[ANALYSIS] Perimeter defense inconsistent for Mason in the early going

In the first ten games of the season, George Mason has shown a glimpse of their potential as both a contender for an NCAA Tournament berth while also showing signs of a team that still has maturing to do to get to that point.

On a team that lost three starters from last season, the beginning of the season can be a hectic time. The Patriots’ identity hasn’t been fully discovered yet and there are a handful of players with potential breakout seasons in mind. 

Redshirt junior guard Sherrod Wright has been handed the reigns by Coach Paul Hewitt as the leader of this team and so far he has delivered, leading the team in scoring at 16.4 points per game. Defense and three-point shooting have been the key contributors to the Patriots’ 6-4 record.  

Mason is second in the Colonial Athletic Association in field goal percentage defense (43 percent) and first in scoring defense (60.8 points per game). The return of sophomore center Erik Copes has helped the post defense exponentially, forcing teams to live by the jump shot out on the perimeter. However, with the middle more clogged up, jump shooters are more ample to get open looks when the opposing point guard or forward draws a double team and kicks out to lethal long range options.

In their four losses to Bucknell, New Mexico, Maryland (the one exception) and Northern Iowa, the Patriots' defense was lacking, especially defending the perimeter.

Bucknell and New Mexico both shot above 40 percent from the field and above 50 percent from three. (Bucknell shot 42.1 percent from the field and an impressive 58.3 percent from three on 12 attempts while New Mexico shot 44 percent from the field and 50 percent from behind the arc on 9-of- 18 shooting).

The poor perimeter defense has attributed to Mason’s eighth rank in the CAA, allowing opponents to shoot 35.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Those numbers can be lowered with better close outs on jump shooters. Against Bucknell, guards Cameron Ayers and Bryson Johnson combined for all of the Bisons’ three-point field goals. The Mason game plan was intended to shutdown their talented center Mike Muscala, who finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds.

The Bison were able to get Johnny Williams and Jonathan Arledge in foul trouble early, creating mismatches for Muscala down low while allowing them to kick to open shooters on the wings. The absence of Copes certainly paid dividends in the game’s final outcome but the 21 points coming from behind the arc alone didn’t help matters for the Patriots.

New Mexico was a similar story. Behind the shooting of Tony Snell, the Lobos were given plenty of favorable looks from three, shooting an astonishing 60 percent from behind the arc in the second half to close out the comeback. Snell had an outstanding performance, scoring 27 points, 66 percent from behind the arc and the game-winning jumper from the left wing.

Against stiff competition Maryland, Mason held the Terrapins to a mere 18.2 percent from deep, forcing them to attack the basket and feed the post. 

Of the Mason losses, Maryland was the least disheartening. The defensive effort was stout throughout the game as the Patriots closed out hard on jump shooters and forced the Terps into 19 turnovers. 

Northern Iowa attempted 26 three-point shots, shooting 55 percent from behind the arc in the second half on the hot hand of Marc Sonnen. 

See a trend? A dramatic increase in opponents' second half three-point shooting percentage. The three-point shot is an essential component in today's game. If you can't defend it, you can be out of a game early or can allow a team to get back into a game very quickly. Keeping opponents under 45 percent shooting from three needs to be a priority for the Patriots moving forward. 

With the Mason offense struggling, the importance of the defense has been heightened to a new level and it starts on the perimeter. Facing a team that can shoot the lights out from deep provides matchup problems for the Patriots and must be an issue that Hewitt and the rest of the coaching staff emphasizes with conference play on the horizon.