Luke Hancock Sick, May Not Play For George Mason Vs. Ohio State

The George Mason Patriots have received some very bad news in their quest to shock No. 1 seeded Ohio State in the East Region of the NCAA bracket. Forward Luke Hancock, who put the Patriots into the third round of the NCAA Tournament with a game-winning three-pointer against No. 9 Villanova on Friday, has the flu and may not play in the game, according to Patrick Stevens of the Washington Times.

Hancock is still at the team hotel as of 4:50 p.m., and he has already been replaced in the starting lineup by Isaiah Tate. He is trying to come to the arena and play at some point, but as of now, that looks "unlikely," according to NBC's Lindsay Czarniak.

The loss of Hancock is a huge one for the Patriots. The forward is third on the team in scoring and leads the club in assists despite being a forward. His ability to facilitate provides major matchup problems for teams trying to stop George Mason. Without him, defeating Jared Sullinger and Buckeyes in Cleveland became that much taller of an order.