3. Detroit at Wichita St. (ESPN/ESPN2, Feb. 23) - Gregg Marshall’s team is 19-4 with a couple weird losses in the Missouri Valley Conference, but the Shockers are going to host a hot Detroit team that could use this win. The Titans aren’t a true at-large contender at 72 in RPI and 15-8 overall, but they’ve got dangerous players in guys like Ray McCallum. This is a must win for Marshall if he doesn’t want to start sweating out Selection Sunday.Morning Five: 02.05.13 Edition--Rush The Court
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7. Eastern Kentucky at Valparaiso (ESPNU, Feb. 22) - This game could be a lot of fun. EKU is probably the second best team in the OVC behind Belmont and the Colonels play lots of offense and little defense. Valparaiso is a talented all-around team. The Crusaders should win this game, but it could be high-scoring and played in the open court.
Yesterday the match-ups for the last BracketBusters were announced and given the lack of enthusiasm generated by the announcement we can understand why the event is ending. In the past it seemed like there were at least 3-4 games that we could point to as “can’t miss” games. This year the only game that measures up to that is Creighton at St. Mary’s. The game is bigger for St. Mary’s in terms of getting an at-large bid since most would consider Creighton a near-lock for the NCAA Tournament, but a road win would be a big boost for the Bluejays in terms of their NCAA Tournament seeding. On the other end of the spectrum is Wichita State, who is scheduled to play at home against Detroit in a game that would be huge for the Titans if they could pull out a win, but it could also be potentially devastating for the Shockers if they were to lose at home and might push them on the wrong side of the bubbble on Selection Sunday. Outside of that there are a few moderately interesting game, but nothing that we would plan our day around.A data-driven look at all 61 BracketBusters matchups--Run The Floor
2013 Horizon League BracketBusters Matchups--Horizon League Hoops
Creighton & Saint Mary's highlight BracketBusters--Eye On College Basketball
Worst draws
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Detroit at Wichita State
What's at stake? There aren't too many ways that Wichita State could play itself out of the NCAA tournament, but there is nothing great that can come out of this game for the Shockers. Of course, there weren't many resume-builders that are playing on the road in this one, but Wichita State needed a better win to improve its potential NCAA seeding.
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Other storylines
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Big vs. small: Valparaiso has been carried this season by the frontcourt duo of Ryan Broekhoff and Kevin Van Wijk, but it will be tested by Eastern Kentucky guards Mike DiNunno and Glenn Cosey.
Super Bowl an ‘awesome’ party for Miami Heat--Miami Herald
Heat players and coaches entered the bar through the kitchen and were separated from fans, but Norris Cole said fans waved to players through a clear glass wall.BracketBusters pairings have Akron hosting North Dakota State; Ohio University, Cleveland State and Kent State also learn opponents--Cleveland Plain Dealer
Cleveland State Draws WIU in BracketBusters--Cleveland State Hoops
Updated: Cleveland State (11-12) vs. Youngstown State (13-9)--Vikings Ball
Marlin Mason is Runner-Up for the StatSheet Horizon Player of the Week - February 4th, 2013--Vikings Ball
Viking Sports Weekly (Feb. 4)--csuvikings.com
Vikings Host Youngstown State on Tuesday--csuvikings.com
Vikings Travel to Western Illinois for Ramada BracketBusters--csuvikings.com
The top 10 dunks of the college basketball season--CollegeBasketballTalk
7. Doug Anderson – Detroit vs. St. John’s, 11/13/12Three Teams That Need a Bracket Buster Win the Most--Mid-Major Madness
Doug Anderson is the best dunker in the country. Plain and simple. There is not a player in the country who dunks with as much vertical height, velocity and frequency as the Detroit freak-show. On any given night, he’s good for a handful of highlight reel plays. Scouting for Doug Anderson is not all that complicated. Simply box him out on every shot or he will make you pay.
3. Detroit - Plays at Wichita State on Saturday. RPI: 72; KenPom: 62; MRI: 62.College basketball roundup: BracketBuster game pits Titans against Shockers--The Detroit Free Press
Detroit is in the same situation as Ohio up above. They have a lot of games against the top teams in the country, but just a single win that means anything. The problem for Detroit is that their win came against Akron, another mid-major.
We won't discount that, but you can see the argument now: "But it is Akron, not Oklahoma".
So here you have a team that is 1-3 against the top 50 in KenPom, and all three of those losses are to teams in the top 15. But there are no good wins outside of Akron, and that is balanced off by a loss at home to Valparaiso in which the Titans basically collapsed.
That is not the impression you want to leave the committee.
So this is the chance. You get another team that is in the top 30 of KenPom, and the top 25 of the MRI. You go into one of the most hostile environments in the country (no doubt on this one), and you have a chance to go up against one of the more difficult defenses and prove your worth.
This would be a defining win for the Titans and one that could mean a lot rolling through the final weeks of the season in terms of confidence. Just imagine how good Nick Minnerath will look in the middle after facing off against Carl Hall, or Cleanthony Early. OK, we might have promised we wouldn't rave about the Detroit big man any longer.
He did just win Player of the Week honors though.
Detroit needs this win for any shot at some extra love should they fumble and crumble again against Valparaiso, especially if that trip comes in the conference finals.
Detroit Mercy's Nick Minnerath is Horizon League player of the week--The Detroit News
Evan Bruinsma Receives Honorable Mention for the StatSheet Horizon Sixth Man of the Week - February 4th, 2013--Titans Update
Minnerath Named HL Player of the Week--detroittitans.com
Titans to Visit Wichita State in Ramada BracketBuster Tilt--detroittitans.com
UIC at Valparaiso--The Chicago Tribune
Flames draw Bradley in BracketBusters--Whoosh!Net
Game #24: Flames Travel to First-Place Valpo Tuesday Night--uicflames.com
Flames Draw Bradley for BracketBusters Contest--uicflames.com
Late Night Snacks: Statements made on Monday--CollegeBasketballTalk
StruggledWright State rallies to beat Loyola 62-59--Daily Herald
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Ben Averkamp, Loyola (Chicago) – Averkamp averages 15.6 points per game for the Ramblers. He clocked out Monday night with only eight points on 2-of-6 shooting a 62-59 loss to Wright State.
Loyola (Chicago) Loses Close One to Wright State 62-59--LU Wolf Ball
Loyola To Host Kent State On BracketBuster Weekend--LoyolaRamblers.com
Late Raider Rally Sinks Loyola, 62-59--LoyolaRamblers.com
Taylor Johnson Named Horizon League Newcomer of the Week--LoyolaRamblers.com
UWGB men draw Drake in BracketBuster--UWGB Hoops Blog
UWGB's Turner tears ACL again--UWGB Hoops Blog
Jordan Fouse Wins the StatSheet Horizon Freshman of the Week - February 4th, 2013--Phoenix Fever
NOTEBOOK: Rebounding Helping Phoenix in League Play--GreenBayPhoenix.com
UW-Whitewater’s Paul Plinske among finalists for UWM AD--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Final candidates for AD set--PantherU
Panthers Will Play At IUPUI In Annual BracketBusters Event--uwmpanthers.com
A look at Valparaiso's Kevin Van Wijk's around the basket game--Mid-Major Madness
Valpo men back in national spotlight in BracketBusters--The Post-Tribune
Crusaders net another ESPN appearance--The NWI Times
Horizon League move paying off for Valparaiso--The NWI Times
Updated: Valparaiso (17-6) vs. UIC (14-9)--Valpo Daily
Bobby Capobianco Wins the StatSheet Horizon Sixth Man of the Week - February 4th, 2013--Valpo Daily
First-Place Crusaders Host UIC Tuesday--valpoathletics.com
Crusaders to Host Eastern Kentucky on ESPNU for BracketBusters Matchup--valpoathletics.com
Gerardot gets third HL Player of the Week nod--valpoathletics.com
Raiders get ‘big lift’ with comeback win--Hamiliton Journal News
Arceneaux gets help from other Raiders--Dayton Daily News
Unlikely heroes calm down the stretch for Raiders--Dayton Daily News
Notes: Loyola shuts down Arceneaux; other Raiders step up--Wright State University Sports
Wright State gets ‘big lift’ with comeback win--Wright State University Sports
WSU: Monster Trucks and a Monster Comeback--Through the Arch
Déjà vu! Raiders find way to beat Loyola again--RaiderRoundball.com
Jerran Young is Runner-Up for the StatSheet Horizon Sixth Man of the Week - February 4th, 2013--Rowdy Review
Wright State Escapes Loyola (Chicago) 62-59--Rowdy Review
Men Rally for 62-59 Win Over Loyola--wsuraiders.com
Raiders to Host Evansville in BracketBusters--wsuraiders.com
Women's Milwaukee Game Time Set--wsuraiders.com
YSU men face rugged schedule--Youngstown Vindicator
Penguins need balance to beat Cleveland State--Mahoning Valley Tribune Chronicle
Kendrick Perry Wins the StatSheet Horizon Player of the Week - February 4th, 2013--Guin Report
Updated: Youngstown State (13-9) Takes On Cleveland State (11-12)--Guin Report
Kamren Belin Repeats As Horizon League Newcomer of the Week--ysusports.com
Men's Basketball Visits Cleveland State in Crucial Horizon League Matchup--ysusports.com
Penguins to Host Central Michigan in 2013 Ramada Bracketbusters--ysusports.com
Boldon’s Penguins earn compliments--Youngstown Vindicator
Detroit's Minnerath, Youngstown State's Belin Collect Weekly Awards--Horizon League Network
Catching up with Norris Cole--Horizon League Network
Men's Basketball Notebook (Feb. 4)--Horizon League Network
Valpo, Detroit Tabbed for TV Games in Ramada BracketBusters--Horizon League Network
Men's Basketball Final Shot: Feb. 4 - Call it a Comeback--Horizon League Network
Tabitha Gerardot Named Player of the Week, Taylor Johnson Earns Newcomer Nod--Horizon League Network
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