WHERE: Smith Center - Washington, D.C.
WHEN: Monday, 2 p.m. 
RECORDS: George Mason (13-4, 2-2), George Washington (13-3, 2-1)
SERIES: GW leads, 23-10
LAST MEETING: Mason def. GW, 66-53, on Feb. 15, 2023 in Washington, D.C.
TELEVISION: CBS Sports Network
LIVE AUDIO: Click here
LIVE STATS: Click here
TICKETS: Click here
GAME NOTES: Click here (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason University men's basketball team (13-4, 2-2) travels across the Potomac to battle George Washington (13-3, 2-1) for a Martin Luther King Day matinee on Monday.

Tip-off between the Patriots and Revolutionaries is set for 2 p.m. Monday's game will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network, featuring commentary from Chick Hernandez, Jordan Cornette and AJ Ross. In addition, Bill Rohland will call the game on the GoMason Digital Network, with streaming coverage beginning at 1:45 p.m.

PATRIOT POINTS
• The Patriots are 13-4 to begin the season and are 77th in the NCAA NET rankings. Mason also checks in at 96th in KenPom.

• The Patriots are 3-2 on the road this season. George Mason, Dayton and St. Bonaventure are the only three A-10 programs with three away victories so far this season.

• The Green & Gold have dropped two-straight games for the first time this season. The Patriots are coming off a 77-70 setback at Richmond on Saturday night. Mason cut a 17-point deficit with 11:40 remaining to just two (72-70) with 1:06 to go. But Mason could score on its final three possessions.

• Senior Darius Maddox led the Patriots with 18 points and knocked down three triples at the Robins Center. He averages a team-best 15.4 points in road games this season. Maddox has tallied 10+ points in 12 of his past 13 games.

• Fellow road warrior Amari Kelly added 13 points (6-10 FG) at Richmond. Kelly has tallied double figures in six-straight affairs and averages 13.8 points in away contests.

• Senior Ronald Polite III added 13 points (3-5 3pt FG) and a game-high six assists at Richmond. The Patriots are 9-1 when he tallies 3+ assists this season.

• The Patriots are shooting 49.4 percent overall and 37.7 percent from 3 in wins this season. That dips to 39.9 percent overall and 30.0 percent from deep in losses.

• Sophomore Keyshawn Hall is averaging 17.8 points in league games. Overall this season, Hall ranks fifth nationally in defensive rebounds/game (8.1), 14th in double-doubles (8) and 37th in overall rebounding (9.3 rpg). He leads the A-10 in all three of those categories.

• The Patriots feature one of the most potent defenses in the country. Mason ranks seventh nationally in 2pt FG defense (.426), 13th in overall FG defense (.387) and 48th in scoring defense (65.5 ppg). The Patriots allow 1.003 points/possession (87th).

• The Patriots have yet to allow an opponent to shoot 50 percent from the floor over 17 games. That's the longest stretch for a Mason team to begin a season since 2011-12.

• George Mason leads the A-10 and is 45th nationally in rebounding margin (+6.2). The Patriots have won the battle on the boards in 14 of 17 games so far this season.

• Head coach Tony Skinn's 13-4 record marks the best-ever start by a Mason first-year head coach.

• Mason's 13-2 start matched the 1983-84 team for the best in program history. The Patriots tallied 11 non-conference wins this season for just the second time in the past 40 campaigns.

PATRIOTS TRAVEL TO THE NATION'S CAPITAL ON MLK DAY
George Mason and George Washington will match up on Martin Luther King Jr. Day for the third-consecutive season. The CBS Sports Network broadcast will feature MLK Day programming throughout, including a halftime feature on head coach Tony Skinn ('06). The story will reflect on Skinn's remarkable life's journey, from his beginnings as an immigrant from Nigeria to his ascension to the head coach position at his alma mater.

SKINN/CAPUTO MATCH UP FOR THE FIRST TIME
George Mason head coach Tony Skinn ('06) and George Washington head coach Chris Caputo share a special bond. Caputo served on the Mason coaching staff from 2002-11 and helped to bring Skinn to Fairfax as a student-athlete in 2003.

HISTORY vs. GEORGE WASHINGTON
Monday's game marks the 34th all-time meeting between local rivals George Mason and George Washington. The schools are separated by just 20 miles and are situated on the same DC Metro line (Orange). Mason has won eight of the past 12 matchups between the programs. Overall, GW holds a 23-10 advantage in the series and is 13-8 in A-10 games against the Patriots. Mason is 2-16 all time in Foggy Bottom.

The two teams split a pair of matchups last season. The Revs won in Fairfax, 78-75, on Jan. 16, before Mason took the return game, 66-53, in the District on Feb. 15. Ronald Polite III averaged 15.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and shot 57.9 percent from the floor (5-8 3pt FG) in the two meetings last season.

A LOOK AT THE REVOLUTIONARIES (13-3, 2-1 A-10; NET #152, KenPom #175)
George Washington was picked to finish ninth out of 15 teams in the 2023-24 A-10 preseason poll. The Revolutionaries posted a 11-2 non-conference record and have won two of their first three league contests. GW won its most recent matchup in overtime on Saturday against Davidson (83-79). The Revs feature the A-10's top scoring offense (83.2 ppg) and are 14th nationally in 3pt FG percentage (.390). GW also is third in the country in defensive rebounds/game (30.9) and ninth in blocks/game (5.9). Preseason All-A-10 First Team selection James Bishop is second in the A-10 in scoring (18.6 ppg) and is fourth in assists/contest (4.8). Darren Buchanan Jr. (14.8 ppg), Garrett Johnson (14.8 ppg) and Maximus Edwards (13.1 ppg) also average double figures, while Babatunde Akingbola ranks third nationally in blocks/game (54).  

UP NEXT
George Mason returns home to host St. Bonaventure on Saturday (Jan. 20) inside EagleBank Arena. Tip-off between the Patriots and Bonnies is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.