Last season, George Mason upped the single-game mark to 148 points and shattered the season mark with an average of 92.6 points per contest. The Patriots scored more than 100 points six times and were in the 90s 10 times. George Mason scored 100 points against both Louisiana State University (LSU) and University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and just missed the century mark in contests at Ohio State and Virginia.

The 1995-96 season no doubt will produce more records. Westhead will have a group of veterans and talented newcomers who collectively averaged more than 150 points per game. Included are five holdovers from last season, all of whom averaged in double figures.

Returning are guard Nate Langley, the Colonial Athletic Association's (CAA) Rookie of the Year who led last year's team in scoring at 19.5 points per game; guard Curtis McCants at 15.2 ppg; 6-8 forward Kevin Ward at 12.7; forward Kenwan Alford at 11.8; and swingman G.C. Marcaccini at 10.5. Langley, McCants, and Ward will be juniors and Alford and Marcaccini seniors in 1995-96.

Langley led the CAA in steals and ranked third nationally with 87 (3.3 per game). He set a George Mason record with eight steals against William and Mary on Jan. 18, 1995. McCants led the CAA in assists and ranked second nationally with 251 (9.3 per game). He also set a single-game record with 15 assists against Richmond on Feb. 22, 1995.

Also bolstering the Patriots' hopes in 1995-96 are a pair of 6-8 centers--Ben Wanjara and Michael Sharp. Wanjara, a junior from Kenya, played in 20 games last season. Sharp, who averaged 7.1 rebounds as a freshman in 1993-94, sat out last year because of knee surgery. A return to form for his sophomore year would be a major boost for the Patriots' inside game.

Last season's high point mark came in a 148-132 victory over Troy State in a shootout on Dec. 10, 1994, at the Patriot Center. The two teams will meet again this season on Nov. 28 at the Patriot Center in an effort to raise the total. Two years back, George Mason beat Troy State, 129-119, to set the previous mark. The Patriots also set a record with 76 points in the first half of last year's game.

Other marks that fell last season include Langley leading the team to a record 266 steals, and the Patriots established single-game marks for rebounds (88) and field goals (56) against Macalester College.

Westhead expects Langley to be an even bigger offensive threat in 1995-96. "Everyone knew Nate was a great defensive player who could score by forcing opponents' mistakes," the coach says. "He has developed into an offensive force who wants the ball when the game is on the line.

"Curtis (McCants) is solid!" he continues. "He better understands what we want him to do and it was reflected in his scoring and assists totals last season. Kenwan (Alford) is a very active player who has learned how to convert that activity into positive contributions to his game. Kevin (Ward) came on for us at the finish and I think his best basketball is yet to come. G.C. (Marcaccini) brings a flair to the game to go with a hard-nosed competitive spirit."

The home schedule includes eight CAA games and a visit by Ohio State on Dec. 9. The home opener with Delaware State is set for Saturday, Nov. 25, with the shootout against Troy State three days later. Saturday CAA home games include dates with East Carolina, American, Richmond, and James Madison. Virginia Commonwealth, the newest member of the CAA, will visit the Patriot Center on Jan. 31.

George Mason will travel to Colorado for a matchup with former Patriots' coach Joe Harrington on Dec. 2 and will make two trips to California during the 1995-96 season. The Patriots will play at Southern California on Dec. 20 and Long Beach State on Dec. 22, with the latter game being televised nationally on ESPN. George Mason will return to the West Coast for a Jan. 13 game against Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.