COACH: Jim Larranaga, 14 years at George Mason, four years in NCAA tournament.
HOW THEY GOT IN: At-large bid.
GO-TO GUYS: Senior G Cam Long was an All-CAA first-team selection after leading the Patriots in scoring at 15.1 points per game. Junior Ryan Pearson wasn't far behind at 14.5, and both have increased those numbers after a slow start in the opening third of the season. Luke Hancock also averages double figures, with Andre Cornelius close at 9.9 points per game through the CAA tournament. Isaiah Tate and Vertrail Vaughns are excellent long-range shooters off the bench, and have to be watched closely whenever they are in the game.
X FACTOR: George Mason has had some issues this season when it can't easily solve opposing defenses. In those instances, the Patriots tended to rush shots and take the first good look available. That was the case in the team's 79-63 loss to Virginia Commonwealth in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament semifinals. Because George Mason's 2010-11 resume says it isn't very good at coming back from a deficit, it needs to get off to strong starts in order to win.
STRENGTHS: George Mason does not tend to let overmatched opponents hang around. Twenty of its 26 victories this season have come by double digits. In part, that's because it makes it difficult for opponents to get on a roll offensively, as it has held foes to less than 40 percent shooting in Patriot League victories. The Patriots have a lot of versatility, and take care of the basketball very well. It's not a team that generally beats itself, as the gaudy record indicates.
WEAKNESSES: The Patriots are not a team built for comebacks. They head into the NCAA tournament with a 2-5 record when trailing at the half, and seem to lose some of their defensive spark when they have to play catch-up on offense. Free-throw shooting has been uneven, and the shooting percentage (69 percent) on the season included a 5-for-13 effort in its last game before the NCAA Tournament, the loss to VCU in the CAA semifinals.
