FanHouse WillThomas

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

The Eagles underachieved for most of the 2008 season (the nadir had to be either tying the lowly Bengals are getting thumped by the Ravens -- take your pick) only to get hot during the last month of the season.

Philadelphia would eventually lose to Arizona in the NFC Championship game. And while nobody saw that coming as recently as Thanksgiving, the team did have high expectations heading into the season. Assuming Donovan McNabb is indeed in the organization's long-range plans, what do the Eagles need to do in the coming months to make a Super Bowl run?

When we were took a look at the teams that might benefit the most from their Bracket Buster games this weekend we glossed over Drake and Butler. Unlike most of the other participants, the dueling Bulldogs look like sure bets for a trip to the big dance which makes their matchup, announced today, all the more interesting.

Butler's trip to the Sweet 16 last season made the country familiar with their style but there's probably a fair chunk of people who haven't watched them play with freshman Matt Howard. His inside play balances their always strong three point shooting and, since they rarely turn the ball over, makes them nearly impossible to stop on offense. Stopping Howard will be a key for Drake. They defend the perimeter quite well but aren't loaded with size inside. Offensively, they share a proclivity for the outside shot and the efficient approach with the other Bulldogs.

It isn't every year that two mid-majors appear to be top-four seeds and even rarer that we get to see them square off when they are in full form. While they may be playing the marquee game of the weekend, there will be others worth watching.

It's been a season of spurts for the George Mason Patriots. A 6-1 start featured wins over Cleveland State, Kansas State and Dayton but was followed by a 4-4 stretch. Four straight CAA wins came next with the Patriots flashing ample evidence of the athleticism and depth that makes them the most talented team in the conference. That string of strong play looked to end during a desultory loss at UNC-Wilmington over the weekend but it may have been a momentary lapse. The Patriots put on their best show yet last night with a 63-51 win over Virginia Commonwealth.

The Rams entered play as the best defensive team in the CAA but couldn't stop GMU during the second half. Will Thomas and Folarin Campbell combined for 11 points during a 20-4 run that erased a VCU lead and put the Patriots in position to stay unbeaten at home. The Colonial's odd scheduling deprives us of a rematch between the two clubs in the regular season but it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine them meeting in the tournament final.

If Mason loses there, they may still be able to make a case for tournament inclusion. VCU is their fourth victim in the RPI's top 65 and their own ranking of 59 can continue to rise. They'll need to step up their play on the road. Five of the final nine, including their bracket buster, will be away and winning them will give their resume some added punch.

George Mason started January as a team looking for its identity. Losses to Georgia State and Delaware had them behind the eight-ball in the CAA and the preseason conference favorites were looking like a team with more flaws than assets. Things changed quickly, though. Will Thomas had a career game to stave off an upset in double overtime at Hofstra on Thursday and then Dre Smith shot his way into the record books during yesterday's 96-75 win at James Madison.

Smith made all 10 of his three-point tries to set a NCAA record for most tries without a miss. He finished with 34 points overall, a career-high which was only part of the reason to believe the Patriots are on the right track. They also outrebounded the Dukes by 14 and shot 65% for the game. Delaware lost for the second straight time yesterday, which leaves GMU in a three-way tie behind VCU in the Colonial.

The Rams won 78-68 at Old Dominion yesterday. They don't have the depth of the Patriots but they have two players in Eric Maynor and Jamal Shuler who can go off any night. They each scored 26 points against ODU and each finished with a double-double to boot. Shuler had 11 boards and Maynor dished 10 assists, an overwhelming two-man band.

Vanderbilt and UMass can both put up points in a hurry and they didn't disappoint in Nashville yesterday. Shan Foster hit eight threes to become Vandy's all-time leader in made longballs and the Commodores improved to 15-0 in a 97-88 home win. While the Minutemen couldn't continue the A-10's upset string they did cast some doubts about the long-term fitness of VU.

Ricky Harris, Chris Lowe and Gary Forbes had their way with the Commodore defense and scored 25, 22 and 22 points, respectively. Their drives to the lane were unimpeded and their threes thrown up without a hand in the face, two things the Commodores desperately need to change if they hope to contend for SEC honors. Give Kevin Stallings credit, though, he realized that the one chance he had, with UMass up nine in the second half, was shifting to a zone that forced them to shoot from deep. Harris was 5-of-10 from three but his mates were 3-of-14 and Vandy ran away behind Foster's dead-eye shooting.

It wasn't like the Minutemen weren't guarding him. He was hitting with hands in his face and still finished with 32 points. The defense was keying on him, to its detriment, as A.J. Ogilvy was open inside all day, drawing fouls and finishing with 25 of his own. UMass hung with a good team but their lack of stopping power is going to cost them in A-10 play.

Elsewhere on the mid major hardcourts:

George Mason will never blindside anybody again. Teams that break the glass ceiling and introduce the Final Four to the Colonial Athletic Association don't get to experience that twice. That doesn't mean that they won't get to have another deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Early indications are that 2007 might provide them with another opportunity.

The Patriots beat South Carolina 69-68 yesterday to take third in the Old Spice Classic and end a weekend that saw them knock off precocious Kansas State and lose to 20th ranked Villanova in the semifinals. Will Thomas led them yesterday with 22 points and 11 rebounds, the kind of effort they're used to receiving from the senior forward who helped them make history in 2006. He's joined by another starter from that team, Folarin Campbell, in making GMU one of the most experienced teams in the country.

Unlike Thomas, Campbell didn't have a fantastic 2006 as he moved from wing to point and back again. That erratic usage helped the Patriots to a fifth place finish but a truer picture of the team may have been painted in the CAA tournament. GMU almost knocked off Virginia Commonwealth after their league-best defense carried them past higher seeds to the final.

That defense and experience fueled their upset of the talented youngsters from Kansas State and could help buoy their shot of an at-large bid if they should stumble in the deep CAA. However they get to the dance they'll be dangerous once they get there even if everyone in your pool knows who they are this time.