For George Mason, It's Pure Madness
Patriots' Improbable Run Is Still Alive With a Victory Over Wichita State

By Liz Clarke
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 25, 2006

Coach Jim Larranaga frantically scoured the stands so he could flash double thumbs up to his wife, lost in a sea of delirious green-and-gold-clad basketball fans. Gunston, the mascot, let out an earsplitting whistle through his fuzzy green faux fur. The male cheerleaders bumped chests. And there weren't enough hugs to go around last night as George Mason extended its improbable romp through the NCAA men's basketball tournament, defeating Wichita State, 63-55, to advance to the round of eight -- rarefied air, indeed, that places the Patriots 40 minutes from the Final Four.

Up next for a team derided by some college basketball pooh-bahs as not belonging in the tournament in the first place is two-time national champion Connecticut, the Washington Region's No. 1 seed and favorite to win a third title.

Lowly 11th seeds such as George Mason aren't supposed to stick around for the second week of the tournament; they're invited to the party as little more than athletic hors d'oeuvres for elite teams to feast on. But the Patriots have done nothing but upset college basketball's world order since the 65-team field opened play last weekend, upending half of last year's Final Four -- Michigan State and defending champion North Carolina -- in their first- and second-round games in Dayton, Ohio.

Before a crowd filled with Mason partisans at Verizon Center last night, George Mason (26-7) went one better: The Patriots didn't just defeat the Shockers; they dismantled them with accurate three-point shooting and a smothering defense, holding a team that hadn't scored less than 80 points all tournament to just 19 in the first half.

Wichita State rallied in the second half, pulling within eight points with less than one minute remaining. But when the outcome was certain, George Mason senior guard Lamar Butler hugged the basketball with all his might and looked into the eyes of his father and brother in the stands.

"I just recall everyone saying we weren't supposed to be here," said Butler, among four Patriots who scored at least 10 points. "It was just an adrenaline shot from my head to my feet! It was an awesome feeling."

Larranaga was giddy, too, at 56. He went to an NCAA Final Four as an assistant coach at the University of Virginia during the Ralph Sampson era. But this was the first time one of his teams advanced this far in the tournament -- and only the second time a team from the Colonial Athletic Association has reached a region final.

"We're having a hell of a lot of fun!" said Larranaga, whose coaching philosophy relies on hefty doses of good humor -- like dancing, singing and playing baseball in the middle of practice if the tension gets too thick.

But for even the casual viewer with no rooting interest, George Mason's achievement last night distilled the very charm of the NCAA tournament. Though stacked in favor of traditional powers, its format always holds the possibility that a school with no basketball pedigree -- like the Patriots, composed almost entirely of local players who couldn't buy a glance from big-time recruiters in high school -- can prove it can compete at a championship level, too.

From the moment George Mason shocked basketball pundits by toppling North Carolina last weekend, Larranaga guaranteed he would have the most fun of any coach in the round of 16. And he urged his players to do the same.

And there wasn't a trace of tension as they trotted onto the court almost a full hour before tip-off, smiling and laughing as they loosened their muscles and honed their shooting touch. They even laughed in the pregame huddle, and Butler turned to the stands and cupped his hand to his ears as if he couldn't hear the deafening shrieks of "Let's Go Mason!"

The Patriots' starting lineup consists of five players from Maryland -- three of them seniors -- and none taller than 6 feet 7. At first blush, that gave the edge to Wichita State.

But the Patriots withered the Shockers from the start.

Folarin Campbell, who led the team with 16 points, set the tone by blocking a shot and making three three-pointers in the first five minutes.

Under the Patriots' defensive onslaught, the Shockers couldn't hang onto the ball, couldn't shoot from under the basket and couldn't score from the perimeter, either. Thanks to the wide body of 275-pound Jai Lewis, they reduced Paul Miller, the Shockers' leading scorer, to a first-half asterisk.

The Shockers trudged to the locker room at halftime with a paltry 19 points on 30 percent shooting.

Wichita State was the Patriots' first opponent that didn't take victory for granted, having lost to Mason just last month. But the Shockers were no match for George Mason's defense on this night. And they had the misfortune of facing an 11th seed that was enjoying the uncanny good fortune of a home-court advantage. That's not how NCAA brackets are supposed to work, but the Patriots' pluck in toppling two higher-seeded teams delivered just that.

Patriots fans turned out with a passion that seemed to have pent up far longer than the school's 34-year history and never flagged.

With fans like that, as well as a fun-loving coach and happy band of players, George Mason might not be finished yet.

"It's not like we're in a situation where we're nervous or having any kind of fear," Larranaga said. "These guys have played basketball their whole lives. They enjoy being with each other. They enjoyed executing the plan on the court. As long as we can continue to do that, anything is possible."