Mason-Bucknell men's basketball preview

Bryon Allen defends Bucknell's Cameron Ayers in last season's 61-57 win at the Patriot Center (Photo courtesy of George Mason Athletics)

Bucknell at a glance

Coming off of a thrilling win over the University of Virginia Cavaliers last Friday night, things do not get much easier when the Patriots travel to Bucknell on Tuesday for a matchup with one of the mid-majors finest.

The two teams met last season in what was a nail-biter at the Patriot Center;  the Patriots prevailed 61-57.  Returning for Bucknell from a season ago are four starters including stand out senior center Mike Muscala and junior guard Cameron Ayers, who were Preseason All-Patriot League selections.  Overall, the Bison return 10 of their top 11  scorers from a team who won the Patriot League regular season title a year ago.  The Bison were selected to finish second in the Patriot League behind defending league tournament champion Lehigh.

Defending Mike Muscala  

2011 – 2012 Statistics

Mike Muscala – Center – 6’11’’ – 17.1 PPG – 9.1 RPG – 1.7 BPG

Experience will be critical for the Patriots, as well as for Bucknell’s postseason experience.  The Bison start three seniors and two juniors, and amongst them is one of the top centers in the country,  Mike Muscala.  Muscala went for 11 points and 15 rebounds a season ago in Fairfax, and his versatility can cause quite a headache for opposing coaches and players.  Many coaches around the country consider Muscala to be one of the top centers, not only in the Patriot League, but in the entire country.  Jonathan Arledge, Johnny Williams and Marko Gujanicic will have their hands full with Muscala.  Getting him into early foul trouble will certainly help the Patriots’ chances of winning the game.

Perimeter defense

2011 – 2012 Statistics

Cameron Ayers – Guard – 6’5’’ – 11.1 PPG – 2.6 RPG – .468 3P%

Another standout player for the Bison is junior guard Cameron Ayers, who went for a career high with 23 points, including five three-pointers in last season’s matchup in Fairfax.  As a team in 2011-2012, the Bison shot nearly 40% from beyond the arc.  This season, the Bison return three players in Cameron Ayers, Bryson Johnson and Ben Brackney who all shot over 40% from beyond the arc last season.  At times, defending the perimeter can be an issue for the Patriots team.  Locking down on their perimeter defense will be key in this game.

How Mason wins

With Erik Copes suspended, the challenge of defending Mike Muscala becomes even harder without a true center.  The Patriots need to shut down the rest of the playmakers for the Bison because Muscala will get his points and rebounds before the game is over.  One player will not beat an entire team as we saw against UVA with Joe Harris. 

Another key aspect the Patriots need to work on for this game is free throw shooting.  Their poor free throw shooting percentage almost cost them the game against UVA.  Bucknell, on the other hand, was very successful at converting their chances at the charity stripe against Purdue.  Defending the perimeter, getting the Bison into early foul trouble and winning every hustle play with players like Anali Okoloji will help the Patriots secure their second win of this young season. 

Game time is slated for 7 p.m. at the Sojka Pavilion. Fans can watch the action live on Bison Vision for a monthly subscription fee of $9.95 or listen on SportsJuice.com.