WHEN: Thursday, 8 p.m.
WHERE: Walter E. Washington Convention Center - Washington, D.C.
RECORDS: George Mason (0-0, 0-0), #10/12 Queens (0-0, 0-0)
SERIES RECORD: First meeting
LIVE VIDEO (ESPN3): Click here
LIVE STATS: Click here
GAME NOTES: Click here (PDF)

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The George Mason University men's basketball team opens the 2020-21 schedule at the DC Paradise Jam with a Thanksgiving Day contest vs. Div. II Queens.

Tip-off between the Patriots and Royals is set for 8 p.m. inside the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Thursday's game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN3, featuring commentary from Jeremy Huber, Craig Esherick and Chris Knoche. In addition, Bill Rohland will call the game on the GoMason Digital Network, with streaming coverage beginning at 1:45 p.m.

PATRIOT POINTS
* Mason originally was scheduled to play Northeastern Thursday, but the Huskies have postponed their season to mid-December due to COVID-19.

* The Patriots return five starters and 12 letter winners overall from last season's squad. That includes 91.6 percent of the team's scoring, 90.9 of its rebounding and 90.3 percent of its assists.

* Redshirt-senior forward AJ Wilson, the 2020 A-10 Most Improved Player, enters the campaign as a Preseason All-A-10 Third Team and All-Defensive Team selection.

* Wilson ranked sixth nationally in blocks/game (2.9) and set the Mason single season blocks record (92) in 2019-20. He was one of just two players in the country to post at least 90 blocks and 90 offensive rebounds.

* Senior guard Javon Greene also earned a spot on the Preseason All-A-10 Third Team. He led Mason in scoring last season (13.8 ppg) and ranked sixth in the league in steals/game (1.8).

* Jordan Miller ranked second on the Patriots in scoring (12.7 ppg) and was second in rebounding (5.3 rpg). He scored 10+ points in 15 of 18 A-10 games and reached double figures in each of the final 12 games of the season.

* Mason's three non-conference home games mark the lowest total played by the Patriots since 2004-05 (3). The Patriots' nine total non-league games are their fewest since 2003-04 (9). In addition, Mason is starting the season on its latest date since 1994-95.

* Seven of Mason's nine non-conference opponents hail from either Virginia, Maryland or the District of Columbia.

* Bolstered by Wilson, Miller and freshman Josh Oduro, Mason excelled on the offensive glass last season, ranking 32nd nationally in offensive rebounding percentage (.331). The Patriots also protected the rim and ranked 27th in block rate (.132).

* The Patriots were picked to finish 10th in the 2020-21 A-10 Preseason Poll. Mason has finished ahead of its preseason prediction in three of five seasons under head coach Dave Paulsen.  

* Injuries last season forced Mason starters to take on the lion's share of minutes. As a result, the Patriots ranked 285th nationally in bench minutes.

* In addition to Mason's strong core of returners, the Patriots also welcome four talented freshmen who should compete for minutes. That group includes guards Ronald Polite (Temple Hills, Md.) and Tyler Kolek (Cumberland, R.I.), guard/forward Otis Frazier III (Buckeye, Ariz.) and forward Malik Henry (Longview, Texas).

HISTORY vs. QUEENS
Mason and Queens will match up for the first time on the basketball court. It's just the second time the Patriots have played a program which begins with the letter Q. The other matchup, fittingly enough, came on Nov. 19, 2012, during the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. Mason defeated Quinnipiac, 74-58.

THE LAST TIME vs. A NON-DIVISION I OPPONENT
Mason has not played a non-Division I opponent in the regular season since 2016-17, when the Patriots defeated Lebanon Valley, 90-65, on Nov. 15 inside EagleBank Arena.

NOVEMBER NON-CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS UNDER PAULSEN
Mason has posted a 7-6 record in November non-conference tournaments under head coach Dave Paulsen. That includes last season's 3-0 mark in the 2019 Cayman Islands Classic. That championship run included victories over Old Dominion (60-53), Nebraska (85-66) and New Mexico State (68-64). AJ Wilson 12.7 ppg, 12.3 rpg, 4.0 bpg) was named the Cayman Classic MVP while Jordan Miller (11.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg) earned All-Tournament Team accolades.

In addition, under Paulsen, the Patriots went 2-1 in the 2015 Charleston Classic (W vs. Ole Miss, W vs. Oklahoma State, L vs. No. 6 Virginia) and reached the championship game where they fell to the top-10 Cavaliers. Mason also has played in the Gulf Coast Showcase in 2016 (2-1), Cancun Challenge in 2017 (0-2) and Emerald Coast Classic in 2018 (0-2).

A LOOK AT THE #10/12 ROYALS (24-7, 14-4 SOUTH ATLANTIC IN 2019-20)
The Royals were picked to finish second in the 2020-21 South Atlantic preseason poll. The team is ranked No. 10 nationally in the Div. II D2SIDA and NABC Coaches Poll and No. 12 in the Basketball Times poll. One of the top Div. II programs in the nation, the Royals have won 142 games over the last five seasons and have captured at least 30 victories in three of the last four years. Queens returns three of five starters which posted a 24-7 mark, including a 14-4 record in South Atlantic Conference play. The Royals earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Southeast Region Championships. Queens is led by Jamari Smith, who ranked second on the team last season with 13.5 points while chipping in 6.8 rebounds per contest. Kenny Dye added 10.3 points per game and shot 36.3 percent from 3-point range.

MASON IN SEASON OPENERS
The Patriots are 31-23 (.574) all time in season openers. Mason is 20-8 at home, 7-13 on the road and 4-2 in neutral site debuts. The Green & Gold are 2-3 in season debuts under head coach Dave Paulsen, including a home victory last season against Navy. Mason has not opened the season at a neutral site since 2005-06, when the Green & Gold defeated UC Irvine in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in Winston-Salem, N.C.

ELITE COMPANY FOR WILSON
In 2019-20, AJ Wilson became just the seventh player in the last five seasons to average 12+ points, 2.8+ blocks and 2.8+ offensive rebounds in a season. The other players:

- Mo Bamba (Texas)
- Brandon Clarke (Gonzaga)
- Ben Lammers (Georgia Tech)
- Jameel Warney (Stony Brook)
- Adrian Diaz (FIU)
- Osasumwen Osaghae (FIU)

PUTTIN' SOME HAIR ON THEIR CHESTS
Due to the Patriot injury woes in 2019-20, a wealth of young Mason players gained valuable minutes last season. The Patriots ranked 304th nationally in experience (1.27 years/player) and often featured a starting lineup composed primarily of underclassmen. In all, 86 of Mason's 160 starting positions on the season were held by freshmen and sophomores (.538). What's more, freshmen Xavier Johnson and Josh Oduro combined for 36 starts, while Johnson and his fellow guard, sophomore Jamal Hartwell II, each played more than 29 minutes per game. Sophomore Jordan Miller started every game for Mason and played 32.4 minutes per contest.

UP NEXT
Mason plays its second of three contests in the DC Paradise Jam on Friday (Nov. 27). The Patriots will battle mid-major power Belmont in 2 p.m. contest at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.