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Post by Sixth Man on Jan 10, 2011 21:18:53 GMT -5
Eight Horizon League Teams to Compete in 2011 BracketBustersOctober 1, 2010 The ninth annual BracketBusters, a three-day men’s college basketball event pitting potential NCAA Tournament hopefuls against each other Feb. 18-20, will feature 11 nationally televised games – on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU -- selected from a pool of 114 teams, the largest BracketBusterspool in the event’s history. The 114-team field will have eight Horizon League participants, as Cleveland State, Detroit, Green Bay and Milwaukee will all hit the road on the weekend. Loyola, Valparaiso, Wright State and Youngstown State will play home contests. For the sixth straight year, ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network, will feature five BracketBusters games, while ESPN or ESPN2 will televise up to six contests. The 11 BracketBusters matchups will be announced Jan. 31. BracketBusters, named because of the success of the teams in NCAA Tournament play, will provide the 22 televised teams an opportunity to play other top non-conference opponents three weeks before Selection Sunday. The 92 teams not selected for BracketBusterswill compete against each other through the same three days. The 114-team field will feature teams from 15 conferences as well as one independent: 12 from the Mid-American Conference and Colonial Athletic; 10 from the Ohio Valley Conference, Missouri Valley and Metro Atlantic Athletic; nine from Big Sky, Big South, Big West and Western Athletic; five from America East and Southern; two from the MEAC and West Coast; and one from the Summit League, as well as independent Seattle. As part of the agreement, all 11 of the BracketBustershome teams in televised games, as well as the remaining 46 home squads, will play a “return” game at the home facility of their opponent in November or December of the 2012-13 season. BracketBustersis part of ESPN’s college basketball franchise programming, along with Rivalry Week Presented by Cisco, Feast Week presented by Lowe’s, Holiday Hoops Presented by Kay Jewelers, Judgment Week and Championship Week Presented by Dick’s Sporting Goods. www.horizonleague.org/blog/eight-horizon-league-teams-to-compete-in-2011-bracketbusters.html
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Post by Sixth Man on Jan 10, 2011 21:22:15 GMT -5
Bracket Buster match ups are announced at the end of the month. We are currently the 13th best home team. We need to move up two spots if we want to get a TV match up. Some VCU fans do a really good weekly update on rankings by RPI. Here is a link to their site: www.vcuramnation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4429 |
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Post by Willie on Jan 10, 2011 21:26:25 GMT -5
Bracket Buster match ups are announced at the end of the month. We are currently the 13th best home team. We need to move up two spots if we want to get a TV match up. Some VCU fans do a really good weekly update on rankings by RPI. Here is a link to their site: www.vcuramnation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4429Just another reason why we need to have a big month. There are several teams that would bring in a good crowd to the Nutt House and a TV game is always good for exposure. |
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Post by CincyDrummer on Jan 10, 2011 21:48:52 GMT -5
If I recall didn't we get some sort of award for having one of the best home crowds or student sections last year? I don't know if it was official or not, but I thnk we got something. Maybe from the HL? These posts about home games, and especially a home bracketbuster game, got me thinking
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Post by Raider Country on Jan 10, 2011 21:55:46 GMT -5
If I recall didn't we get some sort of award for having one of the best home crowds or student sections last year? I don't know if it was official or not, but I thnk we got something. Maybe from the HL? These posts about home games, and especially a home bracketbuster game, got me thinking I don't think you are correct. |
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Post by Nutt House on Jan 10, 2011 21:59:58 GMT -5
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Post by ohiopirate on Jan 10, 2011 22:25:08 GMT -5
No Butler or UIC this year? I'm guessing Butler thinks they have nothing to gain by playing but why isn't UIC participating?
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Post by Big D on Jan 10, 2011 22:30:42 GMT -5
No Butler or UIC this year? I'm guessing Butler thinks they have nothing to gain by playing but why isn't UIC participating? UIC was supposed to play Butler in December, but that game got moved to the Bracket Buster weekend. Butler scheduled a game with Duke when they were supposed to be playing UIC in December. UIC got screwed by the HL who bowed down to Butler and let them schedule that game instead of playing UIC when they were supposed to. |
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Post by mrose on Jan 12, 2011 18:52:51 GMT -5
But doesn't a rising tide lift all boats? Basically Butler is the face of the Horizon League. Granted, that TV exposure helped BU much more than anyother school, but playing Duke a competitive game showed people it wasn't a fluke for a Horizon team to play at that level. Worst case it marginally helps the RPI. If Butler didn't play that date they would be in Bracket Busters and the team they would be paired with probably wouldn't have an RPI nearly as good as Duke. And, as bad as UIC is they would have been paired with another terrible team, not a respectable team like Akron, who they got to fill in that date.
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Post by Nutt House on Jan 12, 2011 19:51:09 GMT -5
But doesn't a rising tide lift all boats? Basically Butler is the face of the Horizon League. Granted, that TV exposure helped BU much more than anyother school, but playing Duke a competitive game showed people it wasn't a fluke for a Horizon team to play at that level. Worst case it marginally helps the RPI. If Butler didn't play that date they would be in Bracket Busters and the team they would be paired with probably wouldn't have an RPI nearly as good as Duke. And, as bad as UIC is they would have been paired with another terrible team, not a respectable team like Akron, who they got to fill in that date. Two thoughts: 1. Your whole post is what's wrong with the HL now. The HL's commish should not be giving ANY program preferential treatment. 2. A Butler win vs a decent BB team helps the HL a hell of a lot more than a Butler loss vs Duke. |
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Post by mrose on Jan 13, 2011 0:45:10 GMT -5
I question point #2. First of all, what's the definition of a decent basketball team? Second, my understanding of the RPI is it measures the strength of schedule and how a team does against that schedule. The basic formula is 25% winning percentage, 50% opponents' winning percentage, and 25% opponents' opponents' winning percentage.
Duke is #8 in the official RPI (before their loss) and currently 15-1. The next closest team that Butler possibly could've played, if in Bracket Busters, is ODU currently at #22 (12-3). After that the next highest team is Utah State (14-2) at #42. Unless the wheels fall off the wagon for Duke and the ACC then it will help Butler's and, to a lesser degree, Horizon League team's RPI. Both the CAA and WAC are out of the top 10 conferences as far as RPI goes, which will eventually erode ODU's and Utah State's RPI. In fact, even if ODU were to run the table in the CAA it'll be hard for them to keep their status in the top 25. The CAA already has 3 teams with double-digit losses and ODU has 3 more games with those teams. Only the Atlantic Sun, MAAC, MAC, MEAC, Northeast, Southern, Sun Belt, and SWAC conferences have more teams with double-digit losses.
The same holds true for UIC. If they were in the Bracket Busters this year there's no way they would have been matched up against #95 Akron (9-6). They would have probably been matched with a weak team from a conference weaker than the MAC.
Maybe the process in which the Horizon League handled Butler's request was flawed, but a bird-in-the-hand is better than two-in-the-bush.
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Post by Nutt House on Jan 13, 2011 7:13:58 GMT -5
I question point #2. First of all, what's the definition of a decent basketball team? Second, my understanding of the RPI is it measures the strength of schedule and how a team does against that schedule. The basic formula is 25% winning percentage, 50% opponents' winning percentage, and 25% opponents' opponents' winning percentage. Duke is #8 in the official RPI (before their loss) and currently 15-1. The next closest team that Butler possibly could've played, if in Bracket Busters, is ODU currently at #22 (12-3). After that the next highest team is Utah State (14-2) at #42. Unless the wheels fall off the wagon for Duke and the ACC then it will help Butler's and, to a lesser degree, Horizon League team's RPI. Both the CAA and WAC are out of the top 10 conferences as far as RPI goes, which will eventually erode ODU's and Utah State's RPI. In fact, even if ODU were to run the table in the CAA it'll be hard for them to keep their status in the top 25. The CAA already has 3 teams with double-digit losses and ODU has 3 more games with those teams. Only the Atlantic Sun, MAAC, MAC, MEAC, Northeast, Southern, Sun Belt, and SWAC conferences have more teams with double-digit losses. The same holds true for UIC. If they were in the Bracket Busters this year there's no way they would have been matched up against #95 Akron (9-6). They would have probably been matched with a weak team from a conference weaker than the MAC. Maybe the process in which the Horizon League handled Butler's request was flawed, but a bird-in-the-hand is better than two-in-the-bush. You are missing the WIN versus the Bracket Buster team vs the LOSS vs Duke and how it affects the whole HL. Butler would have been a road team this year in BB, which would have placed them against Old Dominion or St Marys currently. Either team is going to finish in the top 40 in the RPI. A win vs them would most likely help Butler more than a loss vs a #8 Duke team in the RPI and the win would have helped the HL much more than the loss would. All 9 HL teams play Butler twice. 50% of your RPI is your oponent's winning percentage. Butler having a higher winning percentage helps each HL team. |
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Post by keithfromxenia on Jan 13, 2011 12:50:14 GMT -5
i have a feeling that if the raiders ever manage to get our program to that level, we will gladly sacrifice a bb game for a shot at duke. and i would be all for it.
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Post by mrose on Jan 13, 2011 13:53:23 GMT -5
I understand. I forgot about St Mary's participating in BB this year. I wasn't very clear in articulating my thought. When the decision was made to allow Butler play Duke that was the opportunity to improve RPI--It was about as close to a guarantee as you can get to play a top-20 RPI team. If past history is any indication, there would have been a limited number of Bracket Buster teams Butler could've possibly been matched with having RPI's 60 or better. Currently SMC, ODU, Drexel, JMU, Wichita State, and Long Beach State.
When the Horizon League seized the chance to play Duke I imagine they didn't assume a loss, but an opportunity to win. And, if they chose not to play Duke how could they have assumed Butler winning a road Bracket Buster game? I don't know how people could've assumed one outcome over the other when deciding the schedule last summer. The only certainty, and I use that term loosely, was that Duke would be a better RPI boosting opportunity. In addition, expectations for UIC this year were low--and with the exception of beating Illinois and Rhode Island, they're living down to those expectations. Expectations for Akron were middling. Best case scenario for the Horizon League was to have UIC lock-up that MAC team on the schedule rather than forgo the Butler/Duke game and have UIC potentionally paired with another sub-200 team.
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Post by Sixth Man on Jan 15, 2011 14:08:35 GMT -5
Our RPI dropped to 126 after last night's loss. We are going to need a good run over the next few games if we have any chance at a good match up. www.rpiforecast.com/live-rpi.html |
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