Mason's miracle run almost ended before it began

Before I fawn over George Mason -- and I will -- the Patriots' incredible run to the Final Four underscores the points made on Selection Sunday: Being selected for inclusion in the tournament is far more important than seeding.

You can -- and many did -- make a great argument that George Mason should have been left out of the NCAA Tournament altogether. There, I said it. And it's true.

As of Selection Sunday, George Mason had won a grand total of zero games against teams ranked in the RPI Top 25, and just a paltry two games against teams ranked in the RPI Top 50 (Wichita State and UNC Wilmington). The Patriots also lost to Hofstra twice, got beaten by Old Dominion and lost to Creighton by 20. Just to remind you: Hofstra, Old Dominion and Creighton all went to the NIT.

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