As both a fan and a reporter for the Mason men's basketball team, I was of course hoping for a big-time Brackebuster matchup. Unfortunately for the Patriots, they lack any quality wins outside of CAA competition, and they were relying on this game to give them that crucial marquee victory. Although they have a solid 18-5 record and are alone in first atop the CAA standings at 10-1, they had one of the weaker strengths of schedule in country prior to entering conference play.
Teams like Mason who often float under the radar depend on the Bracketbuster game to elevate their RPIs every year. Last year the Patriots got a good draw playing at Northern Iowa, just one year removed from taking down Kansas in the Big Dance. This year, however, the Patriots drew Lamar.Lamar is 13-8 overall and are just 4-3 in the Southland Conference, not to mention they have dropped three of their last five decisions. So how did Mason, a known commodity in college basketball who is in first in what is considered an elite mid-major conference draw a team that is in sixth place in an almost unheard of conference?
Some of the blame can be placed on the Patriots for not scheduling tougher games earlier in the season, but Lamar was certainly not what the players and fans were hopeful for, as a win will do nothing for their RPI and a loss would essentially destroy any chance at an at-large bid.
Of course none of this RPI talks even matter if the Patriots take care of business in the CAA Tournament, but that is never an easy task in a highly competitive conference.
I wish a CAA team would be allowed to make it through tournament time without having to be called a Cinderella story. It seems unfair to me that high-quality play is happening consistently in the CAA, yet the teams don't get the respect that even the lackluster ACC gets (Duke can't carry a whole conference, after all).
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