Everyone remembers the year the glass slipper didn't just fit—it shattered the entire floor. If you look back at a march madness 2006 bracket, you aren't just looking at a list of scores. You're looking at the precise moment that mid-major basketball stopped being a "cute" side story and started being a legitimate threat to the blue-blood hierarchy.
It was chaotic. Honestly, it was a mess.
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George Mason. That’s the name that still haunts Jim Calhoun’s nightmares and makes Syracuse fans wince. But before we get to the Patriots’ historic run, we have to talk about how top-heavy this year felt on paper. You had Duke with J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams. You had a terrifyingly deep UConn squad. You had Memphis, led by John Calipari, looking like a track team in sneakers. Everything pointed toward a collision of giants. Then the whistle blew, and the brackets started bleeding red ink almost immediately.
The George Mason Miracle and the Death of the Power Conference Monopoly
The march madness 2006 bracket is defined by one team from the Colonial Athletic Association. George Mason didn't even win their conference tournament; they were an at-large bid that many analysts, most notably Billy Packer, thought didn't belong in the field.
Packer was vocal. He was harsh. He basically said the mid-majors were taking spots from "more deserving" big-school teams.
George Mason responded by beating Michigan State. Then they took down North Carolina, the defending champs. By the time they faced UConn in the Elite Eight, the world expected the clock to strike midnight. UConn had Rudy Gay, Marcus Williams, and Josh Boone. They were huge. They were NBA-bound.
But Jim Larrañaga had a group of seniors who didn't care about the name on the front of the jersey.
The game was a masterpiece of grit. George Mason trailed by double digits and just... refused to go away. They won 86-84 in overtime. It remains one of the greatest upsets in the history of North American sports, not just because of the seed disparity, but because of how they won. They didn't trick UConn. They outplayed them. They moved the ball, hit clutch threes, and defended like their lives depended on it.
The Big East Dominance That Wasn't
Going into the tournament, the Big East was the talk of the town. They sent eight teams to the dance. It was a record at the time.
Villanova. UConn. West Virginia. Georgetown.
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People were picking All-Big East Final Fours. It felt inevitable. But the march madness 2006 bracket chewed them up. Villanova, led by their four-guard lineup of Allan Ray, Randy Foye, Kyle Lowry, and Mike Nardi, made a deep run but eventually ran into the buzzsaw that was Florida.
West Virginia was incredible to watch that year. Kevin Pittsnogle was a cult hero—a 6'11" center with tattoos who could drain threes from the parking lot. They nearly knocked off Texas in a classic Sweet 16 matchup, only to lose on a buzzer-beating trey by Kenton Paulino.
The narrative shifted from "Big East dominance" to "Big East disappointment" in about 48 hours. It showed that while having a tough conference schedule helps, the single-elimination format of March cares nothing for your strength of schedule in January.
Sorting Through the wreckage of the Number One Seeds
Usually, at least one or two 1-seeds make it to the final weekend. In 2006, it was a lonely walk for the favorites.
- Duke: The 1-seed in the South. They lost to LSU in the Sweet 16. Glen "Big Baby" Davis and Tyrus Thomas were simply too much for the Blue Devils' frontcourt.
- UConn: The 1-seed in the Washington Regional. Fell to George Mason.
- Memphis: The 1-seed in the Oakland Regional. They ran into UCLA’s suffocating defense and lost in the Elite Eight.
- Villanova: The 1-seed in the Minneapolis Regional. Lost to Florida.
This was the first time since 1980 that no number one seed made the Final Four. Think about that. The statistical probability of that happening is incredibly low, yet 2006 leaned into the absurdity.
Florida’s Birth of a Dynasty
Amidst the wreckage of everyone's march madness 2006 bracket stood Billy Donovan’s Florida Gators. It’s easy to forget now, but at the start of the season, Florida wasn't even ranked in the Top 25.
They were young. They were unproven.
Joakim Noah was a whirlwind of energy and hair. Al Horford was the steady hand. Corey Brewer was the "human 1-3-1" defense. Taurean Green and Lee Humphrey provided the spacing. They played a style of basketball that was incredibly selfless.
They destroyed South Carolina to win the SEC tournament and then just kept rolling. Their win over UCLA in the championship game wasn't even particularly close. It ended 73-57. It was a clinic. What’s even crazier is that this entire starting five decided to come back the following year to do it all over again, but the 2006 run was the lightning strike that started the fire.
UCLA, under Ben Howland, tried to grind the game into the mud. They were the premier defensive team in the country. They had Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Arron Afflalo. They even had a young Jordan Farmar. But Florida’s length and ability to pass out of the post made the Bruins’ defense look porous for the first time all season.
Why 2006 Changed the Selection Committee’s Mindset
Before this specific tournament, the Selection Committee heavily favored "power" conferences. If you were the 5th or 6th team in the ACC or Big Ten, you were almost guaranteed a spot over a mid-major with 25 wins.
2006 forced a reckoning.
When George Mason made the Final Four, it validated the "Mid-Major" movement. It paved the way for the Gonzagas (who were already established but grew larger), the Butlers, and the VCUs of the future. The committee began looking more at "advanced metrics"—well, what qualified as advanced back then—and less at just the name on the jersey.
The 11-seed George Mason wasn't a fluke; they were a symptom of a changing landscape where talent was starting to spread out. Recruiting wasn't just happening at the blue bloods anymore. Local kids were staying home, and seniors who had played together for four years were becoming more valuable than talented freshmen who were looking at the NBA draft.
Real-World Impact on Bracketology
If you were playing in a pool in 2006, you probably lost.
In fact, according to most major tracking sites at the time, including ESPN’s Bracket Challenge, the percentage of people who correctly predicted a Final Four of Florida, UCLA, LSU, and George Mason was effectively zero.
LSU was a 4-seed. George Mason was an 11. UCLA was a 2. Florida was a 3.
It was a "chalk-killer." It taught us that the "safe" picks—the Dukes and the Kansans—are often the most vulnerable because they have the biggest targets on their backs. Kansas, for instance, lost in the first round to Bradley. Bradley! A 13-seed. That's another name that often gets lost in the George Mason shadow, but Patrick O'Bryant and the Braves were absolute giants-slayers that year.
Essential Takeaways for Modern Bracket Building
Looking back at the march madness 2006 bracket offers some pretty vital lessons for anyone trying to win their office pool today.
First, look for veteran mid-majors. George Mason was loaded with juniors and seniors. They had chemistry that Duke’s "one-and-done" style (which was just starting to emerge) couldn't match in a high-pressure environment.
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Second, defense travels, but versatile bigs win titles. Joakim Noah and Al Horford weren't just tall; they could pass and move. They made life miserable for traditional centers.
Third, don't be afraid to fade the Big East or any "super-conference." Just because a league gets 8 or 9 teams in doesn't mean they are all Final Four caliber. Often, those teams have just spent four months beating each other up and they arrive at the tournament exhausted.
To truly understand the 2006 tournament, you have to look at the scores beyond the Final Four.
- Texas vs. West Virginia: A battle of styles that ended with a heart-stopping shot.
- Gonzaga vs. UCLA: The Adam Morrison "crying game." Gonzaga had a double-digit lead with minutes to play, and UCLA staged a comeback that felt like a movie.
- Washington vs. UConn: A game that proved Brandon Roy was one of the smoothest players to ever lace them up.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Bracket
- Analyze the "Seniors" Factor: Check the rosters of the 10-12 seeds. Are they led by four-year starters? If so, they are prime candidates for a George Mason-style run.
- Ignore the "Power Conference" Bias: Look at how teams performed out-of-conference in November and December. That’s often a better indicator of success than how they did in a familiar league.
- Watch the "Effective Field Goal Percentage": Florida thrived in 2006 because they took—and made—high-quality shots. Don't just pick teams that play fast; pick teams that play smart.
- Revisit the 2006 upset list: Study the matchups of Bradley vs. Kansas and George Mason vs. Michigan State. Notice the common theme: the favorites were often reliant on one star, while the underdogs had 3 or 4 players who could hurt you.
The 2006 tournament remains a gold standard for why we watch the games. It’s the ultimate proof that on a neutral court, with 40 minutes on the clock, the seed next to your name is just a number. It doesn't guarantee a win, and it certainly doesn't prevent a miracle.