George Mason Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Patriots

Projected Starters

Point Guard: Otis Livingston

Livingston is undoubtedly the leader and best player on this Patriots team. A 5’11” guard who averaged 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists last season, he has A10 Player of the Year potential if the Patriots play to their ceiling. Not only is he one of the quickest players in the league, but he’s one of its better shooters as well. Last season, he rocked a 47%/38%/86% shooting line – as close as anybody in the A10 came to joining the exclusive 50/40/90 club. We can expect more of the same from him this year, and he should have even more assists thanks to his improved supporting cast.

Wings: Jaire Grayer and Justin Kier

Livingston is the first name off of people’s lips when the Patriots enter discussions, but Grayer is one of the best #2 options in the league and is not to be slept on. Averaging 12 points, 7 rebounds, and a steal and a block apiece last season, he’s a jack-of-all-trades type of player that works as a perfect Robbin to Livingston’s Batman. Just like Livingston, he can’t be left open behind the arc either, hitting 35% of his tries for the year.

Kier had a breakout sophomore campaign last season, jumping from 6 to 11 points per game and just about doubling his assist and steal totals. Statistics would tell you that he’s an abysmal three-point-shooter at 17.4% for the year, but they don’t tell the entire story. After going 1-29 from deep to start the season, he hit 37% of his tries over his final twelves games. Expect him to continue to improve, especially in that aspect.

Bigs: Goanar Mar and Jarred Reuter

Mar was somewhat overshadowed in an A10 that had a bevy of talented freshmen, but Mason fans got to know him well and are thrilled by his potential. The 6’7″ forward took on a lot of responsibility as a freshman playing 32 minutes per game, but he didn’t back down from the challenge. He topped 10 points on nineteen separate occasions, and he also established himself as one of the team’s most reliable three-point shooters at 36%. Mar is a great tool for Paulsen to have at his disposal, as he can guard all five positions and play anything from the 3 to the 5 on offense.

Reuter, a transfer from Virginia, played only 11 minutes per contest in his last season with the Cavaliers, but he still found a way to make an impact on the team by averaging 4 points & 2 on 58% shooting. Considering the caliber of the ACC as a conference compared to the A10, it seems pretty safe to expect Reuter to make jumps in almost every statistical category as a Patriot. Jon Rothstein had this much to say about him when visiting the Mason campus for a practice:

Whether or not he will emerge as the team’s second best player as that last sentence implies, he will undoubtedly be an important part of the team’s success.