I spent nearly the entire overtime of the elite eight matchup between Connecticut and George Mason on the phone with my sister. She was beyond excited, George Mason is a 30-minute drive from my house and our next door neighbor goes there. I told her at the tip of the extra period that George Mason was going to win it. I told her they had the right attitude.

In the NCAA tournament, one that is infamous for parity, where the slipper is always in play, it is nice to see a No. 11 seed take full advantage of this and make a run to the Final Four. After watching GMU play it is not, however, hard to see how they got where they did.

I’m am not going to say that GMU’s players have as much talent as the players on the teams that they beat – they don’t. But George Mason has done everything a team needs to do to give itself a chance in a single-elimination style tournament.

They have won in the effort and mental categories. By these I mean rebounds and turnovers. In high intensity games that come down to the wire each and every time, teams cannot afford to lose possessions.

George Mason has consistently limited their opponents’ possession by swarming the defensive glass, while at the same time giving themselves extra possessions. This in itself would keep GMU in every game they play, but when they shoot over 50 percent from the floor on top of that, they earn a victory over powerhouse Connecticut and a Final Four game against Florida, a team they match up well against.

What really convinced me that GMU wasn’t that big a Final Four surprise was their attitude. They have no fear. They are not afraid to lose the game. Against Connecticut, a team GMU had no business beating, the Patriots played with abandonment, slinging shots with the conscienceless shooter’s mentality, all the while pulling down rebounds over bigger, more athletic players with sheer will. If how they played turns out to be not enough, so be it, but they aren’t about to show up with less than their best.

They aren’t afraid to take control of a game and play it like the favorite, freewheeling and damning conservative play that underdogs are sometimes scared into playing.

That is the attitude that fits the slipper and wins the prince’s heart.

That is the attitude that the U of I wheelchair basketball team has to have this weekend as we compete for the national championship at Huff Hall, an underdog on their own turf.

The Illini are entering the championship as the three seed, but as a three seed that is completely disregarded by the top two seeds, much like how George Mason was disregarded as a worthy tournament selection.

Being the three seed is familiar territory for us, having entered the past three national championships in the same position. In none of those trips have we achieved the mindset that was necessary for us to better our position.

This year we are potentially the best team in wheelchair basketball. We play together, are unselfish, and have all the necessary pieces for success. We are not, however, the most talented team. And we are by no means thought of as a potential champion by anyone outside of our own team.

Sound familiar GMU fans?

This weekend – starting at noon on Friday and even more importantly during our expected semifinal match-up at seven that evening – the Illini wheelchair basketball team has to play with abandon; no conscience, no fear.

That is how the better teams beat the better talent. It’s all about the attitude, the ability to shoot without thinking, read the floor without self-doubt, and the ability to whole-heartedly trust each and every one of your teammates.

My prediction: this year will be different. This year, Illini fans, we have attitude. Adieu.

Josh George is a senior in Communications. He can be reached at [email protected]