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Where Has Cinderella Gone?
Remember where you were when George Mason upset UConn last March? I do. I was sitting courtside (no big deal) right behind the evil Jim Calhoun and his band of All-Americans:
The Big Picture addressed a point that most some college basketball fans are wondering: What happened to GMU this season? Well, the short answer is that Mason is 13-10 and the only way they’re making it back to the big dance is by winning the CAA tournament, which at this point seems unlikely.
The more exhaustive answer to the question is that the team has struggled to replace three key seniors they lost after last season’s amazing run to the Final Four. First is the (very) noticeable absence of Jai Lewis, the 6’7” 280 pound man-child. Although they still have the conference’s best big man (and arguably the best overall player in the CAA) Will Thomas down low, they have not found anyone to compliment him. Junior Daryl Monroe has seen most of the time opposite Thomas, but he has, for lack of a better word, sucked. His 5 PPG and 3 RPG just aren’t adding much.
The other two seniors Mason lost were guards Tony Skinn and Lamar Butler (who you may recall from a certain SI cover). The loss of these two has really been the downfall of Mason this season, more so than Lewis leaving. Folarin Campbell has been money (15.5 PPG), like we all knew he would be, but the rotation of Vaughn, Norwood (who’s been a big disappointment), Smith and Carter at the other guard spots hasn’t exactly got it done this season.
The conference is strong again this year, however, which is still good for Mason even if they aren’t. Per an agreement among the Colonial teams, any money earned from a Tournament appearance and subsequent wins is split amongst all the teams in the conference (meaning Mason didn’t really get the truckloads of cash some think they did after their Final Four run). So unless someone else wins the CAA tourney, it appears as if Virginia Commonwealth and Old Dominion will represent Mason and the CAA this March.
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I'd say unless VCU completely craps the bed, they are in. They're just barely out of the Top 25 as is.
I didn't mean to imply that ODU (or both schools) is a lock, but I think they have a very good chance of getting in. They're already getting Top 25 votes, so if they finish strong, I could def. see them getting an at-large.
Of course, if neither of these teams wins the CAA tourney, all of this goes to sh*t. -
I'm telling you, everyone calls him that: the SID people, Larranaga, assistant coaches, teammates, cheerleaders.
To quote myself: George Mason is quite possibly the only team in the tournament with a point guard known as "Shaq" -- Campbell's nickname since grade school, when he towered over his classmates.
<a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/0 3/23/AR2006032302157.html">my story</a>
Are you saying you think VCU and ODU are both getting in? VCU still has some work to do to get an at-large, and ODU has even more work to do. I wouldn't bet on the CAA being a multi-bid league. -
Wow, I've never heard that Campbell is called Shaq... Must have something to do with the fact that I only have class with Will Thomas and I don't really hang out with anyone who actually attends Mason.
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You're absolutely right. Butler, Skinn and Lewis were 3/5ths of the starting lineup that beat Goliath, and withouth those three guys Mason is just a middling CAA team; not that I know anything about the CAA.
Sidenote: DC Sports Bog says no one calls Folarin Campbell "Folarin," they all call him "Shaq." I have no idea why.
2/6/07 8:44 PM