After a taking a year off due to the plague, March Madness is back with a vengeance this year, and we’ve now reached out Final Four. While Baylor, Gonzaga, UCLA and Houston get set to face off in the 2021 version, I went back and revisited one of the most improbable Final Four runs ever: George Mason in 2006.
The Date
March 26, 2006
The Game
2006 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament – Washington Regional Final: No. 1 Connecticut Huskies vs. No. 11 George Mason Patriots
Background
Entering the 2006 NCAA Tournament, the story surrounding George Mason was how they may have stolen a spot in the Big Dance from a more deserving team.
George Mason grabbed one of the very last bids in the 2006 Big Dance, getting an at-large berth as a No. 11 seed out of the Colonial Athletic Association. Perhaps the team that felt the most screwed was their league mates, Hofstra. Hofstra had beaten GMU twice in the season’s final weeks, and had one of their players punched in the balls by George Mason’s point guard, Tony Skinn in a CAA Tournament Game.
But George Mason snuck in, and took full advantage once they did. First, without the suspended Skinn, Jim Larranaga’s group upset No. 6 seed Michigan State by ten. Then, in the Round of 32, George Mason’s Cinderella Run continued with a win over No. 3 seed North Carolina, which featured future NBA players like David Noel, Tyler Hansbrough and Danny Green.
In the Sweet 16, Mason knocked off fellow mid-major Wichita State, setting the stage for one of the biggest upsets in college hoops history.
On the other side of the bracket, Jim Calhoun’s UConn Huskies had been one of the best teams in all of college basketball for much of the 2005-2006 season. Connecticut won the Big East regular season crown and entered the NCAA Tournament with 27-3 record, where they earned a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance.
UConn was a deep, talented, veteran group led by the likes of Marcus Williams, Rudy Gay, Hilton Armstrong and Rashad Anderson. But getting to the Elite 8 was no easy feat for the Huskies despite their dominant regular season.
In the opening round, the top-seeded UConn trailed by double digits in the second half against No. 16 seed Albany (shoutout Jamar Wilson) before storming back to survive. In the second round, UConn outlasted Rajon Rondo and Kentucky to make it to the Sweet 16.
In the Regional Semifinal, UConn came just moments away from falling to the No. 5 seed Washington, led by future Trail Blazers great Brandon Roy. With just 1.8 seconds to go in regulation and UConn trailing by 3, Rashad Anderson banged home a triple to force OT and keep the Huskies’ hopes alive.
UConn would go on to survive Washington in OT and earn their spot in the Elite 8 against the No. 11 seeded George Mason in Washington D.C.
Have I seen this game before?
Oh hell yeah. 2005-2010 was my absolute peak of college basketball fandom, and I remember George Mason’s miracle run vividly.
The 2006 college hoops season in general holds a special place in my heart. From skipping my school dance to see my hometown Albany Great Danes almost stun UConn, to watching Gerry McNamara and Syracuse shock the world in the Big East Tournament from my high school cafeteria, it’s safe to say I was a bit obsessed with college basketball at age 14.
Beyond my personal connection though, 2006 ws a great year in general for March Madness. In addition to George Mason’s incredible run the 2006 NCAA Tournament also had the following memorable moments such as:
- Stunning first-round upsets like Bradley over Kansas and Northwestern State over Iowa.
- Kevin Pittsnoggle briefly becoming a household name for West Virginia, before falling on a buzzer-beater from Texas in the Sweet 16.
- College Hoops Villain JJ Redick and Duke somehow losing to Glen Big Baby Davis’s LSU squad in the Sweet 16.
- Adam Morrison and Gonzaga absolutely COLLAPSING against UCLA, leading to Morrison crying on the court in one of the most infamous moments in college basketball history (This may be a future Let’s Remember Some Games candidate!)
- Florida’s super team of Al Horford, Joakim Noah and Corey Brewer winning their first of back-to-back titles, still the last team to repeat as champions in the men’s tournament.
Overall, college hoops from this time period definitely hits a very nostalgic spot for me, but it also still holds up incredibly well.
What else was going on in the world on 3/26/2006
Ah 2006, simpler times that also had objectionably worse entertainment in nearly every respect. First let’s check on the music charts on March 26. For the second week in a row, the No. 1 song in America was a song I had put in my head cannon as being around much later, like 2009 or 2010? But I was wrong, because on the week of March 26, 2006, Americans were not “So Sick” of Ne-Yo just yet.
In terms of mid 2000s R&B tracks of this nature I would categorize “So Sick” as Fine. It’s not a song I’m immediately scrambling to turn off it comes on the radio, but I’m also not adding it to any nostalgia-based playlists. The following week, “So Sick” would be supplanted by a much better song, “Temperature” by Sean Paul.
On TV, American Idol was destroying everything in its past on the Nielsen ratings chart in its fifth season. This was the season that featured people that would actually go on to have careers like Katherine McPhee, Kellie Pickler and Chris Daughtry. but was somehow won by Uncle Who Gets Too Drunk And Sings Kareoke At The Family BBQ, Taylor Hicks.
The No. 1 movie in America this week was the Denzel Washington-Spike Lee thriller “Inside Man” which I have not seen but looks pretty good and is apparently on Peacock. It bested “V for Vendetta” “The Shaggy Dog” and “Failure to Launch” for the top spot.
What happened in the game?
UConn was certainly the more talented team in this Elite 8 matchup on paper, but you could barely tell once the teams were out on the floor.
GMU’s offense was simple, yet effective. The Patriots relied on their post game (a novel concept just 15 years later) and would start most possessions with a post entry to one of their big men, Jai Lewis or Will Thomas, who would then either go to work or kick it out to one of GMU’s talented guards.
UConn, on the other hand, ran everything through their star point guard Marcus Williams and forward Rudy Gay. Williams’ talent and vision was on full display, while Gay showed flashes of why he’s still playing in the NBA all these years later.
After a hot start by the Huskies, George Mason settled in and even took the lead in the first half before Connecticut responded with a 15-2 run to take a 43-31 lead and ultimately held a 43-34 edge heading into the break.
While it was clear George Mason could hang with them in the first half, a 9-point deficit heading into halftime felt like it was primed for the top-seeded Huskies to break the game open and ultimately put away their less-talented opposition.
But that is not what happened. Instead, Mason came out scorching hot in the second half, nailing six straight 3s and limiting UConn’s effectiveness on the other end.
Thomas was schooling his highly-recruited oppositions on the low post, and Lamar Butler was red hot from the outside, finishing the game with 4 made 3s.
George Mason fought their way back into the game and the game was a back-and-forth battle until late in the second half when Larranaga’s squad began to take control.
Thomas tipped in a bucket to put GMU up by 4, Williams followed with a turnover and George Mason had a two-possession lead and the ball with under a minute to play.
But just when it looked like George Mason might put the game away, Thomas was stuffed on a dunk attempt by Jeff Adrian and Marcus Williams followed with a wild and-one to give UConn life.
Still, GMU was just moments away from victory after Williams committed yet another turnover in the final minute and Lamar Butler hit two free throws to put GMU up 74-70 with 17.6 seconds on the clock.
After a UConn bucket cut it to two, Skinn headed to the line with a chance to ice it with under 5.5 seconds to play. Instead, this happened.
“WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU” was a brilliant call by the great Bill Rafftery, and UConn’s wild NCAA Tournament would continue with OT.
In the extra session, despite the Huskies seemingly having all of the momentum, George Mason continued to not back down.
Once again, the Patriots managed to build a two-possession lead late in the game, and once again, UConn refused to die quietly. With a five-point deficit and the clock ticking down, Marcus Williams once again came up clutch and hit a huge 3 to cut the lead to 2.
On the ensuing possession, yet again, the Patriots lack of clutch free throw shooting left the door open for UConn after Jai Lewis missed both free throw attempts. But this time, there was no more magic to be found for UConn and By George, the dream was alive.
Who was the star of the game?
GMU led a balanced attack in which all five starters scored in double figures, but I’d have to give the nod to Will Thomas. Going against future NBA bigs, Thomas was smooth and effective in the post, scoring 19 points on 8-12 shooting in addition grabbing 12 rebounds. It was comforting to know that the big man is still playing at age 34, currently a roster member of Russian team Zenit St. Petersburg alongside other former College Guys like Tarik Black, Alex Poythress, and Austin Hollins.
Who was the Goat?
It’s tough to blame any particular player on UConn for the loss. While Williams did have several key turnovers, he also had two humongous clutch buckets to keep Connecticut in the game and finished with 13 points and 11 assists. If I had to pick, I’d go with Josh Boone, who was basically invisible due to foul trouble and his inability to stop Lewis and Thomas from scoring inside. Boone was losing minutes to Jeff Adrian, who had a huge game off the bench.
What was the deciding factor?
George Mason’s ability to play high-low is what allowed them to stay competitive against teams with more talent than them in the 2006 Tournament. That was on full display in their Elite 8 win, with Thomas and Lewis routinely getting touches on the inside, where they were then able to kick out to open shooters, who cashed in their opportunities.
George Mason shot 9-18 (50%) from distance in the victory, with Butler going 4-6 from downtown. Meanwhile, UConn shot only 7-22 from beyond the arc on the night. Rashad Anderson in particular struggled, going 2-8 from deep off the bench.
What else surprised me from this game?
When making the bracket, the Tournament Selection Committee’s job is to try and put the No. 1 seeds in each respective region as close to home as possible should they advance to the Sweet 16 and Elite 8.
In 2006, the Regional Final site closest to Connecticut was Washington D.C., so into the Washington region the Huskies went. The problem is, the committee also put a team that literally plays in D.C. in the same bracket. Granted, the committee probably never thought in its wildest dreams George Mason would be challenging for a spot in the Final Four, but sloppy mistakes like that happen every year when the bracket is revealed, and this time around it was UConn (and Wichita State) that got screwed from it.
Since the Patriots were playing in their own backyard, UConn was essentially playing a road game as the top seed in the group, and GMU definitely fed off the energy of the hometown faithful in the matchup. Ultimately, UConn can only lean on that excuse so much when you’re a No. 1 seed playing a No. 11 seed, but it certainly gave the upset chances some extra boost.
Let’s Remember A Guy
Many of the players on UConn I’ve mentioned went on to become Guys in the NBA, with only Gay really transcending the Guy label, even just barely. So let’s instead remember a College Guy, the great Ed Nelson.
Nelson played a significant role Georgia Tech early in his career before transferring north to play for Jim Calhoun and the Huskies, where his role essentially become to play “physical” in the post while Actually Good players like Adrien, Boone and Armstrong needed a break.
In the game against George Mason, his final collegiate performance, Nelson scored 3 points in 8 minutes with 0 rebounds or blocks.
The most interesting thing about Nelson though came after his college basketball career ended. At 6-foot-8, 255 lbs., Nelson decided to give football a chance after not catching on in the NBA Summer League. Nelson worked out as a tight end ahead of the 2006 NFL Draft and was signed by the Rams as an undrafted free agent. Alas, his football career didn’t quite stick, as he reportedly struggled with football terminology.
But Nelson wasn’t the only big man from this game who gave the NFL a shot. George Mason’s Jai Lewis signed with the Giants as UDFA after the 2006 draft as well as an offensive tackle. Sadly, neither Nelson nor Lewis was able to pull an Antonio Gates or Mo Allie-Cox and make a permanent transition. Still, they live on in our memories forever as Guys To Remember.
Aftermath
George Mason was playing with house money once it got to the Final Four in Indianapolis, and they were unable to ever really mount much of a challenge against the eventual champion Florida in the national semifinal. Still, George Mason’s run to the Final Four opened the door for other mid-major Cinderella runs to come in future seasons like Butler in 2009 and 2010, VCU in 2011, Wichita State in 2013 and Loyola-Chicago in 2018.
But the program itself never achieved the boost that many of those other schools did from its deep run in the tournament. Although the Patriots are in a better league nowadays in the A-10, they are far from a basketball powerhouse. Under Jim Larranaga, George Mason did make the tournament twice more after 2006, and won a 1st-round game in 2011. But Larranaga would leave for Miami following that year’s tournament.
Several of the players from the famous George Mason squad have had successful international basketball careers, but none sniffed the NBA.
As for UConn, the Huskies disappointing end to their 2006 season would be the end of that core’s run in Storrs. Gay, Armstong, Williams and Boone would all be selected in the first round of the 2006 NBA Draft, tying 1999 Duke and 2005 UNC for the most players ever taken in Round 1.
But Gay was the only one to make a successful career for himself. Williams played significant minutes in his rookie season with the Nets, but after poor play in his second season he was shipped off to Golden State and then Memphis before moving on to Europe. Armstrong never found enough skills to match his athleticism at the NBA level, but did manage to stick around the association for eight years. His best season came in 2008-09 with the Hornets where he averaged 4.8 PPG. Boone was selected right behind teammate Williams in back-to-back picks by the Nets, but playing with his collegiate point guard didn’t help him gain his footing in the NBA. His career in New Jersey lasted four years, after which he signed to play in China.
Calhoun would lead UConn to two more Final Fours in his Hall of Fame career, winning his third championship behind Kemba Walker in 2011.
Thank you for reading this addition of Let’s Remember Some Games. This one took longer than expected, but the next issue is already locked and loaded. Hint, hint it is Baseball Szn!
The One Who Knocks 