The last time George Mason won a first-round NCAA Tournament game, it typified March Madness and went all the way to the Final Four. Now, after a win over Villanova on Friday, the Patriots look to bust the East Region of the NCAA bracket when they take on overall No. 1 seed Ohio State on Sunday at 5:15 p.m. on CBS.
Gus Johnson and Len Elmore will be the announcers from Cleveland. The winner will take on No. 4 seed Kentucky, who topped No. 5 seed West Virginia, 71-63, on Saturday.
George Mason got to this point with a comeback 61-57 win over Villanova, punctuated by a go-ahead three-pointer by Luke Hancock with under 20 seconds remaining. Ohio State got here with an easy victory over Texas-San Antonio, who had topped Alabama State in the opening round.
The Patriots will have their hands full with Jared Sullinger, the Buckeyes' star big man. The Patriots are not particularly big, with Mike Morrison the only player who provides size in the paint. The Patriots struggled to deal with Villanova's size on the boards, and Sullinger will pose an even greater challenge.
Can George Mason overcome that and still be this year's George Mason? We'll find out shortly.