By Connect Mason Reporter Mike Foss

The Mason men's basketball team departed for Denver, Colo. on Tuesday where Notre Dame awaits to play them in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Over a hundred fans and several major TV networks in the Metropolitan area attended the team's departure from the Patriot Center.

Mason comes into the NCAA Tournament a 12-seed, while Notre Dame is a 5-seed. The 5 vs. 12 game is prone to a 12-seed upset. No. 5-seeds are only 11-9 in the past five years. The last time Mason faced an opponent from the Big East in the NCAA Tournament was in 2006, when they defeated the University of Connecticut in the Regional Final.

By Connect Mason Sports Director Damien Sordelett
Photo by Connect Mason Multimedia Director Grace Kendall
Video by Connect Mason Director Whitney Rhodes

The Patriots will enter the tournament as the No. 12 seed in the East region against fifth-seeded Notre Dame on Thursday in Denver. The winner of that matchup will compete against the winner of the game between No. 4 Washington St. and No. 13 Winthrop.

• Check out our photo gallery from the NCAA Bracket rally at Mason!

• See this ESPN video that breaks down the East Region bracket.

Patriots' fans packed the Johnson Center on Sunday evening to find out where they would be heading to watch Mason's 2008 contest in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

By Mason Blogger Ryan Kish

So Mason pulled it off, they really did it. Despite most of the fans feeling a CAA tournament championship was all but impossible I had a feeling we would see the team's best basketball in Richmond. And even though the Mason bookstore is already screwing up new t-shirt designs, you have to feel confident about this team if your a fan. Enough of this "who will be this year's George Mason" talk, this guys can make noise again just like they did two years ago.

• Check back for a week-long look at Mason's 2008 run to the NCAA.
• Drop by the Johnson Center on Sunday, March 16 at 5:30 to celebrate the NCAA bracket release with Coach Larranaga, Gunston and the Patriots.
• Watch ESPN footage of the end of last Monday's Richmond game.
• Read more.

By Connect Mason Sports Director Damien Sordelett
First photo by Broadside Photographer Mahmoud Lababidi
Second photo by Broadside Asst. Photography Editor Laura Foltz

RICHMOND – Achilles probably could never say that his weakness was this powerful.

George Mason’s thorn in its side this year has been the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks, a team that plays a scrambling defense that attacks strengths and exposes weaknesses.

• Read our live Twitter feed of tonight's game for the latest plays as they happen.
• Read more.

The second half of Sunday’s CAA semifinal match-up would be no different. However, a way to overcome that weakness was found in the first half and proved to be the ultimate weapon.