George Mason Wins, Keeps Rising in KenPom Rankings

Since George Mason’s near upset of Kansas State on the road, the Patriots have jumped 38 spots in the KenPom rankings. The latest jump, a 10-spot increase, came after Mason’s home win over St. Bonaventure on Saturday afternoon.

FAIRFAX, Va — In a game where George Mason’s leading scorer, Justin Kier, shot 28 percent from the field, the team had to rely on several role players to hit shots in high-leverage situations. Looking at the box score, you don’t quite see that story but without them, the game may have slipped away from Mason.

Ian Boyd finished with nine points but they were some of the most important points scored by GMU. At the end of the first half, Boyd hit a three at the buzzer to put Mason up 28-25 and keep momentum on their side. Then, late in the second half, Boyd scored six straight points to keep Mason at a comfortable distance from the Bonnies.

Jamal Hartwell II, a guy not known for his scoring, also came up big on Saturday. Immediately after the Bonnies regained their lead on a Kyle Lofton layup, Hartwell stroked a wide-open three from the corner to put Mason up 45-44. From there, they went on a run — aided by Boyd, Otis Livingston II, Javon Greene, and Greg Calixte — en route to a 68-53 victory.

After the win, their second straight in the Atlantic-10 Conference, Mason shot up the KenPom rankings to No. 126 (from No. 136). Their new ranking is 38 spots higher than it was just three games ago when they were at No. 164 before and after their loss at Kansas State. Right now, GMU sits in first place among A-10 teams with a 2-0 record, though five programs have better KenPom rankings — VCU, Dayton, Saint Louis, Davidson, and Rhode Island.

Mason will now host No. 91 Davidson on Wednesday at Eagle Bank Arena in Fairfax, VA.