BracketBuster Schedule Released

Arodd · Jan 31, 2006

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2312354

Some great games I'm anticipating...ones that have definitely peaked my initial interest:

George Mason at Wichita State
Bucknell at Northern Iowa

Love how they put this weekend together...

juice · Jan 31, 2006

I think those are probably the 2 best games.
Other games I would want to see:
Marist at Old Dominion (of course)
Butler at Kent State could be good as well

docmercer--banned · Jan 31, 2006

Bucknell ... didnt they give Duke all they could handle early this year???

If wrong, sorry

maxdemo · Jan 31, 2006

The games will be televised on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360 over two days -- Friday, Feb. 17 and Saturday, Feb. 18. Game times and network assignments will be announced on Feb. 7.
The 26-team field includes 14 schools that played in the postseason last year, including nine NCAA Tournament teams.

The matchups
• Bucknell at Northern Iowa
• George Mason at Wichita State
• Missouri State at Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• Louisiana Tech at Southern Illinois
• Buffalo at Iona
• Fresno State at Creighton
• Akron at Nevada
• Butler at Kent State
• Marist at Old Dominion
• Northwestern State at Utah State
• Samford at Ohio
• Albany at Virginia Commonwealth
• Northern Arizona at Western Kentucky

juice · Jan 31, 2006

doc -
bucknell i think got killed by duke this year, but nonetheless, a very good team

Brock Landers · Jan 31, 2006

This is the best game

Missouri State at Wisconsin-Milwaukee

dougstewart · Jan 31, 2006

Brock Landers said:
This is the best game

Missouri State at Wisconsin-Milwaukee

I was just going to post that this is the only game where the road team will be favored.

Snappa · Jan 31, 2006

Sorry but I gotta disagree with ya, no way Mizzou St is favored @ Wisc-Milw..

AlwaysKeen · Jan 31, 2006

there are some great matchups here...

Arodd · Jan 31, 2006

think its a great idea on the network's part and the conferences participating....

stolidog · Jan 31, 2006

Northwestern State will BEAT Utah St. by 6-9 pts.

So far NW St has lost to:
Missouri by 9
Wichita St by 2
Iowa St in Double OT
Hawaii by 4
and Tex A&M by 12

They had final shots to beat Wichita St, Hawaii and Iowa St.

and BEAT

Mississippi St by 1
Oklahoma St by 4 !
Oregon St by 11

They have one conference loss and should win their conference. I fully expect them to be a LIVE 14 seed in the Big Dance.

Go Demons !!!

gold64 · Jan 31, 2006

Why any Friday Games???

I want that Night OFF == It's during the NBA All-Star Break...

winkyduck · Feb 1, 2006

stolidog88 said:
Northwestern State will BEAT Utah St. by 6-9 pts.

Go Demons !!!

NO THEY WON'T

Alan Boston will chime in here if he sess this and verify that USU has one of the BIGGEST HCAs in ALL of College Hoops

it takes FOREVER to get there - that crowd is loud - the weather sucks and USU plays a STIFLING defense

USU will win this one

AlwaysKeen · Feb 1, 2006

have to side with winky here...USU will have the HCA and a size advantage...if NW St. gets 8 or more though, I'll be on them...

Birdman · Feb 1, 2006

Side with Aggie backers as well as far as winning the game in Logan.

The teams NWS have played tough against are all underachieving in relation to their seasonal expectations and historical reputations.

stolidog · Feb 1, 2006

It's called an opinion. And in my opinion NW St will win outright.

Utah State has very few quality wins (Nevada being the only exception) and they lost to several average teams (Middle Tenn St is 9-9, Fresno St is 11-8, Utah is 9-9 and and Hawaii is 10-8). They beat the likes of Lewis and Clark (weren't they explorers?), Oral Roberts, Ark LR, Idaho, Boise St and South Dakota State at home.

Winky - I know you know your West Coast teams but home court not withstanding, I think NW St pulls an upset.

hawkeye171 · Feb 1, 2006

Five Missouri Valley Conference Teams Involved, With Four Playing At Home. The Bucknell-northern Iowa Game Should Be A Very Close, Low Scoring Game. Should Be A Great Weekend For Some Quality And Many Times Overlooked Teams.

winkyduck · Feb 2, 2006

stolidog88 said:
I think NW St pulls an upset.

what has to be looked at for these BB games is

MOTIVATION

and what i mean by that is this

for USu this game means EVERYTHING - maybe not for an NCAA bid - but a win here helps their NIT bid chances

this game means NOTHING to NW State - NOTHING. if they win here it will have ZERO affect on their NCAA OR NIT bid chances

NWSU is ONLY going to the NCAAs if they win their conference toruney while USU needs this game for at the very worst an NIT bid

AlwaysKeen · Feb 2, 2006

I'm not sure NW St. has the big guys to hang for the whole forty minutes with Utah St...I've seen Utah St. about five times and NW St. three times in the Hawaii tourney...I'd put Utah St's HCA in the top ten in the country as well...as I said, for the right price, I'll be in NW St., but won't make a ML play...

stolidog · Feb 2, 2006

I agree with your motivation angle for USU but definitely not for NW St.

Just because they have no shot at the Big Dance w/ot winning their conf. tourney, did they roll over and play dead when they beat some other quality teams and hung with several others earlier in the year ??

If anything, this would be a national spotlight win and an important recruiting win for a team that most have never heard of.

I just don't think USU is that good and I don't buy into this lack of motivation angle for NW St at all.

I expect USU to be favored by 5 1/2 or 6, and the game to be close throughout w/ NW St pulling the upset.

Time will tell.