George Mason University men's basketball coach Jim Larranaga is preparing his team for a first round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament, the crowning event in men's college hoops.

But first things first.

Larranaga and the rest of his team will hold an event Saturday to raise money for diabetes research. A free throw shoot-athon and a basketball clinic will take place at the Physical Education Building beginning at 4 p.m. The event, in its second year, raised more than $40,000 last year.

GMU's Patriots are coming off Monday's exhausting last-second win over the University of North Carolina-Wilmington in the championship game of the Colonial Athletic Association tournament. It's important, Larranaga said, to schedule the event now, right at the pinnacle of the season.

"There are several reasons why it is Saturday," Larranaga said yesterday. "My players devote a lot of time to community service. This is something they feel very good about. And I wanted to do it during March Madness because this is the most exciting time for us, and yet our guys are devoting time to this as well."

Larranaga also has a personal reason for this event. His son, Jon, was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when he was 8 years old. Jon had gone to the doctor because he thought he was drinking an abnormal amount of water and going to the bathroom constantly.

A blood-sugar test revealed Jon had juvenile diabetes. A normal blood sugar level is somewhere between 80 and 100. Jon's was over 200.

Now 20 years old and a member of the Patriots basketball team, Jon is used to giving himself three injections of insulin and five blood-sugar tests - done with a finger prick - a day.

He is an obvious reason why his dad wants a cure found for the disease, and he's also a role model for kids currently fighting diabetes.

"Jon shows that it doesn't have to limit you," Coach Larranaga said. "He's not only a member of the team, but is also recognized academically with a 3.75 grade point average and being a member of the dean's list. He shows you can accomplish everything you want to and not to let diabetes hold you back."

Jon said he rarely feels the effects of the disease while playing basketball. His main annoyance has been having to step out during practice and drink some Gatorade or other sports drink to raise his blood sugar level.

A low sugar count, in fact, gave the Larranagas their only real scare. Jon's roommate awoke one morning and couldn't wake him up. An emergency team sped to the scene and quickly injected him with insulin.

"It was terrifying," coach Larranaga said. "Jon had basically passed out, and his roommate couldn't wake him. My wife and I raced over in the car at like 100 miles an hour."

Coach Larranaga's focus Saturday is on juvenile diabetes. The clinic, which features such GMU team members as three-time CAA player of the year George Evans, is open only to children with diabetes and their families. Anyone can watch, however, and the event is free.

The actual fund raising comes from the shoot-athon, also open to the public. Coach Larranaga shoots free throws for an hour, and people can donate a certain amount of money for each one he makes. Last year, Larranaga sank 1,000 free throws but had no idea the event would raise as much as it did.

"I was expecting around $10,000," Larranaga said. "When we reached $20,000, I was ecstatic. And then to reach $40,000. It was just incredible the tremendous support we got from friends, family and fans."