George Mason University men's basketball head coach Kim English has announced the team's 2022-23 non-conference schedule, which includes seven home games, a marquee road contest at Auburn and neutral site events in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Chicago.
The 13-game slate includes up to five contests against top-100 teams in the final 2021-22 NET rankings. Mason also will host top-125 opponents Toledo (86) and Hofstra (112) inside EagleBank Arena and face as many as seven teams which won 20 or more games a season ago.
The Patriots will play three games in the 2022 Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as travel to the Windy City's United Center to battle Tulane in the Legends of Basketball Showcase.
Nov. 7 at Auburn (TBA)
• First road opener for the Patriots since 2008-09
• Tigers earned a No. 2 seed in the 2022 NCAA Tournament and won 28 games
• Auburn returns K.D. Johnson (12.3 ppg) & Wendell Green Jr. (12.0 ppg, 5.1 apg)
• Second all-time meeting; First since 2017-18
• 2021-22 Record: 28-6, 15-3 SEC
• 2021-22 NET: 13
Nov. 11 vs. Longwood (ESPN+)
• Lancers won the Big South in 2021-22 and made first NCAA Tournament in school history
• Longwood also set a new program record for wins (26)
• Lancers will be led by 2022 First Team All-Big South pick Isaiah Wilkins (12.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg)
• Mason leads all-time series, 3-0; First meeting since Nov. 8, 2019
• 2021-22 Record: 26-7, 15-1 Big South
• 2021-22 NET: 131
Nov. 13 vs. American (ESPN+)
• Eagles return four of top-5 scorers from last season
• Fourth meeting in past five seasons
• Mason leads the all-time series, 33-11
• 2021-22 Record: 10-22, 5-13 Patriot
• 2021-22 NET: 335
Nov. 18-21 at U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam (ESPN3)
Nov. 18 vs. Boston College (ESPN3)
• Return top-3 scorers, including Makai Ashton-Langford (12.0 ppg, 3.4 apg)
• Second season under head coach Earl Grant
• First ever meeting between Mason and BC
• 2021-22 Record: 13-20, 6-14 ACC
• 2021-22 NET: 141
Nov. 19 or 20 vs. Belmont or Tarleton State
• Belmont 2021-22 Record (NET): 25-8, 15-3 OVC (79)
• Tarleton State 2021-22 Record (NET): 14-17, 9-9 WAC (214)
Nov. 21 vs. Buffalo/Drake/Howard/Wyoming
• Buffalo 2021-22 Record (NET): 19-11, 13-6 MAC (120)
• Drake 2021-22 Record (NET): 25-11, 13-5 MVC (85)
• Howard 2021-22 Record (NET): 16-13, 9-5 MEAC (241)
• Wyoming 2021-22 Record (NET): 25-9, 13-5 MWC (58)
Nov. 26 vs. Queens (ESPN+)
• Inaugural Division I season for the Royals
• Queens went 163-30 (.845) over past six DII seasons; 2 Final Fours/3 Elite Eights/4 Sweet 16s
• Second meeting between Mason and Queens over past three seasons
• 2021-22 Record: 30-4, 21-3 South Atlantic
• 2021-22 NET: N/A
Nov. 30 vs. Hofstra (ESPN+)
• Pride will be led by Aaron Estrada (18.5 ppg, 5.0 apg)
• Also return Darlinston Dubar (11.7 ppg) and welcome transfer Tyler Thomas (16.4 ppg at SHU)
• First meeting since 2012-13 between the old CAA rivals
• Mason leads all-time series, 15-8
• 2021-22 Record: 21-11, 13-5 CAA
• 2021-22 NET: 112
Dec. 3 vs. Toledo (ESPN+)
• Rockets return four of top-5 scorers from last season's NIT squad
• Toledo has won back-to-back MAC regular season titles for first time in school history
• 26 wins in 2021-22 just one shy of the program record
• Rockets lead all-time series, 3-1; First matchup since 11/24/01
• 2021-22 Record: 26-8, 17-3 MAC
• 2021-22 NET: 86
Dec. 6 – vs. UMES (ESPN+)
• Hawks return six of top-7 scorers from 2021-22 team
• That group includes All-MEAC pick Da'Shawn Phillip (9.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.1 apg)
• Mason leads all-time series, 2-0; First meeting since 12/22/82
• 2021-22 Record: 11-16, 6-8 MEAC
• 2021-22 NET: 309
Dec. 17 – vs. Tulane (TBA)
• Return top-4 scorers, including Jalen Cook (18.0 ppg) and Jaylen Forbes (16.5 ppg)
• Teams have split two previous meetings; First matchup since Nov. 28, 2009
• First single game neutral site contest for Mason since 2013 BB&T Classic (Oklahoma)
• 2021-22 Record: 14-15, 10-8 AAC
• 2021-22 NET: 94
Dec. 21 – at Old Dominion (TBA)
• ODU welcomes four talented transfers in 2022-23
• 60th all-time meeting between the programs (ODU leads, 37-22)
• First matchup in Norfolk since January 4, 2014
• 2021-22 Record: 13-19, 8-10 C-USA
• 2021-22 NET: 201
Dec. 23 – vs. Coppin State (ESPN+)
• Eagles in sixth season under former Maryland star Juan Dixon
• CSU will welcome Penn State transfer point guard Sam Sessoms (11.6 ppg)
• 23rd all-time meeting between the programs
• Game has been canceled in each of past two seasons (COVID-19 protocols)
• 2021-22 Record: 9-23, 6-8 MEAC
• 2021-22 NET: 301
2022-23 Non-Conference Schedule
Nov. 7 (Mon.) – at Auburn
Nov. 11 (Fri.) – Longwood
Nov. 13 (Sun.) – American
Nov. 18 (Fri.) – vs. Boston College, 8 p.m. (Paradise Jam)
Nov. 19/20 (Sat./Sun.) – vs. Belmont or Tarleton State (Paradise Jam)
Nov. 21 (Mon.) – vs. Buffalo/Drake/Howard/Wyoming (Paradise Jam)
Nov. 26 (Sat.) – Queens
Nov. 30 (Wed.) – Hofstra
Dec. 3 (Sat.) – Toledo
Dec. 6 (Tues.) – UMES
Dec. 17 (Sat.) – vs. Tulane (Chicago, Ill.)
Dec. 21 (Wed.) – at Old Dominion
Dec. 23 (Fri.) – Coppin State
About The Patriots: George Mason returns seven letter winners and three starters from a 2021-22 squad which posted the program's best KenPom and NET/RPI final rankings in a decade. That group of starters includes senior Josh Oduro - the 2021-22 A-10 scoring champion (17.7 ppg) and Mason's first All-A-10 First Team selection in program history – as well as graduate student DeVon Cooper (11.6 ppg, 40.9 3pt FG%) and senior Davonte Gaines (10.2 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 40.2 3pt FG%). The Patriots also welcome the program's best recruiting class in nearly 15 seasons, led by ESPN Top-75 recruit Justyn Fernandez (Richmond, Va.).
Season Tickets: Season ticket holders from 2021-22 will receive their renewal invoice by email along with a mailed invoice packet around the end of August, upgrade requests can be made now by contacting the Athletic Ticket Office. New season ticket holders are encouraged to fill out a ticket information request to be contacted by a George Mason ticket representative or place a deposit online. Seat selection for new season ticket holders will occur in September of 2022. Mini-plans will go on sale in mid-September, while single game tickets will be released in October. More information on season tickets is available on GoMason.com.
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