Four years ago, Otis Livingston II's impressive Linden (NJ) HS career was ending. The point guard who led his team to a state title as a junior thought his best move to attract a scholarship might be to attend prep school for a post-graduate year.

  Then Mason and new coach Dave Paulsen came calling. Heading into Tuesday's Senior Night against traditional rival and A-10 leader VCU, the undersized player, listed at 5-foot-11, 172 pounds, has produced some oversized accomplishments.

  He leads the country with 128 consecutive starts. He is fourth on Mason's career scoring list with 1,800-plus points. He's second in career assists and is the only Patriot to ever record at least 100 assists per season for four seasons.

   To Jeff Riley, a close observer of Mason basketball for four decades as PA announcer, radio color man and fan, there is no doubt about Livingston II's legacy.

  "Without a doubt Otis 'My Man' over the course of his career has been the best guard Mason has EVER had," Riley texted. "In my opinion, only Kenny Sanders and George Evans, both big men, had a more substantial impact on the Mason Program. 

  "Carlos Yates was a sensational pure shooter, a scoring machine. But Otis is more well-rounded."

    From the time Livingston II arrived as a student in 2015, Paulsen has given him the keys to the offense, challenging him to become a complete player.

   "What he's learned to do – which is the hardest thing for a point guard to do – is become an aggressive, attacking point guard and a facilitating point guard at the same time," Paulsen said. "It's easy just to be in attack mode and shoot every time or think, 'I'm just going to distribute.' 

   "Being a guy who puts pressure on the defense and scores but also reads it and can distribute -- that balance is the hardest. He's done it really well. What I like is that he now has become a good player even if he's not shooting the ball well."

    In last week's win against Richmond, Livingston II shot 2-for-10 but had six assists, five rebounds, a steal and a drawn offensive foul.

   "He distributed, he ran the team, he found the right guys, he took the shots he should have taken," Paulsen said. "His pull-up three was a huge one. He defended, he picked up a charge at a key time. He just led."

   Livingston II is an easy player to like. He produces the spectacular – from deep threes to acrobatic drives and clever passes. He's also tough in the clutch, either hitting or assisting on game winning shots several times.

   But his appeal goes beyond highlight reel plays. After every home game, before heading back to the locker room, he makes sure to thank Doc Nix and the Green Machine, greet boosters and/or young fans, and give long-time team secretary Carolyn Marsh a hug. He may have the program record for signing autographs and posing for selfies.

   "I'm appreciative," Livingston II said. "Fans pay money to see us compete. They take time out of their day. They don't have to be here, but they are here. I want to show them that myself and my teammates appreciate the support.

   "The stats and points are cool, but years from now what I'm going to remember is how the people made me feel, our connectedness. What I'm going to remember and what the fans are going to remember is how we made each other feel."

  The Livingston II era is drawing to a close. There are two regular-season games left, the A-10 tournament and then possibly post-season play.

  Riley isn't the only fan with this sentiment: "No Mason guard has had the impact over their career like Otis 'My Man.' He will be missed. Let's hope he goes out an A10 Tournament winner."

   After the end of his Mason career, Livingston II, a Sport Management major, wants a professional career and then a coaching career.

  "I'll go into it the way I came into (Mason) – ready to fight, ready to compete every day," Livingston II said. "Whenever I come back to Fairfax or George Mason, I'm going to feel that special way about this place."