Shock to the system

The new phenomenon that is George Mason basketball was on display last Saturday in front of Wichita State coach Mark Turgeon and his Shockers. The Patriot Center was packed to the rafters with a record sellout crowd ... 30 minutes before tip-off.

"Hanging a Final Four banner is pretty special at George Mason ," Turgeon said.

Beating that Final Four team is also special.

While the Patriots enjoyed a deafening crowd and emotional pre-game ceremony, it was Wichita State that enjoyed the main event, beating new-look George Mason 72-66 in a tight game that Wichita State maintained slight control of throughout the second half.

It was a small measure of revenge for the Shockers, who lost to George Mason 63-55 in the Sweet 16 last year at the Verizon Center in Washington D.C. The Shockers were a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament, while George Mason was an 11.

"They beat us twice last year, once on our home court," Turgeon said. "They whipped us pretty good in the Sweet 16 and ended our season. We were looking forward to playing them again and we took advantage of it."

Wichita State was rewarded after the victory with its first ranking in the AP poll since Xavier McDaniel 's 1983-84 team. The Shockers checked in at No. 24.

The Shockers have four starters back, but are replacing Missouri Valley Player of the Year Paul Miller . The scoring was balanced in the George Mason win. Four starters reached double figures led by Sean Ogirri , who hit a back-breaking 3-pointer with 1:20 to play that basically sealed the game.

"We're not great offensively yet," Turgeon said. "We had a great second half against George Mason . Every game I get a better understanding of what this team can and can't do without Paul. We have good players. We just have to put them in positions to be successful."

The hostile environment is a familiar one for the Shockers, who have to battle tough crowds throughout The Valley.