The Justyn Fernandez Blog: This is Why I Chose George Mason...

Fernandez shunned multiple Power 5 schools for Kim English and the Patriots.

Elite 2022 wing Justyn Fernandez had one of the most productive summers of any player in the class, starring at elite camps and dominating with DC Premier. That translated into more than 25 offers, but on Friday, Fernandez shunned multiple Power 5 schools for George Mason. He wrote an exclusive blog with Sports Illustrated to break down his thought process behind the big decision.

What’s up world, it’s Justyn Fernandez and I’m proud to say that I am committed to George Mason University!

This summer everything took off for me!

Last year COVID slowed everything down, so I went my whole junior year with just one offer from La Salle.

In March I got my second one from George Mason, and now after the summer I was at 28; my phone was blowing up crazy and it got to be a lot for me at times!

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I know that a lot of people might be shocked that I picked George Mason over schools like Florida, Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Tennessee, Clemson, Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Georgia and others, but I just approached this process differently.

I have a really tight circle and they always talk to me about keeping the main goal the main goal.

It’s my dream to play in the NBA, and perfect fit is everything.

I get that it’s not normal to most people for a player with those offers to pick George Mason, but I know that they’re the perfect fit for me.

Just seeing the transfer portal this year showed me that it’s gotta be about the fit. With a lot of the schools, they liked me, but not all of them loved me. Just talking to coaches hearing about their vision for me and trying to align that with my vision for myself was big too.

A lot of guys talk about picking a school based on the fit, but I was determined to do it.

Kim English won Fernandez over with his relentless approach.  / GMU

My relationship with Coach (Kim) English weighed heavy into my decision too.

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We really got close, just talking every day and growing our bond.

From the first day we talked, he knew this summer was gonna be huge for me, but he stayed consistent and wasn’t scared off when the bigger schools jumped in. I liked that approach because that’s kinda my mentality, just playing with a chip and believing in myself, so I could really identify with that.

I really believe we’re gonna do something special together!

I’m definitely relieved to have this process over and done with. It was a blessing to be in the position but knowing and feeling comfortable with the decision that I made is the real relief for me.

I’ve got a whole other family there and I know that they’re gonna be coaching me up throughout the season and staying involved.

OK guys, I just wanted to give you a look into the thought process behind my decision, but thanks again for reading and always remember that it’s important to write your own story!

Don’t forget to follow Justyn Fernandez:

Twitter: @JustynFernande4

Instagram: _justynfsb