BracketBusters 2009

[MacabreMob]

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.

There is a lot of hoops to be played before looking too deep into this. IMO, they consider RPI and Conference leaders cause they want to showcase potential NCAA Tourney participants.

So as we currently are 1st in the MVC, looking at the potential teams we could play "right now":

St Mary's ... WCC 0-0
Davidson 1st Southern 3-0
Siena 1st Metro-Atl 4-0
Niagara 1st Metro-Atl 3-0
Drexel 9th Colonial 1-2
Fairfield 4th Metro-Atl 2-2
Portland St 1st Big Sky 3-0
San Diego ... WCC 0-0
Vermont ... Amer East 0-0

We just gotta keep winning. If so, good things will fall in place for us in the BracketBuster.

Should mention the Road teams around us fighting for top matchups:
Butler 1st Horizon 3-0
Miami-Oh ... MAC 0-0
ISU 2nd MVC 3-1
Boise St 1st WAC 1-0
George Mason 1st Colonial 4-0
Utah St 1st WAC 1-0

[Guinness]

Loyola needs to significantly up their rating.

[bluedevils1]

Loyola needs to significantly up their rating.

Yeah, they do. They have a chance to do that tonight at Cleveland State, the team that beat Syracuse.

[BradleyBrave]

I know squirrel pines for Niagara. I'll take Davidson on national TV. We'll see if Stephen Curry can handle Chris Roberts!

[TheAsianSensation]

I think that there's a significant chance that if Bradley or ISU establish a clear MVC lead, they'll go to St. Mary's.

You might as well write down Butler/Davidson in pen, and St Mary's vs. elite MVC would be the next logical choice. I honestly can't see Miami holding their position down, at the top of the MAC, let alone the RPI (the MAC is terrible, terrible this year).

It looks like the road side is stacked - let's not hope for a repeat of '06 which was stacked to the home side and probably did more to hurt everyone's resume than to help it.

[Bradleyguy10]

I just noticed 3 of the top 10 rpi teams for the home games are MVC teams

and two of the top 5 rpi teams for road games are from the MVC...that's half our conference!

hmmm what does that tell you?

[squirrel]

I know squirrel pines for Niagara. I'll take Davidson on national TV. We'll see if Stephen Curry can handle Chris Roberts!

How'd you know?!?!

Yeah. . .seeing as how we are in a position to play into a feature game, I'd gladly take St. Mary's, Davidson, or Siena. . .

But I don't think there is anything wrong with a Niagara either. . .plus the likelihood for them to be a high-volume win team again next year is very likely where the others stand to lose some key players.

[Beninator]

I know squirrel pines for Niagara. I'll take Davidson on national TV. We'll see if Stephen Curry can handle Chris Roberts!

Outside of Curry, I think that we match up well against Davidson...
If a guard other than Curry takes the ball up the floor, they are in trouble...

[SFP]

I think that there's a significant chance that if Bradley or ISU establish a clear MVC lead, they'll go to St. Mary's.

You might as well write down Butler/Davidson in pen, and St Mary's vs. elite MVC would be the next logical choice. I honestly can't see Miami holding their position down, at the top of the MAC, let alone the RPI (the MAC is terrible, terrible this year).

It looks like the road side is stacked - let's not hope for a repeat of '06 which was stacked to the home side and probably did more to hurt everyone's resume than to help it.

Butler/Davidson should be the premier game in the BB this year! I'd love it if we play St Mary's but let me tell you they are a very, very good team with some very fast, good shooting guards. Their arena is very small and a tough place to play. I would definitely show up for that one, I'd just have to go over a bridge and through a tunnel.

[MacabreMob]

Updated with RPI from Jerry Palm's site at collegerpi.com thru games played since 1-11-09.

Bradley is currently sitting at 59 but face a 3 game Road stretch. Key is to keep winning games... RPI will take care of itself. Conference standings will have a lot to do with matching up opponents as well as considering RPI. So again - key is to keep winning games and be at /near the top of the MVC.

I put Bradley in RED and potential opponents in MAROON.

HOME TEAM
29 St Mary's
30 Davidson
35 Siena
39 Evansville
71 Creighton
82 Niagara
89 San Diego
91 Fairfield
92 Drake
97 Long Beach St
105 Drexel
109 Wis-Milwaukee
129 Nevada
133 Portland St
143 James Madison
144 Wright St
146 Loyola
149 UIC
156 Vermont
159 Bowling Green
165 Rider
171 Georgia So
179 Towson
182 San Jose St
184 Kent
185 UT-Martin
192 UC-Santa Barbara
194 Ball St
197 Marist
198 New Mexico St
200 Idaho
201 E Kentucky
204 Murray St
208 Hawaii
212 Indiana St
213 ODU
229 Wichita St
238 William & Mary
240 Boston
243 Valpo
247 Winthrop
256 Bucknell
261 W Michigan
295 Youngstown St
297 UNC-Wilmington
299 Tennessee St
300 UC-Davis
301 Central Michigan
308 Cal Poly
316 E Michigan
326 SEMO

ROAD TEAM
5 Butler
16 Miami (Oh)
48 Boise St
53 Utah St
54 Illinois St
55 George Mason
59 Bradley
60 Cleveland St
65 VCU
66 Northeastern
83 Wis-Green Bay
98 Buffalo
103 Ohio
115 Hofstra
117 Austin Peay
123 Akron
124 Northern Iowa
130 Morgan St
132 SIU
139 Pacific
151 Missouri St
154 Montana St
160 Jacksonville St
163 Morehead St
168 N D St
173 Liberty
177 CS-Fullerton
181 Manhattan
190 UMBC
196 Iona
199 Loyola (Md)
202 Gardner-Webb
214 Lou Tech
217 CS-Northridge
225 UC-Riverside
226 Deleware
230 Canisius
239 Hartford
246 S Dakota St
250 Appalachian St
255 Elon
266 Fresno St
270 Tenn Tech
271 UC-Irvine
277 Detroit
288 Georgia St
292 Toledo
305 St Peter's
314 E Illinois
315 Fairleigh Dickinson
322 Northern Illinois

[MacabreMob]

Tornado provided a couple great links to follow the BracketBuster. In case you missed them:

http://www.wku.edu/~cortney.basham/buster0108.htm

http://www.thebracketboard.com/

I will try to keep this up to date. And pretty soon, I will start making my own personal projections - I would just like to see Conference play shake out a little more over the next couple weeks to get a better guage of matchups.

But it is fun to speculate early.

[MacabreMob]

Updated after games played thru 1-14. You know, I wouldn't be completely against playing Nevada.

HOME TEAMS
30 St Mary's
32 Siena
36 Davidson
58 Evansville
68 Creighton
77 Niagara
80 Fairfield
89 Drake
95 Drexel
96 San Diego
108 Long Beach St
113 UW-Milwaukee
129 Nevada
138 Portland St
141 Loyola
143 James Madison
147 Vermont
148 UIC
149 Wright St
157 Rider
163 Kent
174 Georgia So
182 Bowling Green
186 UT-Martin
190 Towson
193 Ball St
196 E Kentucky
197 Marist
198 Murray St
199 UC-Santa Barbara
200 Hawaii
204 Idaho
205 New Mexico St
212 San Jose St
216 Indiana St
219 ODU
229 William & Mary
231 Wichita St
242 Boston
246 Valpo
254 Bucknell
264 Winthrop
273 W Michigan
288 UNC-Wilmington
290 Youngstown St
294 UC-Davis
295 Tennessee St
297 Cal Poly
312 E Michigan
317 Central Michigan
328 SEMO

ROAD TEAMS
6 Butler
38 Miami (Oh)
46 Boise St
47 Illinois St
51 Utah St
52 George Mason
61 Bradley
63 Cleveland St
66 VCU
75 Northeastern
79 UW-Green Bay
84 Ohio
88 Buffalo
102 Northern Iowa
120 Austin Peay
130 Hofstra
135 Pacific
136 SIU
144 Morgan St
153 Akron
159 Missouri St
160 Morehead St
164 Montana St
168 Liberty
169 N D St
171 Jacksonville St
176 CS-Fullerton
179 CS-Northridge
183 Manhattan
191 Gardner-Webb
194 Iona
210 Loyola (Md)
213 UMBC
214 Lou Tech
226 Hartford
232 Canisius
234 Deleware
243 S Dakota St
245 Elon
253 Appalachian St
258 UC-Riverside
262 Fresno St
263 UC-Irvine
268 Tenn Tech
274 Detroit
285 Georgia St
303 St Peter's
305 Toledo
314 E Illinois
315 Fairleigh Dickinson
323 Northern Illinois

[MacabreMob]

Just screw-ballin around.... here's some early predictions. Emphasis should be made on early.

30 St Mary's vs 46 Boise St
32 Siena vs 47 Illinois St
36 Davidson vs 6 Butler
58 Evansville vs 63 Cleveland St
68 Creighton vs 38 Miami (Oh)
77 Niagara vs 61 Bradley
80 Fairfield vs 52 George Mason
89 Drake vs 66 VCU
95 Drexel vs 84 Ohio
96 San Diego vs 51 Utah St
108 Long Beach St vs 79 UW-Green Bay
113 UW-Milwaukee vs 75 Northeastern
129 Nevada vs 88 Buffalo
138 Portland St vs 120 Austin Peay
141 Loyola vs 130 Hofstra
143 James Madison vs 102 Northern Iowa

[basketball nut]

GO Hawaii-- get one a WINNING STREAK!!!
Get that RPI UP!!

San Diego would be more realistic and cheaper-just about the same type of weather. Lets get that game.

[Da Coach]

Long Beach is a very nice place to visit, too!