Maryland vs. George Mason: 2019-20 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
George Mason is hitting the road for the first time this season as they travel to College Park to play Maryland where both teams are undefeated. The Patriots are going to be put up to the test against a really talented Terrapins team.
TV Schedule: Friday, November 22, 7 p.m. ET, BTN
Stadium: XFINITY Center, College Park, Maryland
The Maryland Terrapins have another home game on Friday night against an undefeated 5-0 George Mason team. This will be the Patriot’s first time away from home this season. Maryland has already won three buy games and one against another Atlantic 10 team. The Atlantic 10 is usually right below the American Athletic Conference at number eight in the conference rankings. The Terrapins remain in the top-10 where they should be for the foreseeable future as there is a lot of hype in College Park this season.
Long gone are the days of George Mason making the final four. But can you believe it? That was 15 years ago already. The head coach was Jim Larranaga who is with Miami now. The Patriots are on their second head coach since then and have also switched conferences. Dave Paulsen is slowly rebuilding this program after Paul Hewitt basically drove it into the ground. George Mason had its first Atlantic 10 winning record last season after moving over from the Colonial Athletic in 2013.
Mark Turgeon has enjoyed life in the Big Ten since Maryland made the switch over from the ACC in 2014. The 2017-18 season was the only time in six years that the Terrapins missed the Tournament. They got back on track last season and are now super poised for a big season. The only thing that is going to be knocking on Maryland right now is the strength of schedule. Their toughest opponent to date has been Rhode Island. Luckily they are in an early-season tournament where they open with Temple and have a chance at playing USC or Marquette if they beat the Owls and either Texas A&M or Harvard.
George Mason is currently playing without its best player from last season and an important role player. Justin Kier is a senior who hurt his foot in the preseason and averaged 14.5 points per game with 6.5 boards. Ian Boyd is also a senior and will miss the entire season. Kier still has a chance to play. But the Patriots are 5-0. Regardless of the competition, that’s a nice start to the season. George Mason has used the same starting lineup in all five games which is a good sign.
The Patriots have four guys averaging double-figures. Sophomore guard Jordan Miller stands six-foot-six, leads the team with 15 points and has almost five boards per game. Javon Greene and Jamal Hartwell make for a great backcourt. Greene is averaging over three assists per game with 13 three-pointers and Hartwell has five less total assists and 12 made triples. A.J. Wilson is the fourth Patriot in double-figures and he is a load in the middle. Wilson is terrific at second chance opportunities where over half of his rebounds come on the offensive glass and he is a premier shot blocker with 19.
Maryland is deep. Turgeon has messed around with the lineup a few times this season because he can do that. Anthony Cowan and Aaron Wiggins are the only two that have started all four games. There’s no getting around not starting Cowan when he’s one of the best point guards in the Big Ten and is a terrific shooter. Wiggins is struggling a bit shooting, but he is second on the team in rebounds. Jalen Smith was a top-15 recruit last season and he stayed. The Terrapins were glad he did as he leads the team in scoring with 15 and is almost averaging a double-double.
It’s nice when you can a top-100 recruit off the bench. Eric Ayala joins Wiggins in making for a very deep wing position at Maryland. Both guys aren’t shooting the ball the way they want to, but it’ll come. Darryl Morsel has been the fourth consistent starter, he’s six-foot-five and was a top-100 recruit in 2017. Then there are six other guys who have made starts for Maryland. 10 guys are averaging nine or more minutes this season.
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It’s going to be hard for George Mason to match that depth. The Patriots go eight deep with only 10 guys playing so far this season. But with two guys who were presumed starters at the beginning of the season out, everyone had to move up a spot. The young Patriots are doing a good job with their new roles. This should benefit them once Kier and Boyd get back, but for now, it’s going to be a struggle against a top-10 Maryland team.
Prediction: Maryland 75, George Mason 61