Pairings set for O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters
Feb. 4, 2008 Indianapolis, Ind. --
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Five of the ten games are part of the 14-game package for national coverage by the ESPN family of networks. League-leader Butler University (19-2, 8-2 Horizon League) hosts Missouri Valley Conference kingpin Drake University (20-1, 11-0 Missouri Valley) on Saturday, Feb. 22, in the spotlight game of that group.
Saturday's (Feb. 23) schedule also includes Cleveland State University (14-9, 7-4 Horizon League) hosting Marist University (14-8, 8-3 Metro Atlantic Athletic), with Valparaiso University (14-7, 5-4 Horizon League) entertaining Miami [Ohio] University (10-10, 4-4 Mid-American) and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (12-10, 7-5 Horizon League) traveling to Bradley University (13-10, 6-5 Missouri Valley) before national audiences.
In addition, Wright State University (14-6, 7-4 Horizon League) visits Illinois State University (16-6, 8-3 Missouri Valley) on Sunday (Feb. 24) to complete the television package.
The other five Horizon League teams were paired with teams Monday to complete the 50-game event schedule. A fourth Horizon League/MVC match-up comes when the University of Illinois at Chicago (12-10, 6-5 Horizon League) visits the University of Northern Iowa (14-8, 6-5 Missouri Valley), while Loyola University Chicago (9-13, 5-7 Horizon League) travels east to meet the College of William and Mary (12-9, 8-3 Colonial). Each of those games are scheduled for Feb. 23.
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Youngstown State University, and the University of Detroit Mercy all face teams from the Mid-American Conference. Green Bay (12-9, 6-5 Horizon League) hosts MAC West Division front-runner Western Michigan University (12-9, 6-2 MAC), with YSU (7-15, 3-9 Horizon League) traveling to the University at Buffalo (6-14, 0-8 MAC) and Detroit (5-16, 1-10 Horizon League) hosting Bowling Green State University (10-10, 5-3 MAC).
This year's event features 100 teams representing 16 conferences and includes 14 games slated for broadcast to a national audience. This year's coverage features the addition of a game on ESPN Classic. Six games will be televised on ESPN2, while ESPNU will televise five BracketBusters games and ESPN360.com will offer two and will simulcast ESPN2's six telecasts. Specific networks and tip-off times will be announced by ESPN next week.
As part of the O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters contract, each team agrees to a home-and-home series with its opponent, with the return game to be played in November or December of the following season.
The Horizon League produced the nation's best record in the event last year, posting a 7-2 ledger including Wright State's 77-62 victory over California State University at Fullerton, which aired on ESPN360, and Butler's loss to Southern Illinois University.
In other games involving Horizon League teams, Cleveland State defeated California State University at Northridge, 85-76; Detroit outlasted the University at Buffalo, 92-84 in overtime; Green Bay slipped past Northern Illinois University, 82-76, Loyola raced past Eastern Illinois University, 66-43; UIC defeated Central Michigan University, 84-62; and Youngstown State edged Eastern Kentucky University, 66-61, while Milwaukee fell at Drake, 84-76.
This year's BracketBusters pool features teams with 74 appearances in the last five NCAA Tournaments, including a team in the Final Four (George Mason University, 2006) and seven Sweet Sixteen squads. The Horizon League boasts three of those Sweet 16 entries in Butler (2003 and 2007) and Milwaukee (2005), with Southern Illinois (2007), Bradley University and Wichita State University (2006), the University of Nevada (2004) also in that group.
A complete list of this year's O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters games involving Horizon League teams can be found below.
Sixth Annual O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters Games involving Horizon League teams:
Drake (20-1, 11-0 Missouri Valley) at Butler (19-2, 8-2 Horizon League) -- Indianapolis, Ind.
Marist (14-8, 8-3 Metro Atlantic Athletic) at Cleveland State (14-9, 7-4 Horizon League) -- Cleveland, Ohio
Bowling Green (10-10, 5-3 Mid-American) at Detroit (5-16, 1-10 Horizon League) -- Detroit, Mich.
Western Michigan (12-9, 6-5 Mid-American) at Green Bay (12-9, 6-2 Horizon League) -- Green Bay, Wis.
Loyola (9-13, 5-7 Horizon League) at William & Mary (12-9, 8-3 Colonial) -- Williamsburg, Va.
Milwaukee (12-10, 7-5 Horizon League) at Bradley (13-10, 6-5 Missouri Valley) -- Peoria, Ill.
UIC (12-10, 6-5 Horizon League) at Northern Iowa (14-8, 6-5 Missouri Valley) -- Cedar Falls, Iowa
Miami [Ohio] (10-10, 4-4 Mid-American) at Valparaiso (14-7, 5-4 Horizon League) -- Valparaiso, Ind.
Youngstown State (7-15, 3-9- Horizon) at Buffalo (6-14, 0-8 Mid-American) -- Buffalo, N.Y.
Wright State (14-6, 7-4 Horizon League) at Illinois State (16-6, 8-3 Missouri Valley)-* -- Normal, Ill.
Games in italics are scheduled for broadcast via ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN Classic or ESPN360
Note: Game times and networks will be announced next week. * - Game played Sunday, Feb. 24 (all others on Saturday, Feb. 23)
