LMU to Bracket Busters

[Zag 77]

This has got to be a typo.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. -- Two West Coast Conference teams will participate in the 11th annual Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters - a two-day men's college basketball event pitting potential NCAA Tournament hopefuls against each other February 22-23. On Monday, the entire Ramada Worldwide BracketBusters field was announced. Saint Mary's (19-4) will host No. 16 Creighton (20-3) in the field's marquee match-up. The Gaels will battle the nation's best shooting team on Saturday, February 23 at 6 p.m. EST in a nationally televised game on ESPN or ESPN2. Loyola Marymount (8-13) will travel to Cal Poly (9-11), where the Lions and Mustangs will tip off at 7 p.m. PST on February 23.

wccsports.org

Seriously? If the concept of BB is to feature teams trying to build a resume to get in to the NCAA, why schedule this game? Nobody is going to go watch it and it looks like a real "bowser."

I do not want to hurt LMU's feelings, but I would think they want to get this season over with and close the books on it.

[LongIslandZagFan]

WTF? No, seriously, WTF?

.... a two-day men's college basketball event pitting potential NCAA Tournament hopefuls against each other February 22-23.

.... Loyola Marymount (8-13) will travel to Cal Poly (9-11)

In what alternate universe does either team remotely meet the criteria of tourney hopeful?

[ZagSports]

Don't look into it to much, the majority of the matchups are just ways for schools to get another ooc opportunity to play a school of similar ability. In a way it is almost like a big Mid-Major conference showdown where all the top teams are left out except the few that are actually on the bubble

list of all the other non important games

http://espnbracketbusters.com/site/about/tv-schedule?id=12

[zagirl2k]

Hey, any mention of Cal Poly basketball reminds me that they beat UCLA (at Pauley) this year, and that makes me smile so I can't complain.

I think games like this is why the whole BracketBusters thing is going away. The teams that really are on the bubble don't participate so why bother.

[Sarenyon]

Unless your SMC... and counting on this lone win to help because the redt of your OOC is comparable to the tird my dog left on the lawn...

[jazzdelmar]

If manhattan college is in it, it's meaningless. They stink.

[zagamatic]

um.......just a thought,

Could it be that the teams selected are those who don't already have their maximum compliment of games scheduled? That and quite frankly California by itself has a huge market share of tv on the west coast so why not schedule California teams in a game that otherwise may not get much of an audience?

[KStyles]

Could it be that the teams selected are those who don't already have their maximum compliment of games scheduled? That and quite frankly California by itself has a huge market share of tv on the west coast so why not schedule California teams in a game that otherwise may not get much of an audience?

Yeah, the teams were predetermined before the season (not matchups, but teams). Which teams were hosting and which ones were traveling were also predetermined before the season. This is so those teams can have an open game on their schedule, have that date open, and the hosting teams can make sure their facility isn't booked as well. There were 100+ teams scheduled for BracketBusters, and they announced the matchups today. ESPN only took 13 of the higher-profile matchups for their TV schedule, and the rest of the teams were still scheduled games against teams close to their level. This list of teams (without the hotel & TV schedule links) has been up all year. I think that's why they bill it as "a two-day men's college basketball event pitting potential NCAA Tournament hopefuls against each other February 22-23." Any of those teams had the potential to be tourney hopefuls back in October.

Full list of teams as the link, but LMU & St. Mary's were the only participating teams from the WCC this year.

[DZ]

LMU ain't busting my bracket this year.

I have no idea why they are playing but I am definetly sure of the above.

[77Zag]

If LMU can/could beat SMC in league play, then the Gael's bracket is more than busted....can you say NIT, maybe.