March Madness has begun. The George Mason Patriots have earned a No. 8 seed in the 2011 NCAA Tournament as just revealed on the CBS Selection Sunday show. The NCAA Tournament bracket has the George Mason basketball team in the East region, where they will face the Villanova Wildcats in the first round on Friday in Cleveland, OH. The time for the game will be announced tomorrow.
George Mason finished the season with a 26-6 record, going 17-3 in the Colonial Athletic Association. They lost to the Virginia Commonwealth Rams in the Semifinals of the CAA Tournament, ending a 17-game winning streak.
For all their wins though, the Patriots only have a single victory against teams in the NCAA Tournament field, a big win over the Old Dominion Monarchs on Feb. 5. Key losses to the Wofford Terriers and North Carolina State Wolfpack seem like distant memories.
George Mason ran the table in their region in 2006, reaching the Final Four for the first time in school history. To do it again this year, they'll have to go through Ohio State. In Ohio. Not an easy challenge, but Coach Jim Larranaga is sure to have his boys prepared.