FAIRFAX, Va. — The George Mason University men’s basketball team (7-0) hosts the 102nd meeting between the Patriots and James Madison (5-3) on Saturday in Fairfax.

Tip-off between the Patriots and Dukes is set for 2 p.m. Saturday’s game will be televised regionally on Monumental Sports Network and streamed nationally on ESPN+, featuring commentary from Bill Rohland and former Georgetown head coach Craig Esherick. In addition, Voice of the Patriots Steve Kolbe will call the game on the GoMason Digital Network, with streaming coverage beginning at 1:45 p.m.

PATRIOT POINTS
• A win by the Green & Gold would even the series at 51-51 all time.

• George Mason is 7-0 for the first time in school history. The Patriots are one of 28 remaining unbeaten teams nationally.

• The Patriots went 2-0 in Daytona Beach to earn the 2025 GEICO Sunshine Slam title. It marked GMU’s first MTE championship since the 2019 Cayman Islands Classic.

• GMU won the title with a 74-65 victory over AAC foe Florida Atlantic on Tuesday. The Patriots led by as many as 19 (61-42) in the second half and withstood a furious late Owls rally.

• Sunshine Slam MVP Kory Mincy led the Patriots with 22 points (7-12 FG, 3-5 3pt) vs. the Owls and dished out five assists. He averaged 22.0 points, 4.5 assists, 4.5 3pt FG made/game and shot 56.3 percent from 3pt range during the two games in Daytona.

• Mincy ranks seventh nationally in 3pt percentage (.564) and 16th in FT percentage (.965). He is second in the A-10 in scoring (18.9 ppg) and 3pt FG made/game (3.14) and sixth in assists (3.7/game). He also leads the league in minutes/game (34:17).

• After dishing out a career-best eight assists in Monday’s win over Ohio, Jahari Long poured in 21 points (7-11 FG, 4-5 3pt) in the victory over FAU. He is nine of his last 12 (.750) from 3pt range and ranks fifth in the A-10 in minutes/game (32:10).

• Tony Skinn’s Patriot Pressure defense has returned this season, as the Green & Gold rank 25th nationally in effective FG defense (.427) and 51st in overall defensive efficiency (1.004 ppp). GMU also is 14th in scoring defense (61.9 ppg) and 27th in 3pt defense (.270).

• After a 2-for-20 showing from 3 vs. New Hampshire on Nov. 15, the Patriots have heated up over the past three games, making 30-of-62 (.484) 3pt attempts. GMU leads the A-10 and ranks 15th nationally in 3pt percentage (.415).

• Skinn, the 2025 A-10 Coach of the Year, sports an overall win percentage of .720 (54-21) and is at 66.7 percent (24-12) in A-10 games over his first three seasons. The Nov. 11 victory made Skinn the fastest coach in program history to reach 50 victories.

• After averaging 14.4 turnovers/game over the first five contests, the Patriots tallied a much-improved 6.5 turnovers/game during the two games in Florida.

• George Mason ranks 22nd nationally in FT rate (.489) and makes 20.6 free throws/game (33rd in the country).

• Masai Troutman also earned Sunshine Slam All-Tournament Team accolades. He posted an efficient 18 points (7-10 FG, 4-4 3pt) in Monday’s win over Ohio.

HISTORY vs. JAMES MADISON
George Mason and James Madison, celebrating a historic Commonwealth rivalry, will meet for the 102nd time on the hardwood Saturday. JMU holds a slim 51-50 edge in the series, although Mason has won 24 of the past 27 matchups between the schools. James Madison is Mason’s most common opponent over the program’s 60-year history. Mason is 27-19 vs. JMU in Fairfax, 19-28 in Harrisonburg and 4-4 on neutral courts vs. the Dukes.

The last time the teams met, the Patriots defeated the Dukes, 66-61, on Nov. 29, 2024, in a Black Friday win that turned GMU’s season around. George Mason entered the game 2-3, but proceeded to win 17 of the next 19 contests en route to the program’s first-ever A-10 regular season title.

HISTORY vs. SUN BELT OPPONENTS
George Mason is 88-96 (.478) all time against programs currently in the Sun Belt Conference. The bulk of those meetings have come against old CAA foes James Madison (50-51), Old Dominion (22-38) and Georgia State (10-3). In the most recent matchup with a Sun Belt opponent, the Patriots knocked off the Dukes 66-61 last season in Harrisonburg.

This season, George Mason also will host Old Dominion on Dec. 13 in a game that will commemorate the 20th anniversary of the program’s 2006 Final Four run.

A LOOK AT THE DUKES (5-3, 0-0 SUN BELT; KenPom #154)
James Madison was picked to win the Sun Belt Conference in the league’s 2025-26 preseason poll. JMU is 5-3 to begin the season and has won three straight heading into Saturday’s matchup.

JMU features a top-100 KenPom offense (1.133 points/possession, 83rd) and ranks 42nd nationally in 3pt percentage (.384) and 44th in 3pt field goals made per game (10.4). The Dukes give up 1.138 points/possession defensively (312th nationally).

Justin McBride (15.4 ppg) leads the team in scoring and pulls down 5.1 rebounds per contest. Preseason All–Sun Belt First Team pick Bradley Douglas adds 13.4 points per game and ranks fourth in the Sun Belt with 4.5 assists per contest. Cliff Davis chips in 12.6 points per game and ranks fourth in the league with 2.75 3pt field goals made per game.

UP NEXT
The Patriots continue their two-game homestand with a Tuesday night contest against Ivy League foe Cornell. Tip-off on Dec. 2 between George Mason and the Big Red is set for 7 p.m.