George Mason’s (10-3) 1-3 is a distant memory as the Patriots have won 9 games in a row. They are one of the hottest, if not, the hottest team in the Atlantic 10. In their last 5 games, Mason has won by an average of 20.4 points. The winning streak has included wins against four RPI top 150 teams. Northern Iowa, Penn State and Penn have all fallen victim to the Patriots hot play.
George Mason has been led by senior, Marquise Moore. The Atlantic 10 named Moore Co-Player of the Week after his performance against Prairie View. Moore and LaSalle’s BJ Johnson are the only players to have won the award multiple times this season.
Sophomore Otis Livingston II has also been hot of late. In the win over Prairie View, Livingston II scored a career high 23 points and handed out six assists. He’s also taking good care of the ball having turned the ball over only 5 times, while dishing out 21 assists, in his last 5 games.
Moore, Livingston II and senior Jalen are all averaging in double digits for the Patriots.
VCU (10-3) has won four in a row, including a quality win over Middle Tennessee State, after losing back to back games to Illinois and Georgia Tech. Like Mason, VCU has multiple wins over quality opponents this season including St. Johns, LSU, and Old Dominion.
The Rams are led by senior guard LeQuan Lewis. Lewis leads the team in scoring, assists and free throw percentage but he’s also a stalwart on defense. In the Rams last two games, Lewis has had six steals in each and is second in the Atlantic 10 with an average of 2.2 steals a game.
VCU’s quick paced style means taking care of the ball is a premium for both them and their opponent. When the Rams turn the ball over less than 12 times, they are 5-0. When they turn the ball over more than 12 times they are 5-3.
Quick Notes:
- During GMU’s 9 game winning streak, 38.3% from the field
- Coach Dave Paulsen has been the master of 2nd half adjustments as the Patriots an averaging of 40.5 points (as compared to 34.0 points in the first half) in the second half of games.
- George Mason leads the Atlantic 10 in Rebounding Margin
- VCU has held seven opponents to 65 points or fewer
- VCU’s Effective FG % is .533. Second best in school history
- VCU is 44th nationally defensive efficiency (KemPom.com)
Marcus “Mook” Washington is the host of Making The Cut. Follow Mook on Twitter: @mtcwithmook and IG: MTCWithMook
