New-look men’s hoops to host Rhode Island in season opener

The new faces of George Mason basketball, including freshman wing player Vaughn Gray (middle, green shirt), sophomore point guard Bryon Allen (far right), and sophomore forward Jonathan Arledge (front center), all posed for the camera during Mason Madness, which marked the begining of the 2011-12 basketball season (John Powell).

Coming off a year in which the Patriots went a school-record 26-6 in the regular season, expectations were high for the squad’s 2011-12 campaign. However, now eight months later, this George Mason team hardly resembles the group that defeated Villanova in last year’s Big Dance.

It all started of course with Jim Larranaga’s departure for Miami (Fl.) and the subsequent hire of former Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt, followed by Luke Hancock’s decision to transfer to Louisville.

After Hancock’s departure and the graduation of guard Cam Long, senior Andre Cornelius was expected to be the veteran guard to provide stability in the backcourt. However, that too has since changed. He was charged with credit card fraud, and will be suspended through the fall semester, missing a total of 10 games, according to George Mason Athletics.

He will be allowed to return December 20, and will likely make his first appearance during the December 21 game against Duquesne. He did, however, return to practice this week.

With a new look both among the players and among the coaching staff, the squad will be put to the test immediately as they host a solid Rhode Island team this Friday night, Nov. 11. The Rams are coming off a 20-14 season, including 9-7 in Atlantic 10 play.

Redshirt sophomore guard Sherrod Wright will be making his return to the Patriots’ lineup Friday after sitting out all of last season.

Also, sophomore Bryon Allen, who played sparingly one year ago, will likely open the season as the team’s starting point guard, as he did during the team's exhibition game against Lycoming. With all three members of last year’s starting backcourt out of the picture, for now, Wright and Allen will be expected to step up right away.

Based on an open practice held Tuesday afternoon, the probable starting lineup for Friday’s game is Allen, Wright, redshirt sophomore Vertrail Vaughns, and senior forwards Ryan Pearson and Mike Morrison.

Both Larranaga and Hewitt are known for using guard-heavy lineups, but this team’s depth lies in the frontcourt.

Shortly after Hewitt was hired, he was able to sign 6’8’’ forward/center Erik Copes, a former George Washington commitment and the nephew of new Mason assistant coach Roland Houston. Big things are expected of Copes, who is the highest rated recruit the Patriots have ever acquired.

Copes prides himself on his defensive and rebounding abilities, but believes he can improve his offensive moves. Yet, he was able to score a team-high 13 points in the exhibition against Lycoming and demonstrated solid interior offense.

“I need to go and play my heart out and leave it all on the court, that’s how I’ll get playing time,” said Copes humbly.

Mike Morrison and Ryan Pearson will see a lot of minutes this year and are expected to serve as leaders for the rest of the squad. Pearson was selected to the Preseason All-CAA First Team. He is the team’s top returning scorer, 14.2, and the top returning rebounder, 6.7.

“We went 16-2 in the conference last year, so I’m trying to repeat that or increase it,” Pearson said. “You just try to work hard in the off season and then try to get better every game.”

Pearson has yet to win a CAA Championship and he has his eyes set on that goal for this season. He even referred having a “chip on his shoulder” about not yet achieving a conference title.

“I want to be one of those George Mason teams remembered for doing great things, winning a whole lot of games, going to the NCAA tournament.”

Morrison, who averaged 6.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season, also has high expectations for this team. He believes they can go undefeated at home and undefeated in conference play en route to winning the CAA Championship.

“The sky is the limit,” Morrison said.

In addition to Morrison and Pearson, Copes and sophomore Jonathan Arledge will be expected to contribute in the paint, as both had strong showings in the preseason contest against Lycoming.

Hewitt also brought in a 6’8’’ transfer from Seton Hall, Anali Okoloji, who has the ability to play both inside and out, and has redshirt sophomore forward Paris Bennet at his disposal.

Junior forward Johnny Williams will be watching the 2011-12 campaign from the sidelines with a medical redshirt as he recovers from shoulder surgery, adding to the array of changes the team has witnessed over the past few months.

Despite the abundance of forwards, Hewitt is not lacking in guards either.

Without Cornelius, Hancock and Long, freshman Corey Edwards and Vaughn Gray arrived at the right time, and will likely be able to see game action right away. Edwards is a true point guard who can help fill the void left by Cornelius.

“My best attribute is being a leader on the floor, being vocal,” said Edwards, indeed a rare trait among freshman.

Gray is a wing player who prides himself on his offense, primarily his long-range shooting ability.

“I can add some more shooting, handle the ball a little bit, and just be aggressive,” Gray said.

Another player known for his shooting ability and instant offense is Vertrail Vaughns, who shot an outstanding 49.3 percent last season from beyond the arc. Yet, he hopes to do more than just shoot this year.

“I’m definitely going to try to get to the foul line more, I know last year I had a bad percentage from the line,” Vaughns said. “I’m going to try to get more involved with the passing game, finding the open guy, just add a little more to the arsenal.”

Vaughns sees himself as a more vocal leader than he was upon his arrival three years ago, and believes he can help Edwards and Gray acclimate to the college game.

Friday's contest against the Rams tips-off at 7:30 p.m. in the Patriot Center, following the women’s game against American at 5 p.m.