Final BracketBusters Projection

Using the RPI as a guide, a final projection of the nine televised BracketBusters games (ESPN2/ESPNU) on Friday, Feb. 22, and Saturday, Feb. 23, as well as the four internet matchups (ESPN3). Pairings will be announced at 5:30 p.m. Monday on ESPNU.

ESPN 2 or ESPNU
#30 Creighton @ #15 Belmont (Bruins' opportunity to prove they're not a paper tiger)
#63 North Dakota State @ #24 Wichita State (Bison get a national stage, but likely without Taylor Braun?)
#66 South Dakota State @ #38 Indiana State (win over Sycamores gets Jacks into at-large conversation?)
#71 Stephen F. Austin @ #57 Saint Mary’s (but don't be surprised if Gaels draw Creighton as the marquee BB matchup)
#72 Detroit @ #85 Western Michigan (keepin' it in state)
#92 Eastern Kentucky @ #67 Akron (Zips are unbeaten in MAC play)
#97 Iona @ #91 Valparaiso (Valpo probably the best of a weak Horizon)
#98 Ohio @ #95 UIC (Bobcats may get a better matchup because of last season's Sweet 16 appearance)
#106 Evansville @ #99 Murray State (Racers have been a disappointment)

ESPN3
#107 Northwestern State @ #100 Tennessee State (TSU a Gopher opponent)
#111 Denver @ #101 Oral Roberts (don't be surprised if both end up in the NCAA Tournament)
#113 Pacific @ #103 Niagara (Purple Aces on 10-game league winning streak after dropping MAAC opener)
#119 Canisius @ #105 Long Beach State (Dan Monson's squad once again leads Big West)

Other Projections (of note)
#137 Illinois State @ #131 Western Illinois (Jim Molinari's club shares Summit lead with NDSU & SDSU)
#169 Green Bay @ #156 Oakland (Winona big man Alec Brown vs. Oakland sharp-shooter Travis Bader)
#213 Cleveland State @ #188 Toledo (Rockets a Gopher opponent)
#238 South Dakota @ #241 Southeast Missouri State (another Dakota school)
#287 North Dakota @ #309 IPFW (and another Dakota school)
#346 Longwood @ #337 Idaho State (The Dregs Bowl)

I've always enjoyed the bracket busters event.

SS, are the schools participating predetermined before the season (just not the match-ups) or how do they pick the schools that are playing?

Edit: Just looked it up and it appears all teams from 15 conferences participate (122 teams). It's just only a few games are televised. I didn't realize that. It obviously makes sense, just never figured it out before. It's Friday so I'm already thinking about the beer waiting for me.

The Match Ups have been announced....Pretty happy about NDSU's draw, should be fun to watch Marshall Bjorklund vs Zeke Marshall. Marshall is #2 and Zeke is #1 in FG%.

Friday, Feb. 22
North Dakota State at Akron, ESPN2, 7 ET
Stephen F. Austin at Long Beach State, ESPNU, 9 ET

Saturday, Feb. 23
Iona at Indiana State, ESPNU, 11 a.m. ET
Eastern Kentucky at Valparaiso, ESPNU, 1 ET
Canisius at Vermont, ESPN3, 1 ET
Pacific at Western Michigan, ESPN3, 2 ET
Montana at Davidson, ESPNU, 3 ET
Northwestern State at Niagara, ESPN3, 3 ET
Detroit at Wichita State, ESPN/2, 4 ET
Creighton at Saint Mary's, ESPN/2, 6 ET
South Dakota State at Murray State, ESPN2, 8 ET
Denver at Northern Iowa, ESPN3, 8 ET
Ohio at Belmont, ESPN2, 10 ET

My initial reaction is Indiana State and South Dakota State got jobbed by the pairings. They should playing each other. And Belmont should be the team hosting Creighton, not Saint Mary's. Clearly Saint Mary's got the premier pairing with Creighton because of their name.

Yeah I have no idea why SDSU isn't going to Indiana State, ISU's coach even requested them as the team he wanted to play and that apparently got him nowhere. You'd think the MVC would have a little pull in an event like this but I guess not.

All BracketBusters Matchups

RPI's were as of Tuesday morning.

February 22-24
#28 Creighton @ #58 Saint Mary’s (5/ESPN or ESPN2)
#68 Detroit @ #26 Wichita State (3/ESPN or ESPN2)
#90 Ohio @ #19 Belmont (9/ESPN2)
#63 North Dakota State @ #52 Akron (6/ESPN2) --- Friday
#97 Iona @ #53 Indiana State (10/ESPNU)
#81 Eastern Kentucky @ #94 Valparaiso (12/ESPNU)
#66 South Dakota State @ #116 Murray State (7/ESPN2)
#83 Stephen F. Austin @ #109 Long Beach State (8/ESPNU) -- Friday
#99 Loyola-Maryland @ #98 Tennessee State
#106 Denver @ #93 Northern Iowa
#113 Pacific @ #91 Western Michigan
#108 Canisius @ #110 Vermont
#102 Northwestern State @ #119 Niagara
#117 Montana @ #114 Davidson (2/ESPNU)
#135 Weber State @ #105 Oral Roberts
#144 Illinois State @ #125 Utah State
#128 Evansville @ #148 Wright State
#161 Bradley @ #123 UIC
#155 Green Bay @ #137 Drake
#160 Morehead State @ #146 Oakland
#145 Jacksonville State @ #166 NC-Asheville
#173 Albany @ #142 Fairfield
#189 Cleveland State @ #133 Western Illinois
#186 UC-Irvine @ #152 Texas-Arlington
#182 Charleston Southern @ #178 Rider
#124 Savannah State @ #258 Campbell
#192 Kent State @ #191 Loyola-Chicago
#241 Central Michigan @ #151 Youngstown State
#239 Gardner-Webb @ #158 College of Charleston
#203 Missouri State @ #224 Eastern Michigan
#251 McNeese State @ #181 Toledo
#232 Loyola Marymount @ #202 Cal Poly
#230 Northern Arizona @ #206 Hawaii
#236 Miami-Ohio @ #221 Southern Illinois
#215 Southeastern Louisiana @ #252 Winthrop
#256 Manhattan @ #225 Buffalo
#281 Sacramento State @ #205 UCSB
#198 Northridge State @ #296 Southern Utah
#270 Ball State @ #246 Southeast Missouri State
#176 Idaho @ #341 Idaho State
#260 UMKC @ #257 Tennessee Tech
#227 South Dakota @ #301 Montana State -- Sunday
#261 Nicholls State @ #287 Texas-San Antonio
#240 Sam Houston State @ #322 Eastern Washington
#267 Coastal Carolina @ #299 Western Carolina
#289 Morgan State @ #279 High Point
#321 Northern Colorado @ #249 UC-Davis
#269 SIU-Edwardsville @ #306 Central Arkansas
#298 Eastern Illinois @ #280 Northern Illinois
#250 Fullerton State @ #330 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
#277 North Dakota @ #303 Nebraska-Omaha
#297 Radford @ #284 Siena – Sunday
#268 Texas State @ #317 Lamar
#282 Bowling Green @ #309 IPFW
#295 VMI @ #302 Marist
#292 Saint Peter’s @ #316 Hampton
#314 Milwaukee @ #310 IUPUI
#344 Longwood @ #288 Tennessee-Martin
#318 The Citadel @ #343 Presbyterian
#329 UC-Riverside @ #337 Portland State
#338 Austin Peay @ #339 Liberty

Most to Gain: Akron, North Dakota State, Saint Mary's

Most to Lose: Belmont, Indiana State, Wichita State

Intrigues Me the Most: North Dakota State @ Akron

Best Under the Radar (non-televised) Game: Illinois State @ Utah State

Significant gap in RPI: SDSU 66, Murray State 116, but possibly the best player matchup with Murray State's Isaiah Caanan defending his home court against South Dakota State's Nate Wolters.