BracketBusters 2009

[MacabreMob]

I hope we get Loyola or UIC at least then I can get SOMETHING out of this season and thats seeing a game in person.

We won't get UIC since we already played them this season. And before Squirrel says it - no, we can't play another MVC school. (this smiley is for Squirrel - )

[georgethedog]

This year I am looking at this as what team can we play that will be good next year and therefore give us a home game against a good opponent next year. I am not sure what that team would be given our position at the moment.

[MacabreMob]

This year I am looking at this as what team can we play that will be good next year and therefore give us a home game against a good opponent next year. I am not sure what that team would be given our position at the moment.

Really - that's been my approach every year. We get a good matchup followed by a good matchup the following year.

We got a great one in the 07 season with the return in 08.

[Rusty 54]

I thought that UWM would be an opponent that we could beat easily at home and then beat on the road. Guess not. I feel like we might get an opponent that will give us a decent game this year then next year we will crush. But I am hoping that next year we will be in the thick of a battle for the conference title so a little break game might not be a bad thing.

[amettrick]

I'd love to see us play Davidson if for no other reason than we'd get some more national exposure.

[georgethedog]

I'd love to see us play Davidson if for no other reason than we'd get some more national exposure.

I think it would be easier to get some national exposure if we all did not wear pants on Sunday.

[Indy_BB]

I'd love to see us play Davidson if for no other reason than we'd get some more national exposure.

The match-ups are determined by RPI for the television games. As of now, BU is probably one of the ESPN360 games, against a team like Loyola or Fairfield.

The prime game would be Butler at St Mary's and the second would be Miami at Davidson.

[That Guy]

Ratings for Butler @ Davidson would be significant. Look for that to be the premier matchup.

[georgethedog]

The match-ups are determined by RPI for the television games. As of now, BU is probably one of the ESPN360 games, against a team like Loyola or Fairfield.

The prime game would be Butler at St Mary's and the second would be Miami at Davidson.

BU will NOT get an ESPN game unless they have a huge run in the league and are in the top 2 or 3 at the time games are scheduled. Their preseason record gets them absolutely nothing and if they continue at that pace they will draw a poor team and no TV. Let's not fool ourselves.

[MacabreMob]

BU will NOT get an ESPN game unless they have a huge run in the league and are in the top 2 or 3 at the time games are scheduled. Their preseason record gets them absolutely nothing and if they continue at that pace they will draw a poor team and no TV. Let's not fool ourselves.

There are 13 nationally televised games ??“ on either ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN360.com (ESPN360 is available only on the internet).

Bradley sits within the top 13 RPI Road teams.... but.... I think the Top TV matchups pair up higher/highest RPI teams and then the rest of the bottom 1/2 of tv games get filled with League Leaders with decent RPI's.

ESPN360 is a possibility. Actually - starting anew for the season and winning games until pairings-day (Feb 2nd for TV games and Feb 9th for the rest), sky's the limit.

[MacabreMob]

Updated RPI's of games played thru 1-3-09.

HOME TEAMS:
18 Evansville
21 St Mary's
22 Davidson
31 Siena
55 Niagara
62 Creighton
77 Milwaukee
81 Fairfield
85 Drake
86 Drexel
93 UIC
101 San Diego
106 Portland St
107 Vermont
135 UT-MArtin
142 Long Beach St
143 UC-Santa Barbara
150 Murray St
163 Loyola
164 Georgia So
167 Wright St
174 Bowling Green
175 Nevada
186 Kent
189 San Jose St
192 Rider
195 Ball St
202 James Madison
204 Towson
210 E Kentucky
213 Hawaii
215 Marist
217 New Mexico St
220 Wichita St
224 ODU
226 Valpo
247 Winthrop
250 Bucknell
254 Indiana St
258 Boston
260 Cal Poly
263 Idaho
268 William & Mary
275 C Michigan
280 W Michigan
292 UNC-Wilmington
297 UC-Davis
304 E Michigan
308 Tennessee St
309 Youngstown St
314 SEMO

ROAD TEAMS:
2 Butler
12 Miami (Oh)
34 Illinois St
58 George Mason
59 SD St
61 Boise St
63 Cleveland St
64 Bradley
66 Utah St
78 Northeastern
79 VCU
83 Green Bay
84 Buffalo
104 Jacksonville St
114 Akron
117 Pacific
128 Ohio
129 Liberty
130 Hofstra
134 Missouri St
140 Loyola (Md)
160 Morgan St
161 Morehead St
172 ND St
177 Gardner-Webb
178 Elon
179 Montana St
183 Hartford
187 Deleware
190 N Iowa
194 SIU
198 Austin Peay
199 Appalachian St
200 UMBC
206 Canisius
207 La Tech
212 Manhattan
223 UC-Riverside
229 CS-Fullerton
230 Iona
232 Tenn Tech
234 CS-Northridge
245 Fresno St
271 Toledo
272 Detroit
282 Georgia St
285 UC-Irvine
303 Fairleigh Dickinson
315 St Peter's
323 E Illinois
325 N Illinois

[Bradleyguy10]

Would they really make us play Milwaukee again?

I'm kidding I know they wouldn't but its just funny that the closest team is CU right now.

[Da Coach]

Evansville, Creighton, Drake, UIC, and Milwaukee are all eliminated.

So here is the list of home teams with an RPI under 200, with those eliminated. It's looking a lot like Bradley could have to travel a long way unless they get Tennessee-Martin or Niagara. Every other team under RPI 150 is East or West coast. Personally, I'd like Niagara.--
21 St Mary's
22 Davidson
31 Siena
55 Niagara
81 Fairfield
86 Drexel
101 San Diego
106 Portland St
107 Vermont
135 UT-Martin
142 Long Beach St
143 UC-Santa Barbara
150 Murray St
163 Loyola
164 Georgia So
167 Wright St
174 Bowling Green
175 Nevada
186 Kent
189 San Jose St
192 Rider
195 Ball St

[MacabreMob]

Update after games played through 1-7. I put potential opponents in the top 150 in the RPI (currently) in maroon and us in red. We can't play E'Ville, Milwaukee, Drake, UIC, or Creighton in the BracketBuster event.

HOME TEAMS:
24 St Mary's
26 Evansville
27 Davidson
45 Siena
55 Niagara
76 Milwaukee
87 Drake
88 UIC
91 Creighton
92 Drexel
98 Fairfield
101 Portland St
107 San Diego
121 Vermont
142 Loyola
144 Long Beach St
147 Georgia So
148 UT-MArtin
149 James Madison
159 UC-Santa Barbara
171 Towson
174 Nevada
177 New Mexico St
178 Rider
187 Wright St
190 Bowling Green
191 Hawaii
196 Kent
197 Murray St
200 Ball St
215 San Jose St
216 Marist
232 ODU
234 Valpo
235 E Kentucky
246 Idaho
249 Indiana St
251 Wichita St
252 William & Mary
257 Boston
259 Bucknell
267 Cal Poly
277 W Michigan
278 Winthrop
281 C Michigan
297 Tennessee St
298 UC-Davis
307 SEMO
308 UNC-Wilmington
311 Youngstown St
312 E Michigan

ROAD TEAMS:
3 Butler
13 Miami (Oh)
38 Illinois St
47 Bradley
61 Boise St
62 George Mason
63 Utah St
66 SD St
68 Northeastern
69 Cleveland St
82 Buffalo
84 VCU
85 Green Bay
110 Morgan St
113 Hofstra
116 Jacksonville St
118 Pacific
120 Akron
130 Missouri St
134 Ohio
135 N Iowa
143 Loyola (Md)
163 Liberty
165 Manhattan
167 Montana St
169 SIU
173 Austin Peay
186 ND St
195 Morehead St
199 UC-Riverside
202 UMBC
205 Appalachian St
207 Hartford
208 Iona
211 La Tech
212 Deleware
218 Canisius
226 Gardner-Webb
227 Elon
229 CS-Northridge
233 Tenn Tech
245 Fresno St
269 Toledo
276 Georgia St
285 UC-Irvine
287 Detroit
306 Fairleigh Dickinson
313 St Peter's
322 E Illinois
325 N Illinois
326 CS-Fullerton

[amckillip]

I hope we draw Niagra, as there is quite the drop-off in teams we could play below them. The thought of playing a sub-100 RPI team in the Bracketbuster is kinda of disheartening as it won't help us at all. I know I talk like BU has a shot at an at-large but I guess I'm holding out a minute amount of hope and just can't get into the mind set that the NIT it is the best we can do with our performance outside of 3 days in St. Louis.