Some good news for MBB

[MasonFanatic]

The freshman class of 2007 is the most recent one available because the NCAA gives student-athletes six years to graduate before assigning a GSR score to each university.

Oh, that's freshman class? Now it makes sense. I thought it was strange that they have years all the way up to 2013-14 in the search options. Someone needs to apply a little more consistency to their user interface

 

[Dawgs99]

Cam Long was a much better defender.

Really? While Cam was no turnstile on defense the best on ball defender that year was Tate. Tate really worked himself into a solid role player for that team. If even half of the guys on this years team would give the effort that Tate did on defense we will be much improved on that end of the floor.

 

[MasonFanatic]

Vlad ended up as a heck of a player at American.

Had he stayed at Mason, he'd have been pretty good.

No, he wouldn't have. Larranaga tried to force him to play a position he couldn't play. That's why he left by mutual agreement.

Vlad would have been a better fit for Hewitt's offense.

 

[Herndon]

Vlad never would've become the scorer he became at AU, simply because the Elderly Cuban wasn't flexible enough to let him play out on the perimeter where he belonged.

If Vlad had been at Mason after Hewitt took over, he would've made a deadly face-up 4 -- think Marko but with better size and range on his jumper.

He would not have been the same scorer he was at AU, but he'd still have been pretty good. Remember Jai Lewis taking midrange jumpers in his time at Mason. El Cubano Octogenario wanted Vlad to be able to play down low, but he was more flexible than people give him credit for. It might have taken until his senior year, but he'd have been a darn useful player at Mason.

 

[Quentin Daniels]

Tate was not only a great defender, but could come off the bench and spell at the 1, 2, or 3. Even watched him at the 4 on one occasion when the team went to a small-ball pressure lineup.

As for Vlad down low, I think of Darryl Monroe who came in as the softest 280 lb guy you'll ever see. When he left though, still had that soft touch and great passing, but could also back guys up and tear down rebounds. He wasn't quite Jai Lewis, but he made 250 lb Tony Durant his b!tch when they played. We'll never know if Vlad could have had a similar turnaround - not a banger, but an inside/outside threat similar to a Kevin Love.