Oct. 26, 2007

With the George Mason men's basketball season set to open in two weeks, the Patriots received a bit of respect on the national level as Mason received votes in the first ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll. The Patriots received two points in the poll which is conducted by a panel of 31 Division I head coaches.

The Patriots were one of three CAA schools to earn votes in the poll. VCU earned five points while Old Dominion earned three points. Mason was selected first in the CAA Preseason poll while VCU was second and Old Dominion was third. In the Washington D.C. area, Georgetown, a Final Four team last year, is fifth in the preseason while Maryland received one point.

Mason could potentially play as many as three top 25 teams before the end of November. On Nov. 22, the Patriots will play Kansas State in the Old Spice Classic. The Wildcats' 94 points place is commensurate with 26th in the poll. A potential second-round opponent in the tournament is Villanova, which is ranked 25th. North Carolina State, which could be Mason's opponent in the tournament's final game, is ranked 24th.

The George Mason men's basketball team will begin the year with a home game on Nov. 9 as the Patriots take on Vermont with a 7 p.m. tip at the Patriot Center. That game will be televised on MASN.