2012 BracketBusters Matchups Announced

Pairings for the 10th annual BracketBusters – a two-day men’s college basketball event pitting NCAA Championship hopefuls Friday, February 17 and Saturday, February 18 – were announced tonight, Monday, January 30. The field features No. 9 Murray State, the only undefeated team in the nation, against No. 16 Saint Mary’s, with a 21-2 record. The lineup also includes No. 12 Creighton and three additional teams receiving votes (Nevada, Wichita State and Long Beach State) in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll.

BracketBusters will feature 13 nationally televised games across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN3 selected from 142 eligible teams – the largest pool in the event’s history. ESPNU will air five games; ESPN2 and ESPN3 each have two exclusive; and four flex options to be televised on ESPN or ESPN2 (determined approximately one week before the game).

This year’s BracketBusters television package consists of teams from 14 conferences, including five from the Missouri Valley Conference; three from the Colonial Athletic Conference and Mid-American Conference; and two from Horizon League, Summit League, Western Athletic Conference and West Coast Conference.

BracketBusters highlights:

A top-25 matchup pitting No. 16 Saint Mary’s at No. 9 Murray State on Saturday, February, 18, at 5 p.m. on ESPN/ESPN2, as well as ESPN3.

Four 2011 NCAA Championship participants: UNC-Asheville, Akron, Old Dominion and VCU, which advanced to the Final Four Creighton, Murray State, Oral Roberts and Saint Mary’s have reached the 20-win plateau this season.

Twenty of the 26 teams are ranked in the top 100 of the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index (RPI): Creighton (18), Wichita State (24), Saint Mary’s (31), Murray State (33), Long Beach State (40), Northern Iowa (42), Iona (43), Oral Roberts (45), Davidson (49), Cleveland State (60), South Dakota State (64), Akron (66), Ohio (74), Nevada (76), Weber State (82), Missouri State (83), VCU (87), New Mexico State (88), Buffalo (93) and Drake (97)

2012 BracketBusters Schedule (All times are Central and are subject to change)

Fri, Feb 17
6 p.m. Northern Iowa at Virginia Commonwealth  - ESPN2 / ESPN3
8 p.m. Valparaiso at Loyola-Marymount - ESPNU

Sat, Feb 18
10 a.m. Drexel at Cleveland State - ESPNU
11 a.m. Wichita State at Davidson - ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPN3
12 p.m. Buffalo at South Dakota State - ESPNU
1 p.m. Akron at Oral Roberts - ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPN3
2 p.m. Drake at New Mexico State - ESPNU
3 p.m. Nevada at Iona  - ESPN / ESPN2/ ESPN3
4 p.m. Old Dominion at Missouri State -  ESPNU
5 p.m. No. 16 Saint Mary’s at No. 9 Murray State - ESPN / ESPN2 / ESPN3
6 p.m. UNC-Ashville at Ohio - ESPN3*
7 p.m. Texas-Arlington at Weber State - ESPN3*
9 p.m. Long Beach State at No. 12 Creighton - ESPN2 / ESPN3
* - exclusive