How the Patriots became Cinderella

The George Mason University 2006 Final Four team is special to a lot of people, including Mason’s administration, faculty, staff, students, the Fairfax community, CAA fans, and everyone who has ever been the ultimate underdog. That team and that season hold a very special place in my heart as well. It was my senior year- I had grown up at Mason with those guys.

I followed the men’s basketball program closer than E, Turtle and Drama follow Vinny on Entourage. I didn’t miss a home game after my freshman year. From 2002-2006, I went to countless away games. I started tracking recruits my sophomore year – so when Folarin Campbell went 8-8 against Michigan State for 21 points in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament, I wasn’t surprised because I knew he had scored 51 points in a single high school game. When Will Thomas put up 19 points and 12 rebounds against UConn in the Washington Regional Final, I was excited but not surprised. Anyone who followed Thomas’s high school career would know that he dominated 2004 Co-Baltimore Sun Player of the Year Rudy Gay in high school, winning all 6 match-ups – so why not continue it in college?

Here’s why the team....MY team....did so well in 2006.

TRADITIONAL LINEUP.The Patriots’ starting five included three guards - Tony, Folarin and Lamar - who could handle the rock, attack the basket, dish and make jump shots. They all averaged over two assists per game, made a ton of 3-pointers - Lamar is the all time leader at Mason in 3 pointers, and were great free throw shooters – Lamar was the worst that year at 73%. Mason also had two extremely ef!cient and tough forwards with Jai and Will Thomas. Jai shot 52% from the field and Will shot an incredible 58%. They both averaged over seven rebounds per game. All !ve starters complemented each other perfectly.

BALANCED ATTACK. All five starters that season averaged between 11.0 and 13.7
points per game. With that kind of balance, no opposing team could focus defensively on one player – with each capable of going for 20+ points any given night. Not surprisingly, all five scored in double figures in the over-time win against UConn.

Killer Instinct. The Patriots went 22-6 in the 05-06 regular season, the best regular
season record in school history. Not only did they win 22 of 28 games, most of them weren’t even close. Sixteen of the wins were by double digits, seven by 19 or more points and three by 30 or more. For a “Mid-Major" team, that’s incredible.

Once they got a team down, Jai sat on them and didn’t get up.

Home Team. All the starting players, and some of the bench, were from Maryland
meaning their family and friends could come to all home games in the Patriot Center. It always gives you a little extra when you know your parents are in the stands cheering for you- Mason only lost once at home that season. Mason was also lucky enough to get in the Washington Region for the NCAA Tournament, meaning the team played its Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight games 20 miles from campus at the Verizon Center, with 80 percent of the crowd cheering on the Green and Gold.

To have the run that the Mason Patriots had in 2006, you need to be a little lucky and as you can see, they had the right players at just the right time to pull it off.

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The above piece was published in Mason Nation: Four Years After Final Four, a magazine released this April documenting and analyzing the university's development since the Patriots' historic run in 2006, aiming to shed light on what's connected to the Cinderella story--and additionally, what's not.

Led by senior history major and Student Media veteran Rachael Dickson, the magazine's other topics include changes in men's basketball to effects on other athletics, and from player profiles of the Final Four team to the rise of the Chesapeake residential neighborhood. Gunston and the pep band also receive shout-outs.