Erik Copes Commits to George Mason, Delivers Paul Hewitt His First Big Splash

What a roller coaster of a spring and summer for the Patriots. After being knocked out of the NCAA tournament, Mason Nation fell asleep. Unfortunately, it seemed as if they were experiencing a nightmare after longtime Coach L took his talents to South Beach.

But, as we all know, nightmares don't last long.

The Patriots are a preseason top-25 team and newly signed coach Paul Hewitt landed the No. 55 ranked player a couple weeks ago in Erik Copes.

Erik Copes is a 4-star recruit and comes in at 6'7", 230 pounds. Being on the light end, he will probably end up playing power forward for the Patriots but could definitely see time at center.

According to Scout.com, "He is a major factor on the offensive and defensive glass, and can be a game changer as a shot blocker." This is a huge hole that Mason has had in the recent past. With Mike Morrison the tallest player at 6'9", Copes will provide the depth and length to a rather small Mason lineup.

As for Paul Hewitt, will this prove to be the catalyst that leads his tenure at Mason in the right direction? Obviously, the road is easier than it has been in the past. The team returns practically everyone from last years squad and will start the new season in the top 25.

Despite losing Luke Hancock and Cam Long, I think Paul Hewitt can turn the nightmare for Mason into quite a nice dream.