Jan. 28, 2008

The George Mason men's basketball team hosts Virginia Commonwealth on Tuesday evening in a game televised on ESPN2. The Patriots are in a tie for second place in the Colonial Athletic Association while the Rams are alone in first. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., encouraging fans to arrive early to avoid parking and traffic issues.

Tuesday night will be a Gold Rush as all fans are encouraged to wear gold. In addition, 2,000 Gold Rush T-shirts will be distributed at the door courtesy of Student Government. The game is the Broadside Game of the Week and Go Mason cheer cards will be handed out to all students with a valid ID, courtesy of the Washington Times. While it is ESPN's Spirit Week, it is also Mason Rivalry Week. Face painting and sign making stations will be set up in the concourse. The best rivalry sign/poster will win a gift card to Brion's Grille and a Mason prize pack.

The Rams have won three straight in the series, sweeping all of last year's meetings. The previous season, Mason swept both contests. The Rams have won seven straight since losing to James Madison on Jan. 2. The Patriots are coming off a road loss at UNC Wilmington but Mason is undefeated at home this season with a 9-0 mark.

VCU holds a 25-14 all-time lead in the series. Mason is 9-8 at home all-time against the Rams and 7-3 at Patriot Center under Jim Larranaga. Will Thomas, John Vaughan, Folarin Campbell and Dre Smith are all scoring in double figures. Only three teams in the CAA have four players averaging in double figures. The other two are James Madison and UNC Wilmington. Thomas is averaging 15.8 points and 10.0 rebounds. He is second in the CAA in rebounding and field-goal percentage and seventh in scoring. John Vaughan is averaging 14.5 points and 4.7 rebounds while Folarin Campbell is averaging 13.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Smith leads the team with 53 3-pointers and he's shooting 44.5 percent from behind the arc.

While the Rams only have two players scoring in double figures, they are both among the top 10 in the CAA in scoring. Eric Maynor is second with an 18.3 ppg average. He also is second in the CAA in assists with 5.2 Jamal Shuler is averaging 16.1 points per game along with 4.6 rebounds, which is also second on the team. He leads the Rams with 32 steals. Michael Anderson is shooting 48.6 percent from the field while leading the club with 5.2 rebounds.