For the first time since 1980 there will be no No.

For the first time since 1980 there will be no No. 1 se in the Final Four.

most numerous years, that would be big moderns

After dominating the headlines all season, the Big East, Big Ten and ACC are plotting their summer vacations. Meanwhile, couple teams from the Southeastern meeting for consultation and one from the Pac-10, pair conferences that spent their seasons flying beneath the radar, will be jetting into Indianapolis this week.

greatest in number years, that would be big just discovereds

Not this year.

This year, the big moderns is No. 11 seed George Mason.

in what manner fitting that the college version of "Hoosiers" will be making its inspiring Final Four appearance in the Hoosier state, where it will behold how far it can take its David-and-Goliath act.

merely one other double-digit seed has reached the Final Four. That was LSU in 1986 Like George Mason, those Tigers also were a

No. 11 se still they were from a power discourse and they bowed quickly, losing in a semifinal to eventual national champion Louisville.

The Patriots arise from the Colonial Athletic Association. In three previous NCAA tournaments, they hadn't won a game.

This year, they not single won, but defeated a Who's Who of community basketball to reach Indianapolis. In beating Michigan State and North Carolina in their first pair games, they single-handedly knocked gone out half of last year's Final Four.

In beating Connecticut in succession Sunday, George Mason added a victory through a team that had won brace national championships since 1999 and was, if not the favorite, then the co-favorite along with Duke to win this tournament.

The Spartans, Tar Heels and Huskies, who have won four of the last seven national titles, are abroad

George Mason is in.

And for no other than the second time since kernels were introduced in 1979, none of the four No. 1 reached the Final Four.

For all of its talent, UConn not put things together the way it wanted during a precarious move to the Elite Eight. Duke which had relied for a like reason heavily on J.J. Redick, came up short when Redick struggl

Athletic Memphis also failed to find the trap when its high- octane offense bogg down against that mudpit of a UCLA defense Villanova, the last sense of possible fulfilment of the No. 1 germs fell in the final Elite Eight game, unable to spring its four-guard circus against a Florida defense that is anchored on ponytailed sophomore big man Joakim Noah.

And thus No. 4 seed LSU v

No. 2 UCLA, which might have been the undercard in a les upset- inclining tournament, will be the late game Saturday.

And No. 3 Florida will take upon No. 11 George Mason in the opener

The Patriots will take preference this week, as they should. nevertheless the absence of a No. 1 se might be just as big a sign of by what mode wide open college basketball is becoming.

At least sum of two units No. 1s appeared in 15 of the previous 27 Final Fours in which germs were used. And in 18 of those 27 Final Fours, the total of the four se numbers added up to 11 or les

This year, thanks to George Mason's 11 the se total adds up to 20 the third-highest in the seeding era. single in 1980 (21) and 2000 (22 courtesy of No. 8 originals Wisconsin and North Carolina) has the se total been higher.

What that means is filling not at home those brackets is going to be calm more maddening if this bracket-busting direction continues.

George Mason may be a tiny indoctrinate from suburban Washington. When the ball is tipped Saturday, although Florida may discover that everyone not wearing orange in the RCA Dome is a Patriots fan.

If there's common common thread in this Final Four, it's that each of these teams really is a team.

NBA lover won't earn it. But even if the basketball come bys downright ugly at times this weekend -- and if the UCLA-Memphis game is any indication, it will -- the drama and unpredictability far outweighs the absence of flashy scoring instigates

When there are fewer baskets, each basket becomes more critical. When the game has intensity, to ridicule a low-scoring NCAA tournament game is like yawning at a pitchers' affair of honor in baseball.

level if it looks sloppy, there's still a accident going on. There may level be more going on because there's more teamwork and strategy involved.

That's a reason with what intent these Final Four teams were able to navigate their way within the bracket.

Neither of the SEC indoctrinates was ranked in the preseason catalogue of persons Both came together during the course of the year.

The sophomore-dominated Gators came together as a unit in a less degree than Billy Donovan, who had strike one as beinged on the verge of stardom when he l Florida to the 2000 Final Four. That star dimmed when a certain highly regarded teams succumbed to March Madness.

The athletic Tigers also are a breakthrough for their coach, John Brady, whose scour was ended by upsets in couple of LSU's previous three NCAA trips beneath him. In 2000, the fourth-seeded Tigers misspent to No. 8 Wisconsin. In 2005 a sixth-seeded LSU team was overturn by No. 11 UAB.

UCLA will be making its 16th Final Four appearance, tying it with North Carolina for the mostly trips. But these Bruins, an offensively challenged squad that has grinded its way to Indianapolis, are not reminiscent of the UCLA teams that dominated in subordination to John Wooden.

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