ESPN Bracketbusters: Largest Field In History

districtballer

districtballer

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The Bracketbusters field includes 114 teams, the largest field since the Bracketbuster started. VCU will be on the road this year and this is how the field of home teams look so we can see potential opponents:

Home Team

America East

Stony Brook
Boston University

Big Sky

Eastern Washington
Portland State
Montana State
Idaho State

Big South

High Point
Liberty
Presbyterian
UNC Asheville
Winthrop

Big West

Cal Poly
Long Beach State
UC-Davis
UC-Santa Barbara

Colonial

Drexel
James Madison
UNC- Wilmington
Old Dominion
Towson
William and Mary

Horizon

Loyola Chicago
Valparaiso
Wright State
Youngstown State

Metro Atlantic

Fairfield
Marist
Niagara
Rider
Siena

Mid-American

Akron
Buffalo
Eastern Michigan
Northern Illinois
Toledo
Western Michigan

MEAC

Morgan State

Missouri Valley

Drake
Indiana State
Northern Iowa
Southern Illinois
Wichita State

Ohio Valley

Murray State
Southeast Missouri
Tennessee-Martin
Tennessee State
Tennessee Tech

Southern

College of Charleston
Western Carolina
Wofford

Summit League

Oral Roberts

WAC

Fresno State
Louisiana Tech
Nevada
New Mexico State
San Jose State

West Coast
Saint Mary’s

Seriously can't say I'm too excited about the prospects of playing any of these teams. The clear marquee teams here is Wichita State. They will be a borderline top 25 team this year. If we can get that game I'll be happy but we'd have to be the top team in the visiting bracket.

Siena would be a good game on the east coast against a historically strong Siena program the past 3 years, they have gone to 3 straight NCAA tournaments and graduated most of their starting lineup, guys who led them to 2 NCAA victories over Vanderbilt and Ohio State. Would seem to be a nice game to get, they have a 38-game home winning streak to this point and would be prime for the picking with their inexperience at this point. They are still a strong program but not the same Siena as the last 3 years.

St. Mary's would also be a solid game except for the fact that it would be across the country. Can't see them pulling another Nevada on us. We already play Wofford who looks to be one of the few remaining good teams on the home side of this field, so we can't play them, same goes for Winthrop. So if we want a decent matchup we're going to have to be right at the top of all the visiting teams which I think we have a good shot at looking at the rest of the visiting squads.

http://www.espnmediazone3.com/us/2010/09/espns-bracketbusters-to-feature-largest-pool-in-history/
 
I'm going to go a different route this year, we typically think we will play a good opponent and end up with disapointment.

So I think we will play a MEAC school this year.

Now when we get a crap opponent(before the DB spin) I can feel good about it

Also props to DB for beating bige in the photo finish on posting this
 
This game is basically a waste. It serves to eliminate many good mid-majors versus improving their status come tourney selection time.

114 teams is too many.

If this were a true bracket buster tourney teams such as VA Tech, Providence, Clemson, Washington State, Alabama, LSU, Northwestern, Wake, Dayton, Maryland, Oklahoma etc. would have to participate and play the Wichita's, VCU's, Seinna, ODU, GMU, Creightion, ILLLINOIS STATE, Neveda, St. Mary's, Fresno States etc. during projected mediocre years for the power guys, and up years for the mids to prove who exactly belonged in the conversation during tourney time.
 
rammad90 said:
This game is basically a waste. It serves to eliminate many good mid-majors versus improving their status come tourney selection time.

114 teams is too many.

If this were a true bracket buster tourney teams such as VA Tech, Providence, Clemson, Washington State, Alabama, LSU, Northwestern, Wake, Dayton, Maryland, Oklahoma etc. would have to participate and play the Wichita's, VCU's, Seinna, ODU, GMU, Creightion, ILLLINOIS STATE, Neveda, St. Mary's, Fresno States etc. during projected mediocre years for the power guys, and up years for the mids to prove who exactly belonged in the conversation during tourney time.
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amen.jpg
 
Tennessee-Martin
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:? :? :? :? :?

They have NEVER made the NCAA Tournament. In 18 years playing Division 1 basketball, they have had three winning seasons. Last year they finished 4-25.

Buffalo
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Another head-scratcher. Two 20-win seasons in 23 years of playing Division 1 basketball. They did finish last year 18-12... but tied for fourth in the MAC.

I'm wondering where teams like Iona, Montana, and Weber State are. Iona in particular.

Would seem to be a nice game to get, they have a 38-game home winning streak to this point and would be prime for the picking with their inexperience at this point.
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I believe Iona would have been a better draw than Siena, with their five returning starters from a 20-win season. Not to mention the Saints have a new coach. They'll be lucky to finish second in that league. Fairfield and Iona are stronger teams.

Louisiana Tech will be strong again, as will Oral Roberts (they are always strong coming out of the Summit League).

I'm not quite as disappointed as some others here are. There look to be a few teams on this list that are capable of being top-50 RPI teams by the time the Bracket Busters roll around.
 
DCDuck, those teams you mentioned are road teams just like us. There are a number of very good road teams this year that we won't be able to play unfortunately.
 
You never know though, a couple home teams that we think will suck may end up having good seasons. Just like we thought beating Oklahoma meant something it ended up being on par with beating Towson
 
Does anyone know if there is a contract that we have with Bracketbusters. Or is it just the entire CAA? If there is one, when does it expire?
 
It would make more sense for VCU to play in Norlfolk that weekend. Maybe bust an at-large team's hopes.

Tennessee Tech??
 
vcubanana said:
Does anyone know if there is a contract that we have with Bracketbusters. Or is it just the entire CAA? If there is one, when does it expire?
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Not soon enough!
 
districtballer said:
DCDuck, those teams you mentioned are road teams just like us. There are a number of very good road teams this year that we won't be able to play unfortunately.
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I feel like thats how its been from the start for the most part. They cant reconfigure it though because it would mess up the road-home-road-home thing.
 
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