It’s year 3 of the Tony Skin era, and for the George Mason University men’s basketball team, these are the highest expectations since the program joined the Atlantic 10.
Last year, GMU was the conference’s surprise team, finishing 24-7 overall (15-3 in A-10 play), earning a share of the regular season conference title, reaching the A-10 championship game, qualifying for the NIT and even getting votes in the Associated Press poll for a few weeks. But if you’ve been following Skinn’s journey at his alma mater, none of this should be too surprising.
From Day 1, it was clear that the starting point guard on Mason’s magical 2006 Final Four team meant business. For the first time since the departure of Jim Larranaga, GMU has a coach who really bleeds green and gold. The signs of a rising program came during Skinn’s first season in 2023-2024, highlighted by a win over a ranked Dayton squad in February. Even though the results were inconsistent, the team played every game with heart and passion, a tribute to the culture their head coach instilled.
It all came together in Year 2, but this season brings Skinn’s biggest challenge yet: proving its sustainability, with an almost completely overhauled roster. Just two players: Preseason All-Conference First Team point guard Brayden O’Connor and forward Stas Sivka – return from last year, losing everyone else to graduation or the transfer portal. But the portal gives as much as it takes away, and GMU was able to get it best incoming transfer class in the conferenceheaded on Kory Mincy, Jermahri “Fatt” Hill, and former Maryland Terrapin Jahari Lang. Mason also has three talented freshmen Emmanuel KangaSkinn’s son Isaiah Skinnand the best Devin Boeker in basketball.
It will be fascinating to see how all the pieces of the puzzle finally fit together. In GMU’s 74-41 preseason exhibition win over Alfred University, O’Connor and Long were joined in the starting lineup by Masai Troutman, Riley Allenspach, And Dollar Adebayo. 15 players suited up for the Patriots with 10 double-digit minutes played, and that didn’t even include Hill. Like last year’s squad, this is a team that should be able to rely on its depth as one of its biggest strengths.
Mason starts the season ranked 91st on KenPom.comthe highest early-season ranking since 2014 and the fifth-best team in the Atlantic 10. The Patriots were picked to finish sixth in the preseason conference pollbehind VCU, Saint Louis, Dayton, George Washington and Loyola-Chicago. The Patriots have exceeded their preseason predictions in both seasons under Skinn thus far, and if they can do that again, they’ll be in the mix to win the conference.
Despite a brief fear that Skinn would leave to take the job at the University of Maryland, GMU was able to retain the program’s key member, and he now has a proven resume to build on. As long as this new crop of players can buy in and build chemistry under Skinn’s leadership, it should be another successful season in Fairfax.
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