Oct. 12, 2006
The 2006-07 men's basketball season will be an unprecedented one for the George Mason Patriots. Nothing that has come before can prepare them for the challenge that awaits them. In the 2006-07 season, for the first time in school history, the George Mason Patriots will be the hunted.
Every time the Patriots take the court, they will have a target on their back. After capturing the imagination and hearts of college basketball fans across the country, they now must show that their success wasn't simply a fluke. In the meantime, every opponent will be looking to show that they have what it takes to beat a Final Four team.
But how much will this year's squad resemble the one that defeated the previous two national champions, pulled off one of the biggest upsets in NCAA Tournament history and became the first CAA team to ever make the Final Four? Three starters depart from last year's team and three first-year players join, including two Junior College All-Americans. That means Mason has the makings of a very different yet very good team that could challenge for the CAA title and a spot in the postseason.
"We have traditionally played three guards," said tenth-year head coach Jim Larranaga, the all-time winningest coach in Mason and CAA history, as well as the 2006 Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award winner. "Last year, Folarin Campbell, Tony Skinn and Lamar Butler all shared the ball-handling and scoring. Folarin really elevated his game as a floor leader last year. Gabe Norwood did the same as a junior, playing with a lot of confidence, gaining experience. That's our starting point this year. Along with Will Thomas, those are our leaders. We expect Folarin and Gabe to do a lot of ball-handling and we expect Will to be our go-to guy on the inside, as well as our stopper on defense."
Campbell started all but one game last year and was the team's leading scorer in the NCAA Tournament. Norwood was the team's sixth man, appearing in every contest, usually as the first player off the bench. Those two will be expected to fill starting slots on the floor in the three guard alignment.
"The first thing that comes to mind with Folarin is his leadership ability," said Larranaga. "He took on more responsibility last year and handled it so well. As a freshman, he was focused more on offense, his scoring. As a sophomore, he became much more of a floor leader. We love his decision-making, his ability to find the open man and to not turn the ball over. At the same time, probably the biggest difference in him last year was on the defensive side of the ball. He became a much more competitive defender, a much stronger athlete. Now he was strong and tough and that progress was so noticeable to the coaching staff and his teammates that it gave them confidence.
"I expect Folarin to be an all-conference player and he should compete for Player of the Year honors in the conference. He has that kind of ability and he's in a role that allows him to challenge for that honor."
Norwood, like Campbell, is familiar with changing roles. He started the majority of games for the Patriots as a sophomore before moving to the sixth-man role last year. Now he is expected to be back in the starting lineup.
"Gabe's role will clearly expand because he will move into the starting lineup," said Larranaga. "I always considered him a starter last year. I always felt comfortable bringing him into any game at any time. I'm confident that by expanding his role and his minutes, he's going to play even better."
So who will join Campbell and Norwood as a starter in the backcourt? There are six players competing for playing time, both as a starter and off the bench. John Vaughan, runner-up for Rookie of the Year in the conference in 2005 before missing last year with a knee injury, Dre Smith, a sophomore-eligible junior college transfer who was a first-team JUCO All-American, and Jordan Carter, a junior who appeared in nearly 30 games last year are the top candidates with seniors Tim Burns, Makan Konate and Charles Makings all challenging for minutes.
"With that group, we have the makings of an outstanding backcourt," said Larranaga. "We want to put on the floor the most experienced team that we can and allow our depth to develop naturally over the course of the season."
While he had a year off, Vaughan is certainly experienced, having played in every game and starting more than half of them during his freshman season. He's also hungry after having to sit and watch from the bench through the entire 2005-06 season.
"John Vaughan is a super competitor who loves a challenge and plays both ends of the floor," said Larranaga. "I have the utmost confidence that he's rehabilitated from his injury and that not only will he be as good as he was, but that he will be better.
"John Vaughan works hard every time he takes the floor. He is driven. He is a person who gives it his best effort every single day. It doesn't matter if it's in the weight room or on the basketball court. It doesn't matter if it's in practice or a game. It doesn't matter if it's a team ranked 250th in the country or 5th, he's going to come to play. If John Vaughan is healthy, he's one heck of a basketball player."
While Vaughan rehabilitated his injured knee, Carter had the chance to see more minutes on the floor. That led to developments in his game, none more obvious than the clutch 3-pointer he hit in the Sweet Sixteen against Wichita State, the only shot he took in the NCAA Tournament.
"Jordan Carter has impressed me so much in the off-season because his maturity level, he seems so much more serious and conscientious," said Larranaga. "He worked on his game and has become stronger, tougher and more confident. I think having roommates like Will Thomas, Folarin Campbell and John Vaughan, and seeing their success, has made him want some for himself.
"I expect that level of maturity will prepare him to have a more consistent junior season."
One player coming off a tremendous season is Dre Smith. While at Cochise Community College, he was among the top five in the country in scoring in the junior college ranks with a 23.1 ppg average. He also had 3.6 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 steals while leading his team to a 27-3 record. Bringing a player of Smith's caliber to Mason is a direct result in Larranaga's mind of Mason's trip to the Final Four.
"One of the great spin-offs of our run to the Final Four was getting a player of his caliber to take a closer look at us," said Larranaga. "He was already interested, but our run to the Final Four, I think solidified for him that George Mason was the type of school he wanted to examine closely. Once he visited and met our players and saw how well he fit in, he felt comfortable in making the commitment to come here.
"He's a high-energy guy. He has the same kind of athletic ability as a Tony Skinn but he's more of a primary 3-point threat like Lamar Butler. His speed and quickness is very noticeable but it's probably overshadowed by his ability to make the long-range shot. He's a shooter."
Three other players looking for minutes and shots in the backcourt are Burns, Konate and Makings.
"The reason we value those three guys is because they sacrificed so much for the team, and you have to appreciate their contributions, because they didn't get to contribute as much under game conditions as I'm sure they could" said Larranaga. "I know they could contribute more, but the competition for the playing time at those positions is so keen that someone is not going to get to play."
Competition will also be tight in the frontcourt. Last year, Mason had just four players in the frontcourt and two of them were freshmen. This year, Mason will have six players in the frontcourt, and all but one has collegiate experience. The most polished of those players is Will Thomas, who was dominant in the NCAA Tournament, recording three double-doubles and leading the team in rebounding.
"Will Thomas is a leader," said Larranaga. "There are all different kinds of leaders. Will is one of those fiery competitors that lets his actions do the talking. What I love about Will is how he has worked at every aspect of his game to continue to make it better and better. To make himself a better defender, to make himself a better rebounder, to make himself a stronger inside player, to make himself a more difficult player to guard. That jump hook is money. It's his go-to shot. But he's added a facing game. He's worked on his driving, he's worked on his jump shot. And the biggest thing he's worked on is his leadership skills within the team. He's willing to voice his opinion in a positive way. He knows what it takes to get the job done.
"While others might think what we did last season was impossible and that we will never be able to do it again, Will is probably already dreaming about getting back to the Final Four and getting to the national championship. And I love him for that. He exudes confidence every time he takes the floor, yet he does it in a very, very quiet manner."
A few players that were on the court in Indianapolis will be fighting to get into the starting lineup opposite Thomas. Sammy Hernandez, Chris Fleming and Jesus Urbina all return to the team and are expected to see serious minutes in the post. Urbina missed 2005-06 with a medical redshirt but warmed up with the team for the Final Four. Hernandez and Fleming each played in the game against Florida.
Hernandez appeared in every game last season, starting once. He averaged more than 11 minutes per game and hit several key 3-pointers, two against Georgia State in the CAA Tournament and one against UConn in the Washington D.C. Regional Final.
"Sammy is one of those unique players who, because of his size and style of play, he doesn't wow you with his physical talent," said Larranaga. "He is the consummate garbage player in the sense that he does all the little things. He's a very good rebounder for his size. He's a very good clutch player for a guy who's not a starter. It's hard to get a guy to come off the bench and play with that type of confidence, willing to take all those big shots. Not only was he willing to take them, he made them."
Fleming appeared in 80 percent of the games last season and averaged nearly five minutes per contest. He also appeared in every NCAA Tournament game.
"I think Chris Fleming has the potential to be a terrific player in this league," said Larranaga. "Chris is someone that is big, strong and can score in the low block. He has all the physical abilities. Chris will need to work on making good decisions as to when to shoot, when to pass. He needs more experience in this area since he missed most of his senior year in high school with an injury."
This year, Urbina could be going through a bit of what Fleming did last year. Urbina last took the court on March 5, 2005 in Mason's CAA Tournament loss to UNC Wilmington, playing just one minute.
"Jesus has worked very hard to get healthy and that is a major accomplishment," said Larranaga. "He is so much stronger and tougher now. He's older and more mature. He fits in very well with our style, he runs the floor very well, and he plays very physical. I think he and the other frontcourt players will have quite a battle on their hands every day in practice and that type of competition, hopefully, will produce great performances under game conditions."
The two other players fighting for spots in the frontcourt are Darryl Monroe and Louis Birdsong. Monroe is a junior-eligible transfer from Central Florida Community College who was an honorable mention JUCO All-American last season and Birdsong is a freshman that comes to Mason from Mount St. Joseph where he was the Baltimore Catholic League MVP.
Monroe averaged 19.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.6 steals last season as he helped the Patriots to a 21-10 overall record and a 13-2 mark in conference play.
"Darryl Monroe is a very skilled big man, and when I mean big, I'm not referring to tall," said Larranaga "He's very skilled at passing, ball-handling and inside scoring. The best part of his game is getting into the low block. He's also good in the high post but as a passer, more than as a shooter. His passing skills are at least equal to those of Jai Lewis."
Birdsong will see time in the frontcourt and on the wing. He played with his back to the basket in high school and as a senior, he averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds while leading Mount St. Joseph to a 38-1 record and a top-10 ranking in the final USA Today poll.
"Louis Birdsong played for Pat Clatchey at Mount St. Joseph which means he'll be very well prepared to make a contribution in the early part of his career," said Larranaga. "However he was an inside player in high school and we'll be looking to develop his perimeter skills so he can play both inside and outside. His tremendous strength and jumping ability and his ability to hit the 3-pointer makes us believe that he will make a smooth transition. But it will take him some time to develop the experience that a perimeter player needs at this level."
Birdsong and the rest of the Patriots will have a chance to show off their skills numerous times in the season's early days. The Patriots open on Nov. 11 at Cleveland State and play their first home game on Nov. 18 when Mason raises the Final Four banner against Wichita State. The game against the Shockers will be on ESPN2, one of three Mason games on the ESPN family of networks. The Patriots will appear on ESPN when they play at Duke on Dec. 9 and on ESPN2 on Feb. 10 when they host Hofstra.
"For the first time in the school's history, George Mason will be in the national limelight from the start of the season," said Larranaga. "With more television exposure and more media exposure and more attention than any previous team in George Mason history, even last year's team."
Duke and Wichita State were both NCAA teams last season. Other high-quality non-conference opponents include perennial Missouri Valley Conference power Creighton on the road, and Bucknell, a NCAA tournament team at the BB&T Classic at the Verizon Center. That will be Mason's first game at the Verizon Center since beating UConn last March to make the Final Four.
December also will see Mason at Radford and Holy Cross and home against Mississippi State. Mason's first CAA contest will be Dec. 28 at Drexel.
"This has to be the most demanding schedule in George Mason history," said Larranaga. "Not only the quality of teams that we're playing, but the number of games against those teams that come early in the season. By Dec. 9, we will have played some of the best basketball programs in the country. Duke, Wichita State and Bucknell all played in last year's NCAA Tournament and Creighton is a preseason top 25. We'll see them all by Dec. 9 and since we're replacing three senior starters, that's a tremendous challenge for any time, but in particular for one that already has the bulls-eye on its back because of our run to the Final Four last year."
Not only will the non-conference schedule be extremely tough, but the Colonial Athletic Association is definitely a conference on the rise after last year's success. The CAA had two teams in the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time in 20 years, Drexel made the NIT preseason Final Four and Old Dominion earned a spot in the NIT's postseason Final Four.
"If last year was the best year in conference history, this year is going to equal or surpass that," said Larranaga. "There are seven or eight teams that will again be very strong. The preseason CAA favorite is Hofstra while Drexel, George Mason, VCU, Old Dominion, UNCW and Towson all return tremendous experience and talent and will challenge Hofstra during the regular season."
With a deep team, quality competition, national television exposure and a target on their back, what's the bottom line for the George Mason men's basketball team in 2006-07?
"We believe we have a very strong foundation and we will be able to compete with the best teams in the country," said Larranaga. "Although it may take us awhile to develop the great chemistry like we had last season, this team does have tremendous potential. Knowing that seven of our top nine players are underclassmen, the future of our program looks very bright."
