Game Thread: Mason vs LaSalle

[psyclone]

Post game press conference anywhere?

 

[GSII]

Lasalle gave us this game. They cant shoot, have no inside game. For a sec, I thought we were wearing white. They missed a ton of wide open looks. Nothing we did. And Jordan is always at the point of the press. Fod only knows why he was moved away yesterday.

Like Tom said, glad Simpkins put LiL Dave in check and secured a win vs a bad Lasalle team.

 

[Cedric Dempsey]

Fair point, ehoops, but it does beg the question with his length and quickness why he wasn’t at the point of the press in the first place.

When Jordan is at the top of the press he has the greatest defensive retreat to cover his man assignment and their attack. If your press is designed to slo opponent tempo so they get into their half court set with 18 sec remaining on the shot clock, it’s one thing. If you are attacking for a turnover it’s altogether another. DP appears to be blending both and Jordan’s ability to adjust is a work in progress. Part of a new defensive scheme for this program.

 

[Pablo]

For those who don't believe that Mason spends enough money on its men's basketball program, think about La Salle. A program that has won the NCAA and NIT championships, but plays in an inferior arena named after one of the greatest all-around basketball players ever. A Philly Big 5 school located in a city that loves sports and the rivalries between its local schools.

http://explorertown.proboards.com/thread/3596/game-thread-george-mason-2pm?page=2:

las71
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Game Thread: v. George Mason, 1/11/20, 2PM 28 minutes ago via mobile

Post by las71 on 28 minutes ago
My concern isn't about Ash. If he had the Mason talent he wins yesterday. My concern is the bigger issue of how do we attract more talent. Months ago a poster showed a design for a new or rebuilt arena. Since then I have heard nothing. I understand that we may have other priorities as an institution but is there a timeline? I hope the school is actively pursuing a donor. The last two games I attended have had a significant alumni turnout, but we're getting old. Maybe we can start a five year pledge program. It's not going to fund the arena but will create some buzz. La Salle needs to get something out of us before we're all dead. Go 'splorers!

 

[patriot2000]

Jim, I think I know what posters you're referencing and hope I'm not one of them. But as one of the most prominent melt-down sufferers over the last few games, I do want to acknowledge the "why is it so quiet when we win" question.

Couldn't watch this one because of my sons' sports activities yesterday, but I watched the replay last night and this morning. I'm not going to become one of these negative posters who teabags every thread. I've said my piece, and this is the last time unless I truly have something new to say. But for our first win after our meltdown losses, allow me a little honesty: I didn't see anything in this win, or in 8 or 9 of the first 11 wins, to change my mind about what has slowly dawned on me about our head coach. Even the most negative, obnoxious posters on here have tempered themselves to the point where they are not implying we are a terrible program. We are average, at best, and believe at this point we should be better than that. We knew we could beat a team like LaSalle, and we did. In year 5 I say, "Big Deal." It's time to NOT get blown out at home by the Bonnies or not even look like we belong on the court with TCU.

We are NOT basing our criticisms on the win-loss record so we don't have to come on here and "eat crow" after a win. None of us said we are going to lose out and do not owe anyone an apology because we managed an okay win. I become more frustrated with each game that fails the "eye test," especially with a coach whose hiring I celebrated, and what I just finished watching was not much different. Our players are talented enough to compete with teams with similar or lesser talent level. They are good, smart kids with mental toughness (most of the time) and good athletic ability. I love rooting for them. But I'm not going to get amped up on a message board over a win at LaSalle. Sorry.

Show me this roster built and managed entirely by this coach go up against a truly good team, struggle at first, have a leader who knows what adjustments to make, listen to that leader, and make a change that either wins the game or makes it close and exciting. Show me a game where a top-200 opponent is forced into playing OUR game plan (do we have one?) or struggle with OUR identity (again, do we have one?). I'll get on here and say, "Maybe I was right about DP in the first place and I've been unfair to him the last year and a half." Show that to me a few times in the same season and I'll acknowledge that it's a pattern. But, for now, spare me the "where are you when we win." I'm here. Watching, cheering, rooting for the kids. Just didn't have anything nice to say.

 

[Cedric Dempsey]

Lasalle gave us this game. They cant shoot, have no inside game. For a sec, I thought we were wearing white. They missed a ton of wide open looks. Nothing we did. And Jordan is always at the point of the press. Fod only knows why he was moved away yesterday.

Like Tom said, glad Simpkins put LiL Dave in check and secured a win vs a bad Lasalle team.

The whole Lil Dave thing is kinda childish, unless of course you’re a child.

 

[Patriotsince81]

Missed the game yesterday due to going to Winterfest at Nats Park with out of town friends. Always nice to get a road win.

 

[KAOriginal]

Why is no one gloating over the win? Because this so far year is text book---beat the teams you should and lose (albeit glaringly) to the ones you should.

That's called "average."

This team as someone said "does not pass the eyeball test." It's year 5 and I will discount year 1---we still haven't turned the corner or showed promise of more.

We are just average. And that is squarely on the head coach.

 

[Petey Buckets]

Jim, I think I know what posters you're referencing and hope I'm not one of them. But as one of the most prominent melt-down sufferers over the last few games, I do want to acknowledge the "why is it so quiet when we win" question.

Couldn't watch this one because of my sons' sports activities yesterday, but I watched the replay last night and this morning. I'm not going to become one of these negative posters who teabags every thread. I've said my piece, and this is the last time unless I truly have something new to say. But for our first win after our meltdown losses, allow me a little honesty: I didn't see anything in this win, or in 8 or 9 of the first 11 wins, to change my mind about what has slowly dawned on me about our head coach. Even the most negative, obnoxious posters on here have tempered themselves to the point where they are not implying we are a terrible program. We are average, at best, and believe at this point we should be better than that. We knew we could beat a team like LaSalle, and we did. In year 5 I say, "Big Deal." It's time to NOT get blown out at home by the Bonnies or not even look like we belong on the court with TCU.

We are NOT basing our criticisms on the win-loss record so we don't have to come on here and "eat crow" after a win. None of us said we are going to lose out and do not owe anyone an apology because we managed an okay win. I become more frustrated with each game that fails the "eye test," especially with a coach whose hiring I celebrated, and what I just finished watching was not much different. Our players are talented enough to compete with teams with similar or lesser talent level. They are good, smart kids with mental toughness (most of the time) and good athletic ability. I love rooting for them. But I'm not going to get amped up on a message board over a win at LaSalle. Sorry.

Show me this roster built and managed entirely by this coach go up against a truly good team, struggle at first, have a leader who knows what adjustments to make, listen to that leader, and make a change that either wins the game or makes it close and exciting. Show me a game where a top-200 opponent is forced into playing OUR game plan (do we have one?) or struggle with OUR identity (again, do we have one?). I'll get on here and say, "Maybe I was right about DP in the first place and I've been unfair to him the last year and a half." Show that to me a few times in the same season and I'll acknowledge that it's a pattern. But, for now, spare me the "where are you when we win." I'm here. Watching, cheering, rooting for the kids. Just didn't have anything nice to say.

Great post. Imagine rubbing your nipples over a win against La Salle. We all want to see evidence that Dave can lead the team to credibly compete against the top of the conference and yesterday's game offers zero new information in that regard.

I was dealing with a fussy baby so I missed a lot of action, but it's becoming clear that we're matchup dependent this season. La Salle takes and makes a shitload of 3s, but we defend the perimeter pretty well. They didn't have the personnel to exploit us inside. The poster who listed out opposing teams with problem matchups in the post hit the nail on the head, I think. Hoping we can figure something out because I don't want to waste Kier's senior season and breakout performances from AJ and Miller, but that's the direction we're heading.

A couple other thoughts:

- Hartwell still doesn't look 100%. We're much more dynamic when he's on. Could change things.

- AJ's shot selection is really bad. He's making big strides as a player but these face-up contested 15-footers are just awful and they need to stop asap.

- I want to see Miller at the 4 more. I think that's the key to unlocking this team's potential. Pulling him out to the wing neutralizes his superpower (offensive rebounding). Let him bang a little when the matchups are there. He's shooting 3s so well that we can also use him as a stretch to pull bigger defenders out of the paint, which should create lanes for Kier and XJ to drive. Getting those guys to the rim is the one thing we do at an all-A10 level and we should emphasize it.

Edit: one thing I forgot - for all the talk about player development we are *really* bad at throwing entry passes. I counted turnovers from Justin and Javon and players generally seem to shy away from even throwing them.

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

- AJ's shot selection is really bad. He's making big strides as a player but these face-up contested 15-footers are just awful and they need to stop asap.

This. Please AJ. This.

 

[GMUgemini]

This. Please AJ. This.

Also, related to Miller, AJ putting up 15 foot jumpers negates his own superpower, which is the same as Miller's -- massive putback dunks.

I don't mind splitting Miller's time at the 3/4 so long as he's at the 3 when AJ is at the 4.

Something else I don't ever want to see is Mar on the floor when the other team goes zone. It's like putting a traffic cone out there on offense (no knock on his pretty good defensive performance, but my god he stops an offense cold).

 

[Herndon]

LOL, nevermind.

It is what it is, and people are not going to change.

 

[Pablo]

This attitude, this entitlement is what drives me bananas.

"I want to see us be among the best in the conference, and until I do, I'm going to bitch and moan".

WHAT LEADS YOU TO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE STRUCTURALLY IN A PLACE TO EXPECT THAT??

This is what I keep reading on this board "I want it, I want it, I want it, I'm mad that we don't have it, and the reason that we should have it is that I want it".

You freaking people are like 5 year olds.

I'd like George Mason to be better than UVa, but that's not likely to happen, not because Tony Bennett is a better coach than Dave Paulsen (although he is). It's not likely to happen because UVa has more resources and advantages at its disposal than George Mason, INCLUDING THE ONES NECESSARY TO HIRE AND RETAIN COACHES LIKE TONY BENNETT.

To get mad that UVa is better than GMU is ludicrous. We're not competing with the same resources AND RESOURCES MATTER. If they didn't matter, we wouldn't allocate them to basketball.

Why would you think that anything better or worse than average in the conference is what you should expect, given that we allocate average resources in the conference?

I'm not shocked or disappointed when a kid with no schooling can't do algebra, because I haven't invested in him learning to do algebra.

If and when I want to spend the time and money to send him to an algebra tutor, and position him for success, THEN AND ONLY THEN do I have a reason to expect more.

As it stands, our shitty fanbase A) Doesn't contribute lots of money, B) Doesn't show up for games, C) Doesn't work to make Mason attractive to basketball recruits, and then D) HAS THE GALL TO ACT LIKE THEY'RE THE ONES SOMEHOW AGGRIEVED.

You people are gross.

It seems to me that there are some generous donors including at least one poster on this board - https://gomason.com/news/2019/12/4/endowed-scholarship-reception.aspx:

"The number of endowments has doubled in 10 years to 55 current endowed scholarships. To name an endowment requires a gift of $25,000. These funds help collectively offset as much as $5 million in scholarships and/or operational expenses for Mason Athletics programs each year."

 

[Patriot Lawdog]

LOL, nevermind.

It is what it is, and people are not going to change.

If you're gonna throw something like that out there then you should stand by it. People aren't asking for UVA, hell, they're not asking for vcu at this point, but I think it's pretty reasonable to ask for us to be able to compete with SBU, SLU, and even Richmond given our current funding status. You bitch about fans, but 95% of fans nowadays need to see some kind of consistent winning to show up. Does it suck? Yes. Am I that kind of fan? No. Is there anything anyone can do about it including the administration? No...Other than winning. I'm sorry, I don't think its too much to ask to be a step above Fordham when it comes to postseason appearances within the last 10 years.

 

[Herndon]

If you're gonna throw something like that out there then you should stand by it. People aren't asking for UVA, hell, they're not asking for vcu at this point, but I think it's pretty reasonable to ask for us to be able to compete with SBU, SLU, and even Richmond given our current funding status. You bitch about fans, but 95% of fans nowadays need to see some kind of consistent winning to show up. Does it suck? Yes. Am I that kind of fan? No. Is there anything anyone can do about it including the administration? No...Other than winning. I'm sorry, I don't think its too much to ask to be a step above Fordham when it comes to postseason appearances within the last 10 years.

Last 3 years conference records:

St. Bonaventure 37-17 (.685 winning percentage)
St. Louis (25-29) .463
Richmond (28-28) (.500)
George Mason 29-25 (.537)

We are competing with them. Bonnie has been better, the other 2 have been worse.

We were craptastic during the Hewitt years, absolutely.

We're not now. We're doing EXACTLY what you think is reasonable.

 

[FreeGunston12]

LOL, nevermind.

It is what it is, and people are not going to change.

Ok to your original post Herndon. But what do you want from me? I'm not a McKay. I don't have money to donate. The best I can do is buy tickets to the games and sometimes bring other people on my dime.

The only path I see to get the program to the place we all want goes through over achievement. Then we have to rely on the AD to capitalize on over achievement and to turn it into sustained success. Mason squandered the chances to do that in the last decade. The clock has sadly run out on capitalizing on our 15 minutes of fame.

To be honest, I enrolled at Mason 2 years after the final four. Maybe my expectation for the basketball program is just different than those before and after that time period.

Do we deserve better collectively as a fan base and university? No. Can the fans on this message board still be disappointed? I say yes.

 

[GMUgemini]

For me, the only real disappointing game we've had this season was the St. Bonaventure home loss. Would I loved to have beaten vcu? Yes. Would I loved to have it been closer in a loss? Yes. But they are also built explicitly in a way that makes playing them tough for this team.

The Bonaventure game is a little different. We were up by 15. They went zone. And I feel like there were things we could have done to mitigate what they were doing and we just didn't do anything. I'm sure everyone would love to have that game back, but since they blew that one now they've got to find a way to beat URI and SLU to salvage any faith in this season (and that's going to be a tough feat).

 

[gmujim92]

For me, the only real disappointing game we've had this season was the St. Bonaventure home loss. Would I loved to have beaten vcu? Yes. Would I loved to have it been closer in a loss? Yes. But they are also built explicitly in a way that makes playing them tough for this team.

The Bonaventure game is a little different. We were up by 15. They went zone. And I feel like there were things we could have done to mitigate what they were doing and we just didn't do anything. I'm sure everyone would love to have that game back, but since they blew that one now they've got to find a way to beat URI and SLU to salvage any faith in this season (and that's going to be a tough feat).

Every. Team. Has. Bad. Games.

Overreacting to the result of one game — whether a win or loss — is what drives me nuts.

There is still a lot of ball left to be played this season. We can add up the W’s and L’s at the end and draw conclusions about our team then.

For now I need to get back to rubbing my nipples.

 

[GMUgemini]

Every. Team. Has. Bad. Games.

Overreacting to the result of one game — whether a win or loss — is what drives me nuts.

There is still a lot of ball left to be played this season. We can add up the W’s and L’s at the end and draw conclusions about our team then.

For now I need to get back to rubbing my nipples.

It’s not one game it’s UMD + TCU + vcu + St. Bonaventure combined. In those games, we were only competitive against Bona. We had zero chance against the other three teams.

So I posted earlier, I have concerns about any team that has a legit big on it’s roster and our ability to look competitive against any of them. They need to prove they can win against at least some of those teams.

Also, we had bad games against at least 3 or 4 early season teams as well, so it’s not completely isolated.

 

[GSII]

Ok to your original post Herndon. But what do you want from me? I'm not a McKay. I don't have money to donate. The best I can do is buy tickets to the games and sometimes bring other people on my dime.

The only path I see to get the program to the place we all want goes through over achievement. Then we have to rely on the AD to capitalize on over achievement and to turn it into sustained success. Mason squandered the chances to do that in the last decade. The clock has sadly run out on capitalizing on our 15 minutes of fame.

To be honest, I enrolled at Mason 2 years after the final four. Maybe my expectation for the basketball program is just different than those before and after that time period.

Do we deserve better collectively as a fan base and university? No. Can the fans on this message board still be disappointed? I say yes.

Great post.

I'll say again, until we starting beating top 4 teams for recruits, we are stuck in the 6-9th spots forever. And its not about money. Coach L went to the final four with less. He just knew how to build a consistent winning program. A10 has resurfaced as a power this year. We had a chance to make noise after years 3 and 4 and failed. 2021 will be a decade since our last NCAA tourney appearance.