So, in case you hadn’t heard, George Mason is in the Final Four. As an 11-seed and member of the Colonial Athletic Assocation, the Patriots are the natural underdogs heading into Indianapolis. But in a tournament full of upsets, with four unlikely combatants — Mason, UCLA, LSU, and Florida — left standing, it’s absurd to heavily favor one team or heavily discount the chances of another. This Final Four is the toughest to handicap in recent history, but there are several reasons why the Patriots can win the whole shootin’ match.

For one, GMU isn’t going to face any team tougher than the one they just beat. Connecticut was the most talented team in the country all year, and would’ve earned the top seed in the tournament if not for a slipup in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament. None of the other semifinalists are nearly as imposing as UConn, or even, for that matter, North Carolina and Michigan St., two other power conference teams Mason knocked off on their way to the Final Four. Florida, LSU, and UCLA have established themselves as top defensive teams, but lack offensive firepower. Well, the Patriots are no slouch defensively, either; they’ve held their four opponents in this tournament to just over 40 percent shooting from the field.

Moreover, they’ve played better offensively than any of their counterparts. In LSU’s Sweet 16 win over top-seeded Duke, the Tigers shot under 40 percent from the field. UCLA needed a miracle finish to beat Gonzaga in the third round, and in Saturday’s quarterfinal against Memphis, went through two eight-minute stretches without a field goal. And Florida — GMU’s opponent in the first national semifinal on Saturday night — never pulled away from Villanova despite being much bigger than the Wildcats and holding them to 25 percent shooting.