Editor's note: The 2017-18 George Mason University men's basketball primer will take a look at storylines surrounding the Green & Gold heading into a season filled with potential and fresh faces. Check back throughout the preseason for features on GoMason.com.

FAIRFAX, Va. – September in Northern Virginia has felt like anything but fall in 2017.
 
Pumpkin spice lattes, Oktoberfest brews and apple picking don't really provide the same autumnal vibe when they're enjoyed alongside shorts, open windows and poolside reading.
 
But a funny thing happened in the early morning hours of Sunday, October 1.
 
The temperature plummeted – almost on cue - and fall arrived in a blustery beginning.
 
That crisp, fall air permeated the George Mason campus on Monday as the Patriots' 13 men's basketball student-athletes gathered in the spectacular new basketball facility to ring in the first official practice of the 2017-18 campaign.
 
For Mason fans, there are plenty of familiar faces, albeit ones that have added considerable muscle over the course of the past few months. Back are juniors Otis Livingston II and Jaire Grayer, ready to provide leadership and guidance in their first season as upperclassmen.
 
"We're hoping to build a bond and continue to develop camaraderie over these next weeks of practice," Grayer said. "We want this team to have a strong work ethic and we want to get everybody on the same page. We're going to focus on how we're going to approach this year and be as prepared as possible once the season starts in November."
 
Alongside Mason's juniors, the Patriots also return sophomores Ian Boyd, Justin Kier and Daniel Relvao. That trio joins with Livingston and Grayer to form a strong core of guys prepared to work tirelessly to integrate the team's new players into the program culture.
 
That new group actually includes a second year player. Redshirt-freshman AJ Wilson is all smiles knowing he finally gets to play and contribute in games with his teammates this season. The Laurel, Md., product sat out in 2016-17 to develop his skill set and put on some helpful bulk in the weight room.
 
Fresh to the roster in 2017-18, the Patriots welcome University of Virginia transfer Jarred Reuter, who despite having to sit out this season due to NCAA transfer guidelines, will use his ACC experience and his 6-7, 260-pound frame to challenge his teammates each day in practice.
 
Mason also adds three true scholarship freshmen to the lineup, and that group of Javon Greene (McDonough, Ga.), Goanar Mar (Mankato, Minn.) and Greg Calixte (Mount Vernon, N.Y.) have been on campus all summer adjusting to college life, hitting the weight room, and working 1-on-1 with the Mason staff on skill work and conditioning.
 
For Greene, Monday's practice is a culmination of a dream years in the making.
 
"It feels so good to officially get started," Greene said. "There are so few people that get this experience – to play college basketball. I'm going to work hard, do every drill and be as competitive as possible to make my teammates better."
 
Greene's adjustment to the college game is off to a great start, but he is prepared to work through the obstacles all freshmen face in a league as strong as the Atlantic 10.
 
"My goal over the next few weeks of practice is to become more consistent," Greene said. "I need to get in the weight room and get stronger. The competitiveness in college is amazing. In high school, not everyone has the mindset that they're going to play at the next level. But in college, everyone has that."
 
Luckily for Greene and Mason's other freshmen, they have teammates who have been through that freshman journey before and are ready to help them with whatever they need as the year progresses.
 
"If I do something wrong, they encourage me and provide the criticism I need to get better," Greene said. "They push me every day to do my best."
 
Mason fans also will notice a group of new walk-ons that Coach Paulsen has added to the roster to create a core group at practice that can put the team in the best possible position to be ready on each game day. That trio includes freshmen Jack Tempchin (Silver Spring, Md.) and Zach Garrett (Leesburg, Va.), as well as senior Nick DiClementi (Leesburg, Va.).
 
Mason's student-athletes know the next six weeks will be intense and the first step of many in a long journey.
 
But in those early hours of Monday morning, the message was simple.
 
Basketball is back.
 
"I've been looking forward to official practice for so long," Grayer said. "To be able to get after it for two hours and get back into the routine is great. I'm really excited."

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