George Mason Still a Wild Card After Rally vs. K-State

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Going into Saturday’s game against Kansas State, the George Mason basketball team really needed a signature win for their resume. With K-State ranking No. 29 in the KenPom ratings, a win would have given them just that, and confirmed that the current team has hit its stride since dropping their first three games of the 2018-19 season.

Four quarters and a great game later, the story of George Mason basketball remains a bit muddied.

Sadly, Mason didn’t pick up the signature win they needed against a Power-5 opponent. They lost 59-58 to the Wildcats, yet, the way they fought back on the road after being down 36-16 at halftime really inspires confidence in the program as conference play awaits. Dave Paulsen’s team was dead in the water, a blowout loss all but a certainty. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, shots started to fall and fine play became contagious. Everyone watching on TV saw that when they’re right, the Patriots can play with nearly anyone. Rarely will you see them outmanned; they have the athletes to compete with major programs, period.

But when push came to shove, they blew a chance to beat Kansas State at their place. Like, they didn’t even give themselves a chance after rallying. Mason had the ball on their side of the court with 1.2 seconds left but failed to even get a shot off. Instead, they turned it over and let Kansas State exhale.

They’ve played better as of late, but the story of their season still reads talented, inspiring, and poorly executed.

Mason came into the season with their eyes on the NCAA Tournament. Either win the conference or snag an at-large bid to the dance. Now, however, because they’ve blown countless chances, an at-large bid is not happening. With so many bad losses and zero legitimate wins, it’s just not possible. At the same time, though, it’s not crazy to see them winning 13 or 14 games in conference play and potentially earning a bid to the dance via the A-10 Tournament. Truly, they are the epitome of a wild card team — no one wants to play George Mason because of their talent and athleticism.

In a few days, the George Mason basketball team will open their Atlantic 10 schedule at Saint Joseph’s. From there, it’s going to be a gauntlet of decent teams with no squad too good and no team a doormat. Honestly, I believe an even keel schedule is the best case scenario for them at this point.

Though it’s easier said than done, the Patriots can save their season if they bottle up their best stretches and pour it into their conference schedule. We know they can do it in spurts, it’s just time to, well, execute.

George Mason is now ranked No. 154 via KenPom.