Perhaps a little reminder is in order: double-digit, lower-seeded teams aren’t supposed to win first round games in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. They’re especially not supposed to go to the Final Four, as George Mason did two seasons ago.
Yet, one would be hard-pressed to find a more precocious No. 12 than this year’s Patriots (23-10), who face No. 5 Notre Dame (24-7) on Thursday in Denver.
“We know it can be done since we’ve done it before,” said Patriots senior guard Folarin Campbell. “As long we believe in ourselves and our capabilities, I mean, the sky’s the limit for this team.”
In 2006, George Mason became the first Colonial Athletic Association team to reach the Final Four, and the second to reach it as a two-digit seed, (No. 11, the same as LSU in 1986). The Patriots also were the first mid-major in the Final Four since 1979, when both the Penn (No. 9 seed) and Larry Bird-led Indiana State (No. 1) advanced that far.
“A lot of people two years ago came up to me and said I don’t know how much I’ve done, how much we’ve done, for the George Mason community,” said Patriots senior forward Will Thomas. “Then, this year, people in the community are expecting us to get back there.”
Perhaps because it is so recent, the enormity and difficulty of the accomplishment that season can’t adequately be understood.
“I think everybody knew then,” said George Mason head coach Jim Larranaga. “But it grows in magnitude when you see that not only was it very, very difficult for us, but nobody’s been able to duplicate it. Even though it’s just been one season past, no mid-major, no No. 11 seed was able to advance beyond the second round.”
The Patriots have welcomed increased expectations — needless to say, it’s better than fans assuming they’ll lose — and they’re determined to enjoy every moment they can.
“One thing about this team is it’s real hard to tell how hard it is because everybody smiles and has fun,” said junior guard Dre Smith. “It seems like people are just breezing through things.”
