Paul Hewitt adds to his staff, then adds to his recruiting class

Roland Houston had spent the last seven years on Karl Hobs' coaching staff at George Washington.

Those seven years of service were on the verge of paying dividends, as Houston's nephew, Erik Copes, was set to become a Colonial next year. Copes is the No. 73 recruit in our consensus recruiting rankings, a 6'8", 225 lb big man from Philly that excels as a rebounder and defender in the paint. Copes would have been joining a roster that returned the entire rotation from a team that won 10 Atlantic 10 games and gets a healthy Lasan Kromah back into the fold.

But with Mike Lonergan replacing Hobbs at GW, Houston was out of a job, but he instantly became a valued commodity when quotes like this from Copes hit the internet: "I really wanted to be coached by my uncle ... I called him right after I find out Coach (Karl) Hobbs was fired and asked him where we were going."

As it turns out, Houston may not even have to move, as he was added to Paul Hewitt's staff at George Mason. And as you might expect, Copes will be following Houston to the Fairfax, VA, school, giving Hewitt a prized recruit after less than a month on the job.

The key for Hewitt now is to convince Luke Hancock to return to George Mason. Hancock, a 6'5" wing, was the Patriot's third leading scorer and leader in assists last season, but after Jim Larrananga decided to go to Miami, Hancock requested a release from Mason that would allow him to research a transfer. With Mason also losing Cam Long to graduation, Hancock becomes a vital piece to the puzzle. He's Mason's playmaker offensively, as their point guard -- Andre Cornelius -- is more of a spot up shooter.