BracketBusters 2011

[MacabreMob]

Little early, but let's get it started.

114 teams this year.

11 ESPN network games (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU).

Bradley is on the ROAD.

Bradley can NOT play another MVC team.

Bradley can NOT play a team we have already played this year.

Here's one link about the event, teams involved, ESPN games, home/road team listing by conference:

http://www.espnmediazone3.com/us/2010/09/espns-bracketbusters-to-feature-largest-pool-in-history/

Here is a list of Home and Road teams alphabetically:

HOME TEAMS
Akron
Boston
Buffalo
Cal Poly
Coll of Charleston
Drake
Drexel
Eastern Michigan
Eastern Washington
Fairfield
Fresno St
High Point
Idaho St
Indiana St
James Madison
Liberty
Long Beach St
Louisiana Tech
Loyola
Marist
Montana St
Morgan St
Murray St
Nevada
New Mexico St
Niagara
Northen Illinois
Northern Iowa
Old Dominion
Oral Roberts
Portland St
Presbyterian
Rider
San Jose St
SE Missouri
Siena
Southern Illinois
St Marys
Stony Brook
Tennessee St
Tennessee Tech
Toledo
Towson
UC Davis
UC Santa Barbara
UNC Asheville
UNC Wilmington
UT Martin
Valparaiso
Western Carolina
Western Michigan
Wichita St
William & Mary
Winthrop
Wofford
Wright St
Youngstown St

ROAD TEAMS
Appalachian St
Austin Peay
Ball St
Boise St
Bowling Green
Bradley
Canisius
Central Michigan
Charleston Southern
Cleveland St
Creighton
CS Fullerton
CS Northridge
Davidson
Delaware
Delaware St
Detroit
Eastern Illinois
Eastern Kentucky
Evansville
Gardner-Webb
George Mason
Georgia St
Hawaii
Hofstra
Idaho
Illinois St
Iona
Jacksonville St
Kent
Loyola (Md)
Loyola Marymount
Maine
Manhattan
Miami (Oh)
Missouri St
Montana
Morehead St
New Hampshire
Northeastern
Northern Arizona
Northern Colorado
Ohio
Pacific
Radford
Sacramento St
Seattle
St Peters
UC Irvine
UC Riverside
Utah St
UW Green Bay
UW Milwaukee
VCU
Vermont
VMI
Weber St

[MacabreMob]

Here is the list of teams ranked by LAST YEAR'S RPI

HOME TEAMS
17 Northern Iowa
27 Old Dominion
31 Siena
35 St Marys
43 Wichita St
51 New Mexico St
57 Murray St
58 William & Mary
69 Wofford
73 Nevada
78 Louisiana Tech
80 Wright St
81 Fairfield
88 Indiana St
89 Akron
91 Coll of Charleston
94 UC Santa Barbara
103 Morgan St
108 Buffalo
111 Long Beach St
122 Western Carolina
126 Oral Roberts
134 Niagara
139 Rider
140 Boston
142 Stony Brook
146 Drexel
150 Western Michigan
160 Winthrop
170 Southern Illinois
176 San Jose St
178 Drake
186 Valparaiso
190 Fresno St
196 Tennessee Tech
200 Montana St
201 Eastern Michigan
213 Loyola
217 Portland St
219 UNC Asheville
232 Liberty
237 UNC Wilmington
241 James Madison
244 UC Davis
254 High Point
256 Cal Poly
260 Tennessee St
261 Northen Illinois
264 Towson
271 Youngstown St
279 Eastern Washington
305 Idaho St
312 SE Missouri
324 Toledo
329 Presbyterian
334 Marist
338 UT Martin

ROAD TEAMS
30 Utah St
47 Kent
66 VCU
75 Northeastern
76 Illinois St
84 Morehead St
85 Weber St
86 Iona
90 Missouri St
95 Ohio
97 Montana
101 Appalachian St
105 Bradley
107 UW Green Bay
115 Creighton
117 Northern Colorado
118 Vermont
128 Pacific
130 UW Milwaukee
144 Miami (Oh)
145 Hofstra
154 Maine
155 Eastern Kentucky
158 George Mason
162 Austin Peay
165 Cleveland St
167 Detroit
168 Radford
169 Eastern Illinois
174 Idaho
175 Loyola Marymount
179 Davidson
180 St Peters
189 Bowling Green
192 Seattle
195 Central Michigan
197 Northern Arizona
203 Boise St
204 CS Fullerton
206 Canisius
214 Delaware St
215 Loyola (Md)
220 Ball St
226 Manhattan
239 Delaware
242 New Hampshire
248 Georgia St
250 Evansville
251 CS Northridge
253 Hawaii
255 UC Riverside
276 UC Irvine
285 Charleston Southern
297 Jacksonville St
302 Sacramento St
310 VMI
318 Gardner-Webb

[ManMythLegend]

Niagara...probably not, but I'd like it to happen.

[TheAsianSensation]

Since it's never too early to speculate:

It seems like it'll be a 3-team race in the Valley (MoSt, Creighton) to be the premier road Valley team for TV purposes. Being #1 means getting a TV game, being #2 makes us likely but not a lock, and being #3 makes us borderline TV.

[squirrelgotdead]

Niagara...probably not, but I'd like it to happen.

Niagara is not good this year.

[patrick_o'brian]

I would like to play Morgan St. They seem to have a pretty good ball club this year and will probably be an NCAA team. One team that I don't wanna see is Rider. Them boys are good!

[MacabreMob]

Time for an update.

RPI of games played thru 12/23 (and taken from Jerry Palm's collegerpi.com site).

HOME TEAMS
14 Old Dominion
18 Drexel
46 Northern Iowa
50 Wichita St
54 UC Santa Barbara
58 St Marys
65 Akron
78 James Madison
79 Murray St
81 Presbyterian
91 Valparaiso
101 Siena
103 Wofford
107 Long Beach St
118 Rider
122 Coll of Charleston
137 Winthrop
139 UNC Wilmington
151 Oral Roberts
155 Louisiana Tech
159 San Jose St
160 Fairfield
164 Buffalo
166 Indiana St
179 Wright St
182 Western Michigan
185 UNC Asheville
189 Liberty
192 Fresno St
201 Cal Poly
206 Southern Illinois
207 Boston
209 High Point
211 New Mexico St
212 Loyola
218 Western Carolina
224 Montana St
225 Youngstown St
230 Stony Brook
232 Morgan St
236 Idaho St
242 Tennessee St
249 Portland St
253 William & Mary
256 Northen Illinois
262 Toledo
265 UC Davis
267 Drake
276 Nevada
277 Niagara
283 Towson
300 Eastern Washington
311 UT Martin
315 Marist
320 SE Missouri
329 Tennessee Tech
341 Eastern Michigan

ROAD TEAMS
10 Cleveland St
40 Kent
41 Vermont
57 Utah St
64 Davidson
67 George Mason
71 Ball St
82 Missouri St
83 VCU
85 Northern Arizona
92 Iona
111 Delaware
126 Pacific
132 St Peters
133 Austin Peay
134 Appalachian St
138 Montana
146 Ohio
147 Creighton
150 Miami (Oh)
154 UW Milwaukee
157 UW Green Bay
158 Weber St
163 Morehead St
165 Northeastern
167 Delaware St***
180 Maine***
187 Hofstra
188 Evansville
194 Detroit
202 Illinois St
205 UC Riverside
210 Loyola (Md)
216 Bradley
219 Gardner-Webb***
220 Canisius
226 New Hampshire
228 Hawaii
234 Idaho
237 Boise St
245 UC Irvine
266 Eastern Illinois
268 Northern Colorado
269 CS Northridge
274 Charleston Southern
279 Manhattan
292 Loyola Marymount
293 Seattle
297 Central Michigan
303 CS Fullerton
305 Eastern Kentucky
306 VMI
312 Georgia St
314 Radford
337 Bowling Green
340 Sacramento St
345 Jacksonville St

***Teams were said to be in the event, but they don't have BBuster on their schedule

We are easy to find in bold red.

IMO, potential opponents based on relative RPI are in maroon italics.

Honestly, as of right now, Loyola looks like a very logical opponent. A lot can happen over the next 4-6 weeks.

[Air Petey]

I'm wishing for Murray State. I have family in Murray... but it looks like their RPI may be to low for us?

[Bravesfan]

I'm surprised I don't see Oakland of Michigan on this list either. That's another team I want NO part of! They clobbered Texas and lost to Michigan St. by 1! Sounds like an early favorite for the "Cinderella special" at this year's NCAA Tournament.

[TheAsianSensation]

I won't mind random Horizon team this year. I'd rather avoid places like the OVC or MAC (unless someone like a Murray St becomes available).

And boy, yet again, year after freaking year after unfrigginbelievable year, the road pool is significantly weaker than the home pool. Sigh. Can't everyone just get lucky with this one year?

[Bravesfan]

I won't mind random Horizon team this year. I'd rather avoid places like the OVC or MAC (unless someone like a Murray St becomes available).

And boy, yet again, year after freaking year after unfrigginbelievable year, the road pool is significantly weaker than the home pool. Sigh. Can't everyone just get lucky with this one year?

Yeah, no kidding.

[real fan]

Looks like Oral Roberts

[squirrelgotdead]

I'm going to put my annual vote in for Niagara. I know this year we'll likely go regional. But some things to consider...

While both teams are bad this year, both teams should in theory be markedly improved next year.

You get a fairly recognizable name and quality opponent at home next year.

You guarantee a game in Peoria for current Niagara frosh and Manual product Marvin Jordan.

Niagara Associate Head Coach Luke Dobrich has is an Illinois native and has extensive ties that would bring extra fans.

[TheAsianSensation]

I'm bored right now, so I'ma gonna speculate:

http://www.vcuramnation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4429

That's the list of teams, and if I were Bradley, I'd consider making a creative move: Nevada.

Nevada is tanking this year, and I think that's a good program to get a return game from in 2 years. If not Nevada, then I suggest (sigh) Loyola-Chicago, because the options after them involve OVC teams, and we're not doing the OVC thing. Niagara is a possibility too.

More intriguing to me, anyways, are the possibilities at the top. Missouri St is going to likely end up being the best at-large candidate among all road teams this year. I think best available would actually be a west coast trip to St Mary's this year, as I don't trust the CAA enough to have Old Dominion separate itself as a legitimate at-large team. However, if Utah St keeps winning, they may block said pairing.

Wichita St is in a more tricky spot and look like they will not get a game of value for their at-large profile.

[Braveman]

I got Siena, Morgan State or Akron