It's fun when your college, which certainly didn't have much of a name before, captures the imagination of the country in March Madness.

[caption id="attachment_958" align="alignright" width="300" caption="GMU beats Villanova."]<a href="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/4cd55c155d0ae8c7aea0252965bdbccc-getty-108227577ml056_villanova_v_.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-958" title="NCAA Basketball Tournament - Second Round - Cleveland" src="http://mikerappaport.net/onevoice/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/4cd55c155d0ae8c7aea0252965bdbccc-getty-108227577ml056_villanova_v_-300x209.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="209" /></a>[/caption]

Ever since George Mason University's basketball team made its amazing run to the Final Four in 2006, the school's name has become almost a synonym for Cinderella teams.

<em>"Who is this year's George Mason?"</em>

We've heard that every March since 2006, and when Butler made its run all the way to the championship game last year, it was just another example of "George Mason" basketball.

Well, the Patriots had another wonderful team this year, and they went into the tournament with a record of 26-6. The problem was, they were almost too good for their own good. They were seeded in the top half of the 64-team field, which gave them an eighth seed in the East Regional.

They struggled in their first game against Villanova, but came back from a 10-point deficit for a 61-57 victory that had the basketball world talking about George Mason again.

The problem, though, was that when you win your first game as a No. 8 seed, your second game is against the No. 1 seed, which in this case was Ohio State, the top-ranked team in the entire nation.

They could play their best game against Ohio State and still have only a slim chance of winning. And while they certainly gave their fans a thrill by jumping out to an 11-2 lead, the Patriots never really had a chance. The Buckeyes were up 52-26 at the half and went on to win, 98-66.

It's a shame to lose like that, but in the end, it was still George Mason playing on national television in late March and finishing with a 27-7 record.

Not everyone can be the best.

Sometimes it's enough just to make a splash.