Game Thread: Mason (8-1) vs. Jacksonville State (2-4), Tuesday, Dec. 3rd, 7:00 PM

[sleeperpick]

Win is a win is a win. Jax st bad and we won. American and UMBC are both horrible too. Need to win both. Can only win with our schedule.

 

[gmujim92]

Like I always say after a round of golf, they don’t ask how — just how many.

Great chance to be 11-1 going to TCU. This is what I expected last year’s team to do.

 

[PoorManProfit]

X with 8 assists to one turnover in 24 minutes. Solid.

 

[psyclone]

6 blocks tonight by AJ... and 3 of those came in the last 3 minutes of the game... crunch time specialty

Must of realized that I was taking the over on the # of blocks he would get! Thanks AJ!

 

[gmutom]

This was arguably our worst performance of the year, but it shows the strides we have as a program that we still managed to come out with a win. Hartwell was due for a clunker after how well he's played thus far, and I have no doubt he'll bounce back.

Some of the showboating and lackadaisical plays are not something you typically see on a Dave Paulen team, and I'm sure it will be addressed in practice over the next three days. Onward and upward.

 

[KAOriginal]

Hmmm. We put on a lackluster performance, but yet beat another team that we should beat and people are unhappy?

Some of you are worse than the New England Patriots fans I have to exist with here in Maine...

9 and f*cking 1.....enjoy it.

 

[GMUgemini]

Hmmm. We put on a lackluster performance, but yet beat another team that we should beat and people are unhappy?

Some of you are worse than the New England Patriots fans I have to exist with here in Maine...

9 and f*cking 1.....enjoy it.

Our first conference game is vcu at home, so in the not too near future we'll see what kind of team we really have. Until then, yeah, let's go 1-0 three more times to close out the OOC.

 

[tblack33]

For everyone who says these boards are toxic, I heard with my own two ears the absolute worst take of the year in the flesh in the Pat dome tonight. Fresh off his Cayman MVP, two grade A turds claimed AJ was having a bad season. After informing them he went 18-8 against the number three team in the country they said well what about JMU? He responded with two monster dunks and 5 second half blocks.

I’ve seen a lot of bad takes on these boards and I’m pretty sure a solid portion of y’all can’t read but at least none of y’all are this dumb.

Ugly win is still a win. Have to get better and more consistent quick fast or in a hurry or we are about to crash back to earth hard when A10 play starts. No more playing to our opponents level. Had some short streaks of good basketball tonight.

 

[GreenLantern]

Best start since my freshman year

https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...start-years-with-win-over-jacksonville-state/

 

[GMU_DCU]

Boy was Kier rusty. Never seen such horrible shot selection from him, he was forcing everything. Took that nasty spill on the fast break trying to track down the loose ball, scary moment. AJ, Miller and Greene were the difference tonight. Greene has to be near the top of the A-10 in steals. Can someone please get XJ better shoes? It’s like he’s on a slip n slide out there on the court. Glad to see Calixte injury wasn’t as bad as it first looked and he’s able to play again so soon...hoping for more contributions from him. Glad we got the win but that was not the best effort out there tonight.

 

[By George.]

For everyone who says these boards are toxic, I heard with my own two ears the absolute worst take of the year in the flesh in the Pat dome tonight. Fresh off his Cayman MVP, two grade A turds claimed AJ was having a bad season. After informing them he went 18-8 against the number three team in the country they said well what about JMU? He responded with two monster dunks and 5 second half blocks.

I’ve seen a lot of bad takes on these boards and I’m pretty sure a solid portion of y’all can’t read but at least none of y’all are this dumb.

Ugly win is still a win. Have to get better and more consistent quick fast or in a hurry or we are about to crash back to earth hard when A10 play starts. No more playing to our opponents level. Had some short streaks of good basketball tonight.

Did this almost lead to a fight? Those are fighting words.

 

[MasonSAE4]

Hartwell had a bad night. Didn’t really score and had some bad shot selections. That being said, last year if Otis only had four points, it meant we were losing the game. This year our PG had a clunker, our senior captain was forcing shots, and some random f**ker (as always) caught fire from 3 and we still won. It was ugly but last year that would’ve been an L every day of the week.

 

[Pikapppatri8]

I think many of us expected a let-down performance after winning the Caymen Island tournament. It was expected - yet we still won. I will take a sloppy win over a "good" loss.

Nine and one -- -on to the next game.

Why can't anyone just enjoy the moment?

 

[PDGL Hoops]

Ugly or not it shows up in the win column so I am happy. Just be happy we aren't ODU who has lost 5 in a row and is 0-3 verse their former CAA rivals Mason, JMU, and W&M.

 

[gmubrian]

Why can't anyone just enjoy the moment?

I am not really seeing that much negativity. I only saw one post that was even close to being overall negative. Everyone seems to be happy with the win and pointing out where we need some improvement.

What I really like about this team is the fight to the end. They are never out of it. That has been pretty much the hallmark of Paulsen teams, except last years team (going by feel, not hard stats) which seemed to just fold at the end of some of the close games. This year's team, on the other hand, seems to always find a way to pull out the win.

I am starting to feel like I did during the OCM years, where at the beginning of every game, I feel we can win it. I am not saying I look at the schedule and predict going undefeated, but at the start of every game, I feel we have pretty decent chance of winning it, no matter how good the opponent is.

 

[Herndon]

I am not really seeing that much negativity. I only saw one post that was even close to being overall negative. Everyone seems to be happy with the win and pointing out where we need some improvement.

What I really like about this team is the fight to the end. They are never out of it. That has been pretty much the hallmark of Paulsen teams, except last years team (going by feel, not hard stats) which seemed to just fold at the end of some of the close games. This year's team, on the other hand, seems to always find a way to pull out the win.

I am starting to feel like I did during the OCM years, where at the beginning of every game, I feel we can win it. I am not saying I look at the schedule and predict going undefeated, but at the start of every game, I feel we have pretty decent chance of winning it, no matter how good the opponent is.

I'm not there yet, but I DO feel like there are zero games left on the schedule that it would SURPRISE. Like, this team may not be a great team, but it's a team that makes sense, and guys have roles, and guys have skills, and on any given night, any of 5 guys could have a big game and pull us across the line.

THAT's what feels like the OCM era: we have enough good players that on any given night, 1 or 2 of them is going to have a pretty good game. Some nights 3 or 4 are, and those nights, we're TROUBLE.

 

[sleeperpick]

I am not really seeing that much negativity. I only saw one post that was even close to being overall negative. Everyone seems to be happy with the win and pointing out where we need some improvement.

What I really like about this team is the fight to the end. They are never out of it. That has been pretty much the hallmark of Paulsen teams, except last years team (going by feel, not hard stats) which seemed to just fold at the end of some of the close games. This year's team, on the other hand, seems to always find a way to pull out the win.

I am starting to feel like I did during the OCM years, where at the beginning of every game, I feel we can win it. I am not saying I look at the schedule and predict going undefeated, but at the start of every game, I feel we have pretty decent chance of winning it, no matter how good the opponent is.

This^^^

The kids don’t quit. Not even for a second so far this year. I may not like the coach, staff or most of the fans in the arena but damn these kids are enjoyable to watch.

 

[mkaufman1]

For everyone who says these boards are toxic, I heard with my own two ears the absolute worst take of the year in the flesh in the Pat dome tonight. Fresh off his Cayman MVP, two grade A turds claimed AJ was having a bad season. After informing them he went 18-8 against the number three team in the country they said well what about JMU? He responded with two monster dunks and 5 second half blocks.

I’ve seen a lot of bad takes on these boards and I’m pretty sure a solid portion of y’all can’t read but at least none of y’all are this dumb.

Ugly win is still a win. Have to get better and more consistent quick fast or in a hurry or we are about to crash back to earth hard when A10 play starts. No more playing to our opponents level. Had some short streaks of good basketball tonight.

Those guys needed to be smacked. But hey, you'll find fans of every sports team with some kookoo viewpoint that is completely incorrect.

I'm not there yet, but I DO feel like there are zero games left on the schedule that it would SURPRISE. Like, this team may not be a great team, but it's a team that makes sense, and guys have roles, and guys have skills, and on any given night, any of 5 guys could have a big game and pull us across the line.

THAT's what feels like the OCM era: we have enough good players that on any given night, 1 or 2 of them is going to have a pretty good game. Some nights 3 or 4 are, and those nights, we're TROUBLE.

Definitely agree. This is a team where if someone has an off night (Hartwell) someone can step up and help out (XJ for example) and lead the team to winning. That has the makings of a good TEAM which I think Paulsen is steadily building and has been building towards. These guys are

I am not really seeing that much negativity. I only saw one post that was even close to being overall negative. Everyone seems to be happy with the win and pointing out where we need some improvement.

What I really like about this team is the fight to the end. They are never out of it. That has been pretty much the hallmark of Paulsen teams, except last years team (going by feel, not hard stats) which seemed to just fold at the end of some of the close games. This year's team, on the other hand, seems to always find a way to pull out the win.

I am starting to feel like I did during the OCM years, where at the beginning of every game, I feel we can win it. I am not saying I look at the schedule and predict going undefeated, but at the start of every game, I feel we have pretty decent chance of winning it, no matter how good the opponent is.

Definitely agree. Its the make of a good culture and a good program. Its not the expectation of going undefeated, but the expectation that every night they will have a chance and that everyone is going to give it their all and pick one another up which is very valuable. The team is very young but I am really enjoying the types of talent that Paulsen has brought in the last year or two (Miller, Hartwell, Oduro XJ etc) and I think they will only continue to get better.

 

[GreenLantern]

Last time we had a start like this was the 83-84 season. That year we finished with 21 wins. Realistically, are still a young, raw team but this season. We've won games that in the past we would have lost and it's been a team effort. Nobody is shouldering the team. One game it's Greene, another it's Miller.

 

[smccart5]

X with 8 assists to one turnover in 24 minutes. Solid.

XJ if FAST. Guy can move at another speed from everyone else on the floor. He's already pretty under control, but see a lot of potential for him to be very good as he gains more control/experience