By Ed Morrone

Even though the issue has been beaten more than a dead horse, the question still remains-how on earth did George Mason make it into the NCAA Tournament on Sunday while the Pride was sent off to the NIT (Not Interested Tournament)?

For starters, the Pride soundly defeated the Patriots twice this season. Loren Stokes’ 26 points paced the Pride to a 77-66 victory in Hempstead on Feb. 23, while Carlos Rivera’s 25 points and 10 rebounds knocked Mason out of the conference tournament on March 5. Not to mention the fact that Mason senior guard Tony Skinn was benched in the final minute of the March 6 game because he punched Stokes in the groin.

The Patriots did win at Wichita State (a fellow Tournament team) on Feb. 18 on a last second three-pointer by Skinn. But the argument seems to be that Mason had one up on the Pride because of its nonconference schedule, which was more impressive than the Pride’s because it had bigger names on it. But how did Mason do in those other games?

It lost by five at Wake Forest on Nov. 11. The Demon Deacons were ranked at the time, but finished 3-13 in the ACC. On Nov. 22, the Patriots lost by 20 at home to Creighton and by two at Mississippi State (a 15-15 team) on Dec. 30. So Mason’s schedule may have been stronger, but shouldn’t the committee look at that 1-3 record as well?

Up next is Air Force, who, like the Pride finished 24-6, but lost to Wyoming (then 13-17) in its conference tournament quarterfinals and played in the much weaker Mountain West Conference.

How about Utah State, which went 23-8 but had no business being in the Tournament after losing its conference final to Nevada.

And then there’s Seton Hall, who beat quality teams such as West Virginia and N.C. State, but also lost to Richmond, Northwestern, Rutgers, DePaul and St. John’s (who the Pride beat by 13 on Nov. 29).

Add all of this up and you have one big pot of unfairness.

“Our body of work over the last 14 games, we were 12-2 and our only two losses were to the eventual champion of our conference, so I thought that’d be enough to get us over the top,” Pride head coach Tom Pecora said.

Think again, Tom.

Perhaps the fact that selection committee chairman Craig Littlepage and Mason coach Jim Larranaga were assistants together at Virginia from 1979-82 had something to do with the decision. Or if that’s not enough, how about the fact that Patriots athletic director Tom O’Connor was a member of the selection committee this year.

Pecora and the Pride took the slap in the face as well as could be expected, but deep down they were furious, and can you blame them?

George Mason is a quality team, and maybe they do deserve to be in the Tournament. But if they are dancing then the Pride should be right alongside them, if only because the Blue & Gold defeated the Patriots twice by a combined 20 points.

When asked why Mason made it in above his team, Pride senior Adrian Uter responded, “I have no idea, you’d have to ask the committee.”

So selection committee, on behalf of Uter and everyone else who is dumbfounded over this travesty-why?

Ed Morrone is sports editor of The Chronicle and can be reached at [email protected]

Sophomore guard Antoine Agudio looks on in disappointmoint after not being selected to NCAAs