HUGE, inspiring, Final Four retrospectives — 10 years later — from CBS Sports & Washington Post

[Son-of-a-Gunston]

CBS Sports has a huge retrospective article on Mason's 2006 Final Four spectacle. Currently, it's the feature article on its Men's Basketball page. Lots of insider stories from those fabulous few weeks.

And, just like experiencing Mason's Final Four run up close, I didn't want the article to end. I considered posting my comments about the article to the "15 Minutes" thread, but hey, this is NOT 15 minutes of fame, it's forever! It needs its own thread.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/feature/25503108/mason-men

 

[psyclone]

Then we need to post this here as well:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/sp...most-unlikely-run-in-ncaa-tournament-history/

 

[mkaufman1]

I love the stories as much as any fan, considering I was a student during this time at Mason and loved every moment of it since I was a fan from the moment I stepped on campus, so it meant a lot more to me than those who hopped on the bandwagon.

That said, its sad to look back to a degree because of where Mason is now and I think brighter days are ahead. But until those brighter days come, its hard to look back. It could be because I'm still heavily connected to the program. I'm sure a lot of people feel the same way.

 

[GreenLantern]

It is a bit difficult to look back because I hate to even think that it was the highest point this program may ever see. Enough time has passed that I can now say "that was then, this is now". We have a bright future. Here's to the best 20 loss season in Mason history!

 

[Jack Strop]

I became a fan the year Mason should have made the Tourney back in '87-88 during Rick Barnes' single season at the helm. I've been to nearly every home game since '92-93. Suffered through Nestor, Westhead, and Hewitt. Didn't know much about Larrañanga when he first took the Mason stage, but it was a thrilling 14-year show. Look forward to Paulsen's revival of the team.

I have two memories from the Final Four run in 2006 that stand out most:

1.) The layup from UCONN's Denham Brown was devastating. That ball hit the rim as red lights behind the backboard glowed. Couldn't hear the buzzer or the crowd, there was no sound. Then the ball bounced once... twice... thrice... and fell in to tie the game. I was sitting front-row box seats above a portal as I cowered behind the concrete wall covering my head screaming, "Arghhh, we were so close! Soooo close! Damnit!!"

2.) After our Wichita victory, UCONN defeated Washington in the second game of the evening, all these UCONN pricks met our fan contingent as we exited the arena. They were getting in our faces shouting at us, "We're going to murder you at Sunday's game. You have absolutely NO chance!" They were worse than vcu fans. There was no lack of shadenfruede as I delightfully watched those UCONN butt-munchers across the Verizon Center crumble in their seats when Brown clanked his three-pointer off the rim — GAME OVER UCONN! "Final 4! Final 4! Final 4! ..."

We'll be good again. I promise!

 

[Son-of-a-Gunston]

Reading all that stuff made me forget that Mason is second-to-last in the A-10 and in the play-in round for the third straight season. Seriously, I was back to Dayton and Verizon Center moments ago to re-live all of that awe!

 

[GMU92]

2.) After our Wichita victory, UCONN defeated Washington in the second game of the evening, all these UCONN pricks met our fan contingent as we exited the arena. They were getting in our faces shouting at us, "We're going to murder you at Sunday's game. You have absolutely NO chance!" They were worse than vcu fans. There was no shred of shadenfruede as I delightfully watched those UCONN butt-munchers across the Verizon Center crumble in their seats when Brown clanked his three-pointer off the rim — GAME OVER UCONN! "Final 4! Final 4! Final 4! ..."

We'll be good again. I promise!

I remember encountering the UConn fans at District Chophouse before the game. So arrogant and condescending, informing us how our cute little run would end on Sunday. After we got the W, I looked around and they were pale as ghosts and couldn't run out of the arena fast enough. I've only seen two other fan bases run away faster ... Notre Dame after losing to FSU in the Orange Bowl and Ohio State after losing to Miami in the old Kickoff Classic.

 

[GMUSig03]

Tweeder and I had this little snot nosed f'er sitting in front of us during the whole UConn game, turning around and talking some lame a** smack (the kind where you know the "fan" doesn't watch most of the games and can't name more than one or two players). Never have I wanted to punch a 12 year old so badly.

After Brown's 3 clanked off the rim, we bottled the tears off his face and proceeding to Camelot where we poured them into our bottles of champagne!

 

[MasonFanatic]

More from Matt Norlander on his personal website ... he posted the "deleted scenes" from his CBS Sports article :

http://www.mattnorlander.com/blog/2016/3/4/bonus-cuts-from-from-the-2006-george-mason-story

 

[Son-of-a-Gunston]

Sticking it to Billy Packer was my favorite moment of the UConn game. During the final shoot around, Mr Packer was walking the court and all of us in the Mason section of the stands chanted in sarcastic harmony, "Billy Packer! Billy Packer!" He looked up at us, shrugged his shoulders, arms stretched out from his sides, palms up in the air, cocking and shaking his head, effectively saying, "Who knew? Who knew Mason was this good?"

 

[gmujim92]

Even now, 10 years later, I can't help but refer to Packer by his most appropriate nickname: Fudge.

 

[Vurbel]

It is a bit difficult to look back because I hate to even think that it was the highest point this program may ever see. Enough time has passed that I can now say "that was then, this is now". We have a bright future. Here's to the best 20 loss season in Mason history!

This 20 loss season has been more fun and had better basketball than either of Hewitt's 20 win teams with Coach L leftovers.

 

[gmujim92]

I'm just so thankful that we're not having to suffer through the 10-year anniversary with Hewitt at the helm. It would've made the whole "celebration" aspect of this season unbearable.

Instead, we have a smart, dedicated and hard-working coaching staff that is allowing all of us to dream about going back to the Sweet 16 (or further) before they've moved on and put Fairfax in their rear-view mirror.

When we do, I just hope we all appreciate even more how special it is to experience that kind of success. Let's build on it instead of taking it for granted and having to start all over from square one.

 

[GMU92]

Even now, 10 years later, I can't help but refer to Packer by his most appropriate nickname: Fudge.

And don't forget his little butt buddy Jim Nantz.
I believe Craig Littlepage told him to go pound sand too.

 

[GMUgemini]

I'm just so thankful that we're not having to suffer through the 10-year anniversary with Hewitt at the helm. It would've made the whole "celebration" aspect of this season unbearable.

Instead, we have a smart, dedicated and hard-working coaching staff that is allowing all of us to dream about going back to the Sweet 16 (or further) before they've moved on and put Fairfax in their rear-view mirror.

When we do, I just hope we all appreciate even more how special it is to experience that kind of success. Let's build on it instead of taking it for granted and having to start all over from square one.

Hear hear on that. My only regret is we didn't kick him to the curb one year earlier.

 

[GSII]

Anyone read about the Merten and his Leverage Group? Met in March to discuss how to capitalize on NCAA Tourney run.

 

[Jack Strop]

Anyone read about the Merten and his Leverage Group? Met in March to discuss how to capitalize on NCAA Tourney run.

Yes. I think the plan for the first year was well conceived and executed. For example, I remember seeing ads on Metro buses promoting season tickets. Second year as well.

The long term plan? Didn't seem like there was one. If there was, clearly it fizzled. There's only so much the school could have done given the local market. Beyond the NCAA money, additional funds would have been needed to do anything more meaningful. Merten and company probably felt that there were higher priorities above the expansion of brand equity. Water under the bridge...

It's clear to me that Cabrera and Edwards have an opposing opinion from their predecessors. Just look at what has been done to the field house with the huge logos facing Ox Road! But, then again, who knows who formulated those plans and when.

 

[Dawgs99]

Finally got around to reading the article....it was long but definitely worth the read. I was in college out of state during that season so I missed out on most of the local buzz, but what an awesome season and fantastic accomplishment.....still hard to believe after 10 years!

 

[psyclone]

Anyone read about the Merten and his Leverage Group? Met in March to discuss how to capitalize on NCAA Tourney run.

What I heard is that they knew that Coach L would be doing many media interviews and it was important to promote the university ("privilege to represent a great university...largest university in the state.....Nobel prize-winning faculty....yada, yada"). And bless his heart, Coach L never missed a beat in launching into that promotion.

While I suspect you are thinking that Leverage group should have been thinking about insuring that Larranaga would stay at Mason forever and invest more in the athletic facilities, the focus was
on promoting the university as a strong academic institution and not just a basketball Cinderella.

All this said, I wasn't part of that group or privy to their deliberations. I'm basing this on things I heard Merten say at one time or another when talking about the Final Four

 

[GMUgemini]

Yes. I think the plan for the first year was well conceived and executed. For example, I remember seeing ads on Metro buses promoting season tickets. Second year as well.

The long term plan? Didn't seem like there was one. If there was, clearly it fizzled. There's only so much the school could have done given the local market. Beyond the NCAA money, additional funds would have been needed to do anything more meaningful. Merten and company probably felt that there were higher priorities above the expansion of brand equity. Water under the bridge...

It's clear to me that Cabrera and Edwards have an opposing opinion from their predecessors. Just look at what has been done to the field house with the huge logos facing Ox Road! But, then again, who knows who formulated those plans and when.

To be honest, I don't think it's really as bad as people make it out to be. Mason was way behind on infrastructure, fan support, donor support, local support, etc. in 2005. I mean, it was bad before 2006, really bad.

I think it took Mason and Coach L another five years post-Final Four to build the kind of team that was going to have sustained success (just look at the year over year donation increases from 2005 to 2011). Coming off a first round NCAA tournament win, the team was returning Pearson, Morrison, Cornelius and Luke Hancock as starters with Sherrod Wright coming back from a red-shirt year and Bryon Allen as a rising sophomore. That team was going to be stacked. I also have no doubt that Jon Arledge would have thrived under Coach L and Holloway would have probably turned into a much better player (and student) had Coach L recruited and coached him, the same with Vaughn Gray.

And this is where the ball was dropped because the University let Larranaga walk, hired the wrong guy to replace him (nothing wrong with letting the coach go so long as you bring in a guy who can actually coach -- Gonzaga hiring Mark Few after Dan Monson took them to the Elite Eight, vcu hiring Shaka Smart after Anthony Grant left, Wichita State hiring Greg Marshall after Mark Turgeon left). The rest you know.