George Mason Patriots 2026-27 Offseason Review: Hungry for the NCAA Tournament
Tony Skinn lost his top six scorers but rebuilt with a deep, versatile roster. Here's a full breakdown of every addition and expectation for the 2026-2027 Patriots.
It’s hard to believe, but the George Mason Patriots have not reached the NCAA Tournament since 2011 despite having seven 20+ win seasons, including four in a row. This past year, they were grooving as they started 20-2 overall and 8-1 in the Atlantic 10, dropping games to Virginia Tech 73-62 and Rhode Island on the road 74-65.
It went south quickly as they finished the regular season just 3-6, but they managed to demolish Saint Louis 86-57 in the last game of the season, showing how strong they could be at their peak. They went on to fall to St. Bonaventure in the A-10 tournament, then Liberty in the first round of the NIT.
After a disappointing end to what looked like it could have been a special season for the Atlantic-10, head coach Tony Skinn has his eyes set on the coming year. They’ve lost some key talent, but they retained a handful of key rotational players while bringing in some strong players to refill their loses and build what looks like a roster than can compete at the top of the conference once again. Let’s dive in!
Use the code “BracketBusters” when checking out at Crow’s Nest Coffee Roasters to receive 20% of your order! Want two bags of coffee shipped to your door every month? Sign up for a monthly subscription here and receive 25% off your monthly subscription!
Roster Turnover
Masai Troutman (Ineligible)
8.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Fatt Hill (Ineligible)
10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Dola Adebayo (Ineligible)
3.4 points, 2.3 rebounds
Nick Ellington (Ineligible)
4.7 points, 3.1 rebounds
Kory Mincy (South Carolina)
14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals
Riley Allenspach (Cincinnati)
13.6 points, 6.1 rebounds
Jahari Long (Wichita State)
12.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4 assists
Stas Sivka (William & Mary)
2.3 points, 1.4 rebounds
Devin Booker (La Salle)
1.8 points, 0.7 rebounds
Isaiah Skinn (Colgate)
DNP
As we aforementioned, it was a tough offseason for the Patriots. They lost four players due to ineligibility, then star Kory Mincy was picked up by South Carolina, Riley Allenspach was taken by Cincinnati, and Jahari Long ended up heading to Wichita State. In total, they lost their top six scorers from last season.
Returning Players
Brayden O’Connor (Senior)
4 points, 3 rebounds (1 game)
Malik Presley (Senior)
3.2 points, 1.5 rebounds
Emmanuel Kanga (Sophomore)
4.6 points, 5.3 rebounds
Ryan-Preston Mendy (Sophomore)
DNP (Redshirt)
Ben Woodward (Walk-on)
0.2 rebounds
T.J. Prosise (Walk-on)
0.3 points, 0.2 rebounds, 0.2 assists
Brayden O’Connor (6’5)
O’Conner is entering year three with George Mason after suffering a foot injury last season, forcing him to appear in just one game. The year prior, he appeared in and started in all 36 games on a team that finished 27-9 overall and 15-3 in conference. He averaged 9.1 points, three assists, and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 44.8% overall and 37.6% from beyond the arc.
Looking at his metrics from that season, he finished with a 103.5 offensive rating, 22.1 assist rate which was 331st overall, and a 56% true shooting percentage that jumped to 59.1% in the Atlantic-10 at 12th best in the conference. He also did a prolific job at getting to the line. He had a ridiculous 61.0 free throw rate in conference play, where he shot 81.9% from the line on 72 attempts.
If O’Connor is able to return to his prior capabilities, he’ll play a huge role for the Patriots this season once again.
Malik Presley (6’6)
Presley started his career out at Vanderbilt during the 2023-2024 season where he averaged 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 11.8 minutes across 26 games. He then transferred to Texas where he redshirt, in which he departed and landed at George Mason last season. He started 22 games out of his 33 appearances while averaging 3.2 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game. He shot 49.4% overall and 21.8% from beyond the arc on 22 attempts.
Despite starting in 22 games, he averaged just 16.1 minutes and the majority of his production came against lesser talent in the non-conference. From December 31st and onward, he never scored more than four points and finished with zero points in 12 games counting postseason play. It’ll be interesting to see what type of role he will play because he showed signs in the non-conference, but he clearly fell backwards into a limited role on the roster.
Emmanuel Kanga (6’8)
George Mason fans have to be excited about Kanga returning to the patriots this season. Following a promising freshman campaign, he’ll be looking to take another step forward in an expanded role. The 6’8 forward appeared in 32 games last year while averaging 13.3 minutes per game. He averaged 4.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 0.7 blocks per game while shooting 58.1% overall.
He put up some solid lines, including 13 points and 11 rebounds against No. 25 Saint Louis in their huge 86-57 win to close out the season, in which he followed up with 12 points, ten rebounds, and two blocks against Liberty in the NIT. He finished the season with a 26% defensive rebounding percentage and a 22.9% offensive rebounding percentage with a 128.2 offensive rating. His blocking numbers look promising as well with a 6.1 blocking percentage.
He has some work to do on the line as he shot just 59.5%, but he has a massive opportunity to grow into a key piece for the Patriots this season.
Ryan-Preston Mendy (6’9)
Mendy redshirt last season as a freshman following a strong showing in the ProA league in France. He averaged 8.1 points and 4.3 rebounds. His playing was a bit sporadic, but regardless he finished with two double-doubles. He shot 31.7% overall and 25.9% from beyond the arc. I don’t expect him to make a huge jump in minutes this season, but he’ll provide some important depth with height. Look for him to start his development on the court with ten or so minutes per game.
Ben Woodward & T.J. Prosise are both walk-ons, so you can imagine they’ll play similar roles next season.
Roster Additions
Baraka Okojie (Senior ~ Mercer)
19.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.4 steals
Elijah Jones (Senior ~ UTEP)
13.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.1 blocks
Makhai Valentine (Junior ~ Northern Illinois)
13.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Michael Marcus, Jr. (Junior ~ App State)
7.8 points, 6 rebounds
Lilian Marville (Sophomore ~ UNC Greensboro)
9.5 points, 2 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor (Sophomore ~ Butler)
5 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2 assists
Emmett Adair (Sophomore ~ Loyola Maryland)
14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1 assist
Peyton Miller (Freshman)
Shane Pendergrass (Freshman)
Bryton Barrett (Freshman)
Guards
Baraka Okojie (6’3)
He’s back! Okojie started his Division I career at George Mason three years ago where he appeared in 32 games, started in ten, and averaged 8.1 points with 2.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He then transferred to Memphis where his playing time diminished to just 11.5 minutes per game, but he bounced back with a monster year at Mercer last season. The 6’3 guard averaged 197 points, 3.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 42.9% overall and 32.5% from beyond the arc.
The Bears went 19-13 overall last year and finished 188th in KenPom, so he was the go-to player on a strong mid-major in the SoCon. He wrapped up the season with a 116.0 offensive rating, 29.6% possession usage which was 69th overall in the nation, 57% true shooting percentage, 28.5 assist rate, and he drew a remarkable 7.5 fouls per game which was 9th best in the country. As a result, his strong ability to draw fouls contributed to a 69.8 free throw rate as he converted 218 of his 268 attempts from the line.
Makhai Valentine (6’3)
After appearing in 12 games as a freshman at Missouri State, Valentine jumped to Northern Illinois where he immediately slid into a starting role. He averaged 13.3 points with 5.3 rebounds, one assist, and one steal per game while shooting 41.3% overall and 35.8% from three-point.
He turned it on as the season progressed and put up some huge numbers. Against Kent State and UMass, he put up 27 points, while finishing with 23 points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal against George State in the Sun Belt <> MAC challenge.
Looking at his metrics, he finished with a 114.5 offensive rating, 57.5% true shooting percentage, 14.7% defensive rebounding percentage, and a 30.5 free throw rate. He’s essentially a three-point sharpshooter as against Division I opponents he took just 88 shots from inside the arc vs 181 from outside.
Lilian Marville (6’1)
Marville had a strong freshman season after dominating at Orleans U21 in France the year prior. With Orleans, he put up a stat line of 18.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. In his jump to college basketball, the French product started in all 31 games and averaged 9.5 points, two rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 45.4% from the floor and a very strong 52.2% from three-point on three attempts per game.
The Spartans had their fair share of problems last season, but Marvile was a highlight. He finished the season with a 58.9% true shooting percentage which was 321st overall, a 112.7 offensive rating, 16.4 assist rate, and his 50.6% shooting from three-point on 89 attempts against Division I talent was the best overall in the country.
Early in the season, he didn’t put up much in terms of playmaking, but in seven out of his last eight games of the season, he was averaging 4.9 assists per game. Even if you take in the last game where he had 20 points with one assist, he was still averaging 4.4 assists per game over his last eight.
Peyton Miller (6’3)
Miller played for Overtime Elite last season while ranking as a three-star recruit and top-300 overall in his class. The 6’3 guard is a shifty point guard who’s athleticism speaks for itself. He can do it all on the court through his outside game, slashing to the rim, dishing it out, and fighting through contact to secure boards. It’s a bit up in the air on whether he will develop as a true point guard or more of a combo-guard, but don’t be surprised to see him get some playing time this season to start his development especially with the NCAA’s recent eligibility ruling.
Miller committed to George Mason over Hofstra, New Mexico State, Towson, Rhode Island, and many more.
Forwards
Elijah Jones (6’8)
Jones has spent the past three seasons with the UTEP Miners where he turned himself into a valuable starter last season. He started in all 31 games and averaged 13.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, with 1.1 blocks per game while shooting 47.9% overall from the floor. He can also stretch outside and knock down a three-pointer as he shot 38.6% on 4.1 attempts per game. Against Division I opponents, that jumped to 40%.
While on the court, he took 26.7% of the team’s shots which was 272nd overall in college basketball. He featured a 55.4% effective field goal percentage, 15.9% defensive rebounding percentage, and notably a 4.1% block percentage which was 195th best.
He had some monster games, including 17 points with 12 rebounds, two blocks, and two steals against New Mexico State, and he scored 20+ points five times.
Michael Marcus, Jr. (6’9)
Marcus, Jr. took a huge leap in his sophomore season with App State last year. He appeared in 32 games while starting 25 and averaging 24 minutes per game. He finished the year averaging 7.8 points with six rebounds per game while shooting 47.1% overall from the floor and 33.3% from beyond the arc on 2.8 attempts per game. He also finished with four double-double’s on the season.
He finished the year with a 117.2 offensive rating, 55.5% true shooting percentage, 11.3% offensive rebounding percentage which was 166th best in the nation, 15.2% defensive rebounding percentage, and a strong 56.3% shooting rate from inside the arc. This is another player that takes a lot of shots from outside as he took 85 from beyond the arc and 87 from inside.
Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor (6’6)
Coming out of high school, Oliogu-Elabor was listed as a three-star recruit where he chose Butler over other strong programs like Gonzaga, Oklahoma State, Mizzou, Illinois, and many more. In his first season, he appeared in 25 games while starting in ten. He averaged five points with 2.2 rebounds and two assists per game while shooting 41% from the floor. He’s not a three-point threat as he made just two of his 19 attempts. However, he’s a massive body with insane athleticism at 6’6 and 220 pounds.
On the season, he finished with a 46.8% true shooting percentage, 22.1 assist rate which jumped to 24.5 in Big East play (9th best in the conference), and a 2.6% steal percentage which jumped to 3.0% in the conference. As you can see with his metrics jumping later in the season, he really took off over the back half.
Starting on January 31st against Georgetown, his minutes jumped from 11.3 minutes per game to 22.7 minutes over the last eleven games of the season. During that span, he averaged 6.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He had some strong stat lines including 15 points with seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals in DePaul.
Emmett Adair (6’9)
The Australian freshman had a dominant campaign for his first season in college basketball. He averaged 14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and one assist across 27 games while shooting 46.6% overall and 31.5% from three-point on 5.3 attempts per game. From January 31st and on, he averaged 20 points and 6.4 rebounds with some monster games against some strong programs like 28 points, seven rebounds, and two assists against Navy.
Looking at his metrics, Adair finished with a 32.5% shot percentage which was 30th in the country, 10.1% offensive rebounding percentage which was 245th, and a 57.9% shooting percentage from inside the arc which was 431st. In the Patriot League, he was in the top in nearly every category including 6th in offensive rebounding percentage, 21st in block percentage, 19th in defensive rebounding percentage, 17th in effective field goal percentage, and 5th in possession usage.
While the Greyhounds were just 12-20 overall last season and 323rd in KenPom, you know there will be some regression in both metrics and stats as he jumps to the Atlantic 10. However, putting up these kinds of numbers with the data to back him as just a freshman speaks volumes that he’ll become a valuable basketball player for the Patriots.
Shane Pendergrass (6’8)
Pendergrass played high school at Hargrave Military Academy where he rose to top-150 rankings among his class while being listed as a four-star recruit overall. He’s had some truly dominant performances, including 18 points with five rebounds, three assists, and one block in the Capital Classic. For context, Anthony Brown Jr. who is listed as a top-100 recruit and is signed to Vanderbilt led the team in scoring with 32 points, so he was playing with some top-tier talent. This is the type of player that is going to immediately open people’s eyes as a freshman.
Pendergrass had offers from VCU, Seton Hall, California, Duquesne, and many more strong programs.
Bryton Barrett (6’8)
Let’s talk about an under-valued pickup here in Bryton Barrett. The 6’8 forward played at Archbishop Carroll where he averaged 11 points with eight rebounds and almost one block per game. He has a solid frame that will continue to develop as he puts on muscle as he’s listed at just 185 pounds on George Mason’s official roster. You probably aren’t going to see him a ton in his first season as he focuses on development, but he has some strong long-term potential over the next couple of seasons if he stays with the Patriots.
Barrett held offers from Saint Joseph’s, Howard, and Davis & Elkins.
Want to support my writing, but don’t want to sign up for a monthly subscription? Consider “buying me a coffee” via the link below!
Sign up for Bracket Busters’ Discord to discuss all things Mid-Major Basketball!
Expectations
There is no doubt that Head Coach Skinn and his staff with George Mason fans are going to be hungry to finish towards the top of the conference this season and are hopeful to punch their ticket to the Big Dance following the disappointing end to last season. The Atlantic-10 is going to continue to be tougher though. St. Louis has developed a war chest of NIL and are returning some key players from their dominant team last season. VCU and others are right there as well. However, on paper, there is no reason that this Patriots squad should fall outside of the top five in the conference.
Looking up-and-down their lineup, it’s overflowing with talent. It’s also obvious that Tony Skinn wanted to address their three-point shooting woes from last season. As a team, they ranked 107th in offensive efficiency, but just a measly 214th in three-point shooting percentage at 33.3% overall. They’ve added plenty of guards and forwards that can all knock it down from deep, so their three-point shooting that ultimately hurt them in their lack-luster finish to the season has been addressed. For comparison, on the 2025 team that went 27-9 they finished 92nd in three-point shooting and 181st in two-point shooting, so I’m predicting we see a similar stat line this season.
My only concern is the lack of height. Their tallest players come in at just 6’9, so they don’t have a true “center”. It seems though that this is playing into what kind of style of basketball they are going to be looking to play. Last year, they had Riley Allenspach at 6’11 and obviously Kanga is returning who followed up at 6’9. However, they lost Allenspach so someone like Kanga is going to have to play the traditional five, which at times will definitely hurt them down low. Skinn traditionally plays with a slower tempo as the highest he’s finished in the three years on the job is just 316th overall in 2025.
As for a starting rotation, it’s hard to predict in the middle of summer as practices have just started for the majority of programs, but you could imagine something like this:
Baraka Okojie
Makhai Valentine/Brayden O’Connor
Brayden O’Connor/Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor
Elijah Jones/Michael Marcus Jr./Emmett Adair
Emmanuel Kanga
I know there are a lot of options listed above, but that’s the truth of this team. There are a number of players that are going to be able to compete for a starting position and that’s not even counting someone like Shane Pendergrass who could very well end up starting some games this season as a freshman.
Looking at the guards, I feel like Baraka Okojie is a no-brainer at point guard, and you are going to start Brayden O’Connor whether that’s as a true shooting guard at the two or slotting him in alongside someone like Makhai Valentine and running with two or three guards since O’Connor does have some height at 6’5. Looking at the frontcourt, Kanga is going to be in the starting lineup. They also have a plethora of forwards to pick from to join him.
How do you think George Mason is looking this season?