NCAA Basketball: Top 25 NCAA Tournament cinderellas since 2000
By Adam Childs
2) 2006 George Mason Patriots, No. 11-seed
Record: 27-8, Final Four
Beat: (6) Michigan State Spartans, (3) North Carolina Tar Heels, (7) Wichita State Shockers, (1) UConn Huskies
The George Mason Patriots’ run to the Final Four is one of the most surprising runs in the history of the NCAA Tournament. They had to get through three blue-blood programs in the Michigan State Spartans, the North Carolina Tar Heels and the UConn Huskies to get there.
Before they even got that far, they had to hope for an at-large bid from the committee after losing to Hofstra by nine in the CAA conference tournament. That in itself was a minor miracle, as we all know how hard it is for a mid-major to get an at-large bid. The Patriots schedule did not include any big-time wins. In most years, they might not have made the NCAA Tournament.
Instead, they got the bid and they ran with it. They beat Michigan State by 10, North Carolina by five and the Wichita State Shockers by eight to set up their matchup with UConn. What a game it would be.
The Patriots trailed by 12 late in the first half and nine early in the second half before storming back to force overtime. They would hit five of their six shots in the extra period to shock the Huskies. George Mason would only get three points from their bench in that game, but all five starters scored in double figures.
Their dream of a national championship would end with a loss to the eventual champion Florida Gators, but the country was in love with the little school from Fairfax, Virginia.
Jim Larranaga had done something no one before him had done. It was the ultimate cinderella story. George Mason may have been a questionable at-large team, but no one was questioning whether the Patriots belonged after their historic Final Four run.