George Mason Basketball: Patriots need portal transfers to deliver for 2024-25 season

Tony Skinn returned to his alma mater a year ago after a series of coaching changes that saw Ed Cooley leave Providence for Georgetown and Kim English leave George Mason Basketball for Providence. That gave Skinn, a 2006 Final Four team member, a chance to come home.

After a 20-win season in year one, Skinn leaned heavily on the transfer portal, drastically changing the roster.

The Patriots will have experienced sized in the paint. Giovanni Emejuru (6'11") spent his first two seasons at Sam Houston State before leaving for Siena last season. Emejuru averaged 11.3 points and 6.3 rebounds for the Saints.

Though Jalen Haynes is "only" 6'8", he provides another wide body to the paint. Haynes redshirted last season after he transferred from East Tennessee State. In the 2022-23 season, Haynes averaged 14.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

Emejura and Haynes will be critical to the Patriots' success, but both must be efficient in the lane.

Per Hoop-Math, Emejura has a 61.3% assisted rate at the rim. That means he's a viable option to pass him the ball in the lane, and trust him to finish. Overall, 83.4% of Emjura's shots come at the rim.

Haynes' numbers check in slightly less than Emejura's. In the 22-23 season, 67.3% of Haynes' shot attempts came at the rim, with a conversion rate of 65.5%. Haynes shot 71.4% on rebounds at the rim.

With Baraka Okojie (Memphis) and Ronald Polite III (UNC Greensboro) in the portal, the most important portal pick-up was point guard K.D. Johnson.

Johnson started at Georgia before heading to Auburn for three years. As the Tigers got better, Johnson's playing time dipped. He went from starting 31 games in 2021-22 to 0 in 22-23 to 1 in 23-24. But Johnson's SEC experience and toughness fit what Skinn covets.

Johnson is more of a penetration guard than a combination guard. Despite attempting 45.9% of his shots from behind the arc, he's not a three-point shooter. Johnson only shot 27.1% from the three-point line, which won't be good enough in Skinn's offense.

As a freshman, Jeremiah Quigley started 18 games and played a big part in the offense. Despite being a 32% three-point shooter, he was 7-15 from long distance in the last five games. The bulk of Quigley's shots (49.7%) are two-point jumpers where he shot 38.7%.

Brayden O'Connor is a sneaky athletic guard from UMass-Lowell. O'Connor's skill set lends itself to getting a layup or a three-pointer, and last season at UMass-Lowell supported that style of play. O'Connor attempted 49.4% of his shots at the rim and 41.6% at the three-point line. O'Connor is a proven finisher on the break. O'Connor needs spacing to get to the front of the rim to get to the front on the rim in the half-court.

Zach Anderson arrives from Florida Gulf Coast University with the reputation of being a shooter. As a catch-and-shooter, Anderson shot 45.9% from the three-point line. Anderson can be at the end of a ball reversal or ball side waiting for the kick-out.

Outlook

The portal pick-ups convey that George Mason's program will lean on veterans more than high school recruits. The Patriots look "grown" on the floor, and with the size brought in from the portal, rebounding and defense will be heavily leaned on.

Emejuru and Haynes must defend the paint, while returners Jared Billups and Woody Newton control the wings. Johnson will replace Okojie as the primary guard to put pressure on the ball.

O'Connor and Anderson's three-point shooting will be necessary if George Mason wants to keep the floor properly spaced, allowing Mason's guards and wings to have driving lanes.

If that happens, Skinn can lead Mason to a top-five finish in the Atlantic 10 along with another 20+ win season.