Now let’s take a look at what the numbers say about individual players followed by some opinion. I have left Boyd and Kier out of the discussion because I don’t think either will return next year. Just a hunch, nothing to back it up. Regular season numbers.
Javon Greene -
32 minutes per game.
13.8 points per game.
5.5 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 40.5%.
3 point percentage of 34.9%.
Free throw percentage of 81.1%.
79 assists.
93 turnovers.
6 blocks.
55 steals.
Pretty solid numbers although his overall shooting percentage needs to improve. His 93 turnovers is scary bad. He had 48 as a sophomore with similar minutes played. To be a top flight player he’ll need to cut that stat way down. Losing his starting job and being suspended at the end of the year is also a concern. I might expect that from a freshman, not a junior. He had several great games, many solid ones, and a few where he disappeared. If we’re going to improve next year Javon will need to average 15 and 7 while taking care of the ball and being an elite defender. He needs to be more consistent.
Jordan Miller -
32.2 minutes per game.
12.5 points per game.
5.2 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 44.1%.
3 point percentage of 33.7%.
Free throw percentage of 70.5%.
44 assists.
58 turnovers.
5 blocks.
34 steals.
A solid sophomore season on all counts in my opinion. He averaged 7.1 boards per game as a freshman so the drop to just over 5 this year was unexpected. He didn’t seem to have the nose for the ball that he had last year. Going forward he’ll need to get stronger. He can be the glue guy on the team that make the whole show work. If he can average 15 and 7 as a junior it will help. I hope he becomes one of the vocal leaders next year.
AJ Wilson -
27.5 minutes per game.
11.8 points per game.
7.4 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 44.5%.
3 point percentage of 29.3%.
Free throw percentage of 60.6%.
31 assists.
57 turnovers.
90 blocks.
17 steals.
Like Javon, I think AJ just needs to be more consistent. He dominated some entire games, and parts of others. He also got pushed around and disappeared at times. He made tremendous strides this year. If he is able to improve as much next year it will be huge! He needs to get stronger. If he goes for 15 and 8 consistently next year it go a long way in getting us out of the cellar. Improving his 3 point percentage and free throw percentage could make him elite.
Jamal Hartwell -
29.0 minutes per game.
9.6 points per game.
1.8 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 38.2%.
3 point percentage of 31.1%.
Free throw percentage of 80.0%.
48 assists.
38 turnovers.
0 blocks.
10 steals.
Jamal’s minutes almost tripled this year compared to his freshman year. Concerning to me is the drop in his 3 point percentage from last year. Freshman year he shot 44.6% from 3, this year 31%. I will never question his heart, desire, competitive nature, or work ethic. What I can question he has no control over, his size. Jamal is just too small to be an effective 30 minute per game player in the A10. A point guard should be pass first and shoot as a last option. 48 assists in 840 minutes? He did find the time to take 259 shots, 151 of them 3’s. We don’t need Otis 2.0. We need him to shoot less, pass more, and pressure the ball when he is in. If DP continues to play him blindly like he did Otis we’ll pay for it. Again, I respect the young man like crazy. But, size does matter. If Jamal plays less but is more efficient with his production we’ll be better off. I realize this will probably be my most controversial opinion with some on the boards.
Xavier Johnson -
29.2 minutes per game.
7.1 points per game.
3.5 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 41.4%.
3 point percentage of 22.0%.
Free throw percentage of 73.6%.
76 assists.
66 turnovers.
1 block.
41 steals.
In my eye XJ had a solid rookie season. He has played with poise and intelligence. He doesn’t seem to get rattled. He’s strong and athletic. He gets to the rim well and can finish with contact. At times this year he shut down our opponents best player on the defensive side of the ball. He has a chance to be a very good player if he can develop his mid range shot and 3 point shot. The league has learned to lay off him and take away the drives to the basket because they don’t respect his outside shooting. Those areas are current weaknesses but can be developed.
Josh Oduro -
17.0 minutes per game.
4.9 points per game.
4.0 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 48.1%.
3 point percentage of 15.4%.
Free throw percentage of 61.4%.
10 assists.
32 turnovers.
24 blocks.
9 steals.
Josh surprised me. I saw him play in high school and was not impressed. If he hits the weight room like a madman and gets stronger with his upper body he has the potential to develop into a fine post player. He’s never going to be a rim rattling, high flying dunker but he can be productive. If he improves his footwork on defense and goes for 8 and 5 next year it will be a positive step.
Greg Calixte -
13.2 minutes per game.
2.9 points per game.
3.3 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 60.3%.
Did not attempt a 3.
Free throw percentage of 31.6%.
13 assists.
23 turnovers.
10 blocks.
8 steals.
I’m sure Greg is a fine young man. He seems to represent the university well. He can grab the occasional rebound and score near the rim when put in the right position. Bottom line though, he really hasn’t shown much growth since his freshman year and I don’t expect him to contribute much next year either. I can see him being passed over by Malik Henry rather quickly.
Goanar Mar -
15.0 minutes per game.
2.2 points per game.
2.0 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 29.5%.
3 point percentage of 7.7%.
Free throw percentage of 75.0%.
17 assists.
23 turnovers.
7 blocks.
11 steals.
Goanar remains one of the biggest mysteries in the history of Mason basketball. His early freshman success, Sophomore injuries, and struggles since have been well documented and discussed on the boards. Nobody wants to see him return to form more than yours truly. I just don’t see it happening. His contribution next year should be minimal.
Jason Douglas-Stanley -
4.7 minutes per game.
1.1 points per game.
.5 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 18.5%.
3 point percentage of 23.8%.
Free throw percentage of 75.0%.
4 assists.
2 turnovers.
0 blocks.
2 steals.
The game just needs to slow down for him. I had high hopes that he would become the zone breaking stud that we have needed. It hasn’t happened yet. Will he transfer and look for another option? Don’t know. Will he hang around and suddenly click like Ike Tate did his senior year? Can’t predict that either.
The Incoming Freshmen - I hope they are highly skilled and elite level A10 players from day one. Am I confident that will be the case? Not given DP’s track record of recruiting. Will Kolek be the pure shooter we so desperately need? Will Polite be ready to contribute on both sides of the floor? Will Henry be another athletic big who can give us a better inside presence? I sure as hell hope so. In year 6 of a program though we shouldn’t be looking to freshmen to save a season. They should be learning in practice and playing minimal minutes. Unless they are absolute studs contributions should begin their 2nd year. We’ve never had that model under DP.
Coach DP - The bottom line is that we are destined for a similar finish next year if people don’t improve A LOT. I hope DP considers making some changes on both ends of the floor. I hate the handoff at the top of the key on offense. It allows one defender to guard two of our guys. I would love to see more movement with quick, crisp passing. We don’t have anyone that can take their man off the dribble on a consistent basis. Why play like we do? He has said he wants to play inside out, but I have seen little evidence that we’ve actually tried to do so. The lob over the top inbound play drives me nuts and it’s the only one he has run all year. He can’t be more creative than that? We pseudo press but don’t trap out of it or get many turnovers out of it. It kills me when we switch on defense and Jamal ends up guarding a 5 on the post. Some here claim that DP is a great x’s and o’s guy. Sorry, I just don’t see it. It took him 4 years to admit that he needs bigger, stronger, more athletic players. Learning curve a little short Dave? Or is he just stubborn? MAJOR improvement from the coaching staff is needed in terms of identifying A10 talent and fitting strategy to the strengths of the players if things are ever going to change. Who the F are you 81 to make such claims? Well, I did coach at the varsity level in Fairfax County for 10 years. I have some knowledge of the game.
Discuss.
Javon Greene -
32 minutes per game.
13.8 points per game.
5.5 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 40.5%.
3 point percentage of 34.9%.
Free throw percentage of 81.1%.
79 assists.
93 turnovers.
6 blocks.
55 steals.
Pretty solid numbers although his overall shooting percentage needs to improve. His 93 turnovers is scary bad. He had 48 as a sophomore with similar minutes played. To be a top flight player he’ll need to cut that stat way down. Losing his starting job and being suspended at the end of the year is also a concern. I might expect that from a freshman, not a junior. He had several great games, many solid ones, and a few where he disappeared. If we’re going to improve next year Javon will need to average 15 and 7 while taking care of the ball and being an elite defender. He needs to be more consistent.
Jordan Miller -
32.2 minutes per game.
12.5 points per game.
5.2 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 44.1%.
3 point percentage of 33.7%.
Free throw percentage of 70.5%.
44 assists.
58 turnovers.
5 blocks.
34 steals.
A solid sophomore season on all counts in my opinion. He averaged 7.1 boards per game as a freshman so the drop to just over 5 this year was unexpected. He didn’t seem to have the nose for the ball that he had last year. Going forward he’ll need to get stronger. He can be the glue guy on the team that make the whole show work. If he can average 15 and 7 as a junior it will help. I hope he becomes one of the vocal leaders next year.
AJ Wilson -
27.5 minutes per game.
11.8 points per game.
7.4 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 44.5%.
3 point percentage of 29.3%.
Free throw percentage of 60.6%.
31 assists.
57 turnovers.
90 blocks.
17 steals.
Like Javon, I think AJ just needs to be more consistent. He dominated some entire games, and parts of others. He also got pushed around and disappeared at times. He made tremendous strides this year. If he is able to improve as much next year it will be huge! He needs to get stronger. If he goes for 15 and 8 consistently next year it go a long way in getting us out of the cellar. Improving his 3 point percentage and free throw percentage could make him elite.
Jamal Hartwell -
29.0 minutes per game.
9.6 points per game.
1.8 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 38.2%.
3 point percentage of 31.1%.
Free throw percentage of 80.0%.
48 assists.
38 turnovers.
0 blocks.
10 steals.
Jamal’s minutes almost tripled this year compared to his freshman year. Concerning to me is the drop in his 3 point percentage from last year. Freshman year he shot 44.6% from 3, this year 31%. I will never question his heart, desire, competitive nature, or work ethic. What I can question he has no control over, his size. Jamal is just too small to be an effective 30 minute per game player in the A10. A point guard should be pass first and shoot as a last option. 48 assists in 840 minutes? He did find the time to take 259 shots, 151 of them 3’s. We don’t need Otis 2.0. We need him to shoot less, pass more, and pressure the ball when he is in. If DP continues to play him blindly like he did Otis we’ll pay for it. Again, I respect the young man like crazy. But, size does matter. If Jamal plays less but is more efficient with his production we’ll be better off. I realize this will probably be my most controversial opinion with some on the boards.
Xavier Johnson -
29.2 minutes per game.
7.1 points per game.
3.5 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 41.4%.
3 point percentage of 22.0%.
Free throw percentage of 73.6%.
76 assists.
66 turnovers.
1 block.
41 steals.
In my eye XJ had a solid rookie season. He has played with poise and intelligence. He doesn’t seem to get rattled. He’s strong and athletic. He gets to the rim well and can finish with contact. At times this year he shut down our opponents best player on the defensive side of the ball. He has a chance to be a very good player if he can develop his mid range shot and 3 point shot. The league has learned to lay off him and take away the drives to the basket because they don’t respect his outside shooting. Those areas are current weaknesses but can be developed.
Josh Oduro -
17.0 minutes per game.
4.9 points per game.
4.0 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 48.1%.
3 point percentage of 15.4%.
Free throw percentage of 61.4%.
10 assists.
32 turnovers.
24 blocks.
9 steals.
Josh surprised me. I saw him play in high school and was not impressed. If he hits the weight room like a madman and gets stronger with his upper body he has the potential to develop into a fine post player. He’s never going to be a rim rattling, high flying dunker but he can be productive. If he improves his footwork on defense and goes for 8 and 5 next year it will be a positive step.
Greg Calixte -
13.2 minutes per game.
2.9 points per game.
3.3 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 60.3%.
Did not attempt a 3.
Free throw percentage of 31.6%.
13 assists.
23 turnovers.
10 blocks.
8 steals.
I’m sure Greg is a fine young man. He seems to represent the university well. He can grab the occasional rebound and score near the rim when put in the right position. Bottom line though, he really hasn’t shown much growth since his freshman year and I don’t expect him to contribute much next year either. I can see him being passed over by Malik Henry rather quickly.
Goanar Mar -
15.0 minutes per game.
2.2 points per game.
2.0 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 29.5%.
3 point percentage of 7.7%.
Free throw percentage of 75.0%.
17 assists.
23 turnovers.
7 blocks.
11 steals.
Goanar remains one of the biggest mysteries in the history of Mason basketball. His early freshman success, Sophomore injuries, and struggles since have been well documented and discussed on the boards. Nobody wants to see him return to form more than yours truly. I just don’t see it happening. His contribution next year should be minimal.
Jason Douglas-Stanley -
4.7 minutes per game.
1.1 points per game.
.5 rebounds per game.
Field goal percentage of 18.5%.
3 point percentage of 23.8%.
Free throw percentage of 75.0%.
4 assists.
2 turnovers.
0 blocks.
2 steals.
The game just needs to slow down for him. I had high hopes that he would become the zone breaking stud that we have needed. It hasn’t happened yet. Will he transfer and look for another option? Don’t know. Will he hang around and suddenly click like Ike Tate did his senior year? Can’t predict that either.
The Incoming Freshmen - I hope they are highly skilled and elite level A10 players from day one. Am I confident that will be the case? Not given DP’s track record of recruiting. Will Kolek be the pure shooter we so desperately need? Will Polite be ready to contribute on both sides of the floor? Will Henry be another athletic big who can give us a better inside presence? I sure as hell hope so. In year 6 of a program though we shouldn’t be looking to freshmen to save a season. They should be learning in practice and playing minimal minutes. Unless they are absolute studs contributions should begin their 2nd year. We’ve never had that model under DP.
Coach DP - The bottom line is that we are destined for a similar finish next year if people don’t improve A LOT. I hope DP considers making some changes on both ends of the floor. I hate the handoff at the top of the key on offense. It allows one defender to guard two of our guys. I would love to see more movement with quick, crisp passing. We don’t have anyone that can take their man off the dribble on a consistent basis. Why play like we do? He has said he wants to play inside out, but I have seen little evidence that we’ve actually tried to do so. The lob over the top inbound play drives me nuts and it’s the only one he has run all year. He can’t be more creative than that? We pseudo press but don’t trap out of it or get many turnovers out of it. It kills me when we switch on defense and Jamal ends up guarding a 5 on the post. Some here claim that DP is a great x’s and o’s guy. Sorry, I just don’t see it. It took him 4 years to admit that he needs bigger, stronger, more athletic players. Learning curve a little short Dave? Or is he just stubborn? MAJOR improvement from the coaching staff is needed in terms of identifying A10 talent and fitting strategy to the strengths of the players if things are ever going to change. Who the F are you 81 to make such claims? Well, I did coach at the varsity level in Fairfax County for 10 years. I have some knowledge of the game.
Discuss.
Last edited:
