BROADSIDE Basketball Guide Size up the 2008-2009 Season competition. CAA Team Preview Get to Know Jeri Porter, New Women’s Team Coach Larranaga: 2 More Years START OUT ON TOP. START RAISING THE BAR. START COMMANDING ATTENTION. START HIGHER. START ONE STEP AHEAD. START MOVING UP. START LEADING FROM DAY ONE. START STRONG.SM There’s strong. Then there’s Army Strong. If you want to be a leader in life, joining Army ROTC at GMU is the strongest way to start. It provides hands-on leadership development. Plus you can earn a full-tuition, merit-based scholarship up to $28676/yr. After graduation, you’ll begin your career as an Officer. With a start like that, there’s no limit to what you can achieve. To get started, contact (703) 993-2706 or [email protected] or visit www.gmu.edu/departments/ROTC. ASK ABOUT OUR OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUMMER LEADERSHIP TRAINING AND A $5000 BONUS! 2 | Broadside’s Basketball Guide Fall 2008 | 3 ©2008. Paid for by the United States Army. All rights reserved. 34 | Broadside’s Basketball Guide Fall 2008 | 35 BROADSIDE says, “Please Don’t Forget to Recycle!” COACH PROFILES The men’s team returns with their head coach and three assistants while the women’s team has a new 10 coaching staff. Find out what got the coaches to where they are now. CAA CONFERENCE As Mason looks to defend the con- ference title, 11 other teams will try to dethrone the Patriots. Check out 22 the season preview for the rest of the CAA and their key returning players. MASON SOPHOMORES Three key players from last season’s team return to have an even stronger 2009 sea- 25 son. Learn more about Eugenia Broadus, Brittany Eley, and Brittany Poindexter. PATRIOT CENTER Homecourt advantage or home- court disadvantage? Through regression analysis, find out 26 what affects the opponents on gameday at the Patriot Center. GUNSTON After 12 years on the sidelines, the fuzzy green creature gives his spot up to a new mascot. 30 Check out the history of past Mason mascots. Coach Larranaga feature 6 Coach Porter feature 8 Player profiles 14 CONTENTS 2 | Broadside’s Basketball Guide Fall 2008 | 3 Front Cover photo by: Courtney Erland, Photography Manager Back Cover photo, headshots, and team photos courtesy of Mason Athletics 4 | Broadside’s Basketball Guide Photo by: Courtney Erland, Photography Manager Fall 2008 | 5 STAFF NICOLE OCRAN Men’s Basketball Schedule Editor-in-Chief 2008-2009 Season SHERELL WILLIAMS Managing Editor Date Opponent / Event Location Time/Result 11/15/08 at Ver m ont Burlington, Vt. 1:00 p.m. ET 11/17/08 vs. BROWN Fairfax, Va. 7:00 p.m. ET BRIAN CHAN 11/20/08 at Hampton Hampton, Va. 7:00 p.m. ET Sports Editor 11/22/08 at East Carolina Greenville, N.C. 4:30 p.m. ET 11/25/08 vs. MOUNT ST. MARY'S (TV) Fairfax, Va. 7:00 p.m. ET KERRY SHEATS 11/29/08 vs. OHIO Fairfax, Va. 4:00 p.m. ET Copy Chief 12/01/08 at Liberty (TV) Lynchburg, Va. 7:00 p.m. ET 12/06/08 at Drexel * (TV) Philadelphia, Pa. 4:30 p.m. ET 12/19/08 vs. RADFORD (TV) Fairfax, Va. 7:00 p.m. ET COURTNEY ERLAND 12/22/08 vs. TULANE Fairfax, Va. 7:00 p.m. ET Photography Manager 12/30/08 at Dayton (TV) Dayton, Ohio 7:00 p.m. ET 01/03/09 vs. UNC-WILMINGTON * (TV) Fairfax, Va. 7:00 p.m. ET TEDDY MEYER 01/05/09 vs. GEORGIA STATE * (TV) Fairfax, Va. 5:00 p.m. ET Asst. Photography Manager 01/07/09 at Towson * Towson, Md. 7:00 p.m. ET 01/10/09 vs. OLD DOMINION * (TV) Fairfax, Va. 2:00 p.m. ET 01/14/09 at William & Mary * Williamsburg, Va. 7:00 p.m. ET TEODORA BLINDU 01/17/09 vs. JAMES MADISON * (TV) Fairfax, Va. 2:00 p.m. ET MARY KATHRYN LOOMIS 01/21/09 at Northeastern * (TV) Boston, Mass. 7:00 p.m. ET NICOLE OCRAN 01/24/09 at VCU * (TV) Richmond, Va. 4 p.m./7 p.m. ET CHRISTIAN YINGLING 01/27/09 vs. DELAWA RE * (TV) Fairfax, Va. 7:00 p.m. ET SHERELL WILLIAMS 01/31/09 at Old Dominion * (TV) Norfolk, Va. 7:00 p.m. ET 02/03/09 vs. HOFSTRA * (TV) Fairfax, Va. 9:00 p.m. ET Design 02/07/09 at James Madison * (TV) Harrisonburg, Va. 2:00 p.m. ET 02/12/09 at Delaware * (TV) Newark, Del. 7:00 p.m. ET YASIN JAMA 02/14/09 vs. NORTHEASTERN * (TV) Fairfax, Va. 12:00 p.m. ET BRENDAN MURPHY 02/18/09 vs. DREXEL * (TV) Fairfax, Va. 7:00 p.m. ET NATALIA KOSSOBOKOVA 02/21/09 at ESPN BracketBusters TBA TBA 02/25/09 at UNC-Wilmington * (TV) Wilmington, N.C. 7:00 p.m. ET Sports Contributors 02/28/09 vs. TOWSON * (TV) Fairfax, Va. 8:00 p.m. ET 03/06/09 CAA Tournament-Opening Round Richmond, Va. TBA SARAH LEON 03/07/09 CAA Tournament-Quarterfinals Richmond, Va. TBA KRISTINE LEWIS 03/08/09 CAA Tournament-Semifinals Richmond, Va. TBA ERICKA RIGGS 03/09/09 CAA Tournament-Championship Richmond, Va. TBA Advertising Representatives JACQUES MOUYAL Business Manager KATHRYN MANGUS Faculty Adviser 4 | Broadside’s Basketball Guide Photo by: Courtney Erland, Photography Manager Fall 2008 | 5 Photo by: Teddy Meyer, Asst. Photography Manager 6 | Broadside’s Basketball Guide Fall 2008 | 7 Staying Put Coach Larranaga to Stay at Mason for Two More Years Yasin Jama Broadside Correspondent Turning down a job offer that ing staff, the players, the fan one dreams of for many years is not base, Doc Nix and the Green an easy decision. Just ask George Machine, alumni, and the Mason University basketball head leadership with President coach Jim Larranaga. Alan Merten, and the athlet- A week after Mason lost to ic director Tom O’Connor.” Norte Dame in the first round of the Family also played a NCAA tournament; Larranaga re- role in Larranaga’s decision. ceived a call from Robert Driscoll, He currently has two sons, the athletic director of Providence Jon and Jay, and two grand- University. children, Tia and James. After the call, Larranaga had Larranaga feels like if he his thoughts on the situation. goes to coach at Providence, “I’ve been following the Friars he would not see his chil- as a fan ever since I graduated there dren very often. in 1971, and it was my dream job “I have a son named was to be the head coach at Provi- Jon who played at GMU dence,” said Lar- and gradu- ranaga. “I was “It would be a ated in 2003, interviewed for and he and his that job in 1985, tremendous wife goes to but I didn’t get all the home it because I did sacrifice if I give up games,” said not have head my coaching Larranaga. “My other to the NCAA tournament last year, coaching expe- son Jay plays profes- Larranaga believe it would be a mis- rience.” position here at sional basketball in take if he left Mason despite what After 23 Italy, and he lives in he went through during his tenure years and two Mason,” Fairfax three months as the Patriots’ head coach. head coaching every year.” “It would be a tremendous sac- positions, Lar- Larranaga’s fam- rifice if I give wwwup my coaching ranaga now has - Jim Larranaga. ily and the people on position here at Mason,” said Lar- enough experi- the Fairfax campus ranaga. ence to coach was one of the reasons With his decision being made at Providence. But after a decade why he stayed at Mason. However, already, Larranaga can now focus of coaching here at Mason that in- while coaching at Providence will on the upcoming season and con- cluded four trips to the NCAA tour- give him and the team more expo- tinues to spend time with his fami- nament and a Final Four appear- sure due to the Big East, he believes ly, children, and his grandchildren. ance, he felt this was home. the Colonial Athletic Association is “I loved it here, my family loves also a great conference. it here too” said Larranaga. “I am While Providence plays in a Photo by: Courtney Erland, very comfortable with my coach- conference that sent eight teams Photography Manager 6 | Broadside’s Basketball Guide Fall 2008 | 7 The New “Porter”: A New Era in Women’s Basketball Brian Chan Broadside Sports Editor Webster’s Dictionary defines After a 28-1 season in 1998, department. porter as a person who carries Porter landed her first head coach- “Once students get to college, burdens. The first-year “porter” in ing job at University of North Ala- academics are their top priority. Fairfax will have loads to carry for bama. From 1998-2002, Porter In order to be successful, you need a team that has only five conference guided the team to a 64-43 record. to know what you want to win. We wins in the last two seasons. want to recruit the players that fit In its 35 years of history in our style of play. Even though I women’s basketball, George Mason think the team we have right now University is undergoing only their is good, we will want to continue to third coaching change since the recruit in order to improve,” said 1984 season. Mason hired Jeri Por- Porter. ter, the seventh overall head coach In 2002, Porter returned to the in school history, this past April af- Big South Conference, where she ter the predecessor Debbie Taney- first played and coached basketball.