A Rewarding Journey

March 17, 2026

While our season didn't end the way we hoped in the conference tournament, I couldn't be prouder of what this group accomplished by winning the CUSA regular-season championship. At times, the emphasis on the conference tournament can overshadow just how meaningful a regular-season title truly is.

We are honored to continue playing basketball in the National Invitational Tournament, which was founded in 1938. The NIT actually pre-dates the NCAA Tournament. This marks the 88th season of the NIT and it tips off tonight at 6:00 pm EST on ESPN2, when the Flames face George Mason.

Tony Skin and his staff have done an outstanding job with their team. George Mason creates significant pressure with a strong inside-out offensive attack along with a very disciplined defensive, particularly when playing on their home floor.

The Patriots are one of seven programs with 17 or more home wins this season and are 49-8 since Coach Skinn took over the program. Last season’s Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year is 70-30 in the A-10, in his first three seasons.

Since the beginning of last season, GMU is second in the A-10 and ranks 27th nationally with 50 wins. Coach Skinn is the first coach in school history to win 20 or more games in three consecutive seasons.

This season George Mason was the only team to beat the top three teams in the A-10, defeating Saint Louis, VCU and Saint Joseph’s, which are all playing in the NCAA or the NIT.

The Patriots have four players who averaged double-figures in scoring, led by juniors Riley Allenspach and Kory Mincy. They combine to average 28 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.6 steals per contest.

Riley Allenspach and Kory Mincy earned All-Atlantic 10 honors, but the rest of the roster is very good as well. This season, eight different players have led the Patriots in scoring, and 10 players average at least 10 minutes per game. George Mason is one of the most balanced teams in the country.

They also do a great job of taking care of the basketball and they get to the free throw line often. Their numbers across the board have been very good, but have been even better in the second half of games this season, so we will need to play our best basketball for forty minutes.

I can’t state enough how proud I am of our group.  They have faced every challenge this season and continued to battle, winning the CUSA regular-season title by four games. Our senior class has averaged 24.5 wins per season, and they have set the standard for our younger players to follow.

We're genuinely excited to continue our season in the NIT. Any opportunity to keep playing is a privilege, and doing so with the group of young men we have makes this journey especially rewarding.