George Mason point guard Andre Cornelius will miss the first 10 games of the season, the school announced on Monday. Cornelius was suspended by the school in September after he was charged with credit card fraud and credit card larceny by Fairfax County. He will be allowed to practice with the Patriots but will not accompany the team on road trips. Two years ago, the senior was suspended for taking pillows from a hotel room. The two-year starter averaged 9.5 points a game last year.
George Mason opens the season Friday against Rhode Island. Cornelius will miss four games in the NIT Tip-Off, starting Nov. 14 at Virginia Tech. He also will miss a game Dec. 6 at Virginia.
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“I made a mistake, and as a result I have lost the opportunity to do one of the things I love the most — play basketball at George Mason,” Cornelius said in a statement. “I accept this punishment and will work as hard as possible to support my team and get ready to make an impact when I come back.”
The loss of Cornelius means more playing time for sophomore Bryon Allen, who appeared in 27 games last season and shot 30 percent from the floor, and freshman Corey Edwards, rated 56th among the nation’s senior point guards by ESPN as a player at Christ the King High in Queens, N.Y.
Both played well in the Patriots’ 90-62 exhibition victory over Lycoming on Oct. 31.
Allen had 13 points, four assists and three steals in 25 minutes. Edwards, son of former Georgetown player David Edwards, hit all three of his shots from the floor and both from the free throw line, scoring nine points and dealing three assists in 23 minutes.
