2012 Bracket Busters Projections

[WuShock Reaper]

Todays (01/20/12) Bracketbuster Games of Note:

*Iona (RPI #38) vs. Rider (RPI #256)
Cleveland State (RPI #64) vs. Green Bay (RPI #170)
Wisconsin-Milwaukee (RPI #108) at Youngstown State (RPI #162)
Manhattan (RPI #126) at Marist (RPI #280)


Commentary - *=Key Games

Iona must win tonight to keep up with the current four-pack leaders.

[Ta Town Shocker]

Iona is blowing out Rider at home. If we don't get Murray State this Iona team would definitely be an interesting match-up for us. Machado may be the best PG in the country, he was one rebound shy of a triple double tonight. They also have a guard that transferred from Arizona and was originally a top 100 recruit who has also been impressive.

[ShockerPhi]

Quick question. What does the green and red reference in your matchups, Reaper?

[WuShock Reaper]

Quick question. What does the green and red reference in your matchups, Reaper?

Green Team = Winner

Red Team = Loser

[WuShock Reaper]

Todays (01/20/12) Bracketbuster Games of Note: FINAL UPDATE

*Iona (RPI #38) WON vs. Rider (RPI #256)
Cleveland State (RPI #64) WON vs. Green Bay (RPI #170)
Wisconsin-Milwaukee (RPI #108) LOST at Youngstown State (RPI #162)
Manhattan (RPI #126) WON at Marist (RPI #280)


Commentary - *=Key Games
Wisconsin-Milwaukee loss has caused them to currently lose their chance for an ESPN Bracketbuster TV game.

[WuShock Reaper]

Todays (01/21/12) Bracketbuster Games of Note:

*Murray State (RPI #27) at SIU Edwardsville (RPI #326)
Davidson (RPI #37) vs. Citadel (RPI #336)
*Oral Roberts (RPI #44) vs. Oakland (RPI #134)
*South Dakota State (RPI #68) at North Dakota State (RPI #114)
New Mexico State (RPI #71) at Hawaii (RPI #269)
Ohio (RPI #72) vs. Miami-Ohio (RPI #231)
*Virginia Commonwealth (RPI #91) vs. Old Dominion (RPI #131)
*Kent State (RPI #101) at Akron (RPI #79)
George Mason (RPI #105) vs. Towson (RPI #307)
Butler(RPI #108) at Loyola-Chicago (RPI #292)
*North Dakota State (RPI #114) vs. South Dakota State (RPI #68)
Montana (RPI #132) vs. Sacramento State (RPI #329)
Coastal Carolina (RPI #141) vs. Radford (RPI #321)
Utah State (RPI #148) at Idaho (RPI #284)


Commentary - *=Key Games

The best game of the day is South Dakota State (RPI #68) at North Dakota State (RPI #114). However, Murray State is on the road again at one of the worst teams in America and SIU Edwardsville could make their season by beating the Racers. Stay tuned. It’s going to be a big day today.

[ShockTalk]

Two key games on the Away side of the bracket:

Long Beach State (#47) @ UC Santa Barbara (#124)

St. Mary's (#31) @ Santa Clara (#223)

These two teams, along with WSU and UNI, make up the Top 4 that have separated themselves from the pack. WSU placing themselves at the top of this group, or at least in second with some separation, gives us the best chance of getting the top Home Team (other than CU of course). St. Mary's will be playing this and 2 more road games (Loyola Marymount/BYU) before the selection date and could likely see their RPI increase.

[shocka khan]

Talking about Iona, they 'guy from Arizona' is none other than Lamont "MoMo" Jones. Lamont was a big-time player who transferred to Iona for personal (family) reasons.

He had gotten in the doghouse with the coach out there a little bit, but he made many big-time plays for the Wildcats, so he always managed to get himself out. He left under good terms, as far as I know.

Those of you who watched Iona closely in PR would have seen him go off for 28 in his first game. Both of those guards are gamers and the people on their boards were saying that their team this year was better than the Jeff Ruland (and one other guy who also played in the NBA) were when they were there in the '80's. Iona was a very, very tough team at that time.

[WuShock Reaper]

Todays (01/21/12) Bracketbuster Games of Note: FINAL UPDATE

*Murray State (RPI #27) WON at SIU Edwardsville (RPI #326)
Davidson (RPI #37) WON vs. Citadel (RPI #336)
*Oral Roberts (RPI #44) WON vs. Oakland (RPI #134)
*South Dakota State (RPI #68) WON at North Dakota State (RPI #114) LOST
New Mexico State (RPI #71) LOST at Hawaii (RPI #269)
Ohio (RPI #72) WON vs. Miami-Ohio (RPI #231)
*Virginia Commonwealth (RPI #91) WON vs. Old Dominion (RPI #131)
*Kent State (RPI #101) LOST at Akron (RPI #79)
George Mason (RPI #105) WON vs. Towson (RPI #307)
Butler(RPI #108) WON at Loyola-Chicago (RPI #292)
*North Dakota State (RPI #114) LOST vs. South Dakota State (RPI #68) WON
Montana (RPI #132) WON vs. Sacramento State (RPI #329)
Coastal Carolina (RPI #141) WON vs. Radford (RPI #321)
Utah State (RPI #148) LOST at Idaho (RPI #284)


Commentary - *=Key Games

The best game of the day is South Dakota State (RPI #68) at North Dakota State (RPI #114). However, Murray State is on the road again at one of the worst teams in America and SIU Edwardsville could make their season by beating the Racers. Stay tuned. It’s going to be a big day today.

[Capitol Shock II]

I would like to see St. Mary's at Creighton and WSU at Murray State.

[rrshock]

I would like to see St. Mary's at Creighton and WSU at Murray State.

Is there anyone on here that wouldn't want to see that?

[Downtown Shocker Brown]

I don't know. I think we would look REALLY good after thrashing Murray State. But then everyone would discount it as they were overrated vs. us being that good.

[Dan]

I want murray state. I think we'd beat them soundly and the win would resonate nationally.

[GoShockers89]

A Murray State pairing is the ultimate win-win for us.

Slaying the nation's only remaining undefeated (and undoubtedly a top 10 team at that point) would obviously be huge. More importantly, however, it is the only game that won't be a killer if we lose it. If we are paired with Iona instead of Murray State, the media absolutely will frame it as an at-large elimination game (the committee wouldn't agree with this perception, but that's not my point).

Frankly, I would much rather see us paired with Oral Roberts than Iona. Iona is good. The travel to upstate New York and back during a short week sucks. They have a high major talent in their point guard and there is a very good chance we would drop that one on the road. ORU is also a top 50 team, but I would love our odds of transporting Shocker Nation into Tulsa and coming out with a W on national tv. Similar RPI benefits from both matchups- I simply like our odds better against ORU.

[Anthroshock]

Undefeated on the Road Vs. Undefeated Everywhere.

Start the drumbeat.