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George Mason
Road to the Final Four.............................................................................................
By scoring 35 -- yes, 35! -- points in the Colonial championship game. The Patriots, who averaged 71 points a game in getting to the title game, won the second-lowest scoring game in NCAA history since the shot clock was implemented in 1986. To say George Mason turned up the defense in the CAA tournament would be an understatement. The Patriots beat James Madison 62-36 in the semifinals. The NCAA bid was then earned in a 35-33 victory over North Carolina-Wilmington. With Richmond out of the postseason picture -- the Spiders won the regular season title but because of their impending move to the Atlantic-10 next season -- the bid figured to go to either the Patriots or Wilmington, who finished tied for second behind the Spiders. George Mason entered its second NCAA Tournament in three seasons without much depth. But they had by far the oldest player in George Evans, who at 30 is a Gulf War veteran and three-time CAA Player of the Year. The NCAA Tournament ended with a near-miss for Patriots, as they came withing a desperation three-pointer of upsetting Maryland. Player to Watch George Evans averaged18 points and nearly eight boards a game. Despite his age (30), he fits in perfectly as a leader to teammates a decade younger. He has eight double-doubles this season, including highs of 30 points against Virginia Commonwealth and 14 rebounds twice. A 6-foot-7 "Shaq of the CAA", Evans will hold his own against any first-round matchup. With the Ball Don't let the 35 points in the CAA championship game fool you, the Patriots do know how to put the ball in the basket. Third in the conference at 70.6 ppg, they shot 46 percent as a team. While Evans patrols the inside, 6-foot-5 swingman Erik Herring is a tough matchup on the perimeter where he shot 40 percent from behind the and added 15.9 ppg.Defending the Ball Colonial teams didn't go inside much with Evans around. That will change in the NCAA Tournament, when the 6-7 center will find himself challenged by taller and talented big men. The Patriots will likely have to find some wrinkles in its man defense, throwing zone at teams off and on.Seed Analysis Exceeding the Seed None. Playing to Expectations Falling Short. None. BRACKETOLOGY SCORE: 1.800 (1.000 is playing exactly to a team's historical seeding) Bracketology ReportThe Patriots have played exactly to their seed in two prior NCAA appearances and figure to do so again this year. Cincinnati (1999) and Indiana (1989) did the damage to GMU in their only tourney trips to date. As a conference, the Colonial Athletic Association has experienced surprising success at the Big Dance. Richmond in the 1990s and David Robinson-led Navy in the 1980s have given the league plenty to smile about.Roster
 NCAA Basketball Championship Week It's March, which means the madness has started and invitations are being reserved throughout Championship Week.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories |  |
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