Despite the popular notion, Eric Maynor’s defining performance of last season wasn’t his upset takedown of Duke in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
It was the game before, when the Virginia Commonwealth point guard ruthlessly stole the Colonial Athletic Association championship from George Mason.
“What Eric Maynor did was nothing short of spectacular,” said Patriots head coach Jim Larranaga. “He made two outstanding defensive plays back to back, and then in their half-court set with the score tied, he made an off-balance shot versus Darryl Monroe in the lane, leaning to the right, falling down and one-handed. I’d say 99 out of 100 players couldn’t make that shot, but he did.”
The performance catapulted Maynor, now a junior, onto the national stage and further cemented the CAA’s status as an always-dangerous mid-major conference. This season Maynor (18.3 points, 5.2 assists per game) has kept the Rams (15-4, 8-1 CAA) on top, and they enter the conference’s premier showdown having won seven straight and knowing a loss to the Patriots (14-6, 6-3) won’t knock them out of first place.
“I think you never want to put undue pressure on any one individual to carry a league or a team,” said Rams head coach Anthony Grant at CAA media day last October. “But I think it also is a compliment to Eric, and a compliment to our team because the reason for that attention is the success of our team.”
Maynor has been buoyed by the emergence of senior backcourt partner Jamal Shuler (16.1 ppg), who has nearly doubled his scoring average from last year.
“If Maynor gets 26 points and so does Shuler, they’re going to score way too many points for us,” said Larranaga. “We’ve got to keep them in the low teens if possible, that’s where we can be successful. If they’re up in the 20s, then obviously they are playing very well, and it’s hard to guard them.”
VCU at George Mason
Where » Patriot Center
When » Tonight, 7
TV » ESPN2
Radio » 570 AM
» Due to the large expected turnout, fans are encouraged to arrive early
