Bracketbuster game announced- BU to host Drexel

[MacabreMob]

MVC just mentioned this on facebook:

Drexel at Bradley; Indiana State at Green Bay; Morehead State at Illinois State; Loyola at Creighton; Western Michigan at Southern Illinois; Drake at Cal. St. Northridge; UIC at Evansville - Three TV games TBA later (UNI, Missouri State and Wichita State)

[Bravesfan]

the payback game will be 2 years down the road...so we don't get locked into 2 mandatory road games next year...new BB rule...

Oh nice! I did not know about this new rule.

Not a bad matchup, but it would have been a great matchup in other years. But both teams are struggling around .500 so not a bad choice.

Maybe in two years Drexel and us will be much better, and the rematch will be real good!

[LittleBrave]

This will go a long way to prepare us for the big CBI or .com tournament in March!...IF we climb above .500

[Bravesfan]

MVC just mentioned this on facebook:

Drexel at Bradley; Indiana State at Green Bay; Morehead State at Illinois State; Loyola at Creighton; Western Michigan at Southern Illinois; Drake at Cal. St. Northridge; UIC at Evansville - Three TV games TBA later (UNI, Missouri State and Wichita State)

Yikes! Loyola at Creighton. Looks like that will be a mismatch in favor of Creighton!

[Bravesfan]

This will go a long way to prepare us for the big CBI or .com tournament in March!...IF we climb above .500

Hey, we don't even have to finish above .500 to make the CBI!

[LittleBrave]

Oh yeah - I forgot!
Are we a lock to make the CBI then?

This is our year!!! (to win a non-NIT/NCAA championship)

[LittleBrave]

I don't see why the MVC shouldn't have a winning record again this season in the BB challenge - if the Valley schools don't take the games lightly. All home games should be won - including Evansville...and BU for a change!

[CubbieBear]

What, you wanted Morehead St. which ISU drew, or The Broncos of Western Michigan who head to Carbondale.?
Typical Midwest naivete. Drexel has a pretty good history, is in a good conference, and in is located an area rich with basketball talent!.

You're right...what was I thinking That national power-house Drexel (who has lost to William & Mary twice) is exactly who I was hoping for. It will be a sell-out--but unfortunately I will have sox to fold that night, so you can have my tickets to the game

[TheAsianSensation]

You're right...what was I thinking That national power-house Drexel (who has lost to William & Mary twice) is exactly who I was hoping for. It will be a sell-out--but unfortunately I will have sox to fold that night, so you can have my tickets to the game

If you're going to be sarcastic, you oughta use a better example than a William & Mary team that's 50/50 to earn an at-large bid this year

[MacabreMob]

You're right...what was I thinking That national power-house Drexel (who has lost to William & Mary twice) is exactly who I was hoping for. It will be a sell-out--but unfortunately I will have sox to fold that night, so you can have my tickets to the game

Wm & Mary has won at Wake Forest and at Maryland - not too shabby.

Drexel has given Northeastern (currently tied for 2nd in the Colonial at 9-2) their only 2 Conference losses.

[Grassman]

You're right...what was I thinking That national power-house Drexel (who has lost to William & Mary twice) is exactly who I was hoping for. It will be a sell-out--but unfortunately I will have sox to fold that night, so you can have my tickets to the game

To bad Cubbie Bear, while folding your socks, you will be missing a team who's RPI 103 is higher than ours and SOS is 86, which would put it 4th in The Valley. Realtimerpi.
Of course you would have been one of the 1,000,s who stayed away when a legendary Coach John Chaney brought his Temple Owls out to play Bradley in Carver Arena many years ago..
I know you would probably of had another one of those exciting Horizon league matchups or Valpo, but I am afraid its just some Eastern Team, which obviously you probalby never heard of.

[ODUsmitty]

Drexel

This should be an interesting matchup.

Drexel will always play hard-nosed solid defense. Their offense is suspect, as they can shoot above 50% or in the low 30's. I think they were in the high 20% range for FREE THROWs for their last loss to WM. If you can hit from outside, you can be successful.

One thing to watch is their coach, Bruiser Flint. You will not hear any coach in America ride his players harder than Bruiser - fragile egos be ****ed. Also, a popular CAA drinking game revolves around doing a shot every time Bruiser grabs his crotch on the sidelines - guaranteed for a solid buzz.

Hope we get UNI.

Best of luck.........

[MacabreMob]

This should be an interesting matchup.

Drexel will always play hard-nosed solid defense. Their offense is suspect, as they can shoot above 50% or in the low 30's. I think they were in the high 20% range for FREE THROWs for their last loss to WM. If you can hit from outside, you can be successful.

One thing to watch is their coach, Bruiser Flint. You will not here any coach in America ride his players harder than Bruiser - fragile egos be ****ed. Also, a popular CAA drinking game revolves around doing a shot every time Bruiser grabs his crotch on the sidelines - guaranteed for a solid buzz.

Hope we get UNI.

Best of luck.........

Thanks Smitty. Good luck to ODU.

Btw - I think our local rag-writers sit closer to the opponent's bench. Wonder if they'll be able to share with their local reading audience regarding the coach's motivational techniques.

[Da Coach]

He sounds like another Larry Eustachy without the substance issues.

[tornado]

Official BU release...


Bradley Draws Drexel For Feb. 20 Game at Carver Arena

PEORIA, Ill. - The Bradley men's basketball team will host Drexel, a member of the Colonial Athletic Association and located in Philadelphia, in a matchup
through participation in the annual BracketBusters event. Slated to be played Feb. 20 at the Peoria Civic Center's Carver Arena, the Bradley-Drexel
matchup will not be televised by the ESPN family of networks and the start time has not yet been determined.

The only previous meeting between Bradley and Drexel was March 12, 1997, a first-round NIT game at Carver Arena that the Braves won, 66-53. The
date for the return matchup between Bradley and Drexel in Philadelphia has not yet been determined and the teams will have through the 2011-12
season to schedule the second half of the series.

Bradley enters Tuesday night's home game versus Missouri Valley Conference rival Drake with a 10-11 overall record and the Braves are locked in a
three-way tie for sixth in the league standings with a 5-6 Valley record, just one game out of a three-way tie for third. Ranked 107 in the Ratings
Percentage Index, the Braves own The Valley's best strength of schedule (45) and non-conference strength of schedule (67) ratings and the matchup
versus Drexel likely will add to that profile. The Dragons begin the week with a 103 RPI rating and ranked 87th nationally in strength of schedule.

Drexel enters Tuesday night's home game versus Towson with a 12-11 overall record and the Dragons have won six of their last eight games to
move into sole possession of fourth place in the CAA standing.

Today's announcement marks the second time Bradley has drawn a CAA member through participation in the BracketBusters series. During the
2006-07 season, the Braves went on the road to beat eventual CAA regular-season and tournament champion VCU, 73-64, in a game televised on
ESPN2. The Rams returned to Peoria the next season and evened the score, 79-64.

Including the return games, Bradley owns a 7-5 all-time record in games created through its participation in the BracketBusters series, including a 5-1
record in the initial February matchups.

Missouri Valley Conference members Northern Iowa, Wichita State and Missouri State have been selected for the televised portion of the
BracketBusters event and their pairings will be announced during an ESPNU show at 5:30 p.m. (CST). The other six non-televised pairings involving
Valley schools include: Loyola-Chicago at Creighton, Drake at Cal State-Northridge, UIC at Evansville, Morehead State at Illinois State, Indiana State
at Green Bay and Western Michigan at Southern Illinois.