In the first three years of the Coach Dave Paulsen era, Mason has established a trademark. The team finishes ahead of where it was picked by A-10 coaches and media in the preseason poll.
 
Picked 12^th of 14 in 2016-17, the Patriots wound up seventh; picked 10^th last year, they took fifth.
 
The upward trend continues this season, which begins Tuesday versus Penn at EagleBank Arena, with a predicted fourth place finish by the coaches. Other outlets have been more bullish including Street & Smith's and Blue Ribbon's second-place projections behind Saint Louis.
 
"I'm excited," says junior guard Justin Kier. "I think it's going to be a big year for us, but we've got a lot to prove. We're really excited. We've got a great group. We're putting the pieces together."
 
"I don't really care for the rankings. We've got to show that we're one of the best teams in the A-10. You can say what you want -- you have to come out and prove it. Otherwise it doesn't mean anything."
 
A year ago, the Patriots were one of the youngest teams in the country. They had no scholarship seniors.
 
Now they're one of the most experienced teams, the only one in Division I, in fact, with 100 percent of its scoring and rebounding returning as well as every player from last year.
 
Point guard Otis Livingston II, the Patriots' first pre-season first team All-A-10 selection, and fellow senior Jaire Grayer are both 1,000-point scorers. The Patriots are sixth nationally in career points returning. Livingston II (17.3 ppg), Grayer (12.3), Kier (11.0) and sophomore Goanar Mar (10.9) averaged double figures last season.
 
Added to the mix is 6-7, 260-pound forward Jarred Reuter, a transfer from Virginia who had to redshirt last season. He'll give the Patriots an inside scoring and rebounding presence lacking since the graduation of Jalen Jenkins in 2017.
 
"We know if we're in trouble on the offensive end, we can just throw it in there," Livingston says. "He can go to work, pass, shoot it from the outside. He's got versatility, calm, poise. We're really glad he's here. He's helping us a lot."
 
This season Paulsen has the most talent of his tenure in Fairfax. One of his first world problems may be deciding who to start. Sophomore guard Javon Greene started last week's exhibition win against Johns Hopkins in place of Grayer, coming off a foot problem that required off-season surgery.
 
"It doesn't matter who starts," says Paulsen, who is also pleased with the efforts of three freshmen. "We really mean that. It's what group does the best. Who do we want in at the end? That's what really matters.
 
"Ian Boyd hit three straight buzzer beaters to win games last year. You can't hit a buzzer beater unless you're on the court at the end. He didn't start any of those games."
 
The Patriots start the season with several plusses, including coming off a summer trip to Spain that gave the team a chance to bond and practice an extra couple of weeks. 
 
Mason opened up the exhibition season on Thursday with a 60-50 victory against Johns Hopkins, which is ranked No. 15th in NCAA Div. III. In that game, the Patriots shot 1-for-17 from three-point range and made 21 turnovers.
 
"That's why you play exhibitions," Paulsen says. "The best indicator or predictor of success is what you see in practice. Now, it's not always a direct causal line. But I know what I've seen in practice. The guys have practiced well. They've made the shots we missed on Thursday. They've moved the ball. The goal is to take what you practice and put in on the court."
 
Win or lose the opener against Penn, there are still four months and at least 31 more games left in the season.
 
"If we lose, the world's not falling apart," Paulsen says. "If we win, we haven't arrived.
 
"We have to continue to embrace getting better every day in practice and improving every game."