Oct. 6, 2009
No school in the history of the Colonial Athletic Association has produced more All-CAA performers than George Mason and no school has won more conference games. So it should come as no surprise that the Patriots have more members of the CAA's 25th Anniversary Team than any other school. Kenny Sanders (1985-89), George Evans (1997-2001), Jai Lewis (2002-06) and Will Thomas (2004-08) were among the 25 players selected to the league's Silver Anniversary Team.
Kenny Sanders was CAA Rookie of the Year in 1986 and was named All-CAA the following three seasons. As a junior he was named CAA Player of the Year and he was selected NABC All-District three times. He played at the 1986 U.S. Olympic Festival and led the Patriots to their first-ever CAA title in 1989. He is the only player in school history with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds and he is second all-time at Mason in both categories. He is one of five players in school history to average more than 20 points per game in his career.
George Evans was CAA Rookie of the Year in 1998 and was CAA Player of the Year the following three seasons. He was twice named CAA Defensive Player of the Year and was a three-time member of the CAA All-Defensive Team. In 2001, he was named the Dean Ehlers Award winner. A three-time NABC All-District selection, he was honorable mention All-America in 2001. He led the Patriots to two CAA titles and he is Mason's all-time leader in steals and blocks. Evans is among the top four all-time at Mason in points, rebounds, field-goal percentage, steals and blocks and he holds the school's single-season record for blocks.
Jai Lewis was selected to the CAA All-Rookie Team in 2003 and then named All-CAA the following three seasons, including first-team All-CAA in 2004 and 2006. He was named to the NABC All-District squad in 2006 when he led the Patriots to the Final Four. Despite giving up three, four, sometimes six inches to the opposing center, Lewis still managed to average 11.8 points and 7.2 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament. He capped his career with a double-double in the Final Four against eventual national champion Florida. Lewis finished his career top 10 in school history in points, rebounds, field-goal percentage, steals and blocks.
Thomas was selected to the 2005 CAA All-Rookie Team and then was chosen to the CAA All-Defensive squad each of the next three seasons. He was an All-CAA selection as a junior and a senior and he was the runner-up in 2008 for both the CAA Player of the Year and CAA Defensive Player of the Year awards. He was selected to the NABC All-District team and he led the Patriots to the 2008 CAA title. As a sophomore, Thomas was a starter on the team that went to the Final Four and he was named the Chevrolet Player of the Game twice by CBS in Mason's four NCAA Tournament victories. He is Mason's all-time leader in games played, games started, minutes played and field-goal percentage and he holds the school's single-season record for rebounds. He also is Mason's record holder for consecutive games started and played and he finished his career top 10 in points, rebounds, field-goal percentage, steals and blocks.
While Mason had four players selected, Navy, UNC Wilmington, ODU, Richmond and VCU each had three players selected. Hofstra had two selections while American, East Carolina, James Madison and Northeastern each had one.
