2013 Sears ESPN Bracketbuster Game

[ShockTalk]

CU will get the great match-up with Belmont. They can probably lose 3-4 more games than expected and still be in the Top 50 RPI.

Well as long as one of those losses is to our Wichita State Shockers, they can have Belmont!!!

Wasn't speaking of CU. Belmont can have 3-4 unexpected losses and still finish in the Top 50. If any of WSU's potential opponents have just one unexpected loss, they'll drop into the 60s or 70s.

[WuShock Reaper]

Here is where we stand today (01/14/13) regarding the 2013 Ramada ESPN Bracketbuster Field and their respective RPI’s, they are:

Top 15 Home Teams

Tier 1
Wichita State (#22), Belmont (#30), Indiana State (#42), Murray State (#70), Saint Mary's College (#73),

Tier 2
Akron (#82), Utah State (#87), Oral Roberts (#88), Northern Iowa (#99), Long Beach State (#101)

Tier 3
Valparaiso (#107), Davidson (#108), Western Michigan (#109), Tennessee State (#110), Illinois-Chicago (#111)


Top 15 Away Teams

Tier 1
Creighton (#19), North Dakota State (#54), Stephen F. Austin (#55), Northwestern State (#66), Evansville (#78)

Tier 2
South Dakota State (#81), Detroit (#84), Eastern Kentucky (#92), Iona (#103), Weber State (#104)

Tier 3
Loyola-Maryland (#112), Canisius (#122), Albany (#124), Montana (#125), Savannah State (#126)


COMMENTARY
Here is the average RPI for the top 22 teams (the ESPN TV Games) for the last week. Also, I am only using the top 11 games (22 teams) because in 2010 and 2011 ESPN only had 11 games on the ESPN Family Network.

2013 TV Games - RPI #60.9 (As of 12/31/12)
2013 TV Games - RPI #70.2 (As of today 01/07/13)
2013 TV Games - RPI #75.0 (As of today 01/14/13)

As you can see the RPI average got worse by almost 5 points or 5.9% during the last week. Also the Selection Show has moved to February 4th.

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

Guaranteed WSU gets a Tier 2 or Tier 3 team. Another team with more to gain from this BS than we do

[ShockTalk]

COMMENTARY
Now for all you out there who insist that the event has gotten worse over the last few years, I think you are all full of bovine excrement. Here is the average RPI for the top 11 teams (the ESPN TV Games) for the last few years as they stood on Selection Monday (the days the teams are matched-up):

2008 TV Games - RPI #62.6
2009 TV Games - RPI #68.5
2010 TV Games - RPI #71.0
2011 TV Games - RPI #72.3
2012 TV Games - RPI #67.2
2013 TV Games - RPI #60.9 (As of today 01/01/13

If the event has gotten worse, then why is the RPI better than previous years? In fact, it is the best it has been in the last six years. Yeah, I know that the RPI rankings will likely deteriorate over the next four weeks, but they could get better as well. We will see.

COMMENTARY
Here is the average RPI for the top 22 teams (the ESPN TV Games) for the last week. Also, I am only using the top 11 games (22 teams) because in 2010 and 2011 ESPN only had 11 games on the ESPN Family Network.

2013 TV Games - RPI #60.9 (As of 12/31/12)
2013 TV Games - RPI #70.2 (As of today 01/07/13)
2013 TV Games - RPI #75.0 (As of today 01/14/13)

As you can see the RPI average got worse by almost 5 points or 5.9% during the last week. Also the Selection Show has moved to February 4th.

Who's filling up with cow poo now? ;)

[isu87]

Here is where we stand today (01/14/13) regarding the 2013 Ramada ESPN Bracketbuster Field and their respective RPI’s, they are:

Top 15 Home Teams

Tier 1
Wichita State (#22), Belmont (#30), Indiana State (#42), Murray State (#70), Saint Mary's College (#73),

Tier 2
Akron (#82), Utah State (#87), Oral Roberts (#88), Northern Iowa (#99), Long Beach State (#101)

Tier 3
Valparaiso (#107), Davidson (#108), Western Michigan (#109), Tennessee State (#110), Illinois-Chicago (#111)


Top 15 Away Teams

Tier 1
Creighton (#19), North Dakota State (#54), Stephen F. Austin (#55), Northwestern State (#66), Evansville (#78)

Tier 2
South Dakota State (#81), Detroit (#84), Eastern Kentucky (#92), Iona (#103), Weber State (#104)

Tier 3
Loyola-Maryland (#112), Canisius (#122), Albany (#124), Montana (#125), Savannah State (#126)


COMMENTARY
Here is the average RPI for the top 22 teams (the ESPN TV Games) for the last week. Also, I am only using the top 11 games (22 teams) because in 2010 and 2011 ESPN only had 11 games on the ESPN Family Network.

2013 TV Games - RPI #60.9 (As of 12/31/12)
2013 TV Games - RPI #70.2 (As of today 01/07/13)
2013 TV Games - RPI #75.0 (As of today 01/14/13)

As you can see the RPI average got worse by almost 5 points or 5.9% during the last week. Also the Selection Show has moved to February 4th.

looks like there has some been movement in the RPI's of the top road teams for BB. I bet you guys wind up in a rematch with S. Dakta St. I think their RPI is in the 60s, or you could play N. Dakta St., they are the top rated RPI road team at this point I think. Or maybe Stephen F. Austin as they are closer to you location-wise.

[SubGod22]

looks like there has some been movement in the RPI's of the top road teams for BB. I bet you guys wind up in a rematch with S. Dakta St. I think their RPI is in the 60s, or you could play N. Dakta St., they are the top rated RPI road team at this point I think. Or maybe Stephen F. Austin as they are closer to you location-wise.

You can see why we're not excited

[rrshock]

Ugh. This gets worse and worse. So glad it is over.

[WSUwatcher]

That's quite a rogues gallery of road teams, all right. Can you imagine a return road trip to Fargo, North Dakota at pretty much any time during basketball season? Brrr, brrr, and brrr.

SFA is one of those no-name teams that frequently plays pretty decent basketball, and Huntsville is within reasonable driving distance of either Dallas or Houston in case the Shocks have a priority recruit in one of those two places.

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

The only thing worse than this year's home BB game is the fact we have to play the return game in 2 seasons.

[ShockerGorilla]

The only thing worse than this year's home BB game is the fact we have to play the return game in 2 seasons.

Do we still have to play the return game if Bracketbusters is gone?

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

Do we still have to play the return game if Bracketbusters is gone?

I'm just assuming we do. If not, that'd be fine by me. Let's convince Butler, Gonzaga or UNLV to do a home and home instead.

[SubGod22]

A return is part of the contract for playing the game. I believe it'll be returned next year to get everything done with.

[rrshock]

A return is part of the contract for playing the game. I believe it'll be returned next year to get everything done with.

That is the way I understand it.

[WuShock Reaper]

Here is where we stand today (01/21/13) regarding the 2013 Ramada ESPN Bracketbuster Field and their respective RPI’s, they are:

Top 15 Home Teams

Tier 1
Wichita State (#15), Belmont (#24), Indiana State (#47), Saint Mary's College (#62), Akron (#68)

Tier 2
Valparaiso (#83), Northern Iowa (#85), Oral Roberts (#91), Murray State (#96), Utah State (#97), Long Beach State (#100)

Tier 3
Tennessee State (#101), Illinois-Chicago (#107), Western Michigan (#110), Wright State (#114), Davidson (#132)

Top 15 Away Teams

Tier 1
Creighton (#22), North Dakota State (#53), South Dakota State (#60), Stephen F. Austin (#69), Eastern Kentucky (#71)

Tier 2
Detroit (#92), Evansville (#104), Loyola-Maryland (#108), Denver (#109), Pacific (#111)

Tier 3
Iona (#112), Weber State (#118), Albany (#121) , Savannah State (#125), Ohio (#129)


COMMENTARY
Here is the average RPI for the top 22 teams (the ESPN TV Games) for the last week. Also, I am only using the top 11 games (22 teams) because in 2010 and 2011 ESPN only had 11 games on the ESPN Family Network.

2013 TV Games - RPI #60.9 (As of 12/31/12)
2013 TV Games - RPI #70.2 (As of 01/07/13)
2013 TV Games - RPI #75.0 (As of 01/14/13)
2013 TV Games - RPI #76.3 (As of 01/21/13)

As you can see the RPI average got worse by 1.3 points or 1.7% during the last week. Hopefully, we have stabilized the overall average and will see no further deterioration.

NEXT UPDATE – January 28, 2013

[Rocky Mountain Shock]

A return is part of the contract for playing the game. I believe it'll be returned next year to get everything done with.

So we'll have Davidson at home and an away game at probably one of the Dakota States? At least Davidson is a huge upgrade from the likes of NC Central or Howard. Glad this thing is coming to a quick end.