Comings and Goings: George Mason 2016-17 season

Be patient while we crank out this series (William and Mary is on deck), but today we focus on George Mason.

In case you missed it:
Comings and Goings: Richmond
Comings and Goings: Virginia


Goings

Taylor Brown: the multitalented guard graduated as the school's second leading scorer all time despite playing just three years
Katrina Hutzell: the UMBC transfer who averaged 1.1 ppg graduated with one year of eligibility remaining
Reana Mohamed: the team's leader in 3-pointers her senior year has graduated
Kristi Mokube: the Patriots No. 2 scorer and rebounder has graduated

Comings

Jacy Bolton: 6-0 Freshman F: Amassed more than 2,000 points at Drexel (Missouri) High where she was also a volleyball and track star
Alexsis Grate: 5-6 Freshman G: Averaged 16.5 ppg or better at Hampton's Bethel High
Sarah Kaminski: 5-9 Freshman F: All-time assist leader at Minniehaha Academy in Minnesota
Allie McCool: 6-2 Freshman F: East Central (Lawrencesburg, Ind.) High's all-time leader in scoring, rebounding, FG percentage and blocked shots
De'Jah Williford-Kelley 6-1 Freshman F: Four-year letterwinner at Lower Richland High in Columbia, S.C.

Back in Fairfax after a rejuvenating cruise in the south Caribbean, Nyla Milleson enters her fourth season at George Mason with optimism. Of course, replacing scoring machine Brown and Mokube, right behind her last year, isn't something to envy, but with eight returners, a staff that's stayed intact and five freshmen, Milleson is excited about where the Patriots are in terms of chemistry and relationship building, those ever-important off-court intangibles that relate to how a team performs as a unit on the court.

Milleson is quick to credit the work ethic of all of her players; force her to pick out a pair and she elevates Kara Wright and Tiffany Padgett just a tad. Wright has a year under her belt as a Patriot after transferring from Southeast Missouri State and started 27 games a year ago; Padgett played in 29 games after transferring from Loyola-Maryland. Both redshirt seniors, along with 5-7 guard Sylvia Maxwell, eligible this season after transferring from Niagara, will be integral to the Patriots system.

If any of the freshmen will redshirt, it's too soon to say, and how quickly Jewel Triggs mends from offseason knee surgery will contribute to that decision. The 5-11 sophomore guard, second behind Mohomed last year in 3s, had patellar surgery on both knees and is pain free for the first time in her career.

Onto the frosh. We asked about McCool first, because, let's face it: It's a really cool name. Milleson like's McCool's hands and work on the low block. The 6-2 forward averaged a double-double 14.1 ppg and 11.1 rpg her senior year and was second in field-goal percentage (.59) in the East Indiana Athletic Conference.

Point guard Kaminski flew under the recruiting radar likely due to injuries in both knees, though one of them was in eighth grade. She missed the first three games of her senior year rehabbing from a second ACL tear, and finished as her team's leading scorer with a loss in the 2A state quarters. (Reportedly a Shel Silverstein fan, we note her good taste in authors.)

Grate can also share time at the point, and she scored plenty while at Bethel High after transferring from nearby Kecoughtan. Milleson likes her tough-minded mentality and ability in the open floor.

Long and lanky Bolton and Williford-Kelley will both benefit from the weight room. Bolton played at tiny Drexel High in really tiny Drexel, Mo., a town an hour south of Kansas City where population is about 1,000. (Let's just say Jacy knew everybody in her graduating class.) Williford-Kelley is more a slasher than Bolton, and she brings the ability to score inside and on the perimeter.

Two more transfers -- Camden Musgrave (5-7 guard from Central Connecticut) and Taylor Byrne (6-1 forward from Seton Hall) await in the wings for the 2016-17 season after sitting out due to NCAA rules. Musgrave has two years of eligibility left and Byrne, three. And while Milleson has relied heavily on transfers, she said the Patriots are able to be more selective about the talent they bring in. Next year's class already includes three freshmen with the hopeful addition of a fourth.

Happy Thanksgiving from George Mason

Happy Patriot Thanksgiving from George Mason, who will play Abilene Christian  in the UMKC Plaza Lights Classic at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Good luck, Patriots. As always, we're rooting for you!

Don't be too discouraged by the very long year that is George Mason basketball

There's a Frank Sinatra song when the crooner sings about it being "a very good year."

We promise George Mason fans, your very good year is coming.

It hasn't been a very good year in terms of wins and losses for the Patriots (7-19), who have won just once in 2014 under first-year coach Nylan Milleson. A defeat of Atlantic 10 bottom feeder UMass on Feb. 12 gave the Patriots their first victory in their new conference.

"I absolutely cannot fault our kids' efforts and their attitudes day in and day out," Milleson said. "Fortunately I have not had to endure many of these type of seasons. But you would not walk into our gym, walk into our shoot-arounds, watch us warm up and know we've only won seven games. They continue to work hard; they continue to bring energy. We continue to teach, and they continue to learn. We're laying the groundwork, and we knew it was going to be a process."

What's hurt:

* "If we could have won a couple of more games in our nonconference," Milleson says. ".We won some, but there were some where we had leads and were up late. Confidence is such a funny thing when you're struggling. We don't have enough confidence." The Patriots suffered overtime losses to Maryland-Eastern Shore and Delaware State in nonconference -- they also fell to Richmond in OT -- and were beaten by UAB by three.

* "Two things that have haunted all year: points off turnovers and rebounding. "When you don't shoot it well, you're not able to create a lot of easy buckets for yourself," Milleson says. George Mason ranks 294 (among 343 D-I schools in turnover margin and 310 in scoring defense. The Patriots are last in the A-10 in rebounding defense and 11th in rebounding margin).

* Lack of depth. "There have been many, many games we have run out of gas. We don't have enough pieces," notes Milleson.

* The miles. The Patriots spent 38 days on the road in December and traveled 5,000 miles.


The bright spots:

*  Redshirt sophomore Taylor Brown (18.1 ppg, 114 assists, both team bests) and junior forward Sandra Ngoie (12.7 ppg). Neither played a minute last year.
* Jasmine Jackson (5-9 junior guard from Georgetown) and Kristi Mokube (6-2 junior forward form Florida State) are in the wings "chomping at the bit," Milleson says. They will be eligible for the 2014-15 season.
* "We've been beating the path trying to find better players. On that note, the Patriots signed four early: Cyndi Cole, a 5-5 guard from Indian Creek High in Crownsville, Md.; Casey Davis, a 6-2 forward from Seton High in Bladensburg, Md.; Taylor Dodson, a 6-0 guard from Spotswood High in Penn Laird, Va.; and Qierra Murray, a 5-8 combo guard from Milford Mill Academy in Baltimore. Murray, Davis and Cole all played for the Maryland AAU Pride program.
* The coming offseason with Milleson and her staff intact to be there from start to finish. "The development has to take place there. We were here for a little bit of it last year, but we not enough to have made a difference."
* Milleson. She is three wins shy of 300 in her 14 seasons as a head coach. Milleson laid the foundation at Drury, where she led the scratch-built team to five Division II NCAA Tournament appearances in seven years. At Missouri State, it took Milleson two years to record back-to-back 20-win seasons and lift the Bears atop the Missouri Valley Conference. Building a program takes time, but Milleson promises, "We're going to get there."

A side note:

George Mason has not  had a winning season since 2003-04, when the Patriots nearly upset Old Dominion in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament (a game that stuck with JenDev too long). That was the last time the Patriots were part of the postseason -- a first-round WNIT loss.

Remember this, too. Milleson lost four starters when she inherited this team, including Amber Easter (9.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg), Rahneeka Saunders (10.9 ppg) and Joyous Tharrington (6.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg). (Kudos to senior forward Janaa Pickard, too, the lone starting returning, who averages 13.8 ppg and a team-best 8.6 rpg.)

As far as the growing pains Milleson referred to, we know they're something Radford's Mike McGuire and William and Mary's Ed Swanson can relate to, as both coaches are also in their first season with new teams. On a look-how-great-a-second-year-can-be note, consider what Marlene Stollings has done in two seasons at VCU.

The CAA mid-season report

You gave us your thoughts. We combined them with our thoughts. And here is the LadySwish midterm for what's happened in the CAA so far.

All-CAA

Player of the Year: Elena Delle Donne
A good case can be made that, at least statistically, Delle Donne is having the finest season of any player in the country. More importantly, she's been at her absolute best on the few occasions in which the Blue Hens have been threatened.

First team

Delle Donne: see above.
 

Courtney Hurt

Courtney Hurt, VCU: Rebounding machine is averaging a whopping 13.3 boards in 10 conference games.

Shante Evans, Hofstra: Joins Hurt and Delle Donne as the only players to average a double-double in conference play.

Tia Lewis, Old Dominion: Has blossomed from really good to great in a year when the Lady Monarchs really needed her to.


Taleia Moton, George Mason: Averaging 24.0 ppg on 50.3 percent shooting against CAA foes.

Second team

Emily Correal, William and Mary: Produces (13.9 ppg, 9.2 rpg in CAA play) while also handling most of the dirty work inside. Teammate Janine Aldridge would be a worthy pick here, too.

Nikki Newman, JMU: Defender deluxe, mistress of the art of defusing the league's most potent forwards.

Hollie Mershon, Drexel: Teammate Kamile Nacickaite scores more points, but Mershon has been the better all-around player.

Jewel Tunstull, Northeastern: Sophomore has seemingly come out of nowhere to become the league's most accurate shooter as well as a high-volume rebounder.

Candice Bellocchio, Hofstra: The triggerwoman of the Pride's high-octane attack (7.3 apg in CAA play), a task she often executes in spectacular fashion.

Rookie of the Year

Ashley Betz-White

1. Ashley Betz-White, Old Dominion: From running the team to virtually never coming off the floor to often being one of the primary scorers, no freshman has more on her plate. Still, Betz-White has handled it well enough to earn conference rookie of the week honors a league-high four times.

1A. Toia Giggetts, James Madison: In CAA play, the former Lake Taylor High star has been just as productive and slightly more efficient than Betz-White in just over half the playing time.

Coach of the Year

Tina Martin, Delaware: There's a lot more to this than simply saying, "Get the ball to Elena and get the hell out of her way!" A whole lot more.

Overachievers:

Delaware: Can a team that was picked to win the league actually overachieve? We think so. The Hens (19-1) looked primed to run the tables behind a player that belongs on the same list as Brittney Griner and Nnemkadi Ogwumike. At the beginning of the season it looked as if the Hens were merely the best team in the league. Now all signs point to this being the CAA's best NCAA Tournament entry since the 2001-02 Old Dominion team that advanced to the Elite Eight and was stopped only by an undefeated Sue Bird/Diana Taurasi-led UConn squad many hail as the best in women's college basketball history.

James Madison: Yep, the Towson loss was a downer, and we didn't think Drexel would beat them. But remember a year ago in the Dukes box score, the kids with the glaring numbers were Dawn Evans, Lauren Jimenez and Courtney Hamner? We like how this group has gelled, and while we're talking about overachieving, how about Kirby Burkholder, who scored a total of 31 points last season? As for defense, we didn't see JMU holding teams to 34 percent shooting

Underachievers

VCU: Unlike Delaware, where Tina Martin has developed an ideal blend of talent to surround her superstar, injuries, inexperience and other factors have Beth Cunningham still searching for the right mix to support twin studs Hurt and Andrea Barbour. Recent results have been encouraging, though, and there's still time for the Rams to make a title push.

William and Mary: Player for player, the Tribe are as talented and experienced as any team in the league. We wouldn't have been shocked if they had gotten off to an 8-2 start. We're stunned to see them at 2-8. Call us crazy, but we still believe this group can be a factor.

Most improved

Kirby Burkholder

Taleia Moton, George Mason. Her arms must be tired from carrying the Patriots offense, particularly in several spectacular second halves. A year ago, tiny Taleia averaged 12.2 points on 31.6 percent shooting. Now she's at 22 points per, and only the great Delle Donne (39.9) scores a higher percentage of her team's points (34.6).

Jewel Tunstull, Northeastern: Last year's numbers: 3.9 points, 2.3 rebounds. This year's numbers: 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds. The defense rests, your honor.

Abria Trice, UNC Wilmington. Another sophomore enjoying a breakout season, Trice averaged just 2.4 points as a freshman but has produced 20-point games twice in the last two weeks.

Kirby Burkholder, James Madison: Did you see the part about scoring 31 points in all the  2010-11 season?

Whatever happened to....

Jennifer Lane, VCU: The senior point guard started all but one of the 105 games in her Rams career and averaged more than 30 minutes per contest. Then a violation of team rules occurred, and Lane didn't appear in VCU's next six games. Since then, she's logged double-digit minutes just once in 9 games, played 9 minutes or less in seven straight and hasn't played at all twice. At this point, it's a stunningly quiet ending to a distinguished career.

Best game

Delaware 72, JMU 65: The Dukes spent the first 30 minutes showing how good they can be. The Blue Hens spent the final 10 minutes showing how good they already are.

Biggest upset

Towson 66, James Madison 58: The Tigers have only one win over a team in the RPI Top 100; this is it. Game exposed JMU's vulnerability on nights when their shots aren't falling - but only when an opponent can execute down the stretch.

Wish we were there for....

Hofstra 100, William and Mary 97: We could have enjoyed women's basketball and gotten our NBA fix with the same ticket.

Glad we weren't there for....

JMU 50, William and Mary 40: Wait a minute, we were there, and no offense, guys, but, ugh. You see, we always go into games involving two state teams hoping both play well. But it was tough watching JMU throw up brick after brick most of the time. And it was even tougher to watch the Tribe go the final 12-plus minutes with just one basket against a good but not overly aggressive JMU zone defense.

Four players to keep an eye on

Amber Easter

Jo Guilford, Old Dominion: Last week's 20-point explosion against George Mason gave Lady Monarchs fans a taste of the big-time production the talented junior is capable of providing.

Jessica Freeman, UNC Wilmington: Has really blossomed as an efficient 3-point shooter and double-figures scorer over the past few weeks.

Jasmine Gill, JMU: Potentially the most dynamic offensive player on a team that could really use a dynamic offensive player.

Amber Easter, George Mason: Patriots coach Jeri Porter has said Easter is capable of getting a double-double every night, and we believe her. If Easter starts believing her, watch out.

Storylines for the rest of the season

The CAA: Count 'em. How many teams do you see in the postseason (remember you have to have a winning record to get into the WNIT)? Here's the dream scenario: Delaware, JMU and Hofstra -- three teams in for only the second time in league history. Drexel, Towson and VCU in the WNIT. George Mason in the WBI.

Delaware: Can they sweep? The key weekend is Feb. 16 and 19 with games at Hofstra and Drexel.

Old Dominion: We were really worried about these guys in late December. But they stayed the course and have improved to the point where if they can display a bit more poise at the end of games, they could loom as a dangerous team in the conference tournament.

James Madison: Love their defense. Now about that scoring ....

Hofstra: Will they sprint to the finish behind the kind of transition game most coaches would envy?

George Mason: Go figure the Thursday win at Drexel. Moton's MVP-like season in a league where EDD doesn't exist adds a whole new dimension to these Patriots.

VCU: These seniors were in the NCAA Tournament as freshmen. Can they find the consistency to make it back to the postseason.

Georgia State: Youth growing up, but we don't think they'll mature in time to make a run.

Towson: Tigers are on a three-game slide, but given that win over JMU, it's hard to count them out of the upset picture.

William and Mary: We know they can shine in the 20 minutes. Imagine if that gleam carried over to the second 20 minutes.

UNC Wilmington: Now that Cynthia Cooper-Dyke has whipped the new-look Seahawks into shape, can this team get enough rebounding to make some serious noise in March?

Northeastern: The Huskies have some good upperclassmen, a talented sophomore (Tunstull) and some quality freshmen. Why doesn't this mix yield better results?

All the way from NYC to GMU: Reana Mohamed

One of New York's finest talks about signing with George Mason.

Congrats to Mary Louis Academy shooting guard Reana Mohamed.

Randomness with George Mason's Amber Easter

What is RANDOMNESS? Just what it sounds like. A series of questions and answers in no particular order for no particular reason.

We like to have fun at LadySwish and we like to get inside the heads of the players who make up this sport. Our new feature "Randomness" is one way we'll be doing that this season.

We start "Randomness" with George Mason's Amber Easter.

Is Easter your favorite holiday?
No, it's not. That would have to be Thanksgiving. I spend it with my family; we all eat and then go to sleep.

Hampton native that you are, what's your favorite spot in your hometown?
Peninsula Town Center. I love to shop.

Specifically?
Forever 21.

On your Christmas list....
One of those tablets from Verizon.

Movie you can't get enough of?
"Shark Tale"

You collect....?
All hotel keys. I have one from Florida with SpongeBob and Patrick on it (her fave).

Kobe or Lebron?
Lebron

Maya or Candace?
Seimone Augustus.

Spot you love on the Mason campus?
Jackson Center

What others probably don't know...
In high school I was a band geek. I played all the percussion instruments -- xylophone, bells, marimba.

Anything else?
I was a cheerleader and danced. I loved cheerleading.

Who's a better player. You or your mom (Mom Betty Fulgham played at Virginia Union).
Me. We play all the time and she's a bully.

Her best shot?
A right hand hook shot.

Yours?
One-dribble pull-up.

Christine

Funnest teammate
Christine Weithman. We have sunglasses parties every night.

Road trip you're looking most forward to?
Norfolk State (Jan. 2). It's near home plus my mom works there. (She's an accountant.)

Dream dinner guests?
Chris Brown and Michael Jordan.

And you'd eat?
Chinese.

Best part of being a psychology major?
Using what I learn in class on my teammates. Once they figure it out, they get really mad at me and tell me I shouldn't be doing it.

Push shuffle on your Ipod and what could come up?
"Racks" by Young Chris

In 10 years you hope to be.....
Coaching or playing basketball

Dream day (other than the Patriots walloping an opponent):
A spa day. The works. All expenses paid, mud bath, facial, etc.

George Mason brings back old coach as new assistant

Remember Jim Lewis, the winningest coach in George Mason history? The ex-Patriot is a Patriot once again, this time as an assistant to Jeri Porter.

Lewis was the inaugural coach of the Washington Mystics, where he spent two seasons. Last year he was an assistant at Georgia Tech. Prior to that he spent two years as director of scouting for the Indiana Fever. Before coming to George Mason, he spent six seasons as head coach at Fordham.

Lewis was 201-177 at GMU over 14 seasons (1984-1997).

Reflection: George Mason



Scoring and assist leader Taleia Moton returns.

2010-11 season: 13-17, 7-11 in CAA; Lost in first round of the CAA Tournament to Georgia State
Who's leaving: Angelee LaTouche (4.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg), Brittany Poindexter (11.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg), Ashleigh Braxton (5 ppg), Brittany Eley (5 ppg)

Who's coming: Talisha Watts (6-2 F/C, Brooksville (Va.) High): Seminole District Player of the Year whose team achieved the top ranking in Group AA and finished with a 20-3 record and loss in the region to Spotswood. VHSCA AA honorable mention. Annie Lawler (6-0 F South Kingston (RI) High): Scored her 1,000th career point as a junior, Lawler was the stud player on a South Kingstown team depleted by graduation. South Kingstown was defeated by Woonsocket in the first round of the playoffs despite 26 from Lawler.; Rachel McNair (6-0 F, Nyack (NY) High): Became a 1,000-point scorer after only three years of varsity experience; NYSSWA All-State Fourth Team (10 teams are picked in Class A)

High point: Defeating Delaware 67-56 on Feb. 17, limiting Elena Delle Donne to 14 points in 40 minutes.

Low point: Beaten at home on Nov. 26 by Radford, former team of Jeri Porter and Taleia Moton. Patriots were outscored 31-9 in the final 10 minutes.

Program stock:  Trickling upward

The record isn't gaudy, but the progress is there. When Jeri Porter took over at George Mason three years ago, the Patriots were 4-26. Last year they improved to 10-20. This year's 13-17 mark included a series sweep of Delaware (Elena Delle Donne played in one of those games) and wins over Hofstra, Drexel and a four-point loss at Old Dominion.

A winnable first-round game in the CAA Tournament turned into a 68-64 loss and Porter said at the time that her teams needs to develop a maturity and consistency lacking for much of this season.

Three starters will depart, but the Patriots return scoring and assist leader Taleia Moton. Ninth in the CAA in scoring offense last season, George Mason needs production, and the trio coming in put up big numbers during acclaimed high school careers. Talisha Watts looks to be the most impressive of the bunch behind her all-arms, all-legs build that gives her a sizable wing span despite her slight frame. She led Lynchburg's Brookville High to a 20-3 mark and was recognized as Seminole District Player of the Year.

Porter describes Annie Lawler of South Kingtown (R.I.) High as "shooting the ball as well as any post player I've seen all summer." Rachel McNair also comes in as a 1,000-point scorer from high school.

We don't doubt that given the youth, the Patriots will still struggle offensively, at least at the start of next season. We'd like to see a banner senior year from Evelyn Lewis, a Hampton High star who transferred in from Penn State and scored 17 in her George Mason debut. The 6-3 center averaged just 4 ppg last year despite shooting a team-best 51 percent from the field. We like the way freshman Christine Weithman finished the season -- her 21 points against Northeastern in the regular-season finale was a career high -- and look for her to become a more consistent offensive threat as a sophomore. Weithman, the top free-throw shooter on the team, completed her career at Blake High in Silver Spring, Md., as the all-time leading scorer there.

The Patriots could also get a lift from Janaa Pickard, a 6-1 forward who led the team in blocks two years ago before missing last season with a knee injury.

We don't see the Patriots challenging for the league title as early as next season. We do see them challenging other teams in the CAA and moving in the right direction under a coach intent on rebuilding a program that was once in the upper half of the conference.