Oct. 31, 2006

The George Mason men's basketball team will take the floor inside the Patriot Center on Wednesday night in their lone exhibition game of the 2006-07 preseason as the Patriots will host Division III Marymount University at 7 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for youth and free for Mason students.

The Patriots lost just three players from last season's Final Four team but all three were senior starters. Mason brought in three new players and the Patriots have two veterans who return to the lineup after sitting out the 2005-06 season with injuries.

Redshirt sophomore John Vaughan, a selection to the 2004-05 Colonial Athletic Association All-Rookie team and Jesus Urbina, a redshirt junior, are both healthy and expected to play on Wednesday. Also making their debut will be JUCO first-team All-American Dre Smith, JUCO honorable mention All-American Darryl Monroe, and true freshman Louis Birdsong.

Returning from last year's squad are captains Folarin Campbell, Will Thomas and Gabe Norwood, seniors Tim Burns, Makan Konate and Charles Makings, junior Jordan Carter and sophomores Chris Fleming and Sammy Hernandez.

The Patriots have been practicing for fewer than three weeks and have just 10 more days to prepare before the start of the regular season. The first game of the campaign is Nov. 11 at Cleveland State.

Marymount was 10-15 in 2005-06 and the Saints return 97 percent of their scoring from last year. The two teams have never met in the regular season.