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We'll be finding out who were playing very soon, I think the teams are selecteh here in a week or so. If we win at CMU and at Ohio, I wouldn't be surprised to see us get an ESPN or ESPN2 game. That would be awesome!

BGSU33 wrote:We'll be finding out who were playing very soon, I think the teams are selecteh here in a week or so. If we win at CMU and at Ohio, I wouldn't be surprised to see us get an ESPN or ESPN2 game. That would be awesome!

How many teams are usually in the BB? Normally I remember things like this but it has passed my mind...

And congrats on 1000 BGSU33!!!

Last year there were 46 teams in it.

Pairings are this Sunday on ESPN2 or ESPN News...not sure of the time, however. Let's hope for a good team to come in here and help our NIT/RPI situation---heck why not NCAA bubble situation!!!

Ornithologist wrote:Last year there were 46 teams in it.

There are 64 teams in this year. ESPN says 11 of the 32 games will be televised, six nationally on ESPN or ESPN2, and the remaining regionally. An interesting fact I ran across was that each team that hosts a Bracket Buster game must schedule a return date for next year with their opponent. This means we could get a good OOC team coming to AA next season, or this season if were lucky enough to get a home game for the BB.

UK Peregrine Fan wrote: This means we could get a good OOC team coming to AA next season, or this season if were lucky enough to get a home game for the BB.

We're already hosting a game this year, Sat. Feb 19.

Is the game time decided after the pairing or do we at least know game time now? Making the trip for BB, Alumni party, Hockey in same day.

The return date is the Best thing about the bracket buster. That's how we got UIC in here (bb from two seasons ago) and how we ended up playing@ YSU this year.

SW-MI Falcon wrote:Is the game time decided after the pairing or do we at least know game time now? Making the trip for BB, Alumni party, Hockey in same day.

ESPN probably has a say in that, though with a hockey game at home, I bet BG would push for no later than a 3 or 4pm start regardless.

Potential opponents (from the media guide, and taking out MAC teams and Bradley, who we played already) include: Cleveland State, Loyola, Wisc-Milwaukee, Illinois State, So. Illinois, Witchita State, Ark-Little Rock, New Orleans, San Jose State, SMU, UTEP, Vermont, Northern Arizona, Portland State, Weber State, Cal State-Northridge, Virginia Commonwealth, Drexel, Manhattan, Niagara, Oral Roberts, Valparaiso, Austin Peay, Murray State, Ga Southern, Tennessee-Chattanooga.

There are 13 MAC teams playing in the Bracket Buster, Toledo is not. Didn't they get sent out to Fresno St. or something one of these years for the BB? Or was that an NIT thing?

cowboyjoe wrote:Pairings are this Sunday on ESPN2 or ESPN News...not sure of the time, however. Let's hope for a good team to come in here and help our NIT/RPI situation---heck why not NCAA bubble situation!!!

I think its actually 3 pm tomorrow. Unless someone else has seen it.

orangeandbrown wrote: I think its actually 3 pm tomorrow. Unless someone else has seen it.

Its sometime today (probably already passed, I'd think), according to an Andy Katz article from earlier this month. Thanks to ESPN Insider, I only got the first page, but that said they'd be named Jan. 30.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=1970333

Ah, actually they're CHOSEN today, announced tomorrow at 1pm on ESPN News.


http://www.recordnet.com/daily/sports/a ... 05-s-4.php

Just for talking purposes until the games are announced, I did a little research, and if what I've read is true, believing that the "Bracket Buster Committee" looks at regional matchups between teams close in RPI, going by collegerpi.com, my best guesses are that we'd host Wisc-Milwaukee, Illinois State or Murray State, with Drexel or Arkansas Little Rock an outside chance.

Incidentally, So. Illinois is going on the road with a top 20 RPI. While they'll likely get paired with a higher ranking mid-major, getting that game in AA would likely guarantee it to be one of the TV games, and a win would be outstanding for the resume.

I think if we could have won Saturday, we would have been in line to host one of the feature games. We would have been leading the MAC and have won two straigt road games. We would have looked like one of the best bracket-buster teams and we are already scheduled to host the game. the Salukis and Falcons would have been a realistic oppotunity. Alas, we stumbled in Athens and will probably get UWM or the like.

Looks like we wait until 4pm to find out. Or, perhaps, 4 is when the TV listings are announced.

BSU could get TV game
By DOUG ZALESKI
[email protected]

The Cardinals will learn today whether they are selected for one of 11 televised Bracket Buster games.


MUNCIE - In stating his case for Ball State to be selected for a premier game in next month's Bracket Buster Saturday, coach Tim Buckley said he likes the way his team is playing three weeks before the event.

The Cardinals will find out today whether ESPN executive Burke Magnus feels the same way.

Magnus, with input from conference commissioners, will select 22 teams to play in 11 televised games that comprise the 2005 ESPN Bracket Buster. The pairings for the games on Feb. 19 will be announced at 4 p.m. today on ESPN News.

Buckley thinks the Cardinals deserve one of the spots.

"We feel we're one of those viable teams," he said. "We played a good schedule, and we're playing good basketball in the MAC right now."

This year's Buster, the third event in a series that started in 2003, will include a record 64 teams from 13 conferences. Twelve teams from the Mid-American Conference (all but Marshall) are in the event, which was created to give NCAA Tournament contenders a game against another good opponent three weeks before the NCAA field is selected.

The 42 teams that are passed over for the TV slots will be paired for a non-conference game on Feb. 19. Those games, which are not part of the Bracket Buster, will be announced Tuesday.

All the Cardinals know today is that they will play host to one of the games.

"I think the Ball State brand, particularly the Ball State basketball brand is very good," Cardinals athletic director Bubba Cunningham said. "ESPN had us in the Maui Classic, and we're a recognizable school, so I think we have a good chance (to be picked for a TV game). Whether that pans out, I don't know."

Of the 11 TV games, six will be shown on ESPN and ESPN2. The five others will be produced and distributed to markets of the competing teams through ESPN Regional Television. They will also be available on ESPN Full Court, a pay-per-view outlet.

Three hours after today's announcement, Ball State (10-6, 5-3 MAC West) will play host to Eastern Michigan (9-9, 3-6 MAC West) in Worthen Arena.

The game is a matchup of teams going in opposite directions. The Cardinals beat Northern Illinois on Saturday for their fifth win in seven games. The Eagles lost at home to Buffalo, their fifth straight defeat.

Most important for the Cardinals will be to maintain an inside presence against Eastern Michigan, which has one of the MAC's top 1-2 frontcourt combinations in center John Bowler and power forward James Jackson and a skilled small forward in Markus Austin.

Bowler had 19 points and eight rebounds in the loss to Buffalo.

Ball State's front court was boosted Saturday by the return of power forward Terrance Chapman. He missed the previous game with a sprained left shoulder.

Buckley liked the play of his team's big men in the second half against Northern Illinois.

"We did a much better job battling in there, getting around, not letting the ball go inside easily," he said. "Fatigue is a key component to the game of basketball. Even if guys are scoring against you in the first half and you're making them work, eventually fatigue sets in and it's all about who's tougher mentally. I thought our guys showed really good mental toughness in the second half."

Contact sports writer Doug Zaleski at 213-5813.