In late December, during a two-week break from games during exam period, the Mason men's players also found time to cram in basketball.

   They didn't practice every day, but when they did, there was plenty of intensity. "Like boot camp," coach Dave Paulsen said.

   When exams ended, the time and effort with basketball only increased during the semester break that ended on Tuesday. Those six weeks, from a home victory against James Madison (Dec. 7) to the resumption of classes, have transformed a team that lost its first three games and now is atop the A-10 standings heading into Saturday's 7 p.m. game against George Washington at EagleBank Arena.

    "Since (Dec. 7) I've never had a team in my 25 years that's worked harder in practice," Paulsen said. "They're just attacking it, getting better. The level of intensity and attention to detail has been great. The neat thing is that there's always five or six guys staying late to get up shots or five or six guys coming in early to get up shots and work on their game.

    "I'm not dictating that. That's them wanting to do it. That's a whole different perspective. We've told them there's no accident why we're at where we are -- because of our practice habits, our independent work habits. The culture – now you have to fight for it every day – is about as good as it could be."

  The hard work has changed the trajectory of the Patriots' season. It began with high expectations. The Patriots were the only Division I team in the country to return 100% of its scoring and rebounding; they were voted 4^th by the media and opposing A-10 coaches in the pre-season poll, by far the team's best projection in its six years in the 14-team league.

   Then came the rough start, beginning with a one-point loss to Penn and an OT loss to American. By the time they had digested their Thanksgiving dinner, the Patriots were 2-5.

    The coaches and players acknowledged they had been playing tight due to expectations. The antidote was working hard and smart. Toughness stations – rebounding, one-on-one defense, ball handing against double teams – became part of practice.

   Paulsen pared down the team's game goals. "When you emphasize too many things," he said, "you emphasize nothing."

   The goals became 12 turnovers or less, 15 fouls or less, plus six "locks," the Patriots' term for stopping opponents from scoring on three consecutive possessions. As an additional incentive, Paulsen pledged that he would do a three-minute conditioning run at practice if the team achieved all three goals.

 It has become a regular site at practice, Paulsen pushing his 54-year-old body up and down the court, while the team alternately encourages him and talks trash to him. His best performance: 21 lengths of the court. (Otis Livingston II gets about 30).

   "Ah, I just don't have it," said Paulsen, who had knee surgery last season and has various muscle pulls now. "But it's been good: Since we've been doing this, we've hit our game goals a vast majority of the time."

   The team, 8-2 in its last 10 games, has been improving despite the loss of two starters, senior Jaire Grayer and sophomore Goanar Mar, because of injuries. Sophomore Javon Greene replaced Grayer, who hasn't played since Nov.24, and has become a defensive stopper plus scorer. 

    After Mar fractured his left foot Jan. 9 in a loss to Davidson, the team turned to freshman Jordan Miller, who planned to redshirt. Seconds into his first college game as a sub, the 6-6 guard stole the ball and dunked. Now he's a starter.

   "Everybody's stepping up when their name is called," Greene said. "I feel like there's more confidence. We're picking our teammates up. When Jaire went down and Goanar went down, we had to find a way to contribute to the team."

   The Patriots have many contributors; Paulsen typically has used a 10-player rotation in recent games.

   In senior Livingston II and junior Justin Kier, the team has two all-conference caliber guards; Greene may be on his way to a similar level. The Jarred Reuter-Greg Calixte-AJ Wilson combo has been effective in the post. Ian Boyd provides instant offense and hustle off the bench. The freshman trio of Miller, Jamal Hartwell II and Jason Douglas-Stanley have provided valuable minutes.

   "Everything starts with defensive energy," Kier said. The Patriots' opponents in the last 10 games are shooting 38.6% compared to 47.3% in the first 10. The team is 26^thnationally in three-point defense (29.8%).

   To overcome a nine-point deficit in last week's 71-68 win against Fordham, the Patriots needed stops down the stretch as well as Livingston II's last-second three-pointer. 

   To most observers, the home victory against Fordham, winless in the A-10, wasn't as impressive as wins at Dayton and Rhode Island. But Paulsen noted it was an important step: the team handled expectations as a favorite, unlike early in the season.

    "Now maybe we've learned how to block out the noise," Paulsen said. "Like when everyone was blowing us up after an 0-3 start. Now we're going to have to have the same kind of focus on practice habits, independent work habits and block out the noise where now people are saying we're really good.

  "We were never as bad as people said we were; we're not quite as good as people say we are right now. We just have to get a little bit better every day."