BracketBusters 2010

[TheAsianSensation]

Iona is playing twice that day...cool...

Those MAAC schools have crazy schedules, you know

I suppose that's a spot where a 6th MVC team could slip in.

[MacabreMob]

Well - I've played with a few matchups.

TV and 360 games

Butler vs Siena
UNI vs Wm & Mary
Utah St vs Wichita St
Northeastern vs La Tech
Murray St vs Western Carolina
Iona vs Western Michigan
VCU vs Buffalo
Kent vs ODU
Missouri St vs Nevada
Bradley vs New Mexico St
Pacific vs Long Beach St
Radford vs Fairfield
Vermont vs Morgan St

---some other---

Austin Peay vs Indy St
UW-GB vs Akron
E Ky vs Wright St
George Mason vs Boston
Bowling Green vs Drexel
Detroit vs ORU
ISU vs Loyola
Creighton vs UC-Santa Barbara

[LittleBrave]

If Old Dominion loses 2 of their next 3 and BU wins their next 3 (awefully optomistic here), could we see a rematch of last year's .com championship? ODU@BU?
I imagine their RPI's would be in the upper 50's if that happened.
Just interesting to think about...

[LittleBrave]

The selection of good road teams this year is pretty meager.
We'd better play well in the next 3 to get a decent draw - hopefully Nevada or better. I'm still not discounting an N.I.T. appearance if we get hot.

[cpacmel]

What I think they'll end up being. If it were today, I think I'd still have ISU in Bradley's spot.

The problem for ISU is while they have star power, their computer numbers are honestly pretty hideous (in terms of how good an RPI it usually takes to get a TV game), and with more bubble teams starting to form on the away side of the draw, they're going to ask for a sub-100 RPI opponent. Bradley is already there while ISU has work to do to get there.

You don't have to explain your rationale to me. Though I was curious as to why you listed Creighton above ISU. ISU has a better RPI, conference and overall record than the Jays now, and play tougher foes before the announcing date. (including at #48 WSU) And we will have beaten them head to head too.

You also seem to put a ton of emphasis on RPI. Which is fine. Though if you look at BB's pairings in the past, the match-ups have swayed quite a bit from them. Using things like place in conference, overall wins, and sadly star power to come up with some of the match-ups.

It is fun to see projections. Thanks

[MacabreMob]

I'm still not discounting an N.I.T. appearance if we get hot.

Told a few people about a prediction I am making.... Bradley gets themselves into the NIT. We'll get into a winnable 4/5 game and then get sent to #1 seed UIUC so they can take back Bragging Rights.

[thefish7]

Told a few people about a prediction I am making.... Bradley gets themselves into the NIT. We'll get into a winnable 4/5 game and then get sent to #1 seed UIUC so they can take back Bragging Rights.

Or we destroy them and keep the rights.

[MacabreMob]

It is fun to see projections. Thanks

CPac - I made my matchups based on Projected RPI which also shows Projected conference records. So I tried to give some matchup preferences based on projected conference finish along with rpi.

As you can see, Bradley would draw poorly for an rpi opponent in NM St. But I had run into a little trouble with prior matchups from earlier this season (like VCU had already played Nevada and Western Michigan). And so it also explains how I have ISU off the list of tv games.

After this coming Saturday/Sunday games, this could change quite a bit.

[MacabreMob]

Update after MVC games played thru Sunday 1-24

HOME
20 Northern Iowa
24 Butler
49 VCU
53 Northeastern
61 Utah St
69 Kent
72 Iona
76 Missouri St
78 Murray St
85 Bradley
101 Pacific
105 George Mason
109 UW-GB
115 Creighton
122 Illinois St
139 Austin Peay
144 St Peter's
148 Bowling Green
150 S Illinois
151 Ohio
155 Radford
156 E Kentucky
158 Cleveland St
160 Miami-Oh
162 Detroit
163 Vermont
165 Fresno St
166 UW-Milwaukee
167 Appalachian St
176 Hofstra
184 Montana State
190 Idaho
191 Canisius
192 Loyola-Md
198 C Michigan
206 E Illinois
208 Deleware
220 Hawaii
224 Manhattan
232 CS-Fullerton
235 CS-Northridge
237 Boise St
242 UC-Irvine
248 Ball St
253 Georgia St
255 UC-Riverside
277 Evansville
291 Gardner Webb
293 Jacksonville St

ROAD
34 Siena
36 Old Dominion
45 William and Mary
52 Wichita St
57 Louisiana Tech
71 Nevada
74 Western Carolina
83 College of Charleston
91 Buffalo
96 Indiana St
106 W Michigan
110 New Mexico St
116 Wright St
117 Drexel
118 Morehead St
123 Long Beach St
124 Fairfield
127 San Jose St
129 Akron
132 Morgan St
137 Oral Roberts
152 Loyola
154 Rider
161 Boston
164 UC Santa Barbara
173 UNC Wilmington
174 Niagara
179 Valparaiso
189 Drake
203 Tennessee Tech
216 Youngstown St
218 E Michigan
219 N Illinois
228 Winthrop
240 Cal Poly
250 South Carolina St
259 James Madison
263 Southeast Missouri
274 New Hampshire
281 Elon
282 Illinois-Chicago
286 Tennessee St
301 UC Davis
314 Towson
318 SIU-Edwardsville
320 Toledo
322 Presbyterian
335 Tennessee-Martin
338 Marist

[MacabreMob]

Here is my projected matchups:

(definite tv games)
UNI vs ODU
Butler vs Siena
Utah St vs Wichita St
Kent vs Nevada
Northeastern vs Fairfield
Murray St vs Western Carolina
Pacific vs Louisiana Tech
Radford vs Boston
Iona vs William & Mary

(4 of next 5 get tv)
VCU vs Buffalo
Bradley vs Morehead St
UW-Green Bay vs Indiana St
Missouri St vs W Michigan
Ohio vs Wright St

[BradleyBrave]

I want College of Charleston.

[tornado]

wow - not a lot to choose from if I wanted an exciting opponent...

First....Siena is playing well enough we probably won't get them, and they will go to Butler or UNI..

then we really don't need a rematch with ODU but it would be nice...although we are not likely to rise high enough to get the opponent whose RPI is in the 30's.

and of course we can't be paired with Western Carolina or a Valley team...
so now we're looking at Buffalo, C of C, WMU...

But there is one team there I'd like to have...
New Mexico State would bring back some great old memories from when they were in the Valley, and if we get Long Beach, at least the BU fans will have a nice place to go for a road game next year.

[BUBalum05]

I want College of Charleston.

Agreed, they're playing real well and have played a few common opponents in WCar and Wofford. And it would be nice to take down at team that took down UNC.

Lots can change between now and Feb 1st announcement but we line up about equal at 10th back in RPI for the home and road teams in the BB.

[Nacho]

and if we get Long Beach, at least the BU fans will have a nice place to go for a road game next year...

The BB return game is going to skip a year and be played during the 11-12 season...not sure why but thats how they are doing it this year- just an FYI

[tornado]

yea- I recall, it's because if you require a return road game the following year, plus the BB then switches to a road game, you are mandating two road games the next year after a home BBuster game...something some of the teams have been complaining about.