GMU NCAA Run Greatest Ever: All They Did Was Knock Off Three of the Last Six National Champs

WMAL News ^ | March 27, 2006 | ANDY KATZ

[Ligeia]

George Mason's Sammy Hernandez (50) and Tony Skinn
celebrate their overtime victory over Connecticut
during the fourth round of the NCAA basketball
tournament in Washington, Sunday, March 26, 2006.
George Mason defeated Connecticut, 86-84
to advance to the Final Four.
(Gerald Herbert/AP Photo)

Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage, the much-maligned NCAA Tournament selection committee chair, stood up to observe George Mason's on-court celebration Sunday afternoon and said, "Maybe we seeded them too low."

He was kidding. But even if George Mason was a single-digit seed instead of a No. 11, that probably wouldn't matter for historical purposes. This was the greatest run ever to the Final Four. End of discussion.

It's hard to gauge what this historic win has done for this university located just 20 miles from here, one that is named after one of the founders of the U.S. Constitution, an idealist who refused to sign the document because he wanted the abolishment of slavery included (history lesson courtesy of head coach Jim Larranaga). Given that history, though, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the basketball team that bears George Mason's name would have plenty of passion.

The Patriots were one of the last five at-large teams to make the field, and all they did was knock off three of the last six national champs: Michigan State (2000) in round one (without suspended second-leading scorer Tony Skinn), North Carolina (2005) in round two and Connecticut (2004) at the Verizon Center in overtime in the Elite Eight. Wedged in there was Missouri Valley champ Wichita State in the Sweet 16.

Let's go over this again: The Patriots took out Tom Izzo, Roy Williams and Jim Calhoun, the latter a Hall of Fame member and the first two likely to be enshrined some day.

"I don't know if I've ever seen anything as remarkable," Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese said as he watched Larranaga, his good friend, cut down the nets at the expense of his league's best team. "Connecticut played well but George Mason played out of [its] mind. It reminded me of the night Villanova beat Georgetown [in 1985 to win the national title]." "They had to take on Michigan State, Carolina, a really good Wichita State team and the University of Connecticut in overtime," UConn coach Jim Calhoun said afterward. "I feel very, very positive for Jimmy, who is a friend of mine. I wish them well and they will really enjoy the Final Four."

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[Ligeia]

Related ESPN Stories:

They Just Got in, Now They're Headed for Indy

By George! March Madness on ESPN

[Perdogg]

I guess Andy Katz and Dookie V have to jump off the JJ and Dookie bandwagon to go for Mason.

Had the officials called both ends the same in UNC v GMU, UNC would have that game by at least ten. Hansbrough was hacked to death and was called for touch fouls.

oh well, next year, pay backs are a beyotch

[Ligeia]

The George Mason basketball team celebrated its
overtime victory against top-seeded Connecticut,
earning the Patriots their first trip to the Final Four.
The 11th-seeded team will face Florida on Saturday in
Indianapolis. PETER LOCKLEY (THE WASHINGTON TIMES)

Cinderella's off to the ball
By Patrick Stevens
THE WASHINGTON TIMES

George Mason coach Jim Larranaga gathered his team with 2:51 left in yesterday's NCAA tournament regional final against Connecticut and delivered a simple message.

"This is when we prove how hard we've worked," Larranaga said as chants of "George Mason" echoed throughout Verizon Center.

The Patriots did that and more.

George Mason pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in tournament history, knocking off top-seeded Connecticut 86-84 in overtime to reach the Final Four for the first time in school history. The Patriots (27-7) will meet Florida in Indianapolis on Saturday in the national semifinals.

Senior guard Lamar Butler, chosen as the most outstanding player of the regional, jumped up on a press table as Connecticut's Denham Brown's last-second 3-pointer clanked harmlessly off the rim. Larranaga rushed toward an impromptu pile, then pointed to his wife, Liz, in the crowd and motioned for her to come to the floor for a hug.

"When that final buzzer went off, that was just pure joy, indescribable joy," Butler said. "It just overwhelmed me. I looked at my father and he was smiling [and] crying. My mother, they were all crying. It was like a dream come true. I used to dream about this when I was a little kid, in front of my hometown, home fans, my family."

Many of the 19,718 in attendance remained to raucously cheer the Patriots as they cut down the nets at both ends of the floor. Larranaga joined seniors Butler, Jai Lewis and Tony Skinn and the rest of their teammates in snipping the twine. The jubilant coach also spoke on his cell phone with his son, Jay, a professional basketball player in Europe.

Some of the loudest cheers were reserved for Larranaga, who waved one net at the adoring crowd. Larranaga, a basketball lifer who for the past two decades toiled first at Bowling Green and Mason, is now headed for the sport's brightest lights.

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[bvw]

Winning Attitude, dude!

[bvw]

Hooray for Mason!

[Ligeia]

Astonishing
By Jon Siegel
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
March 27, 2006


George Mason sensed the moment.

As the clock wound down in regulation in yesterday's Washington, D.C., regional final at Verizon Center, the Patriots held an improbable Final Four berth in their grasp.

But they would have to put the celebration on hold.

At least for five minutes.

Eleventh-seeded George Mason eventually stunned No.?1 Connecticut 86-84 in overtime, becoming perhaps the most unlikely team to reach the Final Four. Their trip to Indianapolis took just a little longer than they would have liked.

With six seconds left in regulation, George Mason guard Tony Skinn missed the front-end of a one-and-one that could have put the Patriots up four. Connecticut's Denham Brown raced down the court and threw a reverse layup off the backboard that bounced three times on the rim before dropping through as time expired, tying the game 74-74 and sending it to overtime.

(Continue)

http://www.washtimes.com/sports/20060327-124423-7159r.htm

[puppypusher]

Hey! I'm from Connecticut and I'm glad that UCONN lost to GMU. Its good to have an underdog come from behind and defeat the favored teams.

[muawiyah]

When UNC has to have the officials in its corner to win a tournament game, it's in the wrong tournament.

Buck up, suck it in, march out smartly, and remember that GMU has been getting much better all along.

[Perdogg]

All I am saying is call the game the same at both ends. Do you want the officials to stack the game in favor in one team over another? Did you see the game?

[muawiyah]

Yup. Looked pretty fair to me. Best bet for you next time you see GMU whuthing your team is to turn off the sound.

That way you can watch it dispassionately and see if the teams are sufficiently disciplined to deserve to win, provided of course that they show the skill level commensurate with a winner.

[RayChuang88]

Let me give you the reason why GMU made it to the Final Four: the other "big" programs either had their best players leave for the NBA early or never made it to the college program(s). As such, note that the players leading GMU are mostly juniors and seniors, something lacking with the "big name" schools.

But this will start to change over the next few years. The new NBA requirement effectively banning high school graduates from entering the NBA draft means many of the "big name" schools will likely keep their players a lot longer, which may effectively swing the balance of power away from the mid-majors.

[Ligeia]

Corrected link: They Just Got in, Now They're Headed for Indy

[Ligeia]

the other "big" programs either had their best players leave for the NBA early or never made it to the college program(s).

Interesting point.

[jocon307]

"UConn senior guard Rashad Anderson said of the Patriots' run. "It's just one of those things. They beat us fair and square."

Very nice of him to say!

The thrill just goes on and on!

GMU, front and back page news all over the country today. A victory for the ages, that's what they are saying. Some things really are just priceless!

[subterfuge]

First off, don't take any crap from the UNC pukes. They get the calls every year and whine when things don't fall perfectly for them. Especially since Roy the crybaby showed up.

Beyond that? Enjoy the week, because this is the pinnacle for GM. The GATORS will putting the big BEATDOWN on them Saturday. 15 point win for UF at the very least.

[Ligeia]

From the administration offices to the switchboards --
where the recorded greeting is now "Welcome to George
Mason University, home of a Final Four basketball team" --
George Mason exulted in the Patriots'
extraordinary upset victory over top-seeded
Connecticut.

On GMU Campus, a Bounty of Pride
GMU Bandwagon At Overflow Capacity

< snip >

Seated behind the counter, flanked by "Death in Venice" on the right and "Introduction to Paralegalism" on the left, Lauren Clare, a freshman English major partial to Jane Austen, patiently answered one phone call after another from what has become Mason Nation. They bay for T-shirts, caps, anything green and gold. "Yes, we do have infant wear," she said.

"We usually get our UPS shipments in after 10 a.m.," she told a caller asking about Final Four shirts.

Sorry.

Clare is fine with it. "For the first time," she said, "I feel like we're a college."

Continue at the WP

[beyond the sea]

GMU, front and back page news all over the country today. A victory for the ages, that's what they are saying. Some things really are just priceless!

Major League Baloney.

George Mason University has a satellite campus in the United Arab Emirates.

They suck!

:-)

:-)

[jocon307]

"For the first time," she said, "I feel like we're a college."


That's what my daughter's been saying!

[Perdogg]

Who's that cute girl that plays for the florida men's team ?

Next year, we will be loaded. We will show no mercy. You better hope Florida wins it this year, cause Eddie Munster aint going to get one in a long time!

[Ligeia]

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