Yardbarker
x
The Rewind: George Mason's improbable run to the Final Four
George Mason upset UConn in the Elite Eight to make it to the 2006 Final Four. Yardbarker Original

The Rewind: George Mason's improbable run to the Final Four

Welcome to The Rewind, where we dig through tapes, YouTube videos and streaming services and revisit some of the most interesting games in history. There is something special about revisiting a favorite movie, a favorite show no longer on the air, or even just pulling out an album and giving it a spin the whole way through for the first time in a long while. Inevitably you pick up on the things you missed the first time around: a quiet moment in a song, a piece of scenery falling in the background, a joke that flew by you before — or maybe you just want to laugh at a joke you've already laughed at a hundred times before. Why don't we do the same with sports? We do in a way, highlight reels, maybe we have a DVD of the time our favorite team won a championship. But sitting through an entire game the whole way through when you know the final score? Frankly, that's the good stuff. Watching an entire game plan develop, figuring out which changes to the rules over the years would have resulted in a different outcome and seeing green rookies before they're superstars.


In sports, if you’re not a part of the establishment, you are against the establishment. There was no one more anti-establishment than the George Mason Patriots in the 2006 NCAA Tournament.

Coincidentally, it is appropriate a university named after a delegate who refused to sign the United States Constitution would be the team to successfully resist some of the traditional powers of college. Isn’t that what outsiders love — a team that spits in the face of customs and rebels against the notion that it's just supposed lay down and be tournament fodder?

There were tournament darlings before George Mason, but none of them broke through the glass ceiling like the Patriots did. The NCAA Tournament promises a level playing field: Get hot for six games and you can win a national championship, no matter what your seed is.

That dream has never truly come to pass.

No seed lower than eight has won the national championship, and only one No. 11 had made it to the Final Four before the Patriots. That happened in back-to-back years a generation ago in 1985 and 1986.

George Mason not only took college basketball by storm in 2006, it took every small college with it along for the ride. The Patriots weren’t some blue-blood program that was going to be there next year. This was their shot at immortality, a feeling that a lot of mid-major schools have when they reach the tournament.

That’s why 11 years later, people still look back at that Elite Eight game against UConn as a pivotal moment in college basketball history. The Patriots were giant slayers that inspired other small schools to make their own runs at history, like VCU in 2011. That is why we’re revisiting that game in this installment of The Rewind.

The lead-up: Who the heck is George Mason (part 1)?


Now head coach at the University of Miami, Jim Larranaga put his name and George Mason on the map in 2006. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Never heard of the George Mason Patriots before 2006? You’re not the only one.

The Patriots ranged from bad to mediocre most years before head coach Jim Larranaga stepped in prior to the 1997-1998 season. Over the next decade, he would build the program and manage to recruit talented players to participate in the Colonial Athletic Association.

His efforts netted him a good CAA team during the 2005-2006 season. The Patriots went 15-3 to finish second in the conference, putting them in a good position to secure an automatic bid if they won the CAA Tournament. They didn’t.

George Mason lost in the second round of the CAA Tournament against Hofstra, leaving it at the mercy of the NCAA Selection Committee. Despite the CAA being ranked 12th in the conference simple rating system, the NCAA selected two teams from the Colonial Athletic Association: regular-season and tournament champion North Carolina-Wilmington and co-regular-season champion George Mason.

Hofstra was left out.

“I think it was a travesty. I still feel for the kids on the team. They deserved to play in an NCAA Tournament game. We went on to the NIT, and we won the only two games in Hofstra’s history in the postseason. But as you know, the NCAA Tournament is the end-all. It was a shame.” – Hofstra head coach Tom Pecora

“When we did get in, (CBS’s Billy) Packer and (Jim) Nantz literally went through our non-conference schedule and talked about how they’re surprised we would be in. It was sort of hurtful at the time. They made it a good minute or two of the show about how we shouldn’t have gotten in.” – George Mason assistant coach Chris Caputo

“I remember it almost verbatim. I turned the TV off. I sent a message to our players: 'Listen, he said that because he’s never seen us play and he doesn’t know how good we are. But I do. You’re the best basketball team in George Mason history, and you’re the best basketball team I ever coached.'” – George Mason head coach Jim Larranaga

The lead-up: Who the heck is George Mason (part 2)?


George Mason was about to shock the college basketball world. Kansas City Star/Getty Images

Being placed as an 11-seed and going against perennial tournament participant Michigan State, the Patriots were supposed to bow out of the first round and just be glad they could say they went to the NCAA Tournament. They didn’t.

Not only did they upset Michigan State, 75-65, without senior guard Tony Skinn, who was suspended because of a punch he threw during the Hofstra game, but the Patriots rallied and defeated defending national champion North Carolina in the second round and dusted upstart Wichita State in the Sweet 16.

All that stood between them and history was No. 1 seeded Connecticut.

“We heard what all the critics said, but we knew we were capable of playing with anybody in the country. Our confidence level has just risen. And we're showing the country what we're capable of.” – Senior guard Tony Skinn

"I just recalled everyone saying we weren't supposed to be here, and now we're in the Elite Eight. I was just enjoying the rush from my head down to my feet.” – Senior guard Lamar Butler

"We're having so much fun, it's not like we're nervous or have any kind of fear. Anything is possible.” – Head coach Jim Larranaga

The lead-up: Business as usual for UConn


Former UConn coach Jim Calhoun and his Huskies were one of the favorites to win the 2006 NCAA Tournament. Travis Lindquist/Getty Images

Another ho-hum year for the UConn Huskies. They started the year ranked No. 3 in the nation and ended it ranked No. 2 in country, defeating high-ranked foes in No. 9 Arizona, No. 8 Gonzaga and No. 2 Villanova, twice.

They won the regular-season Big East title and, despite losing in their first game of the Big East Tournament, secured a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Must be nice when you have a Second-Team All-American and a handful of NBA players on your roster.

The Huskies ran through Albany in the first round but had some trouble against Kentucky in the second. Against Washington, UConn rallied from a 10-point deficit to force overtime and then win the game in the extra frame.

UConn didn’t blow away the field to get to the Elite Eight, but it did face adversity, which is a lot more than a lot of teams can say. The Huskies dominated a game, held off a late rally and came back to win. That kind of battle-tested team should be able to squash an out-of-place 11 seed that might have captured the heart of the country, right?

“I’d be less than candid to say I feared George Mason a lot more than my players did. That’s only normal.” – Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun

“Connecticut did not know anything about George Mason. When they were interviewed on Saturday, they were asked what league we play in. They said the Patriot League. Of course, we’re the George Mason Patriots. The guy who said it was corrected by his teammate, who said, 'No, they’re not in the Patriot League. They’re in the Missouri Valley.'” – Larranaga

“I remember they asked (U-Conn swingman) Rashad Anderson on ESPN. Me and Folarin (Campbell) were watching it, and we started texting each other. ‘Can you name any of their players?’ And this is after we beat Wichita at Verizon Center, so we should be on your scouting report. He said, ‘No, I can’t name any of their players.’ That was it. That was all I needed. It gave us enough bulletin board material.” - Butler

The game: George Mason keeps pace

In a lot of ways, this was close to an actual David versus Goliath matchup. Like a lot of its games before, George Mason was undersized and outgunned at most positions on the floor. But like most games in 2006 for the Patriots, it really didn’t matter.

George Mason fell behind early, finding itself in an eight-point deficit early in the game. Showing their defensive strength, the Patriots locked down UConn and flexed that top 25 defense in the nation.

After struggling heading into the game, George Mason’s leading scorer showed up for the most important game the team's history. With 3:09 left in the first half, Jai Lewis was 3-for-5 from the field with 10 points. George Mason was up 29-28.

“The one thing I’ll say, we did have the crowd. It was as electric an environment as I’ve ever been in.” – Caputo

The game: The Huskies come storming back


Rudy Gay and the Huskies tried to break George Mason with a run. Win McNamee/Getty Images

When you have a team with four future first-round draft picks, it doesn’t take a lot to get any of them going. After going down by one late in the first half, UConn finally woke up.

Big three-pointers from Rudy Gay, Marcus Williams, Denham Brown and Rashad Anderson powered the Huskies on a 15-2 run. George Mason’s Florian Campbell would get an and-one layup to stop the bleeding a little bit, but the Huskies were heading into the break with a 43-34 lead.

The game: Clawing back into it


The Patriots just wouldn't go away. Travis Lindquist/Getty Images

While UConn went on a big run to take control of the game at the end of the half, it came with a caveat: Any momentum built up was lost.

After what was essentially an extra long timeout, George Mason was able to regroup in the locker room and shake off the avalanche of UConn points that hit it to end the half. After trading baskets with the Huskies, the Patriots dialed up their defense again and caught up with UConn once more.

Key three-pointers from Lamar Butler and Florian Campbell evened the score at 49-49 with 12:32 left in the game. Suddenly it was a new ball game.

“They were arguing during the game. Cursing at each other. Mainly Rudy Gay and Marcus Williams. 'Pass me the ball!' I’m just like, you’re arguing in the Elite Eight?” – Butler

“We ran the same play 25 consecutive times. We didn’t change one thing on offense. We didn’t make one adjustment at all.” – Larranaga

The game: Missed opportunities


Coach Calhoun did everything he could to keep his players focused. Travis Lindquist/Getty Images

Both teams traded shot after shot with no one able to outpace the other. Whenever George Mason would go ahead by one or two points, UConn would come right back to take the lead or tie it up.

With less than a minute left, George Mason had a four-point lead, 71-67. That’s when things started going off the rails for the Patriots.

Will Thomas got blocked at the rim twice with 57 seconds left in the game, potential baskets that could’ve extended the lead to six. Instead, Marcus Williams took the ball the length of the court and got an and-one layup to cut the lead to one.

On the ensuing possession, Jai Lewis hit the front end of the 1+1 but missed on the second. Lamar Butler stole the ball the next UConn possession and hit two free throws with 17 seconds left to bring the lead to four again.

Marcus Williams nailed a quick two on the other end, and then George Mason’s Tony Skinn was fouled with 5.5 seconds left in the game. All he had to do was sink two free throws to effectively squash the UConn comeback.

The game: Silencing the fat lady


Both UConn and George Mason were exhausted by the end of regulation. Win McNamee/Getty Images

After Tony Skinn’s empty trip to the foul line, UConn raced down on what may be the final possession of the season with the score 74-72 in favor of the Patriots. Marcus Williams throws the ball to Denham Brown on the left wing. As he drives, three George Mason defenders converge on him. He puts up a reverse layup over the outstretched arms of Jai Lewis and Florian Campbell. UConn Scores. Overtime coming.

“The four guys were back, but they were afraid to foul. So when Denham Brown pushed the ball, he drove it right to the basket. We actually got out of his way.” – Larranaga

“I think when we went into overtime, the whole country counted us out then.” – George Mason senior forward Jai Lewis

“I said to them, '… There isn’t any place that I’d rather be than right here with you guys, trying to beat Connecticut with a chance to go the Final Four. Where else would you rather be?' Then I asked them, 'Are you having any fun yet? Go out and show the world what we’re made of.'” – Larranaga

The game: History


George Mason pulled off on the biggest upsets ever by defeating UConn in OT in the 2006 Elite Eight. Win McNamee/Getty Images

Two teams. Five minutes. In overtime, one run can determine the game. George Mason struck first.

After trading scores with UConn the first two minutes, the Patriots clamped down on the Huskies and went on a 7-2 run to push the score to 85-80 with 41 seconds left. But lead was far from safe.

After splitting trips to the free throw line, Marcus Williams hits a three-pointer to cut the deficit to two with 11 seconds to go. Like Tony Skinn in regulation, Jai Lewis had a chance in the double bonus to seal the game with 5.1 seconds left. Lewis’ first shot clanked off the back of the iron. His second did the same.

Denham Brown nabbed the rebound and raced down the court. The hero from regulation put up a step-back three for the win.

The ball hung in the air. The UConn bench stood in anticipation. Millions of fans across country held their breath as the course of underdog history hung in the balance.

The shot clanged off the side of the rim, and the buzzer sounded. George Mason wins.

“When they won, (Butler and his father) were hugging near the free throw line, and his dad was just saying to him, 'Final Four, Final Four,' and they had tears streaming down their faces.” – NBC4 reporter Lindsay Czarniak

“Seeing my parents, seeing my siblings jumping for joy, seeing grown men cry. To bring that type of emotion out of people was awesome.” – Junior guard Gabe Norwood

“People remember where they were when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, people know where they were when Kennedy was shot. I’ll bet you an enormous amount of people, and especially people at George Mason, know exactly where they were when George Mason beat Connecticut.” – George Mason Athletic Director Tom O’Connor

Epilogue


George Mason fans were unrelenting toward broadcaster Billy Packer after he trashed the Patriots' NCAA Tournament selection. Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Like many big programs after a loss in the NCAA Tournament, UConn simply moved on. Rudy Gay, Hilton Armstrong, Marcus Williams, Josh Boone and Denham Brown were picked in the NBA Draft. The Huskies also had no trouble replenishing their talent pool, adding freshmen like Jerome Dyson, A.J. Price, Stanley Robinson and Hasheem Thabeet.

While George Mason was able to shake the college basketball world, it wasn’t able to get the ultimate prize. The Patriots ran into the eventual national champion Florida Gators. Unable to overcome a second roster with four future-NBA draft picks on Florida, the Patriots lost, 73-58.

But the failure to capture the national championship will never define their legacy.

George Mason was not the first low-seeded team to make noise in the NCAA Tournament, but it was one of the pioneers to show that anything is actually possible in the tournament. Any team can win one game, but the Patriots showed the country that smaller schools with good coaching and toughness can win three or four games in a row against top competition to have a legitimate shot at winning the entire thing.

Every year, we see teams with the biggest booster clubs, the largest checkbooks and the biggest stadiums pour dollar after dollar to effectively buy their way into the tournament. Checks pay for good coaching, which brings in top talent, leaving smaller schools to be resourceful, relying on hidden gems and solid schemes.

It doesn’t happen often, but when those mid-major schools put it all together and outwork programs that make basketball a business, it is a thing of beauty. Toughness over talent; revolution over tradition; will over skill.

The Patriots showed every school in the country that no matter what league you are in, you have a shot to make it to the Final Four. No. 11 VCU made its own run to the Final Four in 2011, No. 9 Wichita State made it to the Final Four in 2013, No. 11 Dayton made it to the Elite Eight and the list of lower seeds making deep runs into the tournament continues to grow.

If you want to watch the one that started it all this century, look no further than the scrappy bunch from George Mason that looked at the face of the establishment and smiled as it crumbled under its four games of brilliance in 2006.

[H/T to NY Daily News, the Washington Post and Matt Norlander for quotes]

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.