D’Shawn Schwartz leads George Mason to upset over #20 Maryland

This is not Colorado Buffaloes news, but it is. The George Mason Patriots are 20% Buffs at this point, so we can celebrate their victories as our own.

D’Shawn Schwartz, four-year starter and maker of clutch threes and game-winning dunks, led these Patriots to a 71-66 win over the 20th ranked Maryland Terrapins. He scored a game-high 24 points, went 6 of 10 from beyond the arc, and offered tremendous defense and rebounding in his 38 minutes on the floor. It was typical Big Game D’Shawn, only better, as his role requires him to attack from the perimeter.

These Patriots were led by head coach Kim English and his assistant Nate Tomlinson, former (and forever) Buffs. Tomlinson you should know as the four-year starter at point guard, emotional leader of the 2012 Pac-12 Champions, and beloved director of player development. The Australian left Boulder to be a full-time assistant, but we have a feeling he’s going to be back in Boulder at some point.

English might not be a forever Buff, depending on your definition. He’s one of the best players in Missouri basketball history, then got into coaching after three seasons in pro ball. He started as an assistant at Tulsa under Frank Haith, his coach at Mizzou, then went to Colorado for two seasons, then Tennessee for another two years. He’s one of the most promising young coaches in basketball and is the shiniest apple from the Tad Boyle coaching tree (not a high bar but still).

This is a huge win for George Mason and a sign that they’re a legit team in the underrated Atlantic-10 Conference. This could very well be an NCAA Tournament team, something we will keep an eye on as the season progresses.

Elsewhere in the college basketball world, we’re seeing most of our former Buffs playing well in their new homes. Daylen Kountz is thriving at Nothern Colorado, scoring over 16 points per game and is the Bears’ best player. Jeriah Horne went back to Tulsa as just beat Oregon State with a 17-point, 10-rebound performance. Dallas Walton doesn’t have the best numbers, but he’s starting for Wake Forest, and he even kind of looks like Tim Duncan.