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.

Look at any of the eras of Mason basketball – from the program's infancy period in the early 1970s to the glorious Final Four run of 2006 – and you'll find a consistent beat to the Patriot roster.
 
On nearly every Mason team over the program's 51-year history, a player from Prince George's County, Maryland, has made critical contributions to the cause.
 
That piece of information will come as little surprise to those that have spent the majority of their lives in the DC-Maryland-Virginia corridor.
 
Prince George's County – which borders Washington, D.C. to the east – consists of just 483 square miles. But that small area includes arguably the most basketball-rich parcel of land in the entire nation. The county regularly churns out more McDonald's All-Americans than entire states and regions of the United States.
 
PG's modern history took flight when Len Bias took the county by storm before enrolling at the University of Maryland in the early 1980s. From there, players like Steve Francis, Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley and Markelle Fultz journeyed from the humble streets of cities like Oxon Hill, Upper Marlboro and Landover to the sport's biggest stages.
 
Prince George's County's basketball tradition is woven seamlessly into Mason's. Five of the Patriots' 1000-point scorers hail from the area. Even Rudolph Jones – Mason's leader in career scoring average – spent a couple seasons at Prince George's Community College before coming to Fairfax to rewrite the school's record books.
 
Current Mason redshirt-freshman AJ Wilson enters his first competitive season looking to build on that outstanding PG legacy for the Green & Gold. A native of Laurel, Md., it's something that's stuck in his mind since his commitment – the importance of making his hometown proud and adding his contributions to the area's legacy.
 
"Where I'm from, everybody works hard and nothing comes easy," Wilson said. "Whatever passion we have, whether it be football, basketball, the arts or anything else – there's so much talent. It puts a chip on my shoulder because I have to represent. Everybody that's come before me has put on for PG County and I'm just carrying on the tradition."
 
Wilson loved the sport from the moment he first picked up a basketball. Both of his parents played in college and once they had kids of their own, it was clear that a passion for the game was instilled in the family genes.
 
AJ and his sister, Taty, centered their weekends around getting better. When AJ was seven years old, the duo would wake up early on Saturday mornings, go to a park and hit the courts. On Sundays, they'd get up just as early and go to the gym for some reps.
 
At night, AJ would park himself in front of the TV and follow his two favorite teams – Syracuse and George Mason. He doesn't remember specific details of the Patriots' 2006 Final Four run, but he vividly recalls watching the games with his family and watching PG's own Lamar Butler help lead the team through the NCAA Tournament.
 
As he got older, Wilson would tune in for the Patriots' Wednesday night CAA games while following Prince George's County's rising NBA stars.
 
"I always wanted to follow in my dad's shoes growing up," Wilson said. "He always told me I didn't have to play basketball just because he did. But that made me want to play even more. Watching guys like Lamar, Quinn Cook or KD just added to it."
 
Wilson began his high school playing career at DuVal H.S. in Lanham, where guys like former University of Maryland star Travis Garrison helped mentor the young freshman and make him take the game more seriously. AJ also watched as Kevin Durant would return to the area and draw standing room only crowds at his annual basketball camps back home.
 
As his talent became more apparent, AJ relied heavily on his extended county family – whether it be his mother and father, grandmother or coaches they trusted – to plot his next moves while maximizing his potential. They navigated the complicated AAU circuit together and decided on DC Premier for Wilson to play his summer ball. And they also determined that his next step in high school should be taken at Montrose Christian – the school that churned out Durant, Greivis Vasquez, Linas Kleiza, Patrick McCaw and a number of other future NBA stars.
 
After Montrose, Wilson played his final year at Elv8 Academy in Florida before deciding to enroll at Mason. AJ had interest from Maryland, VCU, Penn State, Charlotte and others, but ultimately decided to play his college ball at the school he grew up watching on TV.
 
"Mason was so close to my house that I dreamed that one day I could play for the Patriots," Wilson said. "I was already aware of the program's history, which definitely played a factor in me coming here. It's exciting to be the first PG player at Mason since Bryon Allen."
 
Guys like Allen (Largo, Md.) and Butler are excited to see the county back in the spotlight in Fairfax. For Lamar, the county holds a special place in his heart. Now as an assistant coach at St. John's College High School in DC, close to 80 percent of his players hail from the greater Prince George's County area.
 
Growing up in Oxon Hill, Butler's mentality was of a similar mold as Wilson's.
 
"You have to be mentally tough when you come out of that area," Butler said. "You're battle tested. The grind starts when you're seven or eight years old and you first pick up a basketball. So many guys in that county want to be the next KD or the next Steve Francis or the next Quinn Cook. Players like Victor Oladipo, they're always around. When you have models to chase after, like those guys, it pushes you. At an early age, you want to be the next one."
 
Butler's allegiance to Mason blossomed early. In eighth grade, he started coming to EagleBank Arena (then the Patriot Center) to help film games and watch his Oxon Hill mentor Terrance Nixon suit up for the Green & Gold. When he finally committed to Mason, those around the program joked that it already seemed like he had been on the team for 10 years, with how much time he spent on campus.
 
Butler and fellow county kid John Vaughan (Laurel, Md.) helped define the most memorable era of Mason basketball. Both student-athletes played leading roles on NCAA Tournament and CAA Championship teams. Each joined the Mason 1,000-point club and have an immortal spot on that 2006 roster.
 
Wilson wants to add his name to the list of star Mason players from Prince George's, and has enjoyed getting to know the members of the club.
 
This summer, he played in Georgetown's Kenner League with Allen. It was the first time they met, but as soon as Bryon found out AJ was from the area, the conversation never stopped.
 
"We automatically became close - it's a history thing," Wilson said. "Everyone from PG, it becomes a clique. Not a lot of people make it out, so the guys that do - we all stick together. Whether we're playing with each other or against each other, we wish each other the best. We stay in contact and root for each other."
 
Butler echoes that sentiment, whether it be following Allen's career overseas or staying in touch with his Prince George's teammates and others on the Final Four team's text chain.
 
"It's family," Butler says. "I root for those guys and check in with how they're doing. It's like a brotherhood and you never want to lose that bond. We know what it's like to grind it out every day to give it your all and get what you want out of basketball."
 
There's no question Wilson has a great sense of pride for his county. He's already doing his part to give back. Since his high school days, Wilson has volunteered as part of Greivis Vasquez's charity initiatives around the county, handing out book bags and school supplies to kids at a field day event that brings the community together.
 
And with Wilson's first college basketball game just days away, he's ready to become the next county player to make Mason proud while also shedding light on the program for that next wave of local talent.
 
"I hope I'm a trailblazer for PG guys coming back to Mason," Wilson said. "I'm trying to lead by example and show kids you can stay home and go to a school that's close by. There's something to be said for that."

A Sample of Prince George's County natives that have suited up for the Green & Gold
Melvin Wedge (Upper Marlboro '74)
John Wiley (District Heights '74)
Darin Satterthwaite (Hyattsville '88)
Henri Abrams (Suitland '91)
Danny Deane (Adelphi '91)
Byron Tucker (Temple Hills '92)
Donald Ross (Largo '94)
Mark McGlone (Bladensburg '94)
Tremaine Price (Landover '01)
Terrance Nixon (Oxon Hill '02)
Lamar Butler (Oxon Hill '06)
John Vaughan (Laurel '09)
Isaiah Tate (Largo '11)
Bryon Allen (Largo '12)
AJ Wilson (Laurel '20)

2017-18 Men's Basketball Primer Archive
Oct. 2: Mason Holds First Official practice
Oct. 4: Leadership Begins at Home for Grayer
Oct. 5: EagleBank Arena to feature new center-hung video board
Oct. 12: Mason Athletics Dedicates Basketball Practice Facility
Oct. 15: Mason Madness Photo Recap
Oct. 17: Livingston II named preseason Atlantic 10 All-Conference
Oct. 20: Reuter's Redshirt - A Year of Opportunity
Oct. 24: Paulsen Receives Contract Extension Through 2021-22
Nov. 1: Boyd, Kier Look to Maximize Development in 2017-18

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