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George Mason held off Mercy, 52-49, in the first game of the Paradise Jam to keep hopes of a 2006 Elite Eight rematch alive.

That’s pretty far down the road, though. UConn and George Mason, on opposite sides of the bracket, would meet in the title game if both win out.

UConn is set to tip at 6:30 EST (an hour later here). In the meantime, some observations from the University of Virgin Islands.

*As awkward as the Atlantis setting was last year (it was a converted theater with awfully dim lighting), I loved it. I’m a big fan of the small-gym, fans-on-top-of-the-court atmosphere. So the arena at the University of Virgin Islands suits me just fine. I think it’s really cool to see a higher-major college team like UConn play in a high school setting. For you local people, the facility reminds me of a slightly bigger version of Newtown High’s gymnasium.

*The view from outside ain’t too bad, either.

*UConn coaches are here scouting the New Mexico/Illinois-Chicago game. The players arrived towards the end of the

*If you’re trying to figure out what the hell CBS Sports Network is, here’s a link to help you find it.

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Checking in from St. Thomas, where my mission to find shaving cream is finally complete.

I arrived last night at around 5:15, roughly the same time as UConn. With the exception of an hour-plus delay on my connecting flight from Puerto Rico, the trip went well. And any frustration with the delay was erased when our pilot stopped the plane to let an iguana cross the runway.

Good times.

Anyway, on to the stuff that matters. UConn hosts Wake Forest tonight at 6:30 in the opening round of the 2012 Paradise Jam. As recent history tells us, the Huskies’ performance in tropical tournaments often sets the tone for the remainder of the season.

Wake Forest vs. No. 23 UConn

WHAT: Paradise Jam first-round game

WHEN: Friday, 6:30

WHERE: University of Virgin Islands

RECORDS: Wake Forest 1-0, UConn 2-0

ON THE AIR: CBS Sports Network (Kevin Eschenfelder, Larry Conley, Kristen Kenney); WTIC 1080 (Joe D’Ambrosio, Wayne Norman)

UP NEXT: TBA vs. Iona/Quinnipiac

WAKE FOREST

Cody Miller-McIntyre G 6-3 Fr.: 4-star recruit scored 10 pts vs. Radford

C.J. Harris G 6-3 Sr.: Leading returning scorer in ACC (17.6 ppg)

Travis McKie F 6-7 Jr.: 11 pts, 9 rebs vs. Radford

Devin Thomas F 6-9 Fr.: 10 pts, 8 rebs vs. Radford

Tyler Cavanaugh F 6-9 Fr.: 6 pts, 4 rebs vs. Radford

Madison Jones G 6-1 Fr.: 2 pts in 17 min. vs. Radford

Arnaud Adala Moto F 6-6 Fr.: 10 pts, 4 rebs, 3 steals vs. Radford

UCONN

Shabazz Napier (AP)

Ryan Boatright G 5-10 So.: Team-high 5.5 apg

Shabazz Napier G 6-0 Jr.: Leads team with 19 ppg

Omar Calhoun G 6-5 Fr.: 1 pt vs. Mich. State, 12 pts vs. Vermont

DeAndre Daniels F 6-8 So.: 9.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg

Tyler Olander F 6-9 Jr.: 6.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 4 bpg

R.J. Evans G 6-3 Sr.: 11 pts in 17 min. vs. Vermont

Niels Giffey F 6-7 Jr.: 3.5 ppg in 16.5 mpg

Enosch Wolf C 7-1 Jr.: 12 min. this season, 13 all of last year

Phil Nolan F 6-9 Fr.: Scored first career basket vs. Vermont

Leon Tolksdorf F 6-8 Fr.: Scoreless in 7 min. vs. Vermont

STORY LINES

TRACKING OMAR: UConn’s freshman sensation has dominated against inferior competition (two Division II opponents and Vermont), but struggled against Michigan State. “I just want him to go out and play his brand of basketball — and that’s in attack mode,” said UConn coach Kevin Ollie. “It was good for him to see that ball go in the basket (versus Vermont).”

SCORING SHABAZZ: Believe it or not, Shabazz Napier, who averaged 5.8 assists a year ago, has just three in two games so far. He’s playing off-the-ball, and it appears his job is to score (19 points per game) rather than distribute.

GROWING UP FAST: Both UConn and Wake Forest rely heavily on inexperienced players. The team that gets the biggest contributions from their freshmen just may be the one that advances to the Paradise Jam semifinals.

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Given the program’s recent history, there’s reason to believe UConn’s performance at the 2012 Paradise Jam can be indicative of things to come.

Here’s how UConn has fared in tournaments that require coaches to wear Hawaiian shirts:

*2011 Battle 4 Atlantis: UConn blew a 17-point lead on Central Florida and stumbled to a 68-63 loss, the first headscratcher of the season (and there would be plenty more). The Huskies responded in the consolation game, however, as Ryan Boatright knocked down three free throws to force overtime in a 78-76 victory over Florida State.

Hasheem Thabeet (AP)

*2010 Maui Invitational: An unranked team suddenly leaped into the top five following wins over Wichita State, Michigan State and Kentucky. Kemba Walker and Alex Oriakhi were exceptional throughout the three-game tournament, and though the team hit some rough patches in the regular season, the 2010-11 campaign ended with the most unlikely of national championships.

*2008 Paradise Jam: LaSalle, Miami and Wisconsin all went down hard as Hasheem Thabeet, the tournament’s most outstanding player, led UConn to the title. Jerome Dyson (21 points) was the top scorer in the championship game, a 19-point blowout over Wisconsin. Dyson’s season-ending knee injury in late February changed the dynamic of the team, but UConn still made  a Final Four run. If Dyson had stayed healthy, who knows if this team could have delivered Calhoun’s third title?

*2005 Maui Invitational: With Marcus Williams suspended, freshman Craig Austrie assumed point guard duties and UConn knocked off Arkansas, Arizona and Gonzaga to claim the tournament championship. Denham Brown’s turnaround jumper with 1.1 seconds remaining gave the Huskies a 65-63 win over the Zags in the title game. This team, with Williams, was probably the most talented in the country. On one afternoon, though, George Mason was slightly better.

*2000 Maui Invitational: Ranked No. 12 in the nation, UConn dominated, 80-66, by heavy underdog Dayton in the Maui first round. Although the Huskies won their next two games — Division II host school Chaminade and Louisville were the opponents — the early exit exposed the Huskies, who failed struggled through the Big East schedule and failed to qualify for the NCAA tournament.