Tinsley
EMMITSBURG, Md. – With injuries altering its frontcourt rotation, the Mount St. Mary’s men’s basketball needed a little more from George Tinsley in January.
The senior forward from Abington Heights delivered.
Handling a workload that would be exhausting for most, Tinsley increased his production and efficiency while helping Mount St. Mary’s in its efforts to remain competitive while hoping for better times ahead.
“George has had to do a lot,” Mount St. Mary’s coach Dan Engelstad said. “ … We talk about guys that have been injured. George is one of those guys who is a warrior and plays through aches and pains.
“George is one of those guys who you never, ever have to question effort. You never have to question toughness; you never have to question character. He’s just a low-maintenance, hard-working, really great addition to our program.”
Tinsley went up from his usual 34 minutes per game to 36, but his other numbers increased at a greater rate.
Engelstad said Tinsley fit the team’s need of upgrading its toughness level. He anticipated that when watching film of Tinsley’s freshman and sophomore seasons – and often seeing him on the floor battling for loose balls – at Binghamton University.
After averaging 6.1 points and 6.0 rebounds through the New Year, Tinsley provided 9.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game during January.
He broke out of a shooting slump in the process.
Tinsley had gone seven games without a 3-pointer and entered the New Year shooting just 10 percent (3-for-30) from long range.
In January, Tinsley hit at least one 3-pointer in all but one of the eight games, going 11-for-25 (44.0 percent).
“We’re happy that in 2023, he’s hitting shots at a higher clip and we know he’s capable of doing that,” said Englestad, who started checking out that film of Tinsley when his name went into the transfer portal after his role diminished as a junior last season at Binghamton.
Tinsley said he is on target to graduate this year, but he is likely to take advantage of the COVID-related extra year of eligibility and play again next season as a graduate student.
“At the end of last season, you put your name in the portal and you get a couple calls here and there, but the coaching staff here was very direct and wanted me to visit as soon as I could,” said Tinsley, who America East Rookie of the Year while at Binghamton. “They got me up here and as soon as they showed me around, I could just tell the people and the place, the players that are here and the coaching, I just knew.”
