Junior guard Roger Mason Jr. showed Virginia he can provide the two things Virginia coach Pete Gillen was concerned about coming into the season: a point guard and a three-point shooter.
The 6-foot-5 guard from Silver Spring, Md., dominated the opposition in the Cavaliers opening weekend of basketball. In Virginia's two weekend wins, he scored 24 points against Wagner and 20 points against East Tennessee State.
With the Donald Hand's graduation and the continued absence of point guard Majestic Mapp, many wondered whether Mason could handle the pressure of running the team and leading the Cavaliers in the scoring department. So far, he has done nothing to disappoint.
"Roger was terrific," Gillen said. "When we had dry spells, he really came in and picked us up. Without him at times, things could have been very different."
Mason's success can be attributed to the confidence he exudes on the court. He believes he can go up against any kind of defense that teams present him.
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"It takes a little bit of time for me to adjust" to different defenses, Mason said. "It is good to see good defenses, but we know that we can play against any defense. But if you want to try to switch to the zone defense to slow us down, we have shooters that can burn you. Pick your poison."
Mason also dished out a career-high nine assists on Friday night. With the questions lingering about the point guard situation, there is no one happier with his first two performances than Mason.
"I had a couple of bad plays at times," Mason said. "But overall I am happy with my progress. It feels good to get the assists with the points. It's not hard to do when you have players like Chris [Williams] and Adam [Hall]. I think we are going to be just fine."
Mason undoubtedly will be the Cavaliers' primary floor general in each game. Over the weekend, Mason averaged 35.5 minutes, while playing all 20 minutes during the first half of each game.
"I probably played Roger too many minutes, honestly," Gillen said. "I should have taken him out in the first half. That is my fault. We're asking him to do a lot."
Mason also provides the Cavaliers' with a consistent three-point shooter. Over the weekend he shot 16 three pointers, sinking nine. Perimeter threats are an important aspect of a successful ACC team. The Cavaliers will look for Mason to put it up consistently. If he can make 56 percent from downtown in most games, Virginia will have a chance to be at the top of the country come tournament time.
"Roger's a good three-point shooter," Gillen said. "We lost some good three point shooters from last year, and we need Roger to step up."
"I know they need me to be a scorer in addition to running the point, and that's what I am going to do," Mason said.
With the two dazzling performances he has posted so far, Mason has kept his word.
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