George Mason

2012 All Mid-Major Team: CollegeHoops.net

CHN — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 22:34:23 -0800

Player of the Year Isaiah Canaan of Murray State highlights CollegeHoops.net's 2012 All Mid-Major Team. Canaan, a junior guard, led Murray State to an impressive 30-1 season.

Canaan is joined on the First Team by fellow guards Scott Machado of Iona and Damian Lillard of Weber St. A pair of senior forwards round out the squad in Dominique Morrison of Oral Roberts and Ryan Pearson of George Mason.

CollegeHoops.net All High-Major Teams were voted on by staffers Shawn Siegel, Raphielle Johnson, Greg Mengelt, and Jon Teitel.

Last year's winner was Morehead St's Kenneth Faried.

Mid-Major Player of the Year: G Isaiah Canaan, Murray St, Jr

First Team Mid-Major

G Isaiah Canaan, Murray St, Jr
G Scott Machado, Iona, Sr
G Damian Lillard, Weber St, Jr
F Dominique Morrison, Oral Roberts, Sr
F Ryan Pearson, George Mason, Sr

Second Team Mid-Major

G Casper Ware, Long Beach St, Sr
G Zack Rosen, Penn, Sr
G Nate Wolters, South Dakota St, Jr
F Ryan Broekhoff, Valparaiso, Jr
F Mike Glover, Iona, Sr

Third Team Mid-Major

G CJ McCollum, Lehigh, Jr
G Kerron Johnson, Belmont, Jr
G Reggie Hamilton, Oakland, Sr
F Orlando Johnson, UCSB, Sr
F Mike Muscala, Bucknell, Jr

Fourth Team Mid-Major

G Matt Dickey, UNC-Asheville, Sr
G Lamarcus Reed, Texas-Arlington, Sr
F TJ Robinson, Long Beach St, Sr
F Jake Cohen, Davidson, Jr
F Mitchell Watt, Buffalo, Sr

Honorable Mention

G Nick Barbour, High Point, Sr
F Julian Boyd, LIU Brooklyn, Jr
F De'Mon Brook Davidson, So
G Will Cherry, Montana, Jr
G DJ Cooper, Ohio, Jr
F LaRon Dendy, Midd Tennessee, Sr
G Shane Gibson, Sacred Heart, Jr
F Ken Horton, Central Connecticut St, Sr
F Greg Mangano, Yale, Sr
G Ray McCallum, Detroit, So
G Charles Odum, Portland St, Sr
F Kyle O'Quinn, Norfolk St, Sr
G Jesse Sanders, Liberty, G
F Keith Wright, Harvard, Sr
G Alex Young, IUPUI, Sr

George Mason vs VCU: CAA Semifinals Preview

CHN — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 11:09:52 -0800

#2 VCU (26-6) vs. # 3 George Mason (24-8)

By: Robert Canady

When: Sunday 4:30 p.m.

It seems it’s always been Carolina-Duke, Michigan St.-Michigan, and Kentucky-Louisville…now please add VCU-George Mason to that list. All are in state rivalries and for years the first three matchups have had national followings, in addition to their regional significance. However, until 2006 most people outside of Virginia couldn’t have told you where either Mason or VCU were located, or more importantly why you were asking.

That has all changed since both schools have made Final Four appearances since 2006. George Mason first put the school and the CAA conference on the map with its final four run in the 2005-06 season. Many bracketology experts blasted the at-large selection of the Patriots at the time.

Mason entered the tournament as an 11 seed and its run of victories over such blue-blood programs as Michigan St, North Carolina and Connecticut to reach the Final Four brought the school and team into the national spotlight. The Patriots ultimately fell to Florida in the semifinals, however they had become the new mid-major Cinderella.

VCU continued the conferences move into the national spotlight with its run to the Final Four last year. For the first time in conference history the CAA received three invitations to the tournament. VCU played in the newly named First Four round and defeated USC to advance to the full field of 64. From there VCU beat Georgetown, Purdue and Florida St before “Shakaing” (as in VCU head coach Shaka Smart) the basketball world by defeating No.1 seed Kansas to become the second CAA team in five years to reach the Final Four.

GMU and VCU have become as big of instate rivals as any of the previously mentioned matchups. Today’s matchup will be a rematch of last year’s semifinal in which VCU upset the No.1 seeded Patriots 79-63. The two teams met in the tournament championship game in 2009, as the top two seeds. VCU prevailed in that matchup as well in a 71-50 rout.

The two teams split this seasons games each winning at home. Sherrod Wright broke VCU’s heart on Valentine’s Day with a 35 foot running buzzer beater for a 62-61 victory that led to the obligatory storming of the court by the Mason fanatics. VCU avenged that loss in a regular season finale on February 25^th by a score of 89-77.

Both teams will enter today’s semifinals on emotional highs. Mason won a thriller 61-59 against Georgia State Saturday night when Bryon Allen made a driving reverse layup with 3.4 seconds left in the game. VCU used a dominating 2^nd half against Northeastern University that included 16 points from guard Rob Brandenburg to pull away from a 26-26 halftime deadlock.

VCU will use the Shaka Smart trademarked term of HAVOC in an effort to offset George Masons senior leadership of CAA Player of the Year Ryan Pearson and forward Mike Morrison who coach Paul Hewitt referred to after the Georgia St. game as “the smartest player I’ve ever had.”

VCU entered the 2011-12 season as the 9^th youngest team in the country after losing 68% of its scoring and 58% of its minutes played from last year’s Final Four team. However, they have meshed into the nation’s best team when it comes to steals, leading the country with an average of 10.6 per game.

The Richmond Coliseum serves as a neutral site for the tournament; however it has a decided home court feel when VCU plays. Located just 1.5 miles from the VCU campus, the sellout crowd of 11,200 was a sea of Ram gold, with a decent amount of George Mason yellow making their presence felt as well. Today’s matchup will no doubt be another chapter in what is quickly becoming a national best seller.

Notes:

In today’s other semifinal No. 1 Drexel faces two time defending tournament champion Old Dominion. Drexel defeated UNCW 59-47 in the first quarterfinal of the day. Old Dominion used a relentless fast break style of play to get past Delaware 88-74.

The Championship game between today’s winners will be Monday night on ESPN.

Sunday's Conference Tournament Primer

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 08:01:10 -0800

Missouri Valley - Title Game
#4 Illinois State vs. #2 Creighton, 2:00 p.m. (CBS)

The eyes of many bubble teams and their fan bases will be focused on St. Louis and the title game of the MVC tournament. The reason why: Illinois State, a team that was unlikely to be an at-large selection, is 40 minutes away from grabbing the Valley's automatic bid and making it a three-bid league. Standing in the way of the Redbirds is two-seed Creighton, who looked outstanding in their 99-71 win over Evansville and will be headed to the Big Dance with or without the automatic bid.

The problem for Illinois State, who beat Wichita State 65-64 on Saturday to reach the final, is that they've been unable to slow down the Bluejays in either meeting. Creighton averaged 94.5 points per game in two wins over the Redbirds, most recently handing ISU a 102-74 beating in Omaha on February 1st. Doug McDermott led six players in double figures that game with 25 points, and in the two meetings Creighton has shot 57.1% (87-78 win at ISU) and 56.4% from the field.

Tim Jankovich's team has improved since that loss on the defensive end of the floor as only three teams have shot better than 45% from the field since, but the Redbirds' improved defense will be tested this afternoon. Big man Jackie Carmichael has been outstanding all season long, and his physical play is a big reason why Illinois State has been able to reach this point. But he and Tyler Brown are going to need their teammates to step up if they're to have a shot at knocking off this powerful Creighton squad, and Nic Moore's 12 points on Saturday could be a step in the right direction in that regard.

In addition to McDermott the Bluejays have Gregory Echenique inside, and on the perimeter players such as Antoine Young, Grant Gibbs and Jahenns Manigat all have the ability to make plays. The offensive production is rarely a question for Greg McDermott's team, but how well they play defensively will ultimately determine how far they can go in the NCAA tournament. If Creighton can clamp down defensively the upset bid becomes even tougher for Illinois State, but they've got a shot. And at this point in the season that's the least a team can ask for.

America East - Semifinals
#1 Stony Brook vs. #4 Albany, 5:02 p.m. (ESPN3)
#2 Vermont vs. #6 Hartford, 7:15 p.m. (ESPN3)

Three of the top four seeds advanced to the semifinals in West Hartford, with the host Hawks being the lone exception. They were able to slow down a potent Boston University attack, winning 53-49, and at 9-21 on the season John Gallagher's Hawks really don't have anything to lose. But beating a Vermont team that swept the regular season series, winning both games by double digits, will be very tough to do. The Catamounts scored just 14 points in the first half of their 50-40 win over Maine on Saturday but with the likes of Matt Glass and Luke Apfeld don't expect that to happen again.

The first semifinal should be highly entertaining, as regular season champ Stony Brook takes on four-seed Albany, who has the league's leading scorer in Gerardo Suero. Suero, a guy many thought would be Player of the Year, can flat-out light it up and if Logan Aronhalt is effective the Great Danes can be a tough out. Steve Pikiell's Seawolves have five players averaging at least eight points per game with Bryan Dougher leading the way, and in Tommy Brenton they've got the league's best defender.

CAA - Semifinals
#1 Drexel vs. #4 Old Dominion, 2 p.m. (CAA-TV)
#2 VCU vs. #3 George Mason, 4:30 p.m. (CAA-TV)

There's no underestimating how important these two games are from an NCAA tournament standpoint, because while the chances of a second bid are slim given the troubles of bubble teams throughout the country the possibility for the CAA remains. Drexel won the regular season title outright and keeping in mind UAB's selection last season that achievement may hold weight with the selection committee. Frantz Massenat and the Dragons take on an ODU team that played arguably its best offensive game of the season on Saturday, but don't expect offensive fireworks given how good both teams have been defensively. The rubber match between VCU and George Mason will most likely determine the team with the best shot at an at-large should Drexel end up with the automatic bid, but more importantly the winner would control their own fate with a shot at the title on Monday night. Mason escaped Georgia State on Saturday night while VCU was able to take care of Northeastern.

Metro Atlantic - Semifinals
#4 Fairfield vs. #1 Iona, 2:00 p.m. (ESPN3)
#2 Loyola (MD) vs. #6 Siena, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN3)

Similar to America East the six-seed is the one "crashing" the party in the MAAC, as a Siena team that goes six deep knocked off three-seed Manhattan in Saturday's quarterfinals. Owen Wignot sent the game into overtime with a three-pointer with eight seconds remaining, and senior Brandon Walters picked a good time to play arguably the best game of his career. The question now is whether or not Mitch Buonaguro's team has enough left in the tank (especially with Evan Hymes battling a knee injury) to battle one of the MAAC's deepest teams in Loyola. Erik Etherly and Dylon Cormier may lead the way, but the Greyhounds can also call on the likes of Robert Olson and MAAC 6th Man of the Year Justin Drummond when needed.

The first semifinal matches the two teams expected to fight it out for the regular season title in top-seed Iona and Fairfield. It took the Stags a little longer than expected to mesh given the addition of Rakim Sanders and Desmond Wade, not to mention head coach Sydney Johnson just arriving by way of Princeton. The loss of guard Derek Needham hurts but Fairfield has the depth needed to navigate such a loss. The Gaels are deep as well, led by seniors Scott Machado and Mike Glover, and with their run last season ending in the MAAC title game there's going to be motivation to take care of business. If Iona can defend at a solid level they have more than enough offensive talent to advance to Monday's final.

NEC - Semifinals
#3 Robert Morris at #2 Wagner, Noon (MSG/FCS)
#5 Quinnipiac at #1 LIU Brooklyn, 6:00 p.m. (MSG/FCS)

The battle between the Colonials and Seahawks will be entertaining, especially when considering a likely matchup between RMU's Velton Jones and Wagner's Kenneth Ortiz. Jones leads the Colonials in scoring with an average of 16.4 points per game, and Ortiz is one of the NEC's best defenders. Both teams are deep, and with Latif Rivers and Tyler Murray also at his disposal on the perimeter Wagner head coach Dan Hurley won't lack for options. The same goes for RMU's Andy Toole, who also has sophomore Coron Williams and freshman wing Lucky Jones. RMU has been the better rebounding team this season, so if Jones and Russell Johnson can control things on the glass they can leave Staten Island with a win.

In the other semifinal high-scoring LIU Brooklyn hosts Quinnipiac, who have one of the league's best scoring guards in James Johnson. The key for QU however could be how well Ike Azotam does inside against Julian Boyd and Jamal Olasewere. The Bobcats are the best rebounding team in the NEC and Azotam is a big reason why, but Boyd and Olasewere can both step out on the perimeter and draw him away from the basket. Add in guards Jason Brickman and C.J. Garner and the Blackbirds have a rotation that's been tough to slow down all season long.

Southern - Semifinals
#1N UNCG vs. #3N Western Carolina, 6:00 p.m.
#1S Davidson vs. #2N Elon, 8:30 p.m.

Three of the four teams still alive in the SoCon hail from the North Division, which may be seen as a surprise based on how the regular season played out. Wes Miller's Spartans have played so well since he took over that the youngest head coach in America was named SoCon Coach of the Year, and with Trevis Simpson leading the way UNCG can reach the final. But the Spartans will face a Western Carolina squad that's won six straight, and they looked very good in their 82-59 win over Wofford on Saturday afternoon. In the other semifinal the clear favorite to win the automatic bid, Davidson, takes on an Elon team led by Jack Isenbarger. The question for the Phoenix is whether or not they have enough inside to deal with Jake Cohen and De'Mon Brooks, but then again no one's really had an answer for these two within the league.

Summit League - Quarterfinals
#4 Western Illinois vs. #5 North Dakota State, 7:00 p.m.
#3 Oakland vs. #6 Southern Utah, 9:30 p.m.

The top two seeds, Oral Roberts and South Dakota State, advanced on Saturday night and Sunday's slate features one of the country's most prolific scorers in Oakland's Reggie Hamilton. Hamilton averaged 25.5 points per game in two wins over the Thunderbirds, and Travis Bader is a capable scorer as well. Jackson Stevenett leads four SUU players in double figures with an average of 14.1 points per game, and that balance combined with better defense on Hamilton is the formula for a Southern Utah win. North Dakota State and Western Illinois each have three players averaging double figures in scoring, and guards Taylor Braun (NDSU) and Ceola Clark (WIU) are both capable of leading their teams to the victory. The winners will take on ORU and South Dakota State in Monday's semifinals.

Sun Belt - Quarterfinals
#1 Middle Tennessee vs. #9 Arkansas State, 7:00 p.m. (Sun Belt Network - Summit Arena)
#4 Louisiana-Lafayette vs. #5 North Texas, 7:15 p.m. (Convention Center Court)
#2 UALR vs. #7 Western Kentucky, 9:30 p.m. (Sun Belt Network - Summit Arena)
#3 Denver vs. #6 South Alabama, 9:45 p.m. (Convention Center Court)

The top five teams take the court for the first time in the Sun Belt tournament, and while Middle Tennessee has to be considered the favorite given how well they played throughout the season they won't go unchallenged. Denver put together an outstanding season thanks to the tandem of Brian Stafford and Chris Udofia, and if there's a player who can go on a run and make the tournament his own personal playground that would be North Texas' Tony Mitchell. UALR should also be in the conversation as Steve Shields' team won the automatic bid last season, and they're the two seed entering this year's tournament.

North Carolina Wins ACC Title: Saturday's Quick Hitters

Raphielle Johnson — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 06:10:15 -0800

Three teams (Belmont, Murray State and UNC Asheville) punched their tickets to the NCAA tournament on Saturday.

1. North Carolina jumps out to a big lead at Cameron, spoling Duke's Senior Day and winning the ACC regular season title.
Pouring salt in the wound of another isn't ever a good idea, and apparently the showing of a montage of big plays late in Duke's comeback win in Chapel Hill fired up UNC point guard Kendall Marshall. Marshall, and by extension his teammates, felt disrespected and as a result the Tar Heels had a little extra motivation to go along with the desire to beat their rival and win the ACC regular season crown. UNC jumped out to a 22-5 lead, withstood a Blue Devil rally in the second half and went on to win 88-70. Marshall led the way with 20 points and ten assists, knocking down seven of his fifteen shots from the field to make a defense that allowed him to shoot pay. In fact, Marshall was one of three starters to post a double-double, as Tyler Zeller (19 points, ten rebounds) and John Henson (13 points, ten rebounds) also had good nights.

All five starters finished in double figures for the Tar Heels, who also bludgeoned Duke on the glass 45-28 with 14 offensive rebounds. Mason (17 points, four rebounds) and Miles (16 points, 11 rebounds) Plumlee led the Blue Devils but the slow start landed them in a hole too deep to crawl out of. North Carolina did a better job of defending the three, and part of the battle was to make sure the Blue Devils didn't get the chance to attempt 36 as they did in Chapel Hill. Duke finished 6-for-21 from beyond the arc, and when combined with their 47.6% shooting inside of the arc that wasn't enough to withstand UNC shooting 60.3% from two and 54.5% overall. With both teams still in the fight for a one-seed in the NCAA tournament splitting the regular season series was key for North Carolina. One would think that an ACC tournament crown would be the "tiebreaker".

2. BYU gets outclassed by Gonzaga and now has to sweat out a week of action.
For the sake of the Cougars it may be a good thing if the selection committee got in some rest before they begin their week-long process of filling the 68-team field, because they did not look good in their WCC semifinal matchup with Gonzaga. The Bulldogs showed no ill effects of playing their first game of the tournament, coming out firing and jumping to a 12-4 lead by the first media timeout and leading by as many as 18 in the first half. BYU was able to close the margin to 12 at the half (38-26), but they were no match for Kevin Pangos and the Bulldogs in the second half as Gonzaga rolled to the 77-58 win. Pangos scored 30 points and dished out four assists, advancing the Bulldogs to the title game where they will play nemesis Saint Mary's, and the Zags limited BYU to 37.7% shooting on the night.

The question for BYU is how much damage does this defeat do to their NCAA tournament hopes. According to realtimerpi.com the Cougars entered Saturday with an RPI of 47, but their strength of schedule number (108) has to be a bit of a concern at this point. BYU does have three RPI Top 50 wins at this point, as they've beaten Oregon and Weber State in addition to Gonzaga, but two of those wins came at home and the Oregon win came in Salt Lake City. Saturday night notwithstanding BYU has the look of a tournament team, with Brandon Davies and Noah Hartsock inside leading the way. But does the resume match up? That's a question that many will ponder over the next week.

3. Illinois State upsets Wichita State in the Missouri Valley semis, setting up a date with Creighton.
It was the situation that many bubble teams fear annually: a team not expected to go to the NCAA tournament makes a run in their conference tournament to possibly take an available bid off the board. Illinois State is 40 minutes away from doing just that as they beat top-seed Wichita State 65-64 in St. Louis. Tyler Brown led the way with 25 points and six rebounds, and his two free throws with 6.4 seconds remaining gave the Redbirds a 65-64 lead they would not relinquish. Garrett Stutz had a good look at the basket just before time expired but his shot fell short, eliminating the possibility of a third meeting between the Shockers and Creighton. But neither that nor the fate of bubble teams is (or should be) of concern to Illinois State, and Tim Jankovich also has Jackie Carmichael to call on inside. If the Redbirds get better on the boards (Wichita State grabbed 17 offensive rebounds) they'll have every chance of beating the Bluejays and winning the MVC tournament title.

4. Chalk rules in the CAA semis, setting up a massive battle between George Mason and VCU.
Many have joined the "two bids for the CAA" campaig, citing the gaudy records of Drexel, VCU and George Mason as one reason why. All three needed to reach the semis to make that goal a possibility, and along with four-seed Old Dominion they all took care of business on Saturday. George Mason needed a Bryon Allen reverse in the final seconds to beat Georgia State 54-52 while Drexel and VCU would both pull away in their wins over UNCW and Northeastern. That sets up a critical battle between VCU and George Mason on Sunday afternoon, with the winner likely having the best case for an at-large bid, and Drexel takes on ODU in what should be a slugfest. Getting two bids may be tough given strength of schedule numbers but with numerous bubble teams stumbling down the stretch the door remains open, and that's the least the CAA can ask for at this point.

5. Seton Hall wraps up an 0-2 finish against teams they were expected to beat, casting doubt on their NCAA tournament hopes.
One of those stumbling bubble teams is Seton Hall, and all the Pirates had to do was beat Rutgers and DePaul in their last two games heading into the Big East Championship. Last Saturday they fell to Rutgers at home in overtime, and things got even worse a week later as the Pirates were blown out by the Blue Demons 86-58. Kevin Willard's team just never seemed ready to go, trailing by 13 at the half and things would only get worse from there. Jamee Crockett led four DePaul players in double figures with 21 points and as a team the Blue Demons put on a clinic offensively, assisting on 23 of their 29 made baskets and shooting 53.7% from the field. Now Seton Hall has to get things going in New York, beginning with a first round matchup with a Providence team capable of beating just about anyone (they beat Louisville by 33 earlier this season) despite their lack of depth. Seton Hall has the opportunity to leave a better impression, but after Saturday's debacle there may be doubt as to whether or not the Pirates can take advantage.

Quick Hitters

1. Two teams to watch in next week's Pac-12 tournament are Oregon and UCLA as both enter the event playing well. The Ducks embarrassed Utah 92-46 in their regular season finale, jumping out to a 32-2 lead and never looking back. As for UCLA, they came back to beat Washington 75-69 to cap a 2-0 week that was kickstarted by a negative story in Sports Illustrated. Given the wide-open nature of the league it wouldn't be a shock if either of these teams put together a run. Oh, that loss didn't help the Huskies one bit from a bubble standpoint.

2. Butler won't have the opportunity to make another trip to the NCAA tournament this season, as they fell 65-46 at top-seed Valparaiso in the Horizon League semifinals. Horizon League Player of the Year Ryan Broekhoff led the Crusaders with 19 points and 16 rebounds as VU jumped out early and never looked back. This ends an impressive run for Brad Stevens' program, but the combination of a strong recruiting class and Arkansas transfer Rotnei Clark will give the Bulldogs a nice boost next season.

3. Higher-seeded teams advanced in three of the four quarterfinals in the Metro Atlantic with the lone exception being six-seed Siena, who beat three-seed Manhattan 84-82 in an overtime thriller. Owen Wignot's three with eight seconds remaining sent the game into overtime, and the Saints navigated a five minutes that would have wilted most teams that lack depth as they do. Mitch Buonaguro's team takes on Loyola (MD) in one semi while Fairfield and Iona meet on the other side of the bracket.

4. Memphis went on the road and beat Tulsa 78-66 to clinch the outright Conference USA title, and don't be surprised if Josh Pastner's team ends up in the Sweet 16 either. Will Barton scored 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the way but a key factor in their recent success has been the play of Chris Crawford. His steadying influence (seven assists, zero turnovers on Saturday) has allowed Joe Jackson to simply go out and make plays, and while the turnovers for Jackson are still an issue (six against Tulsa) the emergence of Crawford has helped buffer the impact.

5. In a matchup of two teams perceived to be on the bubble, West Virginia beat USF 50-44 in Tampa to pick up a much-needed road victory. Neither team shot well (WVU shot 28.8%, USF 39.5%) but the Mountaineers were able to grab 12 offensive boards and Kevin Jones posted another double-double with 18 points and 11 boards. USF's the six-seed in the Big East Championship next week, and they're going to have some work to do at MSG.

6. Speaking of the Big East, Jim Calhoun made his return to the sidelines and provided a spark to his team as UConn beat Pittsburgh 74-65. Roscoe Smith made some huge plays late to help the Huskies hold off the Panthers and Shabazz Napier finished with 23 points, six rebounds and four steals. UConn begins their Big East Championship with a game against DePaul, but unlike last year's team there's no Kemba walking through that door. But at least they have their coach back.

7. Iowa State scored 50 second half points, erasing a seven-point halftime deficit to beat Baylor 80-72 and grab the three-seed in next week's Big 12 tournament. Scott Christopherson led the Cyclones with 23 points and six assists, and while Bill Self will most likely win Big 12 Coach of the Year (and rightfully so) an argument can be made for Fred Hoiberg as well.

8. The top two seeds in the Patriot League will meet on Wednesday night as both Bucknell and Lehigh won their semifinal matchups by wide margins. C.J. McCollum put up 27, ten and six assists in Lehigh's 85-66 win over American, and Bucknell beat Lafayette 79-52 thanks in part to 18 points apiece from Mike Muscala and Joe Willman. The two teams split their two regular season meetings with the road team winning both, and it was a McCollum dagger in the final seconds that made the difference in Lewisburg.

9. The North Division of the Southern Conference didn't have the best-looking records at the end of the regular season but three teams from that division make up the final four in that tournament. The lone exception is overall champion Davidson, who beat Furman 73-54. UNCG and Western Carolina meet in one semi while the Wildcats will take on Elon, who beat Georgia Southern in the nightcap 65-58.

10. Jamaal Franklin was outstanding for San Diego State on Saturday, accounting for 35 points, 13 rebounds and five assists as the Aztecs handed TCU their first home conference loss this season in overtime (98-92). The win, combined with New Mexico's 78-61 win over Boise State, means a shared conference title and it's anyone guess who will grab the automatic bid. One would think that the Mountain West is in line to receive four bids come Selection Sunday.

11. Harvard wrapped up a share of the Ivy League title as they beat Cornell 67-63. Penn remained tied in the loss column with their 68-47 win over Yale, and all that stands between the Quakers and a one-game playoff is bitter rival Princeton. That won't be a walk in the park for Zack Rosen and company to say the least.

12. One of the biggest questions going into the SEC tournament is whether or not Tennessee can make a run at an at-large bid. To think that this would have been a topic for discussion back in December would have been borderline absurd, but Cuonzo Martin's team is a different one since the addition of Jarnell Stokes. The Vols beat Vanderbilt 68-61, led by Cameron Tautm's 18 points and Trae Golden's 17, five rebounds and four assists.

13. Northwestern avoided what would have been a damaging blow to their NCAA tournament hopes as they beat Iowa 70-66 in Iowa City. The Wildcats did what they needed to do (at minimum) in their final three games, which was beat Penn State and Iowa (their loss was to Ohio State at home), and that keeps them alive heading into the Big Ten tournament.

14. There's just one undefeated (in conference play) team remaining in college basketball as Long Beach State, Ut-Arlington and Utah Valley all dropped their first conference games on Saturday. This comes just days after Mississippi Valley State lost their SWAC finale, leaving Kentucky as the lone undefeated. The Wildcats take on Florida Sunday afternoon in Gainesville.

15. Dominique Morrison shot just 2-for-11 from the field but thanks to Michael Craion and company Oral Roberts was able to withstand an IPFW challenge, winning 71-67 in a Summit League quarterfinal. Craion scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds, and Warren Niles scored a team-high 17 as the Golden Eagles escaped.

Quarterfinals Predictions: AE, Big Sky, CAA, MAAC, SoCo, Summit

Greg Mengelt — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 10:12:45 -0800

Our g ame prediction guru Greg Mengelt has been on fire this year. He'll be picking every conference tournament game over the next 2 weeks. Read more about Championship Week at CollegeHoops.net.

AMERICA EAST QUARTERFINALS: AT WEST HARTFORD, CONN.

(1) Stony Brook (20-8, 14-2) vs. (8) Maryland-Baltimore County (4-26, 3-13)

Tipoff: 12:05 p.m. TV: AE All-Access Live Video. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – Stony Brook 89-49*, Feb. 9 – Stony Brook 80-68. RPI: Stony Brook 151, Maryland-Baltimore County 334. Analysis: It will be hard for Stony Brook to cover because its starters could be resting by halftime. Line: Stony Brook -3. Pick: Stony Brook 73, Maryland-Baltimore County 56.

(4) Albany (18-13, 9-7) vs. (5) New Hampshire (13-15, 7-9)

Tipoff: 2:15 p.m. TV: AE All-Access Live Video. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – Albany 86-63; Feb. 9 – New Hampshire 69-64. RPI: Albany 232, New Hampshire 303. Analysis: New Hampshire has nice balance, but Albany has a solid go-to scorer in Gerardo Suero for the stretch run. Line: Albany -3. Pick: Albany 71, New Hampshire 64.

(2) Vermont (20-11, 13-3) vs. (7) Maine (12-16, 6-10)

Tipoff: 6:05 p.m. TV: AE All-Access Live Video. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 16 – Vermont 79-65; Feb. 6 – Vermont 73-63. RPI: Vermont 161, Maine 281. Analysis: Vermont is a serious contender to win this tournament and secure an NCAA bid. Line: Vermont -9. Pick: Vermont 75, Maine 63.

(3) Boston U. (16-15, 12-4) vs. (6) Hartford (8-21, 7-9)

Tipoff: 8:15 p.m. TV: AE All-Access Live Video. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 22 – Boston U. 65-46*; Feb. 25 – Boston U. 64-55. RPI: Boston U. 188, Hartford 308. Analysis: Curious line after the Terriers whipped Hartford twice. It’s concerning, but you still have to go with BU. Line: Boston U. -3. Pick: Boston U. 66, Hartford 55.

BIG SKY QUARTERFINALS: AT CAMPUS SITES

(5) Idaho State (9-20, 7-9) at (4) Eastern Washington (14-16, 8-8)

Tipoff: 5 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 23 – Eastern Washington 85-78*; Feb. 28 – Eastern Washington 77-64. RPI: Idaho State 280, Eastern Washington 211. Analysis: If familiarity breeds contempt, this one should be contention. It’s the third time the two sides have played in two weeks. Line: Eastern Washington -7½. Pick: Eastern Washington 72, Idaho State 65.

(6) Montana State (12-16, 7-9) at (3) Portland State (16-13, 10-6)

Tipoff: 10 p.m. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 30 – Montana State 86-73; Jan. 26 – Montana State 70-65*. RPI: Montana State 277, Portland State 176. Analysis: The Bobcats gave Portland State two of its six losses, but the Vikings will find a way to get it done in a close one in Portland. Line: Portland State -7½. Pick: Portland State 76, Montana State 70.

COLONIAL ATHLETIC QUARTERFINALS: AT RICHMOND, VA.

(1) Drexel (25-5, 16-2) vs. (9) UNC-Wilmington (10-20, 5-13)

Tipoff: Noon. TV: CSN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Drexel 79-57*. RPI: Drexel 63, Wilmington 213. Analysis: Wilmington took advantage of a beat up James Madison squad on Friday. No such luck today. Line: Drexel -12½. Pick: Drexel 73, Wilmington 53.

(4) Old Dominion (19-12, 13-5) vs. (5) Delaware (18-12, 12-6)

Tipoff: Approx. 2:30 p.m. TV: CSN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 11 – Old Dominion 68-66 (OT)*. RPI: Old Dominion 115, Delaware 143. Analysis: ODU is the better team – but not by a whole lot. Line: Old Dominion -6. Pick: Old Dominion 60, Delaware 56.

(2) Virginia Commonwealth (25-6, 15-3) vs. (9) Northeastern (13-16, 9-9)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: CSN. Regular-season meetings: Feb. 4 – VCU 59-56. RPI: VCU 61, Northeastern 179. Analysis: The Rams defense will give Delaware fits and force double-digit turnovers and convert them into points. Line: VCU -12. Pick: VCU 69, Northeastern 56.

(3) George Mason (23-8, 14-4) vs. (6) Georgia State/Hofstra (20-10, 11-7)

Tipoff: Approx. 8:30 p.m. TV: CSN. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – George Mason 61-58. RPI: George Mason 84, Georgia State 147. Analysis: This is one of the strangest lines I’ve ever seen, but GMU is the better team – and the Patriots are desperate for a win. Line: Georgia State -1. Pick: George Mason 71, Georgia State 58.

METRO ATLANTIC QUARTERFINALS: AT SPRINGFIELD, MASS.

(4) Fairfield (17-13, 12-6) vs. (5) Rider (13-18, 10-8)

Tipoff: 2 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 16 – Fairfield 61-52; Feb. 26 – Rider 65-62. RPI: Fairfield 128, Rider 198. Analysis: The Stags have lost 3 of 4, but they have enough talent to win the MAAC’s NCAA bid. Line: Fairfield -8. Pick: Fairfield 61, Rider 51.

(1) Iona (24-6, 15-3) vs. (8) Marist (14-17, 7-11)

Tipoff: 4:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 8 – Iona 100-76*; Feb. 12 – Iona 83-74. RPI: Iona 44, Marist 225. Analysis: The Red Foxes were a different team in the second half of the season, but do they have enough to stay close against Iona’s high-powered offense? Probably not. Line: Iona -15½. Pick: Iona 90, Marist 74.

(2) Loyola (Md.) (21-8, 13-5) vs. (7) Niagara (14-18, 8-10)

Tipoff: 7:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 2 – Niagara 66-61*; Jan. 27 – Loyola 69-57*. RPI: Loyola 86, Niagara 206. Analysis: With the advantage of already having played a tourney game, Niagara can keep it fairly close. Line: Loyola -7. Pick: Loyola 67, Niagara 62.

(3) Manhattan (20-11, 12-6) vs. (6) Siena (13-16, 8-10)

Tipoff: 9:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 14 – Manhattan 72-53; Feb. 14 – Siena 70-64. RPI: Manhattan 142, Siena 239. Analysis: Expect the Jaspers to be a serious player in this tournament. Line: Manhattan -7. Pick: Manhattan 67, Siena 54.

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS: AT ASHEVILLE, N.C.

(1N) UNC-Greensboro (12-18, 10-8) vs. (5N) Appalachian State (13-17, 7-11)

Tipoff: Noon. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 1 – Appalachian State 78-64; Jan. 26 – Greensboro 77-73 (OT). RPI: Greensboro 227, Appalachian State 252. Analysis: If the Mountaineers are good enough to beat Charleston by 12 points, they’re good enough to beat Greensboro. Line: Greensboro -7. Pick: Appalachian State 77, UNC-Greensboro 66.

(2S) Wofford (19-12, 12-6) vs. (3N) Western Carolina (15-17, 8-10)

Tipoff: 2:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 7 – Western Carolina 67-57; Jan. 30 – Wofford 82-56. RPI: Wofford 170, Western Carolina 241. Analysis: Wofford has won 4-of-5 since a 3-game losing streak in early February and the Terriers should do it again. Line: Wofford -5. Pick: Wofford 73, Western Carolina 66.

(1S) Davidson (16-2, 22-7) vs. (5S) Furman (15-15, 8-10)

Tipoff: 6 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 3 – Davidson 86-65; Feb. 1 – Davidson 71-53*. RPI: Davidson 67, Furman 245. Analysis: The Wildcats are ready to roll through this tournament. Line: Davidson -11½. Pick: Davidson 84, Furman 65.

(2N) Elon (14-15, 9-9) vs. (3S) Georgia Southern (15-14, 12-6)

Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. TV: ESPN3. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 5 – Georgia Southern 69-63*. RPI: Elon 243, Georgia Southern 194. Analysis: Tough one to call, but Southern may have found itself in the second half of Friday’s win over Chattanooga. Line: Georgia Southern -1. Pick: Georgia Southern 67, Elon 58.

SUMMIT LEAGUE QUARTERFINALS: AT SIOUX FALLS, S.D.

(1) Oral Roberts (26-5, 17-1) vs. (8) IPFW (11-18, 5-13)

Tipoff: 7 p.m. TV: Midco Sports Net/Fox College Sports. Regular-season meetings: Jan. 19 – Oral Roberts 65-54; Feb. 15 – Oral Roberts 75-71*. RPI: Oral Roberts 43, IPFW 279. Analysis: ORU played a lot of tough games down the stretch and this one will be no different. Line: Oral Roberts -13½. Pick: Oral Roberts 66, IPFW 57.

(2) South Dakota State (24-7, 15-3) vs. (7) IUPUI (14-17, 7-11)

Tipoff: 9:30 p.m. TV: Midco Sports Net/Fox College Sports. Regular-season meetings: Dec. 1 – South Dakota State 97-93 (OT)*; Feb. 25 – South Dakota State 75-64. RPI: South Dakota State 57, IUPUI 202. Analysis: The Jackrabbits should have a bit of a home crowd advantage in Sioux Falls, but talented Jaguar star Alex Young won’t let it get out of hand. Line: South Dakota State -8½. Pick: South Dakota State 79, IUPUI 68.

Greg Against the Spread This Season: 100-69-2

CAA Quarterfinal Preview

CHN — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 07:34:14 -0800

Robert Canady is covering the CAA Tournament for CollegeHoops.net. His quarterfinals preview:

#2 VCU 25-6 vs. #7 Northeastern 14-16

This has the potential to be one of the more lopsided games of the day.

How They Got Here:

VCU earned 1^st round bye as the No. 2 seed.

Northeastern beat William & Mary 57-49 in the first round.

Key Players:

VCU - Senior guard Bradford Burgess 13.5 ppg and 5.2 rebounds, Juvonte Reddic 10.8 ppg and 7.0 rebonds, Troy Daniels 10.0 ppg

Northeastern - orward Quincy Ford 18 points in 1^st round win. Reggie Specer 10 rebounds in 1^st round win.

What They Do Best:

VCU - Rank 1^st in the country with 10.6 with 10.6 steals per game. 2^nd in the country with a +6.1 turnover margin.

Northeastern - Held William & Mary to .273 on 3-Pt shot and outrebounded them 42-27.

Previous Game: VCU won at home 59-56 in February.

Prediction: VCU 73 Northeastern 65

#3 George Mason 23-8 vs. #6 Georgia State 21-10

A matchup of teams that are strong on the inside and play very physical. Based on GSU’s route of Hofstra in the first round, it could be quite a battle to the end.

How They Got Here:

George Mason earned 1^st round bye as the No. 3 seed.

Georgia State beat Hofstra by a CAA Tournament record 35 points 85-50.

Key Players:

Mason - 2011-12 CAA Player of the Year Ryan Pearson 17.8 ppg and 8.5 rebounds, Sherrod Wright .521 from the field and .401 from 3-pt range.

Georgia St. - Eric Buckner 21 points 11 rebounds in 21 minutes in 1^st round victory over Hofstra, senior Jihad Ali 13.0 ppg.

What They Do Best:

George Mason-.463 shooting from the field.

Georgia St.-hold opponents to .382 FG% 1^st in the CAA and 8^th best in the country. 5.4 blocked shots per game, 1^st in conference and 15^th in the country.

Previous Game: George Mason won 61-58 in Fairfax in January.

Prediction: George Mason 61 Georgia St. 59

#4 Old Dominion 19-12 vs. #5 Delaware18-12

This could be the most anticipated matchup of the day. Delaware has won 9 games in a row and Old Dominion spent most of the season tied for first or second before a couple late season losses.

How They Got Here:

ODU earned a first round bye as a result of being the No. 4 seed.

Delaware beat Towson for the 3^rd time this season 72-65 in the first round.

Key Players:

Delaware - Devon Saddler averaging 18.7 ppg, Jamelle Hagins 12.7 ppg, Kyle Anderson 64 3-pointers on the season.

ODU Sr. Kent Bazemore 15.3 ppg and League Defensive Player of the Year, Chris Cooper averaging 10 points and 10 rebounds per game.

What They Do Best:

ODU - Leads the conference in 40 rebounds per game. Chris Cooper is second in the league in offensive rebounds with 4.2 per game.

Delaware - Scoring, Delaware is second in the league with 69 ppg. FT% .725 is second in the league.

Previous Game: ODU won 68-66 in overtime at the buzzer on an offensive put back.

Prediction: Delaware 71 ODU 66

Cinderella Semifinals: '06 George Mason vs '08 Davidson

Raphielle Johnson — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 08:36:55 -0800

WhatIfSports.com and CollegeHoops.net have partnered up to bring you Cinderella Madness 2012. This college basketball simulation tournament features 16 of the most memorable Cinderella stories from the past eight seasons. We invited teams outside the BCS conferences, seeded 7th or lower that advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond. Teams were seeded 1 through 16 and then games were simulated using WhatIfSports.com's award-winning college basketball simulation engine. Each match was "played" 501 times.

Semifinals: 2006-06 George Mason vs 2007-08 Davidson

Mason beat '04 UAB and '04 Nevada to reach the semis. Davidson topped '11 Richmond and then '10 Saint Mary's in the quarterfinals.

Bob McKillop's crew is quickly gaining a rep for their last-second heroics, and the Wildcats were propelled by another buzzer-beater in Cinderella Madness, this time with backup William Archambault serving as star in Davidson's 74-72 upending of George Mason to earn their way into the championship round.

In a matchup featuring two of the more celebrated mid-majors battling for a spot to slide into Cinderella's glass slipper, the Patriots appeared in control for most of the contest, building an 11-point advantage with nine minutes to go in the second half. Yet Davidson answered with a fury of lay-ups and long balls, tying the game with just two minutes to go. After Lamar Butler and Steph Curry traded jumpers, the Davison defense was able to post a crucial stop, giving the Wildcats a chance to take the lead with just seconds remaining. The assassin Curry was wide with his attempt, but a heads-up play by the shooting guard led to his own rebound, which was then kicked out to the seldom-used Archambault. A sweet fadaway found nothing but net, propelling the Wildcats to glory.

Curry once again led the Wildcats, throwing in 25 points and coming up big on the defensive end with three steals and two swats. Andrew Lovedale contributed with 14 points and nine boards, and Jason Richards had another solid outing to the tune of 10 points, seven assists and six boards.

Player of the game: Stephen Curry (25 points, 2 blocks, 3 steals)

Winning Percentage of 501 Simulations: '08 Davidson 61.9% - '06 George Mason 38.1%

Game Recap: Davidson 72 - George Mason 69 (Boxscore)

Check back tomorrow for the Finals. More Cinderella Madness with the complete bracket.

Cinderella Quarterfinals: '04 Nevada vs '06 George Mason

Raphielle Johnson — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 08:28:03 -0800

In the First Round, '06 Mason had little problem with '04 UAB while '04 Nevada Barely Beat '10 Cornell.

Quarterfinals: 2003-04 Nevada vs 2005-06 George Mason

George Mason found itself in familiar territory, playing with the chance to advance to the Final Four. Opposing the Patriots, the Nevada Wolf Pack were fresh off an upset of Cornell.

Everything went right for Nevada in the opening stanza as they scored 44 points against a team that only surrendered 60.1 points per game during the 2005-06 season. George Mason forward Jai Lewis kept his team afloat, scoring 16 of the Patriots' 32 first half points.

Jim Larranaga's halftime adjustments paid off, as the Patriots scored the first 12 points to tie the game at 44. George Mason held Nevada to just 24 second-half points, and found itself with a narrow lead in the game's waning moments. Both Nick Fazekas and Kirk Snyder had a chance to win or tie the game in the final seconds for Nevada, but their three-point attempts misfired. George Mason survived with a 71-68 victory.

Lewis dominated with 27 points and 16 rebounds for the Patriots. Todd Okeson led all Wolfpack scorers with 18 points.

Player of the game: Jai Lewis (27 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals)

Winning Percentage of 501 Simulations: '06 George Mason 55.5% - '04 Nevada 44.5%

Game Recap: George Mason 70 - Nevada 69 (Boxscore)

More Cinderalla Madness with the complete bracket.

Jon Teitel's All-Conference Teams, Part One

Jon Teitel — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 09:51:43 -0800

It's that time of the year again. With conference tournament action beginning today, it was a perfect time for Jon Teitel to present CollegeHoops.net's All-Conference Teams. Part one focuses on the teams who will enter conference tournament play this week, and the rest of the conferences will be posted next week. Player of the Year selections are in italics.

America East
G Gerardo Suero (Albany)
G Darryl Partin (Boston University)
G Gerald McLemore (Maine)
F Chase Plummer (UMBC)
F Alasdair Fraser (Maine)

Atlantic Sun
G Drew Hanlen (Belmont)
G Adam Sollazzo (ETSU)
G Kerron Johnson (Belmont)
F Torrey Craig (USC Upstate)
F Adam Pegg (Stetson)

Big Sky
G Damian Lillard (Weber State)
G Charles Odum (Portland State)
G Will Cherry (Montana)
F Collin Chiverton (Eastern Washington)
F Chehales Tapscott (Portland State)

Big South
G Nick Barbour (High Point)
G Keith Gabriel (VMI)
G Matt Dickey (UNC Asheville)
F Stan Okoye (VMI)
F Eric Griffin (Campbell)

Colonial
G Mike Moore (Hofstra)
G Devon Saddler (Delaware)
G Keith Rendleman (UNC Wilmington)
F Ryan Pearson (George Mason)
F Jamelle Hagins (Delaware)

Horizon
G Kendrick Perry (Youngstown State)
G Ray McCallum (Detroit)
G Julius Mays (Wright State)
F Ryan Broekhoff (Valparaiso)
F Ben Averkamp (Loyola (IL))

Metro Atlantic
G Juan'Ya Green (Niagara)
G Scott Machado (Iona)
F Michael Glover (Iona)
F George Beamon (Manhattan)
F OD Anosike (Siena)

Missouri Valley
G Colt Ryan (Evansville)
G Rayvonte Rice (Drake)
F Doug McDermott (Creighton)
F Kyle Weems (Missouri State)
C Garrett Stutz (Wichita State)

Northeast
G Shane Gibson (Sacred Heart)
G Kyle Vinales (CCSU)
F Ken Horton (CCSU)
F Jamal Olasewere (LIU-Brooklyn)
F Julian Boyd (LIU-Brooklyn)

Ohio Valley
G Kevin Murphy (Tennessee Tech)
G Isaiah Canaan (Murray State)
G Jud Dillard (Tennessee Tech)
F Robert Covington (Tennessee State)
F Tyler Stone (Southeast Missouri State)

Patriot League
G C.J. McCollum (Lehigh)
G Charles Hinkle (American)
F Ella Ellis (Army)
F Mike Muscala (Bucknell)
F Ryan Willen (Lafayette)

Southern
G Eric Ferguson (Georgia Southern)
G Brad Loesing (Wofford)
F Trevis Simpson (UNC Greensboro)
F De'Mon Brooks (Davidson)
C Mike Groselle (Citadel)

Summit League
G Reggie Hamilton (Oakland)
G Nate Wolters (South Dakota State)
G Frank Gaines (IPFW)
F Alex Young (IUPUI)
F Dominique Morrison (Oral Roberts)

Sun Belt
G DeJuan Wright (FIU)
G Brian Stafford (Denver)
F Tony Mitchell (North Texas)
C LaRon Dendy (Middle Tennessee)
C Augustine Rubit (South Alabama)

West Coast
G Drew Viney (Loyola Marymount)
G Matthew Dellavedova (Saint Mary's)
G Anthony Ireland (Loyola Marymount)
F Noah Hartsock (BYU)
F Rob Jones (Saint Mary's)

Cinderella Madness: '06 George Mason vs '04 UAB

Raphielle Johnson — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:45:15 -0800

WhatIfSports.com and CollegeHoops.net have partnered up to bring you Cinderella Madness 2012. This college basketball simulation tournament features 16 of the most memorable Cinderella stories from the past eight seasons. We invited teams outside the BCS conferences, seeded 7th or lower that advanced to the Sweet 16 or beyond in their bracket to participate. Teams were seeded 1 through 16 and then simulated using WhatIfSports.com's award-winning college basketball simulation engine. Each match was "played" 501 times.

2005-06 George Mason vs 2003-04 UAB

2005-06 George Mason: Jim Larranaga's team lost to Hofstra in the semis of the CAA tournament (their second loss to Hofstra in less than two weeks), and few had them on the radar for an at-large bid. But not only did George Mason get in, they took full advantage of their second chance, beating three of the sport's great programs in the process. Victims included Michigan State and North Carolina, followed by Wichita State (who they beat in a BracketBusters battle that many saw as the reason for their at-large bid) and a loaded UConn squad. Jai Lewis and Tony Skinn led a team that boasted all five starters averaging double figures, and their run was ended by eventual two-time national champ Florida.

2003-04 UAB: Mike Anderson's Blazers were one of the more surprising at-large selections given the fact that they lost in the quarterfinals of the Conference USA tournament to DePaul. And they made sure to take advantage of the opportunity with a wildly entertaining brand of basketball, winning action-packed games over Washington (102-100) and top-seed Kentucky (76-75) to reach the Sweet 16. Morris Finley led three starters in double figures with an average of 13.9 points per game, and three other players averaged at least 7.4 points per game. Two of them were twins Donell and Ronell Taylor, who combined for one of the signature plays of the tournament in a win over UK with a length of the floor, backwards pass that resulted in a dunk. And there was also point guard Squeaky Johnson, who led the team in assists and was an absolute pest in UAB's full-court defense. The magic would run out in the Sweet 16 however, as they were pasted by Kansas.

Game Recap: George Mason 71 - UAB 65 (Boxscore)

It would have been apropos if one of the most celebrated longshots of all time was upended in a tournament comprised strictly of underdogs. Despite holding a 14-point lead at halftime, this fate was almost met by the Patriots. Fortuitously (at least for the George Mason faithful), a furious late-game charge by the Blazers fell just short, as UAB was sent packing with a 72-63 loss.

With six players accounting for 191 of the available 200 minutes, it's easy to understand the lethargic play from George Mason in the later stages of the contest, serving as a platform for the Blazers' run. A 16-5 stretch in favor of UAB tied the game at 55 with just six minutes remaining. Unfortunately, UAB was undone by poor shooting, hitting just 20 percent of trey balls on the night and an unimpressive 36.3 percent from the field, and George Mason's unrelenting pounding in the post was enough to earn the Patriots a pass to the next round.

Will Thomas paced the Pats with 29 points and nine boards, with Lewis submitting a sound performance of eight points, 12 boards and five assists. The Blazers finished with four players scoring in double-digits. If George Mason holds aspirations for an extended tournament run, their woes at the charity stripe (51.7 percent) will need to be alleviated.

Player of the game: Will Thomas (29 points, 9 rebounds)

Winning Percentage of 501 Simulations: '06 George Mason 73.5% - '04 UAB 26.5%

More Cinderalla Madness with the complete bracket.