July 20, 2006

Is George Mason head basketball coach Jim Larranaga a local hero? Are the Patriots one of the top sports teams in the Washington D.C. area? According to the latest Washingtonian magazine, the answer to both those questions is yes.

In their annual best/worst edition (July 2006), the magazine lists both the men's basketball team and Larranaga on their best lists. The regional magazine selected Washington D.C. mayor Anthony Williams as their top local hero, followed by Washington Redskins head coach and Hall-of-Famer Joe Gibbs and Larranaga.

The Patriots finished even higher in the category of best local athlete. Gilbert Arenas took the top spot followed by the entire George Mason men's basketball team. Finishing third in the category was Santana Moss.

Larranaga is currently conducting his annual basketball camp at George Mason University. The five-week camp is finishing its third week. Larranaga took a break from the camp last week to head to Los Angeles where he and the George Mason team were nominated for a pair of ESPY Awards.