WHERE: Finneran Pavilion - Villanova, Pa.
WHEN: Saturday, 1 p.m.
SERIES: George Mason trails, 1-4
LIVE AUDIO: Villanova Sports Radio Network
LIVE STATS: Click here
TICKETS: Click here
GAME NOTES: Click here (PDF)

FAIRFAX, Va. - The George Mason University men's basketball team plays the first of two exhibition games this preseason with a Saturday contest at Villanova.

Tip-off between the Patriots and Wildcats is set for 1 p.m. Saturday's game will be broadcast on the Villanova Sports Radio Network.

PATRIOT POINTS
• It's the first matchup between the programs since George Mason's 61-57 win in the 2011 NCAA Tournament Round of 64.

• George Mason head coach Tony Skinn ('06) has set new program bests for overall wins (70), league wins (35), overall winning percentage (.693) and league winning percentage (.648) for a Patriot coach over his first three campaigns.

• Skinn's 69.3 overall winning percentage ranks 17th nationally amongst current Division I head coaches with at least three seasons at the helm. He's the first coach in school history to lead his teams to three-straight 20-win seasons.

• George Mason is one of just three A10 programs during Skinn's tenure to finish in the NET top-100 all three seasons.

• On the strength of back-to-back NIT appearances, the Patriots have now made two-straight postseasons for the first time since 2007-09.

• Since the start of the 2024-25 season, Mason ranks second in the A-10 and t-32nd nationally in total wins (50).

• George Mason finished fifth in the 2025-26 Atlantic 10 standings after posting 11 league victories.

• George Mason won 23 games (11-7 A-10) last season despite 2025-26 Preseason All-A-10 First Team selection Brayden O'Connor playing in just one game due to a season-ending foot injury.

• O'Connor (the starting PG on GMU's 2025-26 A-10 regular season co-championship team) returns for his fifth year. He is joined amongst the returners by senior Malik Presley, who started 22 of 32 games, and sophomore Emmanuel Kanga, who ranked second in the nation in rebounding percentage in his debut campaign.

• The Patriots also welcome back their first boomerang transfer in program history, Baraka Okojie (Oko-jay), who earned 2023-24 A-10 All-Rookie honors at GMU in 2023-24 before making stops at Memphis (2024-25) and Mercer (2025-26).

• Last season with the Bears, Okojie was a First Team All-SoCon pick (19.7 ppg, 5.3 apg) and ranked third in the nation in FT made (224).

• Additional impact transfers include former Northern Illinois sharpshooter Makhai Valentine (13.3 ppg in 2025-26) and former Butler defensive stopper Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor.

• The non-conference schedule includes new home-and-homes with projected Top-100 foes High Point (Dec. 2 at HPU) and South Florida (Nov. 21 in Fairfax).

• The Patriots enter the season ranked No. 92 in Bart Torvik's T-Rankings and No. 99 in KenPom.

HISTORY vs. VILLANOVA
Saturday's game will mark the first ever exhibition between George Mason and Villanova. The programs have met in the regular season five times, with three of those matchups coming on neutral sites. The Wildcats lead the series, 4-1. The programs played in a pair of November MTEs, including the 2007 Old Spice Classic and 2009 Puerto Rico Tip-Off.

George Mason's win came in the 2011 NCAA Tournament Round of 64, when the Patriots captured a 61-57 victory in Cleveland. Hancock scored a team-high 18 points while junior Mike Morrison posted his first double-double of the season with 11 rebounds and 10 points. Senior Isaiah Tate matched Morrison's scoring total with 10 points.

The two teams have met just once on the Main Line, with Villanova taking an 86-76 win at the Finneran Pavilion on Nov. 16, 1998.

WILLARD VS. SKINN
Saturday's game features a matchup between former coaching colleagues Kevin Willard and Tony Skinn. Skinn served as an assistant coach on Willard's staffs at Seton Hall (2018-21) and Maryland (2022-23) before earning the head coach position at his alma mater in 2023-24. The duo combined for two NCAA Tournament bids and what was sure to be a third before the 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A LOOK AT THE WILDCATS (2025-26: 24-9, 15-5 BIG EAST)
Villanova was picked to finish third in the 2026-27 BIG EAST preseason poll. The Wildcats earned 24 victories last season and returned to the NCAA Tournament under head coach Kevin Willard. Returning from that squad is 2026-27 Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team pick Tyler Perkins, who averaged a team-best 13.7 points/game and shot 36.9 percent from 3pt range.  Perkins earned the league's 2025-26 Most Improved Player Award. Two newcomers claimed spots on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team, including Oregon transfer Kwame Evans Jr. (13.3 ppg) and Ohio State transplant Devin Royal (13.7 ppg).

UP NEXT
The Patriots wrap up their exhibition slate with a home contest against St. Mary's (Md.) on Sunday, October 25. Tip-off in EagleBank Arena is set for 2 p.m. Tickets are available via GoMason.com.