FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 28, 2011
ESPN’s Sears BracketBusters Features Two Final Four Teams with the Largest Pool in History
142 Teams Eligible for One of 13 Telecast during Feb. 17-19; Up from 114 in 2011
The 10th annual Sears BracketBusters, a three-day men’s college basketball event pitting potential NCAA Championship hopefuls against each other Feb. 17-19, will feature 13 nationally televised games – on either ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN3. The NCAA hopefuls will be selected from a pool of 142 teams from 16 conferences, the largest Sears BracketBusters pool in the event’s history, which includes two team that reached the 2011 Final Four in Houston.
For the seventh straight year, ESPNU will feature five Sears BracketBusters games, while ESPN or ESPN2 will television up to six and ESPN3 will carry two. The 13 Sears BracketBusters matchups will be announced Monday, Jan. 30 with dates, times and networks. The television matchups are selected by ESPN, while a Committee of Conference Commissioners determines the additional non-televised games.
Sears BracketBusters, named because of the success of the teams in NCAA Championship play, will provide the 26 televised teams an opportunity to play other top non-conference opponents three weeks before Selection Sunday. The 116 teams not selected for Sears BracketBusters will compete against each other through the same three days.
The 142-team field will feature teams from 16 conferences: 12 each from Colonial Athletic Association, Mid-American Conference and Southland; 11 each from Ohio Valley Conference and Big South; 10 each from Horizon League, Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, Missouri Valley and Summit League; nine each from America East, Big Sky and Big West; eight from the Western Athletic Association; four from the Southern Conference; three from the MEAC; and two from the West Coast Conference.
As part of the agreement, all 13 of the Sears BracketBusters home teams in televised games, as well as the remaining 58 home squads, will play a return game at the home facility of their opponent in November or December of the 2013-14 season.
Sears BracketBusters is part of ESPN’s college basketball franchise programming, along with Rivalry Week, Feast Week presented by Lowe’s, Holiday Hoops Presented by Kay Jewelers, Judgment Week and Championship Week Presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Teams participating this season in Sears BracketBusters have produced 89 appearances in the last six NCAA Championships.
(Matchups announced Jan. 30)
Home Team Visiting Team
America East
Albany Binghamton
Maine Boston University
New Hampshire Hartford
Vermont UMBC
Stony Brook
Big Sky
Montana Eastern Washington
Northern Arizona Idaho State
Northern Colorado Montana State
Sacramento State Portland State
Weber State
Big South
Charleston Southern Campbell
Coastal Carolina High Point
Gardner-Webb Liberty
Radford Presbyterian
VMI UNC- Asheville
Winthrop
Big West
UC Irvine Cal Poly
UC Riverside UC Davis
Cal State Fullerton UC Santa Barbara
Cal State Northridge Long Beach State
Pacific
Colonial
Delaware Drexel
George Mason James Madison
Georgia State Old Dominion
Hofstra Towson
Northeastern UNC Wilmington
VCU William & Mary
Horizon
Butler Loyola (Ill.)
Cleveland State UIC
Detroit Valparaiso
Green Bay Wright State
Milwaukee Youngstown State
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Canisius Fairfield
Iona Marist
Loyola (Md.) Niagara
Manhattan Rider
Saint Peter’s Siena
Mid-American
Ball State Akron
Bowling Green Buffalo
Central Michigan Eastern Michigan
Kent State Northern Illinois
Miami (Ohio) Toledo
Ohio Western Michigan
MEAC
Morgan State Delaware State
Hampton
Missouri Valley
Bradley Drake
Creighton Indiana State
Evansville Northern Iowa
Illinois State Southern Illinois
Missouri State Wichita State
Ohio Valley
Austin Peay Morehead State
Eastern Illinois SE Missouri State
Eastern Kentucky Tennessee-Martin
Jacksonville State Tennessee Tech
Murray State Tennessee State
SIU Edwardsville
Southern
Appalachian State College of Charleston
Davidson Wofford
Southland
McNeese State Central Arkansas
Nicholls State Lamar
Northwestern State Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Sam Houston State Texas-Arlington
Southeastern Louisiana Texas-San Antonio
Stephen F. Austin Texas State
Summit League
UMKC IPFW
North Dakota State IUPUI
Oral Roberts Oakland
South Dakota State Southern Utah
South Dakota Western Illinois
WAC
Idaho Fresno State
Louisiana Tech Hawaii
New Mexico State Nevada
Utah State San Jose State
West Coast Conference
Loyola Marymount St. Mary’s (Calif.)
Our take: The OVC, just by it;s shear Numbers of involvement is poised to make an impact, and they have a few teams other than the obvious Murray State, who could impress the nation during these games.
However, the two squads that I think are really going to introduce themselves to America during these 10 days are going to be The Oral Roberts Golden Eagles coached by Scott Sutton.(We prefer to call them the ORU Televangelists) And the other squad being Wichita State. No, this ain't the College World Series, but the Shockers are very capable dancers in March.
Also, it is going to give the Bobcats from Athens a chance to fly within the radar, instead of under it. Ohio is off to a great start, and it;s a shame they are not being more noticed. After the Sears Bracket Buster Challenge, they will be. Also look for Akron and potentially Ball State to get a little shine out of the MAC during the event.
Some other soon to be more-lit-up dark horses who may emerge from this are Cleavland State, and Long Beach State. The Snoop Doggy Doggs might not have the best record against their top 25 opponents this year, but the point is they have played them, and played them well. That is going to speak volumes for them in March. Unfortunately, they did win one of those early season meddle-testers, way back when Pitt was ranked. That win does nothing for them now.
And of course, Creighton will come out of this virtually unchanged if they win. Still going to be looked at as a potential deep-run Mid-Major. But if they lose, I think they are the team involved with the most to lose. Aside from maybe an Iona or Missouri State.
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