier Arena under Dixon.
- TCU started with the lineup of Edric Dennis Jr., Desmond Bane, RJ Nembhard, Jaire Grayer and Kevin Samuel for the sixth consecutive game (4-2).
- TCU outrebounded George Mason 38-28. The Frogs improved to 8-1 this season, 67-19 under Dixon and 76-19 since the 2015-16 season when outrebounding their opponent.
- TCU shot 57.9 percent from the field, its highest of the season.
- The Frogs shot 58.3 percent (14-of-24) from beyond-the-arc, the second-most in the Dixon era and the most since shooting 58.8 percent at Kansas State on Feb. 1, 2017.

Individual Notes
- Kevin Samuel tied a career-best with six blocks. He's had six blocks three times in his career, the last was against Louisiana this season on Nov. 12.
- Desmond Bane posted a season-high 30 points on 12-of-16 shooting from the field, including 5-7 from beyond the arc. It was Bane's third-career 30 point game.
- This marked the third time this season and eighth time of his career that Bane has connected on five or more 3-pointers in a game.
- Bane's 30 points tied for the second-most by a Big 12 player this season.
- Bane's 12 field goals were the second-most in his career and the second-most by a player in the Dixon era.
- Bane made his 94th career start moving him into a tie for seventh place with Karviar Shepherd and Larry Frevert for the most games started in a Horned Frog uniform.
- Jaire Grayer finished the game with five points and six rebounds against his former team.
- Diante Smith recorded a career-high eight points on 3-5 shooting off the bench."

Samuel had 4 of them on Oduro missed layups. Bane is impressive. Shame on me for not knowing more about him. That team is littered with 3 seniors and 8 freshman/sophs in their rotation... so they are also quite young. Samuel is going to be a beast since he is only a sophomore