Game of the Week: George Mason vs. VCU

VCU hosts George Mason at 4 p.m. ET Saturday in a showdown between the top two teams in the Atlantic 10, making it this week’s Mid-Major Basketball Game of the Week. The game will air on CBS Sports Network.

George Mason (21-5, 12-1 A-10) sits atop the conference, while VCU (21-5, 11-2 A-10) trails by just one game. Both teams enter on winning streaks, with the visiting Patriots riding an 11-game streak and the Rams winning their last five. 

George Mason

The Patriots currently own the nation’s second-longest win streak, having won 11 straight games and 19 of their last 21. George Mason is off to its best conference start in the program’s 59-year history at 12-1. The Patriots’ 21-5 overall record is their best start since the 2010-11 season when they opened 26-5 and won 16 straight en route to an NCAA Tournament appearance.  

George Mason is coming off a thrilling 58-57 comeback win over Saint Joseph’s on Feb. 15. The Patriots trailed by 16 points (37-21) with 2:54 remaining in the first half but held SJU scoreless for stretches of 4:28, 4:08, and 8:00 over the final 22-plus minutes to secure the victory.  

Jalen Haynes led the Patriots with an A-10 personal best of 22 points and a game-high eight rebounds against the Hawks. Over the past four games, he has averaged 16.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 55.1 percent from the field.  

Defensively, George Mason ranks third in the nation in field goal percentage defense (.374) while also excelling in effective field goal defense (second, .441), two-point defense (fifth, .438), and 3-point defense (17th, .296). The Patriots are ninth in scoring defense (62.1 ppg allowed) and 15th in overall defensive efficiency (0.948 points per possession).  

VCU

VCU, the preseason pick to win the conference, opened conference play with a loss at St. Bonaventure but has since won 11 of its last 12 games.

The Rams boast a strong defensive identity, ranking 23rd nationally in KenPom’s defensive efficiency (0.962 points per possession allowed). They also feature a top-60 offense (54th, 1.160 points per possession) and are among the best in the nation in effective field goal defense (6th) and turnovers forced per game (30th, 14.65).  

Offensively, VCU relies heavily on the 3-point shot, attempting 28.9 3s per game, ranking 18th most in the country. Joe Bamisile leads the Rams in scoring with 15.9 points per game while also contributing 5.2 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Max Shulga adds 15.2 points per game, shoots 41.7 percent from beyond the arc, and ranks third in the A-10 in steals per game (1.88). Phillip Russell (11.3 ppg) and Zeb Jackson (10.4 ppg) also provide consistent scoring threats for VCU.