Friday, March 24, 2006

George Mason & Georgetown in NCAA Round of 16


Wichita State vs George Mason followed by UConn vs Washington

I was able to get a pair of tickets to these games tonight at The Phone Booth (aka MCI/Verizon Center). Ok, the tickets are in section 404, Row P and I'll need to get a mountain goat to get to the seats, but this tournament comes to the DC area every four years and I do my best to get there. I was at Capital Centre in 1994, The Phone Booth in 1998 and 2002 when this area hosted the first and second round games. I love the atmosphere of these games and in 2002, I got to see my favorite team, Maryland, play a couple games during their march to the NCAA title. This is the third time overall that George Mason has been in the NCAA tournament (1999 and 2001 were their other appearances) and the first time ever in school history they have gone to the Final 16. They have a very good chance to get to the Final 8. They beat Wichita State earlier in the season on the road. So that's the first game.

In the second game, I still have a slim chance in a couple of NCAA pools I'm entered in, so I need UConn to come up big against Washington tonight in the Battle of the Huskies.

Some Washington Post articles about tonight's games. Be sure you have your pop up ad blocker enabled.

Campbell, Local Talent Key to GMU's Success
Longtime Fans Savor George Mason's Limelight

George Mason vs Wichita State

One Good Story Deserves Another

Georgetown in Minneapolis:
Georgetown's Biggest Threat Isn't Just Tall
Following the Trajectory of Noah's Arc--Wilbon
Georgetown vs Florida

2 comments:

Bill-DC said...

Wichita State got one too.
http://i.cnn.net/si//si_online/covers/images/2006/0331_thumb.jpg

Normally I'd pull for Wichita State but George Mason is so close to where I live and my wife is an alum.

I like what Jim Larranaga has done there, his 2001 team almost beat Maryland in the first round of the NCAA tourney.

Maryland went to their first Final Four that year and won the title the next year. If that bounce pass gets to GMU's George Evans and he scores, they win and who knows what happens to the Terps.

Bill-DC said...

George Mason: Elite Eight and with Georgetown's loss, the Champion of George!

Last night/this morning didn't help my voice out. Even though George Mason had control of the game, WSU didn't quit and we were on the edge of our seats as the lead dwindled. Even when I bandwagon a team, I get just as nervous and tense as I do watching Maryland play.

We relaxed big time after the George Mason game and watched UConn get lucky (and help in the OT) and win the Huskies Championship (UW is also the Huskies for those who don't know). It was weird seeing two Huskies mascots holding up GO HUSKIES! signs. UConn just seem to cruise on autopilot. We were pulling for Washington.

George Mason definitely has their hands full Sunday, but they had tall orders against MSU and UNC just to get to the DC regional.

I call Sunday the According to Jim final. Jim Larranaga's George Mason Patriots vs Jim Calhoun's UConn Huskies. Gonna be fun!