Welcome to A10 Talk’s Top Pre-Season Top 25 Player Countdown for the 2016-17 season. Each day, we’ll be publishing a new article counting down our best 25 players for the coming season. Today, we feature #18 Otis Livingston II of George Mason.
What He’s Done
Joseph Chartouny may have won A-10 Rookie of the Year last season, but many Mason fans will tell you that Otis Livingston II was the best freshman in the league. Junior guard Marquise Moore dealt with an injury and had some poor performances towards the end of the season, but Livingston II proved his worth in his first year as a Patriot and stepped up when his team needed him. Livingston II was utilized heavily as a freshman, playing in 85.0% of available minutes, which ranked 126th in the nation. The freshman guard led his team in minutes played at 34.3 per contest. It is not often that you see a first-year player get the most playing time, but Otis Livingston II proved himself to be a special player on the court.
George Mason had a less-than-stellar first season under Dave Paulsen, but the Patriots stole some big wins in A-10 Conference play. George Mason took down VCU, Davidson, and Richmond twice. Livingston II was a key component in these conference wins, especially in the season-sweep over the Spiders. His best collegiate performance came towards the end of the year at home against Richmond. Livingston II dropped a career-high 21 points and went 5-5 from three point range. He also recorded 5 assists and 2 boards. At Richmond, Otis Livingston II had 18 points, 5 assists, and 8 made free throws.
Livingston II led the Patriots in scoring last season at 11.9 points per game and also had 24 double-digit scoring performances. He’s not the type to drop a huge number in terms of points, but he will give you 12-17 points consistently, and he’s also a key contributor in other areas of the game. The freshman dished out 3.6 assists per game last year and also shot 77.7% from the free throw line. Livingston II plays fundamental basketball, and given how crucial he was as a freshman, he’ll be even more meaningful as a sophomore.
What He’ll Do
After having such a spectacular season, it’s tough to see how Livingston II could get even better, but it’s bound to happen. He and Jaire Grayer are two very important pieces to the future of this Mason team. In other words, Dave Paulsen has two rising sophomore to center his program around. This will be Marquise Moore’s last season, and as long as he stays healthy, I’d expect him to have a much-improved year. But all in all, Otis Livingston II should be George Mason’s best player yet again.
If Livingston II can add a few more points per game, he’s got a chance at making an all-conference team this year. The Patriots were not a good shooting team last year. They ranked 341st in the nation in 3 point field goal percentage. That’s something that will have to change moving forward, and Livingston II is one of the only reliable options George Mason has from long range. In that regard, he’s going to have to carry this team once more. It is likely not going to be a stellar season for the Patriots, but with Otis Livingston II at the helm, things are undoubtedly moving in the right direction.
Previously: #19 Joseph Chartouny
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