In honor of former VCU and now-Alabama head coach Anthony Grant, we’re going to write this blog post in a Grant presser style.
“Play Your Best When The Lights Are On”
Mason hits The Island tonight. Tip is 7pm on ESPNU. This is going to be an old fashioned rock fight. Both teams are among the top four defensive clubs and also among the bottom four offensive clubs. Hofstra can’t shoot (43.7% of two pointers is dead last) and Mason can’t hang on to the ball (Pats turn it over on 21.1% of its possessions–11th).
Of course, the stars need to shine. We’re talking to you Charles Jenkins. You, Cam Long. This means the difference in the game will be Corny Vines or Andre Cornelius.
Jim likes this: Hoffy 61, Mason 59.
“One Game At A Time”
All four 6-1 teams are on the road. Mason leads off tonight at Hofstra, and tomorrow brings ODU at Delaware, Pugs at VCU, and Nor’easter at Towson.
All four better focus on the task at hand.
“It’s a Big Week”
The Pugs travel to VCU and host Old Dominion. Think about 8-1, and think about 6-3.
VCU may not be in a “must win” position (ha-ha), but the Rams have two 6-1 teams in front of them (home against The Pugs, trip to NU). If they hold any hope of getting one of those top four seeds, they need one–if not two–wins.
“Must Win” and “It’s Too Early To Have A Must Win”
Hofstra has a winnable homer with Mason tonight, and they had better make hay. The Pride heads to Drexel on Saturday, and a rock fight is likely to ensue.
And VCU in its Payback Week, which, according to Jamie Skeen, is exactly what the team has dubbed these seven days. Thanks to Richmond radio megastar Greg Burton, we also learned today that Skeen and Kyle Gaillard played together in high school, and a little over Christmas break. Word is that Gaillard can talk some smack. All in fun from two guys that know each other well.
Nor’easter in Balto. If only for symbolic reasons, because 15-3 teams win this game every time.
“We Need To See Something From…”
Drexel. The Dargons get a tired and battered James Madison team. Similar to NU, these are the games you cannot lose on your way to the Magic Number (12).
***
Here’s something a smart guy fired across my bow yesterday, made more interesting by a Sylvan Landesburg buzzer beater to sink The Dub last night: how many big shot artists do we have?
That guy who is getting the ball as time winds down and you’re down one. The guy you know is going to shoot, create a shot.
Who in the top six teams has that guy?
NU: so much balance, and the fact that you don’t just say “Janning” is a compliment to the rest of the team–particularly Chase Allen. Next.
ODU: Gerald Lee? Not hardly. Centers and forwards generally need somebody to get them the ball. That’s a two-step process involving two players. Lee is a great player, but is disqualified. Next.
Mason: You’d think Cam Long, but he’s fresh out of witness relocation. I want to nominate Long, but I don’t yet trust him. Next.
VCU: The Rams have five guys who can take the shot, which is inherently the problem. Next.
Drexel: Jamie Harris? Gerald Colds? Nuf Ced. Next.
W&M: David Schneider. There you go.
January 19th, 2010 at 11:52 pm
Mike, what would it take to convince you to keep picking against Mason for the rest of the season? I really don’t have much money and my car isn’t particularly impressive, but other than the Northeastern game, I’m pretty sure the Patriots are unbeaten in 09-10 CAA games you’ve picked them to lose
On a more serious note, Cam Long finally seems to be playing the kind of ball we expected him to play from the start of the season. While I get the sense that the other CAA contenders are simply biding their time and waiting for Mason’s kids to hit “the wall,” this is a team capable of winning the regular-season and tournament titles if Long can keep playing at the level he showed against JMU and Hofstra.
If it’s possible to be in first place and under the radar at the same time, I think this Mason team has accomplished it. Everyone else is talking about W&M, ODU and Northeastern, and looking over their shoulder at VCU. But if it can win Saturday at Towson, GMU finishes the first half of the CAA schedule at 8-1.
It certainly wouldn’t take long to count the “experts” who predicted that, huh?
January 20th, 2010 at 8:07 am
Jim is a smart, smart man.
Cam Long has awoken…and he’s getting great help from a very, very deep squad. Excellent whippin’ of the Pride last night (but, kudos to Jenkins…I admire how hard that guy works on the court). We have talent in the backcourt, talent in the frontcourt, bench and role players…yes, Mason maybe should be discussed just as much as W&M (who has to come to us), ODU (who we beat), and Northeastern (who we didn’t beat, but will at home on 2/27).
GO MASON.
January 22nd, 2010 at 10:38 am
I agree on Schneider…and Long, too. He’s not there yet, but Schneider also has a year of CAA experience on him. Wait until the 2/16 W&M vs. Mason match-up. I have a feeling that game will come down to one shot…we’ll see who takes it.