A-10 Preseason Top 25 Player Countdown: #7 Otis Livingston II

Welcome to A10 Talk’s Preseason Top 25 Player Countdown for the 2018-19 season. Each day, we’ll be publishing a new article counting down our best 25 players for the coming season, as voted on by our staff of writers. Today, we feature #7 Otis Livingston II of George Mason.

What He’s Done

To say that Otis Livingston II is critical to George Mason’s offense is a dramatic understatement. Last season, there were only six games that Otis did not score in double figures, and the Patriots lost all six of those games. Mason went 16-11 in their other 27 games the rest of the season, which in itself is a rather eye opening statistic. This is the type of player who can take over a game in a matter of moments. In arguably his most memorable performance last season, Otis went off for 25 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists against Saint Joseph’s on January 10th. Oh yeah, he also hit this shot:

Here’s Otis Livingston’s game-winning buzzer-beating three. @ESPNAssignDesk – it’s #SCTop10 worthy! @MasonMBB #A10MBB pic.twitter.com/PN98IJXFFJ

— Atlantic 10 Conference (@atlantic10) January 11, 2018

What He’ll Do

Every year since he’s been in Fairfax, Otis Livingston II’s number have improved. From his freshman year when averaged 11.9PTS, 2.6REB and 3.6AST to his junior year last season when he averaged 17.3PTS, 3.2REB and 4.4AST per game. Even as George Mason is the only Division I team to return 100% of their scoring from last season, I wouldn’t be surprised to continue to see Otis’ numbers jump to about 20PTS, 3.6REB, and 5.1 AST per game.

For the first time since joining the Atlantic 10, the Patriots are in the conversation to be among the top tier of the league this season, and if they are going to achieve those lofty goals, it’s going to go through Otis. As evidenced last season, as Otis goes, so does this team. This is a player who could have some NBA scouts looking at him this season and will likely have his name in the mix for A-10 Player of the Year. If he can lead Mason back to the postseason, whether that is the NCAA Tournament or the NIT, that would be the perfect ending to cement his legacy as one of the most explosive players to come through Fairfax in recent memory. This is a program that has not seen a postseason birth (excluding the CBI) since 2011, and is hungry to take that next step. If the Patriots are going to get there, it’s going to be behind Otis Livingston II.

Previously: #8 Charlie Brown