FAIRFAX — George Washington comes to EagleBank Arena on Monday, and if you’re anywhere near Fairfax, this is your night.

It’s a holiday. People are off. And college basketball is front and center. Real college basketball. George Mason men’s basketball is sitting at 17-1, playing the best hoops in program history, and this is exactly the kind of game you show up for. Rivalry vibes. Home court. A team rolling. If you’re looking for something to do on a Monday night, this is it.

And make no mistake: this game matters for momentum, for résumé, and for bragging rights.

Mason’s defense is the real deal

This isn’t a team that’s just outscoring opponents and cruising. Mason has lived in the paint and on the defensive end all season, holding teams under 67 points per game and giving up offense at a clip that puts them comfortably among the more stingy defenses in college basketball. According to national stat tracking, Mason’s opponents score roughly 66.8 points per game, and the Patriots are limiting shots and cleaning up the glass in ways that feel like October talk but matter in March math.

That defense, paired with rebounding strength and disciplined ball control, is the foundation for this run.

What that means in the NET era

At 17-1, Mason is in the national at-large conversation, a conversation that looks very different now in the NET era than it did when records alone could carry more weight. Gone are the days when a great win-loss number could carry you all the way to Selection Sunday. Now, every win, every road stop, and every defensive stand counts in a system that rewards strong opponents, tough venues, and zero bad losses.

So while 17-1 gets your foot in the door, the Patriots still have to prove it over the next 13 games.

Scouting George Washington, a team that can score

GW enters Monday’s matchup with a respectable record, right around 12-6 overall and 3-2 in A-10 play, and they can put up points. The Colonials feature multiple scoring threats and don’t shy away from taking high-volume looks, which means Mason’s defense will be tested early and often.

GW has shown they’re capable of winning tight games and hitting the glass hard. They can push tempo if you let them, which makes them dangerous in spurts. If Mason ever needed the crowd to turn up and stay loud, this is that night.

Two paths, same standard

Let’s cut through the noise. Mason has 13 games left, and the road ahead really splits into two likely paths.

If Mason goes 10-3 and finishes 27-4, that’s an outstanding season. But in the NET era, it still might leave a few questions unanswered. You’ll almost certainly be in the NCAA Tournament conversation, but you’d probably want a strong showing in the A-10 Tournament to feel comfortable.

If Mason goes 11-2 and finishes 28-3, you suddenly start sounding like a team the committee expects to be in the field. That’s the margin between hoping and having peace of mind.

Either way, the rules are the same:

Protect home court
No bad losses
Steal at least one road win that makes people blink
Defend like your season depends on it, because it does

The one thing that never changes

There’s a basketball cliché older than most of us: defense travels, and offense forgets. It’s still true. Big shots matter in March, but stops matter every night. Teams that win championships don’t just score. They limit second chances, they grind possessions into mistakes, and they make the other team earn every bucket.

That’s Mason’s identity. That’s why this 17-1 feels different.

Which makes Monday night special

Before all the bracket talk, before the NET, before the A-10 Tournament, there’s Monday versus GW.

A holiday. A rivalry. A chance to show up.

If Mason wants to keep building momentum, not just in the standings, not just in analytics, but in hearts and minds, this is the game to pack the house for. It’s the kind of night where you can make a difference, where the crowd can help swing momentum, and where the Patriots can build a memory that sticks.

George Mason is 17-1.

On Monday night, when George Washington comes calling, EagleBank Arena should be the place to be.