WHEN: Friday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: XFINITY Center, College Park, Md.
RECORDS: Mason (5-0), #6/7 Maryland (4-0)
SERIES RECORD: Mason trails, 0-8
LAST MEETING: Maryland def. Mason, 69-62, on Dec. 2, 2012, in Washington, D.C.
TELEVISION: Big Ten Network
BTN Stream: Click here
LIVE AUDIO: Click here
LIVE STATS: Click here
GAME NOTES: Click here (PDF) 

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason University men's basketball team (5-0) hits the road for the first time this season for a Friday matchup with No. 6/7 Maryland (4-0) in College Park.

Tip-off between the Patriots and Terrapins is set for 7 p.m. Friday's game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network, featuring commentary from Wayne Randazzo and Dan Bonner. In addition, Bill Rohland will call the game live on the GoMason Digital Network. Streaming coverage will begin at 6:45 p.m.

PATRIOT POINTS
• Maryland will be Mason's highest-ranked opponent since the Patriots battled No. 6 Virginia in the championship game of the Charleston Classic in Nov. 2015. The Patriots are 2-10 all time against AP Top-10 teams.

• The Patriots are 5-0 for the the first time in school history. Mason began the season 4-0 in 2007-08 and 2013-14.

• Last time out, Mason wrapped up its season-opening homestand with a gritty 65-61 win over Loyola (Md.). The Patriots shot  just 27.6 percent, marking Mason's lowest FG% in a win since a Dec. 2009 triumph over Radford (.270).

• Mason made just two field goals over the final 14 minutes, but converted 24-of-29 free throw attempts (.828) in the second half.

• Jordan Miller led Mason with 23 points while making a career-best 11-of-13 free throw attempts. He's averaging 20 points and 6.3 rebounds over the past three games. He is taking 14.0 shots/game over the past three games after averaging 5.5 over the first two this season.

• AJ Wilson chipped in his second double-double (12 pts, 11 reb) of 2019-20, including nine offensive rebounds. Wilson is fifth in the country in blocks/game (3.8) and seventh nationally in offensive rebounds/contest (4.8).

• As a team, Mason is second in the A-10 and 24th nationally in blocks per game (6.0).

• The Patriots are holding opponents to 24.6 percent from 3-point range through five games. That 3pt FG% defense number ranks the Patriots 30th nationally. No opponent has shot better than 32 percent from deep against Mason this season.

• Junior Javon Greene leads Mason in assists (3.2 apg), 3pt FG made (13) and steals/game (1.4). He's averaging 13.0 points, has scored 10+ points in all five games and is up to 7.4 rebounds/contest.

• Five Patriots average at least 9.6 points per game and four different players have led the team in scoring through five games.

• Mason's 51 rebounds vs. Loyola marked the Patriots' highest total since a 52-rebound effort vs. Duquesne in February 2018.

• Through four games, Mason is grabbing an offensive rebound on 37.6 percent of missed shots (28th nationally). The Patriots also have given up their fair share of offensive boards (32.1%, 260th) but allowed just two to Loyola in the second half on Tuesday.

OFF TO PARADISE
After Friday's game at No. 6 Maryland, Mason will head to Grand Cayman for the island portion of the Cayman Islands Classic. The Patriots open with Old Dominion on Monday (Nov. 25) at 5 p.m. and play either Washington State or Nebraska on Tuesday. Mason wraps up the event Wednesday with a third game.

HISTORY vs. MARYLAND
The Patriots and Terrapins will match up for the ninth time Friday. Maryland has won the previous eight matchups, although a number of them have been tight affairs. Mason hosted Maryland in its first ever season at EagleBank Arena, narrowly falling to the Terps 81-80 on Nov. 27, 1985. In the most notable meeting between the programs, Mason, a No. 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament, nearly knocked off the third-seeded Terps on March 15, 2001, in Boise, Idaho. George Evans set the school record for points in an NCAA Tournament game, dropping 26 while nearly leading Mason to the upset. Maryland won the game, 83-80. The next season, Mason fell 69-66 in College Park on Dec. 27, 1999. The two teams have played three times on neutral floors - twice in the BB&T Classic in Washington D.C. (2004 & 2012) and once at the Chaminade Classic in Honolulu (1989).

A LOOK AT THE TERRAPINS (4-0, 0-0 BIG TEN; KenPom No. 14)
Maryland was picked second in the Big Ten preseason poll, behind only Michigan State. The Terps return seven of their eight rotation players from last season's team that came within a possession of the Sweet 16. Leading the way is sophomore Jalen Smith, who averages team highs in points (15.0 ppg), rebounds (9.3 rpg) and shoots 54.8 percent from the floor. Senior point guard Anthony Cowan chips in 12.3 points and a team-best 5.5 assists per contest. Both players are on the Naismith Trophy Watch List, an award given annually to the nation's top player. Maryland is 4-0 to begin the season, including a victory over A-10 foe Rhode Island.

MASON ALL TIME VS. TOP-10 TEAMS
Mason is 2-10 all time against AP Top-10 teams. Both victories came during the 2006 run to the Final Four, when Mason dispatched of No. 10 North Carolina in the Round of 32, then upset No. 2 UConn in the Elite Eight. The Patriots have only faced a top-10 team once in the Dave Paulsen era, when the Green & Gold fell to No. 6 Virginia in the championship game of the 2015 Charleston Classic.

GAMES vs. TOP-10 TEAMS
1981-82: 11/28 #7 UVA L, 57-76
1985-86: 12/3 #6 GTown L, 63-75
1988-89: 3/17 #8 Indiana L, 85-99
1994-95: 12/22 #2 UCLA L, 100-137*
2002-03: 12/28 #2 Pitt L, 41-65
2003-04: 12/7 #10 UNC L 81-115
2005-06: 3/19 #10 UNC W, 65-60
2005-06: 3/26 #2 UConn W, 86-84 (OT)
2006-07: 12/9 #7 Duke L, 53-69
2010-11: 3/20 #1 Ohio State L, 66-98
2013-14: 2/19 #10 Saint Louis L, 85-89 (OT)
2015-16: 11/22 #6 UVA L, 66-83
*National Champions
 
UP NEXT
Mason begins play in the Cayman Islands Classic Monday on Grand Cayman. The Patriots will battle former conference rival Old Dominion at 5 p.m. The Patriots also will compete Tuesday and Wednesday against opponents TBD. The tournament will be broadcast on FloHoops.com ($).