Larranaga a motivator for surging Patriots
Playing its homecoming game on television before its first sellout crowd in two years, and facing defending CAA champion Old Dominion, over-amped George Mason got off to a ragged start Saturday.
But as they explained after their convincing 62-45 victory, the Patriots were prepared. Hearing Cam Long and Ryan Pearson talk about their “energy over-load” and “EA level,” it was obvious that they had taken an analytical approach to their rough start and had adjusted accordingly.
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From the language they used, it also was obvious that the Patriots were miming the words of their coach and master raconteur, Jim Larranaga, who uses storytelling to deliver unique messages for virtually every game.
“Every once in a while, guys will look at each other and chuckle like, ‘Here we go,'” sophomore guard Luke Hancock said. “But, really, his stories are pretty good. It keeps things interesting, helps get the point across in different ways.”
| Up next |
| James Madison at George Mason |
| When » Saturday, 5 p.m. |
| Where » Patriot Center, Fairfax |
| TV » Comcast |
| In the first meeting, last month in Harrisonburg, Mason withstood a big performance from 6-foot-10 JMU center Denzel Bowles (21 points, 14 rebounds, 6 blocks) in a 75-73 victory. Mason has won 13 of the last 14 games and hasn’t lost in Fairfax to JMU since 2003. |
Senior guard Isaiah Tate is a fan of Larranaga’s story — told before a recent victory over Hofstra — where one lumberjack out produces another, who saws constantly, by resting every hour and “sharpening his saw.”
“It’s just to remind us it’s important to re-fuel and rest,” Tate said.
There’s nothing particularly innovative about the message. Larranaga says it was lifted from the self-help book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.” But “sharpening your saw” has become a mantra for Mason as it hits the stretch run of the regular season.
The Patriots (20-5, 12-2) have been highly effective people lately. With a win Saturday over rival James Madison (18-8, 8-6), they will match a 27-year-old school record with their 11th straight victory.
Larranaga’s ability to communicate in a comical way came to national attention in 2006 when he guided Mason to the Final Four. Before an Elite Eight game against No. 1 seed Connecticut, Larranaga told his team that the Huskies didn’t know what conference the 11th seeded Patriots were from. He went on to say they were representing the “CAA — the Connecticut Assassin Association.”
Larranaga says that as a teacher, stories are the best way to reach his players.
“One of my main responsibilities as the head coach is to work with our players and help them with every aspect of their game and every aspect of their life,” he said. “We’re always looking for stories that the players can relate to so they can understand the message.”
Sometimes the message can backfire on the messenger, however.
Before their Final Four run, Larranaga repeatedly instructed the Patriots to think positively and “visualize” victory. One day in practice, center Jai Lewis sneaked behind Larranaga and dumped a cooler of ice water over the coach’s head.
“I spun around and said, ‘Jai, what are you doing?'” Larranaga said. “He said, ‘Coach I’m visualizing the celebration after beating Michigan State.'”
