Moving Forward With Eyes Wide Open

George Mason, an at-Large Darling 2 Years Ago, Savors Certainty of Guaranteed NCAA Bid

The last time the George Mason basketball team gathered for the NCAA tournament selection show was two years ago in the basement of Coach Jim Larranaga's home in Oakton. The Patriots had endured a week of anxious speculation before being subjected to another long wait in front of a widescreen TV to see if they would receive an at-large berth.

Now compare that setting with this year's: The atrium of Johnson Center in the heart of campus, several hundred fans and students in attendance, the team on a stage constructed below an admissions office and between the Burger King and Mrs. Mason's Cookies.

And much to the Patriots' relief, it came with none of the unbearable tension that served as the backdrop for the 2006 announcement.

By virtue of winning the Colonial Athletic Association championship last Monday, the question was not whether the Patriots (23-10) were in the field of 65, but what seed they'd be assigned, where they would be sent, when they would play and who they'd face.

The answers came quickly: No. 12, Denver, Thursday and fifth-seeded Notre Dame (24-7).

"It's nice to get it out of the way. We didn't want to go through that again," university president Alan G. Merten said, reflecting on the experience of two years ago.

This time, players and coaches plopped onto cozy green chairs and couches, a faux fireplace with rotating "flame" behind them. The cheerleaders and Gunston, the green-glob mascot, were on hand. Funky bandleader Doc Nix oversaw the Green Machine's arrangement from the second level. T-shirts, towels and beads were distributed.

Twenty-five minutes before the show began, Larranaga took the microphone, revved up the crowd and introduced the players as well as Merten, who was serenaded.

While the team watched the telecast on a 52-inch TV, on-lookers dressed predominantly in green and gold stared at a pair of projection screens. They did not have to wait long for the Patriots' pertinent information.

"To see our name get called so early and see all the excitement from our fans, it was a lot of fun," junior guard John Vaughan said of Mason's matchup being unveiled third.

The Patriots' seed is one slot lower than in 2006, when they made their historic run to the Final Four, but like two years ago, when they faced Michigan State in the first round, they'll confront an opponent from a major conference. Mason and Notre Dame have never played each other, but did have two common opponents this season: Both beat Kansas State while the Patriots lost to Villanova and the Fighting Irish beat the Wildcats.

Within minutes of yesterday's pairing, while he sat on stage, Larranaga was handed a Notre Dame statistics package. After the ceremony, he and his assistants headed to their offices to copy DVDs of Fighting Irish games before proceeding to Larranaga's house for a strategy session.