2005–06 George Mason Patriots men's basketball team

The 2005–06 George Mason Patriots men's basketball team represented George Mason University in the 2005–2006 NCAA Basketball season. The team reached several milestones, including a team record 23 regular season wins, and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Patriots reached the Final Four of the NCAA, becoming the first team from the Colonial Athletic Association to accomplish that feat. The number 11 seed, they advanced to the Final Four by knocking off UConn, the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed, 86-84 in overtime. George Mason who had never won an NCAA tournament game up until this tournament, tied the 1986 LSU Tigers as the lowest seed to ever reach the Final Four. They lost to eventual national champions, Florida.

2005–06 George Mason Patriots men's basketball
CAA regular season champions
NCAA Tournament, Final Four
ConferenceColonial Athletic Association
Ranking
CoachesNo. 8
2005–06 record27–8 (15–3 CAA)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaPatriot Center
2005–06 CAA men's basketball standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L PCT  W L PCT
George Mason15–3 .833  27–8  .771
UNC Wilmington†15–3 .833  25–8  .758
Hofstra14–4 .778  26–7  .788
Old Dominion13–5 .722  24–10  .706
Northeastern12–6 .667  19–11  .633
VCU11–7 .611  19–10  .655
Drexel8–10 .444  15–16  .484
Towson8–10 .444  12–16  .429
Delaware4–14 .222  9–21  .300
Georgia State3–15 .167  7–22  .241
William & Mary3–15 .167  8–20  .286
James Madison2–16 .111  5–23  .179
† CAA Tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll

Season notes
  • On April 26, 2006, it was announced head coach Jim Larranaga received a contract extension to keep him with the team through the 2011–2012 season.[1]
  • On March 30, 2006, head coach Jim Larranaga received the Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award.[2]
  • For the first time in school history, the men's basketball team was ranked on the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll coming in at #25 for the week of February 20, 2006.[3]
  • On December 27, 2005, senior guard Lamar Butler set a George Mason men's basketball record for most career 3-point field goals.[4]
  • The 2005–06 George Mason Patriots were predicted to finish 3rd in the Colonial Athletic Association.[5]
  • On September 15, 2005, it was announced that sophomore guard John Vaughan would miss the entire season due to a torn ACL.[6]

Awards

First Team All-CAA

  • Jai Lewis

Second Team All-CAA

  • Tony Skinn

CAA All-Defensive Team

  • Will Thomas

CAA Player of the Week

  • Jai Lewis – Jan. 30
  • Tony Skinn – Feb. 20

Recap

The Patriots enjoyed their best season in 2005–2006 when they won a school-record 23 games in the regular season, and for one week were even ranked in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 for the first time in school history. Head coach Jim Larranaga, who began his stint at George Mason in 1997, also became the CAA's all-time leader in coaching victories and was named the winner of the 2006 Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award[7] on March 31, 2006, and the Virginia Coach of the Year on June 26, 2006, the same day he was nominated for an ESPY award.[8] Although the team lost to Hofstra during the CAA tournament, George Mason were still able to grab an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament. This marks the first time in which the Patriots earned an at-large bid and the first time in 20 years in which the CAA sent two teams to the tournament (the other being conference tournament winner UNC Wilmington).

The at-large selection of teams from mid-major conferences (which included George Mason) to the tournament was criticized by media personalities, most notably Billy Packer. In the case of George Mason, this was possibly because of the absence of Tony Skinn, who was suspended for one game by the Patriots for punching Hofstra guard Loren Stokes in the groin during the CAA tournament semifinal loss. Moreover, many believed that Hofstra, who didn't get invited to the tournament despite of the fact that they beat the Patriots twice in a span of ten days, deserved to get in instead of them. Nevertheless, the Patriots entered the tournament as an 11th seed and defeated the 6th seeded Michigan State Spartans, who had played in the previous year's Final Four.

In their second round matchup against the defending champion North Carolina Tar Heels, the Patriots were once again underdogs. After falling in a 16–2 hole early in the game, the team was able to bounce back and win the game, 65–60. Their next game was against another mid-major, the Wichita State Shockers. George Mason jumped out to a big early lead, and the Shockers were not able to overcome. The Patriots won, 63–55.

Their Elite Eight matchup found themselves facing the Connecticut Huskies, a team that was tabbed as the favorite to win the national championship the entire season. The Patriots were able to defeat the top-seeded Huskies, 86–84 in overtime, in what is recognized as one of the most memorable games in tournament history. Their tournament run would end in Indianapolis, in a Final Four matchup with the Florida Gators, the eventual national champion in both 2006 and 2007 (with the same starting lineup both years).

The Patriots were the first team out of the CAA to reach the Final Four and also became the second team to reach it as a double-digit (11th) seed (the other being the LSU Tigers in 1986, also an 11th seed).

George Mason's Cinderella story ended in Indianapolis, when the eventual National Champion Florida Gators defeated them 73–58 on April 1, 2006. Despite their loss, many sports analysts considered their performance in the 2006 tourney to be the best run by a mid-major in tournament history. In the final rankings of 2005–2006 season, the USA Today/ESPN poll ranked the Patriots eighth in the nation—their highest rank to date.

Mason was atypical of recent Final Four teams not only in being a true mid-major, but also in their unusual scoring balance. The Patriots had five players average in double figures, making them one of only six Final Four teams in the 10 seasons from 1998–99 through 2007–08 with that distinction. (Two of the other five teams in this club are Florida's back-to-back national champions in 2006 and 2007.)[9]

Roster
2005–06 George Mason Patriots men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G 22 Lamar Butler 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)170 lb (77 kg) RS SrOxon Hill Fort Washington, Maryland
G 12 Tim Burns 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)185 lb (84 kg) JrWorcester Academy Greenfield, Massachusetts
G 42 Folarin Campbell 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)205 lb (93 kg) SoSpringbrook Silver Spring, Maryland
G 2 Jordan Carter 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)175 lb (79 kg) SoBrebeuf Indianapolis, Indiana
F 40 Chris Fleming 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)240 lb (109 kg) FrOsbourn Park Manassas, Virginia
F 3 Makan Konate 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)215 lb (98 kg) JrWorcester Academy Mali
F 55 Jai Lewis 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)275 lb (125 kg) SrAberdeen Aberdeen, Maryland
G 24 Charles Makings 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)210 lb (95 kg) JrSt. John's College Silver Spring, Maryland
F 5 Gabe Norwood 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)190 lb (86 kg) JrState College State College, Pennsylvania
G 1 Tony Skinn 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)175 lb (79 kg) SrTakoma Academy Takoma Park, Maryland
F 34 Will Thomas 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)230 lb (104 kg) SoMount Saint Joseph's Baltimore, Maryland
F 13 Jesús Urbina  6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)235 lb (107 kg) JrAmelia Academy Barquisimeto, Venezuela
G 23 John Vaughn  6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)179 lb (81 kg) SoLaurel Laurel, Maryland
Head coach

Jim Larrañaga (Providence)

Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: 2010-07-27

Stats
Player GP GS MPG FG% 3FG% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
Jai Lewis35–30.4.523.348.6517.81.81.4.713.7
Tony Skinn34–31.6.396.339.8023.52.81.6.012.6
Lamar Butler35–31.9.454.378.7332.52.2.9.211.9
Will Thomas35–31.9.580.000.5167.21.1.7.711.8
Folarin Campbell35–31.1.491.343.7614.23.4.7.711.0
Gabe Norwood35–21.1.425.375.5882.01.9.9.73.4
Sammy Hernandez35–11.1.518.375.2783.1.5.2.32.8
Tim Burns20–6.0.400.400.000.5.4.3.01.8
Jordan Carter28–6.5.524.364.333.7.7.5.01.0
Chris Fleming28–4.7.440.000.500.7.0.1.21.0
Makan Konate11–2.2.167.000.000.4.0.0.0.2
Charles Makings13–2.5.250.000.000.7.2.2.0.2

Schedule
Date
time, TV		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site
city, state
November 6*
7:00 p.m.		 St. Francis Xavier
Exhibition		 W 99–70 
Patriot Center 
Fairfax, Virginia
November 10*
7:00 p.m.		 vs. UC Irvine
Coaches vs. Cancer Classic		 W 79–56  1–0
 Joel Coliseum 
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
November 11*
7:00 p.m.		 vs. Wake Forest
Coaches vs. Cancer Classic		 L 78–83 OT 1–1
 Joel Coliseum 
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
November 22*
7:00 p.m.		 Creighton L 52–72  1–2
 Patriot Center 
Fairfax, Virginia
November 26*
7:00 p.m.		 at Manhattan W 72–66  2–2
 Draddy Gymnasium 
The Bronx, New York
December 2
7:00 p.m.		 at Georgia State W 81–51  3–2
(1–0)		 GSU Sports Arena 
Atlanta
December 5*
4:30 p.m.		 vs. American
BB&T Classic		 W 75–35  4–2
 Verizon Center 
Washington, D.C.
December 7
7:00 p.m.		 at Old Dominion L 53–54  4–3
(1–1)		 Ted Constant Convocation Center 
Norfolk, Virginia
December 10*
5:00 p.m.		 Radford W 81–69  5–3
 Patriot Center 
Fairfax, Virginia
December 21*
7:00 p.m.		 Hampton W 79–66  6–3
 Patriot Center 
Fairfax, Virginia
December 27*
2:00 p.m.		 Holy Cross W 71–38  7–3
 Patriot Center 
Fairfax, Virginia
December 30*
7:00 p.m.		 at Mississippi State L 61–63  7–4
 Humphrey Coliseum 
Starkville, Mississippi
January 2
5:30 p.m.		 at Northeastern W 71–68  8–4
(2–1)		 Matthews Arena 
Boston
January 5
3:00 p.m.		 VCU
Rivalry		 W 73–60  9–4
(3–1)		 Patriot Center 
Fairfax, Virginia
January 7
4:30 p.m.		 Delaware W 70–56  10–4
(4–1)		 Patriot Center 
Fairfax, Virginia
January 12
7:00 p.m.		 at William & Mary W 65–46  11–4
(5–1)		 Kaplan Arena 
Williamsburg, Virginia
January 14
2:00 p.m.		 at James Madison W 65–43  12–4
(6–1)		 JMU Convocation Center 
Harrisonburg, Virginia
January 19
7:00 p.m.		 Northeastern W 74–63  13–4
(7–1)		 Patriot Center 
Fairfax, Virginia
January 21
8:00 p.m.		 at UNC-Wilmington L 63–69  13–5
(7–2)		 Trask Coliseum 
Wilmington, North Carolina
January 26
8:00 p.m.		 William & Mary W 81–58  14–5
(8–2)		 Patriot Center 
Fairfax, Virginia
January 28
2:00 p.m.		 Old Dominion W 66–47  15–5
(9–2)		 Patriot Center 
Fairfax, Virginia
February 2
7:00 p.m.		 at Delaware W 57–52  16–5
(10–2)		 Bob Carpenter Center 
Newark, Delaware
February 4
7:00 p.m.		 UNC-Wilmington W 69–62  17–5
(11–2)		 Patriot Center 
Fairfax, Virginia
February 9
7:00 p.m.		 at VCU W 73–61  18–5
(12–2)		 Stuart C. Siegel Center 
Richmond, Virginia
February 11
4:00 p.m.		 Towson
Homecoming		 W 65–53  19–5
(13–2)		 Patriot Center 
Fairfax, Virginia
February 15
7:00 p.m.		 Drexel W 67–48  20–5
(14–2)		 Patriot Center 
Fairfax, Virginia
February 16*
6:00 p.m., ESPN2		 at Wichita State
ESPN Bracket Busters		 W 70–67  21–5
 Charles Koch Arena 
Wichita, Kansas
February 23
7:00 p.m.		 No. 25 at Hofstra L 66–77  21–6
(14–3)		 Hofstra Arena 
Hempstead, New York
February 25
7:00 p.m.		 No. 25 James Madison W 61–56  22–6
(15–3)		 Patriot Center 
Fairfax, Virginia
March 4
7:00 p.m.		 vs. Georgia State
CAA Tournament Quarterfinals		 W 61–56  23–6
 Richmond Coliseum 
Richmond, Virginia
March 5
5:00 p.m.		 vs. Hofstra
CAA Tournament Semifinals		 L 49–58  23–7
 Richmond Coliseum 
Richmond, Virginia
2006 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
March 17*
6:40 p.m., CBS		 (11) vs. (6) Michigan State
First Round		 W 75–65  24–7
 University of Dayton Arena 
Dayton, Ohio
March 19*
5:20 p.m., CBS		 (11) vs. (3) No. 12 North Carolina
Second Round		 W 65–60  25–7
 University of Dayton Arena 
Dayton, Ohio
March 24*
5:40 p.m., CBS		 (11) vs. (7) Wichita State
Sweet Sixteen		 W 63–55  26–7
 Verizon Center 
Washington, D.C.
March 26*
6:20 p.m., CBS		 (11) vs. (1) No. 2 Connecticut
Elite Eight		 W 86–84 OT 27–7
 Verizon Center 
Washington, D.C.
April 1*
7:10 p.m., CBS		 (11) vs. (1) No. 10 Florida
Final Four		 L 58–73  27–8
 RCA Dome 
Indianapolis
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from Coaches' Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern Time.

Recruits

The following is a list of commitments George Mason received for the 2006–2007 season:

  • Louis Birdsong –
  • Darryl Monroe –
  • Dre Smith –

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-07-30. Retrieved 2010-02-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2010-02-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2010-02-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2010-02-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2010-02-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-28. Retrieved 2010-02-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "Coach Larranaga Receives Clair Bee Coach of the Year Award – The Mason Gazette – George Mason University". gmu.edu. Archived from the original on 2007-12-29. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  8. "Larranaga Named Virginia Coach of the Year". Archived from the original on 2011-07-08. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  9. Glockner, Andy (2008-02-28). "Florida did it but can balanced scoring lead Xavier to Final Four?". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-01.
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