Tony Skinn era off to an impressive start

Patriots are 2-0 after routing Austin Peay at home

Tony Skinn is off to an impressive start after last night’s win over Austin Peay at home 67-45. The Patriots took control early with a big lead and never looked back holding the Governors to 28.8 shooting from the field. On top of that Mason opened the season beating a solid Monmouth team who just took down West Virginia on the road last night. Skinn’s balanced attack on offense and stout defense has looked good so far with all the new faces working together well. They are aggressive in attacking the paint and getting to the free-throw line. Amari Kelly has been a constant so far up front and the mix of veteran guards and freshman Baraka Okojie looks to be an exciting bunch.

This game was encouraging because of how they dominated so early and built a large lead with Ronny Polite and Darius Maddox being very quiet on offense. The balance of their offense is something we haven’t seen in awhile and looks like they won’t be depending on any one player each night to shoulder the scoring load. Keyshawn Hall has also looked great to start the year and has a high ceiling, he may be their best rebounder. They also have quality depth on the bench with Woody Newton and Baraka Okojie. Even freshman Austin Ball got in the mix last night and looked confident nailing two three-pointers.

Mason will be tested in the coming weeks and we’ll get a chance to see if they can keep this momentum rolling. Defense and #PatriotPressure will be something to keep an eye on as they face some tougher competition and go on the road and neutral sites. Overall you have to be impressed with what Skinn has done here early on and seems like he certainly has an eye for talent and putting together a team.