By: Aaron Robinson
A new era is upon us at George Mason as Kim English is entering his first season at the helm in Fairfax, Virginia. English and the Patriots are still early on in their union, but a few things are already apparent. Below are a few things that I noticed from Tuesday’s practice at Eagle Bank Arena.
The Patriots are going to play fast.
Last season George Mason averaged a tad over 68 possessions per 40 minutes, which was exceedingly average, good for 176th in the country out of 357 division one teams, and seventh in the Atlantic 10 out of 14 teams per KenPom. The Patriots will certainly be way above that mark in 2021-2022, as a common theme from Tuesday's practice was "pace." It was a word that English used early and often, constantly pushing players to sprint to spots, fly around on the defensive end, and get into their actions quickly.
"Every coach values something different, and for me, it is the pace at which we operate, the speed that we do things, maximum effort in every drill, every exercise, every minute here on the court," English said.
The Patriots spent a lot of time working through progressions of their transition offense, putting an emphasis on getting the ball up the floor quickly and getting a quality shot up, which more times than not, ended up being a three-pointer.
At his introductory press conference, English said that his team would play fast and that they would shoot a ton of three's and it is looking like this will certainly be the case for this year's Patriots.
Josh Oduro could be an All-Conference player in 2021-2022.
Josh Oduro made huge strides in nearly every statistical category from his freshman to sophomore season, and it is looking like that will be the case yet again as he enters his third season of college basketball. Oduro more than doubled his scoring average, going from 4.9 points per game as a freshman to 10.4 points per game as a sophomore and increasing his rebounding total from 3.9 per game to 6.1 per game last season.
On Tuesday, Oduro looked like the clear best player on the floor and even has seemed to emerge as a vocal leader for a George Mason group that is trying to incorporate a lot of new pieces into the fold. The Gainesville, VA native showcased his full offensive arsenal on Tuesday, attacking closeouts and putting the ball on the floor to finish at the rim, while also stretching the floor showing an improved jump shot out to the three-point line.
Last season Oduro shot just 2-of-10 from distance, so if he can add a three-point shot to his arsenal, he could be one of the most dangerous players in the Atlantic 10 next season.
The Patriots nearly lost Oduro as he was one of five of George Mason's leading scorers from a season ago to enter the transfer portal this past spring. He was the lone member of the group to elect not to transfer, and to remain in the green and white.
"From day one I knew he was a guy that we couldn't replace," English said. "You're not going to replace 6-foot-10, strong, shooting ability, skill, size, toughness, and he is from the area."
English and George Mason will certainly rely heavily on Oduro to not only score the ball but to lead and help bring along the six new faces that will be suiting up this season.
"He is one of our leaders, and we are depending on him, there is a lot on his shoulders, and we love him," English added.
D'Shawn Schwartz, Devon Cooper, and Davonte Gaines should all make immediate impacts.
Kim English landed a trio of transfers via the transfer portal this spring and they all bring something a bit different, but all should have an impact in their respective ways.
D'Shawn Schwartz is the name that has Mason fans the most excited out of the trio of transfers and rightfully so. Schwartz was a three-year starter on a PAC-12 team and has scored over 1,000 points in his career. He will bring NCAA tournament experience as his Buffaloes advanced to the round-of-32 of this season's bracket.
He also shot 40% from three last season, which was the best of his career. Schwartz had the jumper on display on Tuesday but also showed the ability to drive the ball and finish through contact. Schwartz and Oduro will surely be one of the most exciting 1-2 punches in the Atlantic 10 next season.
A name that a lot of people are not speaking enough about is Devon Cooper, a transfer from Morehead State, who was the second-leading scorer on a team that won 23 games en route to an OVC championship and a berth to the NCAA tournament.
Cooper averaged 12.5 points per game on 43.3% shooting from the floor and 36.6% shooting from three with five rebounds and 2.4 assists per game last season. What he exhibited on Tuesday was a veteran savvy and a pace and IQ about him that you only see from players who have logged a lot of minutes on the hardwood.
Cooper was not overly aggressive offensively, but he picked his spots and made timely plays such as drawing fouls on three-pointers, which you would normally see from long-time NBA veterans.
Cooper will certainly add depth and experience to this George Mason backcourt and along with Schwartz, and Jamal Hartwell, who shot the cover off of the ball on Tuesday, will give the Patriots a lot of shooting at the guard position.
Last but not least, we have Davonte "Ticket" Gaines, a transfer from Tennessee who has a wiry frame at 6-foot-7 and 181 pounds. Gaines played on two outstanding teams in Knoxville but did not have much of an opportunity to play, as the Volunteers have been deep up front in recent years.
On Tuesday, Gaines showed the ability to be a good option opposite Oduro as a high motor big with the ability to disrupt things defensively, and also be a presence on the glass. He will have to get stronger to be able to improve at finishing through contact, but the motor and the frame are definitely there, and he could be a solid option down low opposite Oduro.
"Ticket's energy... it's every day, that's what he is going to bring every single day, is playing hard and tough," English Said.
Final Thoughts
It is only June, so it is still extremely early to make predictions as far as where teams will finish this upcoming season. The Patriots, for example, are still awaiting the arrival of Blake Jones, a 6-foot-9 inch Australian forward who was selected to represent Australia at the U-19 FIBA World Cup in July. Jones should be an immediate impact freshman and should compete for a spot in the starting lineup once he arrives on campus.
One thing is for certain though, Kim English has enough talent to get this team into the top third of the Atlantic 10 standings come March. Their mix of size, shooting, and the combination of experienced returners and some new faces, will allow them to have a chance to make some noise come March, which, in a multi-bid league, is all you can really ask for.
When asked about what he is trying to instill in his players' heads for this upcoming season, English had this to say, "We are trying to build our program from the inside out," English said. "Our core, our foundation, it starts with our defense, our ball security, our shot selection, so we got to get that down first before we can start working outward."