Welcome AJ WIlson

[Falco]

Dude. Tell me where Mason had ANY mismatch in their favor vs. UMd.

I'm not talking about the UMD game. I'm talking in general terms.

 

[Falco]

Maryland "going small" is the same as us "going big". No real choice but to try and go as big as possible in that game.

I wasn't talking about the UMD game.

 

[gmujim92]

AJ follows up his 19-point performance with 18 pts, 9 rebs, 3 blks and 2 assts vs ODU.

Safe to say the young man has arrived.

 

[Pablo]

With 3 blocked shots in each of the last 2 games (UMD & ODU), AJ is now tied with Byron Tucker for 8th place in career blocked shots at Mason:

1. George Evans: 211
2. Andre Gaddy: 174
Mike Morrison: 174
4. Erik Copes:122
5. Robert Dykes: 111
6. Rob Rose: 106
7. Louis Birdsong: 101
8. AJ Wilson: 97
Byron Tucker: 97
10. Jai Lewis: 91
Jalen Jenkins: 91

 

[p8triotfan4life]

With 3 blocked shots in each of the last 2 games (UMD & ODU), AJ is now tied with Byron Tucker for 8th place in career blocked shots at Mason:

1. George Evans: 211
2. Andre Gaddy: 174
Mike Morrison: 174
4. Erik Copes:122
5. Robert Dykes: 111
6. Rob Rose: 106
7. Louis Birdsong: 101
8. AJ Wilson: 97
Byron Tucker: 97
10. Jai Lewis: 91
Jalen Jenkins: 91

wow, I grew up watching Byron Tucker. that's insane.

 

[GSII]

We suck at playing zone. And before you point out that we were having a hard time guarding them in man, that doesn’t automatically mean switching to a zone would’ve made things better.

How much zone did we throw at odu tonight?

 

[gmujim92]

How much zone did we throw at odu tonight?

No clue. I was listening to Bill. Flo Sports can go F itself.

 

[Pablo]

AJ is currently averaging 1.4 blocked shots per game for his career, 5th best all-time at Mason (minimum 2 seasons):

1: George Evans: 1.8 (211/116)
2: Andre Gaddy: 1.8 (174/98)
3. Keith Lewis: 1.7 (77/46)
4. Byron Tucker: 1.5 (97/63)
5. AJ Wilson: 1.4 (97/68)
6. Mike Morrison: 1.4 (174/128)
7. Erik Copes:1.4 (122/90)

 

[Pablo]

In the 85-66 victory over Nebraska, AJ had 8 points, a career-high and game-high 14 rebounds (7 offensive), 2 assists, 3 turnovers, a game-high 5 blocked shots, 1 steal, & 2 personal fouls. He has 102 career blocked shots, passing Louis Birdsong for 7th place at Mason:

1. George Evans: 211
2. Andre Gaddy: 174
Mike Morrison: 174
4. Erik Copes:122
5. Robert Dykes: 111
6. Rob Rose: 106
7. AJ Wilson: 102
8. Louis Birdsong: 101
9. Byron Tucker: 97
10. Jai Lewis: 91
Jalen Jenkins: 91

 

[Jack Strop]

AJ noted in the GK wrap-up vs. Nebraska that he's always been a shot blocker since he was a kid. He's a natural at it. AJ alluded that Coach Dave has made adjustments to his strategy for the team by implementing an emphasis on defensive rotations that enable AJ to use his talents to get blocks. That's a coach designing playing schemes to leverage the talents of his players. Coach Dave did a lot of thinking this past off-season and I dig the results!

 

[Pablo]

AJ noted in the GK wrap-up vs. Nebraska that he's always been a shot blocker
since he was a kid. He's a natural at it. AJ alluded that Coach Dave has made adjustments to his strategy for the team by implementing an emphasis on defensive rotations that enable AJ to use his talents to get blocks. That's a coach designing playing schemes to leverage the talents of his players. Coach Dave did a lot of thinking this past off-season and I dig the results!

Two Mason players have won the A10 Most Improved Player award during the Coach Paulsen era (Marquise Moore & Justin Kier). Will AJ be the third?

 

[dr. gunnie]

Coach Dave did a lot of thinking this past off-season and I dig the results!

I'm wondering how much can be credited to some new blood on the staff? When you work together as long as Dave did with Dane and Aaron, I wonder if you get a little stale and possibly stuck in your ways... maybe the new staff helped bring some new takes/ideas?

No way to know for sure and it's not a shot at the old guys, but I wonder what Dave himself would say.

 

[Jack Strop]

I'm wondering how much can be credited to some new blood on the staff? When you work together as long as Dave did with Dane and Aaron, I wonder if you get a little stale and possibly stuck in your ways... maybe the new staff helped bring some new takes/ideas?

No way to know for sure and it's not a shot at the old guys, but I wonder what Dave himself would say.

I look at what Coach said at the end of last season that appeared to me as the onus behind some heavy soul-searching: "We don t look like an A-10 team."

 

[Herndon]

I'm wondering how much can be credited to some new blood on the staff? When you work together as long as Dave did with Dane and Aaron, I wonder if you get a little stale and possibly stuck in your ways... maybe the new staff helped bring some new takes/ideas?

No way to know for sure and it's not a shot at the old guys, but I wonder what Dave himself would say.

It sure felt like last year's scheme was designed to fit Reuters talents. This further convinces me that Reuter had to have gotten hurt and had it linger all season.

I just have a hard time with the notion that a coach as experienced as Paulsen would see a guy practice for a year and scrimmage against his own guys, and make the statements he did, and implement the schemes he did, for a guy who looked like Reuter did during the regular season.

I have to believe that he was looking like some sort of dominant player, and then got hurt.

It feels like too catastrophic of a miss for a guy who in my opinion has shown that he is no worse than a competent coach at the a-10 level.

 

[gmujim92]

I'm wondering how much can be credited to some new blood on the staff? When you work together as long as Dave did with Dane and Aaron, I wonder if you get a little stale and possibly stuck in your ways... maybe the new staff helped bring some new takes/ideas?

No way to know for sure and it's not a shot at the old guys, but I wonder what Dave himself would say.

A most insightful post.

 

[MasonSAE4]

It sure felt like last year's scheme was designed to fit Reuters talents. This further convinces me that Reuter had to have gotten hurt and had it linger all season.

I just have a hard time with the notion that a coach as experienced as Paulsen would see a guy practice for a year and scrimmage against his own guys, and make the statements he did, and implement the schemes he did, for a guy who looked like Reuter did during the regular season.

I have to believe that he was looking like some sort of dominant player, and then got hurt.

It feels like too catastrophic of a miss for a guy who in my opinion has shown that he is no worse than a competent coach at the a-10 level.

Yeah and on top of it Tony Bennett also saw something in him. He must've been hurt; people commented all season about how he looked out of shape and my guess is that whatever hip issue he was dealing with made it hard to really do all of the conditioning. Pure speculation, but he was too talented before he got here to just mysteriously suck for no reason.

Regardless, super happy for AJ and that things are working out for him. Seems like he and DP have met in the middle on how his game should be played, to great effect.

 

[gmujim92]

Two things stood out to me from the Nebraska highlights:

Hartwell drove the lane at one point and threw a lob to AJ. Last season, he would’ve tried to make the flashy play and dunk it. This time, he caught it and came back down, gathered himself and laid it in for a simple but effective two points.

Later, AJ blocked a Nebraska shot but kept it in play and triggered a Mason fast break. You can tell he’s trying not to volleyball spike every shot anymore.

AJ’s level of awareness, fundamentals and basketball IQ have improved exponentially in just one year. He’s no longer just a highlight reel player.

 

[Pablo]

In the 68-64 victory over New Mexico State in the Cayman Islands Classic championship game, AJ had a double-double (12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds), a game-high 4 blocked shots, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, & 2 personal fouls. He has 106 career blocked shots, tying Rob Rose for 6th place at Mason:

1. George Evans: 211
2. Andre Gaddy: 174
Mike Morrison: 174
4. Erik Copes:122
5. Robert Dykes: 111
6. Rob Rose: 106
AJ Wilson: 106
8. Louis Birdsong: 101
9. Byron Tucker: 97
10. Jai Lewis: 91
Jalen Jenkins: 91

 

[sleeperpick]

In the 68-64 victory over New Mexico State in the Cayman Islands Classic championship game, AJ had a double-double (12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds), a game-high 4 blocked shots, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, & 2 personal fouls. He has 106 career blocked shots, tying Rob Rose for 6th place at Mason:

1. George Evans: 211
2. Andre Gaddy: 174
Mike Morrison: 174
4. Erik Copes:122
5. Robert Dykes: 111
6. Rob Rose: 106
AJ Wilson: 106
8. Louis Birdsong: 101
9. Byron Tucker: 97
10. Jai Lewis: 91
Jalen Jenkins: 91

Thank you for coming back. Easily best poster on these boards. You’re appreciated

 

[Jack Strop]

In the 68-64 victory over New Mexico State in the Cayman Islands Classic championship game, AJ had a double-double (12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds), a game-high 4 blocked shots, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, & 2 personal fouls. He has 106 career blocked shots, tying Rob Rose for 6th place at Mason:

1. George Evans: 211
2. Andre Gaddy: 174
Mike Morrison: 174
4. Erik Copes:122
5. Robert Dykes: 111
6. Rob Rose: 106
AJ Wilson: 106
8. Louis Birdsong: 101
9. Byron Tucker: 97
10. Jai Lewis: 91
Jalen Jenkins: 91

At the rate AJ is blocking shots, he'll be top-five by the end of OOC play and easily top-four by season's end. REJECT 'EM, AJ!!