My God. We sign a true PG who averaged almost 8 PPG and 5 APG on a team that was BETTER THAN US and people are still complaining??
My God. We sign a true PG who averaged almost 8 PPG and 5 APG on a team that was BETTER THAN US and people are still complaining??
Nailed it. Not to mention his godfather is Johnny Dawkins. 😉
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My God. We sign a true PG who averaged almost 8 PPG and 5 APG on a team that was BETTER THAN US and people are still complaining??
OMG, this: ALL. EFFING. DAY. LONG.
He's not John Stockton: NOT GOOD! 😆
(Inflammatory political snark)
GMU had a few good wins in conference and some bad losses (George Washington who Mo St pounded, a bad LaSalle team, a bad Old Dominion team, a bad UMass team.....)
FYI, Dayton and St. Bonnie were NIT teams. UNI beat SBU by 10 early in the year at SBU when UNI wasn't playing great. Richmond was a surprise at the end of the year - won the A10 Tourney, upset Iowa in the NCAA (Iowa who shot 36% and 20% from three), got blown out by Providence 2nd game. I question whether the A10 was any better than the MVC - pretty even I'd say.
I hope all you optimists are correct about this PG. GMU had a good big guy, Oduro, who was the first 1st team All Con in GMU history (hard to believe when they went to the Final Four years ago), which can really help your assists. Don't forget, we only have two guys he can get the ball to that can score semi-consistently.
I'd be happier if he averaged 14 ppg, because our O has generally sucked. As far as handling the ball, Banks was fine - not a scoring threat at all though, and neither is this guy unfortunately.
PG is is not our most important need, and a great PG is not going to cure our offensive problems. We need a power forward who can score! We get that, we can be a team to be reckoned with. (Just need more firepower. Maybe Wonders can be that 3 pt gunner we need.)
I can’t imagine thinking I know basketball and saying “a great point guard doesn’t cure offensive problems”… it’s like saying a great QB doesn’t make an offense automatically better or a great lead off hitter doesn’t help a team score runs.
https://siusalukis.com/news/2022/4/13/mens-basketball-adds-george-mason-transfer-xavier-johnson.aspx
Looks like his scoring picked up in February, and love that he had several high assist games against some good teams like VCU and Richmond. Interesting that he didn't end up at Central Florida where his dad is on staff and his brother plays.
He looks like the player we needed at point. Now get a long guard/forward who can defend and score.
He looks like the player we needed at point. Now get a long guard/forward who can defend and score.
Yeah I think SIU is in a good spot where I think they can offer up a starting spot at pretty much any position from the Small Forward to Center. If that’s a bigger shooting guard, you can easily play 3 guards. I’d like to see some athleticism and someone that can score considering you have to try and make up for some of the loss of Coupet.
Johnson is your starting PG, Jones is your starting 2 guard, I’d prefer Domask at the 3 but you grab an athletic guard and he can easily play the 4. And then Muila, Hornecker, Ebube, or a possible transfer at the 5. Right now, I don’t think there’s enough scoring to start Muila but you add a guy that can fill it up, I think you can live with Muila’s lack of scoring because of his defense
My God. We sign a true PG who averaged almost 8 PPG and 5 APG on a team that was BETTER THAN US and people are still complaining??
Nailed it. Not to mention his godfather is Johnny Dawkins. 😉
Not sure what his Godfather has to do with his playing ability but fun fact nonetheless. George Mason was marginally better with a 14-16 (7-9) record…yeehaw. I’m not particularly concerned where he came from, sure it can help inform on talent level, but if he can play, he can play.
I’m not so much complaining, more disappointed because I thought there were some better PGs available we were recruiting and didn’t get. Who knows, maybe this was their top target. I think he can certainly help this team and as I mentioned before, I love is Asst to TO numbers and defense. I also think he will help elevate the other players around him in scoring , but we have a lot of points to make up and this, for me, doesn’t close that gap as much as I would like. It really makes the last signing (assuming another scholarship doesn’t open) critical…we have to get someone else who can score. Ideally a stretch 4 with some athleticism, but at this point I don’t care if it’s a 3, 4, or 5.
Having said all that, I hope this kid comes in with a chip and makes me eat crow and takes this team to the next level.
GMU had a few good wins in conference and some bad losses (George Washington who Mo St pounded, a bad LaSalle team, a bad Old Dominion team, a bad UMass team.....)
FYI, Dayton and St. Bonnie were NIT teams. UNI beat SBU by 10 early in the year at SBU when UNI wasn't playing great. Richmond was a surprise at the end of the year - won the A10 Tourney, upset Iowa in the NCAA (Iowa who shot 36% and 20% from three), got blown out by Providence 2nd game. I question whether the A10 was any better than the MVC - pretty even I'd say.
I hope all you optimists are correct about this PG. GMU had a good big guy, Oduro, who was the first 1st team All Con in GMU history (hard to believe when they went to the Final Four years ago), which can really help your assists. Don't forget, we only have two guys he can get the ball to that can score semi-consistently.
I'd be happier if he averaged 14 ppg, because our O has generally sucked. As far as handling the ball, Banks was fine - not a scoring threat at all though, and neither is this guy unfortunately.
PG is is not our most important need, and a great PG is not going to cure our offensive problems. We need a power forward who can score! We get that, we can be a team to be reckoned with. (Just need more firepower. Maybe Wonders can be that 3 pt gunner we need.)
I can’t imagine thinking I know basketball and saying “a great point guard doesn’t cure offensive problems”… it’s like saying a great QB doesn’t make an offense automatically better or a great lead off hitter doesn’t help a team score runs.
I don’t think the point was he doesn’t make us better, but that our offensive problems are too many. Of course great PG play helps (assuming he is great), but that alone is not going to put us at the top of the conference, where I think we all think/hope we will be next year.
https://siusalukis.com/news/2022/4/13/mens-basketball-adds-george-mason-transfer-xavier-johnson.aspx
Looks like his scoring picked up in February, and love that he had several high assist games against some good teams like VCU and Richmond. Interesting that he didn't end up at Central Florida where his dad is on staff and his brother plays.
This is a Mullins guy. Toughness, defense, vocal, floor leader. We have lacked a vocal locker room and floor leader, which has been referenced by Mullins multiple times. This guy brings tangibles and intangibles. After reading Mullins quotes and listening to this guy talk I am even more excited to have him. I think his quickness will be a big asset too, as we were lacking that at times last year. We can score more in transition with a PG like Johnson. We had trouble scoring in the half court against set defenses last year and had some success in transition at times. I think Johnson will help us run more. He and Jones are going to give teams fits on offense and defense with their quickness. He is also more of a threat from three than Banks. Go Dawgs!
My God. We sign a true PG who averaged almost 8 PPG and 5 APG on a team that was BETTER THAN US and people are still complaining??
Nailed it. Not to mention his godfather is Johnny Dawkins. 😉
I’m not so much complaining, more disappointed because I thought there were some better PGs available we were recruiting and didn’t get.
I really think Johnson was one of the best attainable options out there for Point Guard. Brian Moore would have been nice but I think he’s destined for high major.
On the list that we had of guys we had known interest in, Johnson was 5th in transfer rankings (page 44) behind Ta’Lon Cooper of Morehead State (would have been a great get), Max Klesmit of Wofford (more of a 2 guard), Ryan Larson of Wofford, and Jacobi Wood of Belmont. Didn’t include JUCO guys like Brian Moore.
All last season we were begging then to add a pass first guard that could move Jones to his natural position and they got a guy who might lead the MVC in assists next year
GMU had a few good wins in conference and some bad losses (George Washington who Mo St pounded, a bad LaSalle team, a bad Old Dominion team, a bad UMass team.....)
FYI, Dayton and St. Bonnie were NIT teams. UNI beat SBU by 10 early in the year at SBU when UNI wasn't playing great. Richmond was a surprise at the end of the year - won the A10 Tourney, upset Iowa in the NCAA (Iowa who shot 36% and 20% from three), got blown out by Providence 2nd game. I question whether the A10 was any better than the MVC - pretty even I'd say.
I hope all you optimists are correct about this PG. GMU had a good big guy, Oduro, who was the first 1st team All Con in GMU history (hard to believe when they went to the Final Four years ago), which can really help your assists. Don't forget, we only have two guys he can get the ball to that can score semi-consistently.
I'd be happier if he averaged 14 ppg, because our O has generally sucked. As far as handling the ball, Banks was fine - not a scoring threat at all though, and neither is this guy unfortunately.
PG is is not our most important need, and a great PG is not going to cure our offensive problems. We need a power forward who can score! We get that, we can be a team to be reckoned with. (Just need more firepower. Maybe Wonders can be that 3 pt gunner we need.)
"I hope all you optimists", seriously now, have you ever known a successful pessimist?
Oscar the Grouch? Financially independent - owns his home outright!
GMU had a few good wins in conference and some bad losses (George Washington who Mo St pounded, a bad LaSalle team, a bad Old Dominion team, a bad UMass team.....)
FYI, Dayton and St. Bonnie were NIT teams. UNI beat SBU by 10 early in the year at SBU when UNI wasn't playing great. Richmond was a surprise at the end of the year - won the A10 Tourney, upset Iowa in the NCAA (Iowa who shot 36% and 20% from three), got blown out by Providence 2nd game. I question whether the A10 was any better than the MVC - pretty even I'd say.
I hope all you optimists are correct about this PG. GMU had a good big guy, Oduro, who was the first 1st team All Con in GMU history (hard to believe when they went to the Final Four years ago), which can really help your assists. Don't forget, we only have two guys he can get the ball to that can score semi-consistently.
I'd be happier if he averaged 14 ppg, because our O has generally sucked. As far as handling the ball, Banks was fine - not a scoring threat at all though, and neither is this guy unfortunately.
PG is is not our most important need, and a great PG is not going to cure our offensive problems. We need a power forward who can score! We get that, we can be a team to be reckoned with. (Just need more firepower. Maybe Wonders can be that 3 pt gunner we need.)
I can’t imagine thinking I know basketball and saying “a great point guard doesn’t cure offensive problems”… it’s like saying a great QB doesn’t make an offense automatically better or a great lead off hitter doesn’t help a team score runs.
#1 he's great now?? Sure hope so!
#2 Peyton Manning on a team with bad receivers that runs 3 yds and a cloud of dust offense won't make much difference. Aaron Rodgers handing the ball off 95% of the time on a Woody Hayes Ohio St team won't make much difference.
Johnson had an excellent 6'9" 1st team all-con forward to dish to. Oduro led the A10 in scoring and shot 52% FG. Sure helps your assist stats. I'll be very surprised if he averages 4.6 assists on the Salukis. Certainly hope so.
(Fact is, Lance Jones made a LOT of great passes this year - usually to no avail.)
I hope this guy turns out to be great! His rebounding stats are impressive for a guard - not as good as Coupet's but slightly better than LJ's. Not sure about D - he had 30 steals (Jones had 56). He also had 73 TOs - 2.6/game (LJ had 81 - 2.9/game) Shot 34.1% from three - slightly better than LJ, way better than Banks, not as good at Coupet, but that makes him a threat from 3. He probably would have scored more for us, since we didn't have much scoring threat inside. Can't count the number of times Banks had the ball at the 3pt line with nowhere to go, clock running down, and reluctant to shoot it.
BM likes him and I hope he turns out to be a big boost. He's a piece of the puzzle. Until I see it on the floor, though, I'm not about to anoint him the Second Coming!
We need to replace Coupet's scoring and much more! Our D should be tough. Our O was usually anemic. Need that stud power forward who can score and rebound.
His defense isn't even that good.
