2011-2012 Top 50 Countdown: Nos. 35-31

Over the coming weeks, we will be counting down our Top 50 teams in the country. Teams 26-50 will be posted in groups of five, while we will count backwards from No. 25 to the No. 1 team in the country. You can find a complete schedule of our 2011-2012 Season Preview coverage here. To browse through the rest of the Top 50, click here.


35. Illinois Fighting Illini:

Last Season: 20-14, 9-9 (Big Ten)

Head Coach: Bruce Weber

Key Losses: Demetri McCamey, Mike Davis, Mike Tisdale, Jereme Richmond, Bill Cole

New Additions: Nnanna Egwu, Tracy Abrams, Mike Shaw, Mychael Henry, Devin Langford, Ibrahima Djimde, Sam Maniscalco, Jereme Richmond?

Projected Lineup:

- G: Sam Maniscalco, Sr.
- G: Brandon Paul, Jr.
- G: DJ Richardson, Jr.
- F: Tyler Griffey, Jr.
- C: Meyers Leonard, So.
- Bench: Crandall Head, So.; Tracy Abrams, Fr.; Mike Shaw, Fr.; Myke Henry, Fr.; Devin Langford, Fr.



Outlook: Illinois is in an interesting position this season. On the one hand, they are losing four starters and a key reserve. On the other hand, they are losing Demetri McCamey and Jereme Richmond, two talented head cases that may end up being an addition by subtraction. So while Bruce Weber's team is losing 56.5 percent of their minutes and 59.2 pecent of their scoring, the team chemistry -- which is so valuable and so underrated -- stands to increase without the fights Richmond may or may not have been involved in and the professional career McCamey may or may not have been preparing for. So what's left? Its going to start on the perimeter for the Illini. Juniors DJ Richardson and Brandon Paul should become the first and second options with the ball-dominating McCamey gone. Bradley transfer Sam Maniscalco -- who is legit -- should slide into the point guard role for a year while freshman Tracy Abrams gets used to the Big Ten. Sophomore Meyers Leonard should be able to provide some solid interior defense and rebounding if he can keep his fouls down while Tyler Griffey gives Weber a face-up four with a dangerous jump shot. Throw in a couple youngsters off the bench -- Crandall Head, Joseph Bertrand, Mike Shaw, Myke Henry, Devin Langford, Nnanna Egwu -- and Illinois has a bright future.


34. Washington Huskies:

Last Season: 24-11, 11-7 (Pac-10)

Head Coach: Lorenzo Romar

Key Losses: Isaiah Thomas, Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Justin Holiday, Venoy Overton

New Additions: Tony Wroten Jr, Shawn Kemp Jr, Hikeem Stewart, Jernard Jarreau, Martin Breunig, Andrew Andrews

Projected Lineup:

- G: Abdul Gaddy, Jr.
- G: Tony Wroten Jr, Fr.
- F: Terrence Ross, So.
- F: Darnell Gant, Sr.
- C: Aziz N'Diaye, Jr.
- Bench: CJ Wilcox, So.; Scott Suggs, Sr.; Shawn Kemp Jr, Fr.; Hikeem Stewart, Fr.; Jernard Jarreau, Fr.


Outlook: Washington is going to have a lot of important pieces to replace next season. Its starts with the most obvious -- Isaiah Thomas -- but with Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Justin Holiday and Venoy Overton also graduating, Lorenzo Romar is going to have quite a few minutes to replace. He certainly will have talent at his disposal, however, especially on the perimeter. It starts with Abdul Gaddy, who should be healthy after tearing his acl a third of the way through last season, and stud point guard recruit Tony Wroten Jr, who is the kind of playmaker that can fill the role Thomas vacated. CJ Wilcox and Scott Suggs should be able to provide an offensive pop off the bench. The x-factor, however, will be Terrence Ross. The sophomore wing has had quite a bit of hype throughout the off-season and could end up being a first-team all-conference performer if he lives up to those expectations. The front court will be a bit of a question mark. Aziz N'Diaye is seven-foot shotblocker, but he doesn't provide much offensive pop. Darnell Gant can stretch the floor with his ability to shoot, but he's not much of a banger. Four freshmen -- Shawn Kemp Jr, Desmond Simmons, Martin Breunig and Jernard Jarreau -- will be competing for front court bench minutes, and Washington is going to need one or two of that group to become impact contributors.


33. Michigan State Spartans:

Last Season: 19-15, 9-9 (Big Ten)

Head Coach: Tom Izzo

Key Losses: Kalin Lucas, Durrell Summers, Garrick Sherman, Korie Lucious, Mike Kebler

New Additions: Branden Dawson, Brandon Kearney, Travis Trice, Brandon Wood

Projected Lineup:

- G: Keith Appling, So.
- G: Brandon Wood, Sr.
- F: Branden Dawson, Fr.
- F: Draymond Green, Sr.
- C: Delvon Roe, Sr.
- Bench: Adreian Payne, So.; Derrick Nix, Jr.; Austin Thornton, Sr.; Brandon Kearney, Fr.; Russell Byrd, Fr.


Outlook: Last season was, frankly, a disaster for the Spartans. After being picked as a consensus top five team heading into the season, Michigan State never found that rhythm. There were chemistry issues, Kalin Lucas couldn't get healthy, Durrell Summers couldn't get a shot to fall and Michigan State found themselves knocked out in the first round of the tournament after failing to crack the 20 win barrier. Next season will be an interesting mix. The strength of this group will be the front court. Draymond Green and Delvon Roe (Ed. Note: Only hours after we posted this, news of Roe announced his retirement) are senior leaders that have been through quite a few battles in their careers. Adreian Payne and Derrick Nix both have some question marks -- Payne needs Nix to donate him about 30 pounds, among other things -- but if they can put it together, both have the potential to be impact players in the Big Ten this year. Freshman small forward Branden Dawson has drawn comparisons to Raymar Morgan and should fit well with this team. The back court is a bigger question. Sophomore Keith Appling is going to be asked to take over a much more prominent role while senior Valpo transfer -- who, like Maniscalco at Illinois, is legit -- will be counted on to provide some back court experience. Austin Thornton will see minutes, as will Brandon Kearney and Russell Byrd (if he can get healthy), but the only natural point guard on the roster is freshman Travis Trice. Tom Izzo is going to need to turn this group into an old-school, beat-em-up Spartan team.


32. Wichita State Shockers:

Last Season: 29-8, 14-4 (MVC)

Head Coach: Gregg Marshall

Key Losses: JT Durley, Graham Hatch, Gabe Blair, Aaron Ellis

New Additions: Jake White, Evan Wessel, Tekele Cotton, Ron Baker, Carl Hall, Ede Egharevba

Projected Lineup:

- G: Joe Ragland, Sr.
- G: David Kyles, Sr.
- F: Toure' Murry, Sr.
- F: Ben Smith, Sr.
- C: Garrett Stutz, Sr.
- Bench: Carl Hall, Jr.; Demetric Williams, Jr.; Jake White, Fr.


Outlook: The Shockers had some rough luck during the regular season, taking a couple of tough losses that cost them the MVC regular season title and a trip to the tournament. That said, they did make a run to the NIT championship. Wichita State should be able to compete for an MVC title this season based on their back court alone. Its headlined by a trio of talented and unselfish seniors that buy into what Gregg Marshall is selling. Joe Ragland is the point guard, David Kyles is the shooter, and Toure' Murry is the play-maker and the slasher. All three are capable of producing big games, but they also all understand their role within the team. Junior Demetric Williams showed flashes of promise last season, but he will be battling for bench minutes with freshmen Evan Wessel and Tekele Cotton. Where the Shockers have question marks is along their front line. Garrett Stutz, their seven-foot senior center, returns. He is going to need to increase his productivity to make up for JT Durley's scoring and Gabe Blair's rebounding and physicality inside. The undersized Ben Smith will be back, although he tends to spend more on his time on the perimeter. Beyond that, Marshall is going to have a lot of fresh faces manning the paint, but the most interesting are two newcomers. Jake White is a face-up four that had some legitimate high-major interest and Carl Hall is a JuCo transfer that has some hype coming into the program.


31. UNLV Runnin' Rebels:

Last Season: 24-9, 11-5 (MWC)

Head Coach: Dave Rice

Key Losses: Tre'Von Willis, Derrick Jasper, Lon Kruger

New Additions: Mike Moser, Dave Rice

Projected Lineup:

- G: Oscar Bellfield, Sr.
- G: Anthony Marshall, Jr.
- G: Justin Hawkins, Jr.
- F: Chace Stanback, Sr.
- C: Quintrel Thomas, Jr.
- Bench: Mike Moser, So.; Carlos Lopez, So.; Kendall Wallace, Sr., Brice Massamba, Sr.; Reggie Smith, So.


Outlook: UNLV is going to be going through a regime change as the Mountain West goes through a membership change, but there is plenty of talent on this roster to compete with New Mexico in the two-horse race to win the MWC. Oscar Bellfield and Anthony Marshall are going to share ball-handling and playmaking duties. Bellfield is a better shooter and creator than Marshall, but Marshall is the kind of player coaches love. He does seemingly everything well and can be a lock-down defensive presence. Defensive stopper Justin Hawkins and three-point sniper Kendall Wallace, who is coming off of an acl tear, will both be back as well. Don't be surprised is Marquette transfer Reggie Smith works his way into the lineup when he gets eligible in December. Up front, Rice figures to continue the three-man rotation that Kruger had last season. Quintrel Thomas, Brice Massamba and Carlos Lopez are all big and strong and do enough well to get on the court but don't do enough to earn a permanent starting spot. UCLA transfer Mike Moser will also see time in the front court, which would allow Chace Stanback to slide over and play some three. The x-factor is going to be Stanback. With much of the MWC's star power gone from last season, he has a real shot at being the Player of the Year in the conference. A 6'8" wing, he can do a lot of different things on the floor -- shoot from deep, score, rebound, defend multiple positions -- but is he ready to become "the man"? Will he take that next step towards being a star? If he does, UNLV has a very good chance of winning the MWC.


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2010-2011 Season Preview Top 50 Countdown: Nos. 45-41

Over the coming weeks, we will be counting down our Top 50 teams in the country. Teams 26-50 will be posted in groups of five, while we will count backwards from No. 25 to the No. 1 team in the country.

For a complete listing of our season previews, click here.

To browse through the rest of our Top 50 Countdown, click here.


45. Virginia Commonwealth

• Last Season: 27-9, 11-7 (CAA)


• Head Coach: Shaka Smart


• Key Losses: Larry Sanders, Jay Gavin, TJ Gwynn


• New Additions: Juvonte Reddic, Rob Brandenburg, Heath Houston, DJ Haley, Reco McCarter


• Projected Lineup:


• G: Joey Rodriguez, Sr.
• G: Ed Nixon, Sr.
• G: Bradford Burgess, Jr.
  
• F: Juvonte Reddic, Fr.
  
• C: Jamie Skeen, Sr.
• Bench: Brandon Rozzell, Sr.; Darius Theus, So.; Toby Veal, Jr.; Heath Houston, Fr.
  

• Outlook: How long until VCU starts getting mentioned in the same breath as the Xavier's and the Gonzaga's of the world? The past two seasons, they have sent a player to the first round of the NBA Draft. Their last two coaches have ended up at Oklahoma and Alabama. Last season, they won 27 games despite losing seven conference games by five points or fewer, two of which came in over time. Despite all of that, the Rams will once again be a favorite to win the CAA. It will start with point guard Joey Rodriguez, who is one of the most underrated players in the country. Last year, he averaged 12.9 ppg and 5.8 apg, admirably replacing Eric Maynor. Joining him in the back court will be 6'2" senior Brandon Rozzell and 6'6" junior Bradford Burgess. Senior Ed Nixon is one of the toughest defenders in the CAA, giving VCU arguably the best back court in the conference. Darius Theus and a couple of freshmen -- Rob Brandenburg and Reco McCarter -- should also see time in the back court. Up front, its going to be tough to replace a talent like Larry Sanders, but there are some pieces there. Senior Jamie Skeen is a tough, experienced senior, and junior Toby Veal -- who originally enrolled at Colorado -- should also step in and contribute significant minutes. After that, there is a lot of inexperience -- three freshmen and a redshirt sophomore that played in just nine games -- up front, but plenty of potential. Juvonte Reddic is probably Smart's best recruit, an explosive athlete that should be an impact freshman. 7'0" DJ Haley was a late, under-the-radar signee that could develop like Sanders. Heath Houston originally signed with Auburn before Jeff Lebo resigned. VCU will, once again, be a very tough out.

44. Dayton

• Last Season: 25-12, 8-8 (A-10)


• Head Coach: Brian Gregory
  


• Key Losses: Marcus Johnson, London Warren, Rob Lowery, Mickey Perry, Kurt Huelsman
  


• New Additions: Juwan Staten, Brandon Spearman, Devin Oliver, Ralph Hill, Mitch Asmus
  


• Projected Lineup:


• G: Juwan Staten, Fr.
• G: Paul Williams, Jr.
• F: Chris Johnson, Jr.
  
• F: Chris Wright, Sr.
  
• C: Devin Searcy, Sr.
• Bench: Luke Fabrizius, Jr.; Brandon Spearman, Fr.; Josh Benson, So.
  

• Outlook: The Flyers had a disappointing finish to what seemed to be such a promising season. With all five starters returning and seven seniors on a roster with quite a bit of talent, most analysts predicted Dayton to win the Atlantic 10. But the Flyers, who ended up finishing seventh in the A-10, could never quite figure out how to execute down the stretch of games, as all 12 of their losses were by less than eight points. This year, Dayton essentially loses their entire back court as Mickey Perry, London Warren, Rob Lowery, and Marcus Johnson all graduate. Brian Gregory does have some talented perimeter players coming in -- headlined by four-star point guard Juwan Staten and two-guard Brandon Spearman -- but, as is the norm with freshmen, it may take time before they are ready to contribute significantly. Dayton did catch a break when Chris Wright made the decision to withdraw from the NBA Draft. A super athletic combo-forward, Wright was the Flyers leading scorer and rebounder last season, but he didn't quite develop into the star that many believed he would. Chris Johnson, Dayton's second leading scorer and another big wing, also returns, as does Paul Williams, who may sneak into the starting line-up this year. Inside, Kurt Huelsman, who started every game in his Dayton career, graduates, but the rest of the front court is back. Sharpshooting Luke Fabrizius, Devin Searcy, and sophomores Matt Kavanaugh and Josh Benson will likely all see minutes. I expect Searcy and Benson, in particular, to have good years. This Dayton squad lost quite a bit of talent, but they were a deep team the last few years. There are still good players on this roster, and while they may not be the favorite in the league, they will compete for an NCAA Tournament spot.

43. Notre Dame

• Last Season: 23-12, 10-8 (Big East)


• Head Coach: Mike Brey
  


• Key Losses: Luke Harangody, Tory Jackson, Jonathon Peoples
  


• New Additions: Eric Atkins, Jerian Grant, Alex Dragicevich
  


• Projected Lineup:


• G: Eric Atkins, Fr.
• G: Ben Hansbrough, Sr.
• F: Tim Abromaitis, Jr.
  
• F: Scott Martin, Jr.
  
• F: Carleton Scott, Sr.
• Bench: Tyrone Nash, Sr.; Jerian Grant, Fr.; Jack Cooley, So.
  

• Outlook: The Fighting Irish have their work cut out for them this season, as they will be losing Luke Harangody and Tory Jackson. Mike Brey's club will count heavily on their front line, which is headlined by last season's second-leading scorer Tim Abromaitis. Abromaitis is a 6'8" sharpshooting forward, but he'll need to continue to develop the ability to create his own shot. Scott Martin, a Purdue transfer who tore his acl before the season started, will be back after sitting out the past two years. One guy I expect to have a big season is Carleton Scott, a senior that nearly left the program before finding a groove as he moved into the starting lineup when Gody got injured. Ty Nash, a scrappy, 6'7" power forward, and Jack Cooley, a 6'10" Gody lookalike, complete the front line rotation. In the back court, its going to be Ben Hansbrough and a lot of inexperience. Tyler's younger brother is a good player, a combo guard that can score, create, and defend, but he's not a true point guard. After Hansbrough, the Irish return just 30 games games with Joey Brooks and Tom Kopko combined, but add three freshman -- including Eric Atkins, a four-star point guard that could slide right into the starter's role, and Jerian Grant -- to the mix. Notre Dame made a run to the NCAA Tournament last season by changing their style, slowing the pace, and becoming a defensively oriented group. With a line-up that is bigger at most positions than the Irish are used to, don't be surprised if the Irish do more of the same next season.

42. Seton Hall

• Last Season: 19-13, 9-9 (Big East)


• Head Coach: Kevin Willard


• Key Losses: Eugene Harvey, Robert Mitchell, John Garcia


• New Additions: Fuquan Edwin, Anali Okoloji, Patrik Auda, Aaron Geramipoor, Reco McCarter


• Projected Lineup:


• G: Jordan Theodore, Jr.
• G: Jeremy Hazell, Sr.
• F: Eniel Polynice, Sr.
  
• F: Jeff Robinson, Sr.
  
• C: Herb Pope, Jr.
• Bench: Keon Lawrence, Sr.; Ferrakhon Hall, So.; Jamel Jackson, Sr.; Fuquan Edwin, Fr.
  

• Outlook: Seton Hall is the x-factor in the Big East this season. For starters, they got rid of Bobby Gonzalez, replacing him with Kevin Willard from Iona, while returning most of their roster. Jeremy Hazell, one of the best scorers in the country when he is making good decision with the bal, returns for his senior season. He'll play along side Jordan Theodore, an underrated point guard who will get a chance to be the lead guard with Eugene Harvey's graduation. Keon Lawrence (a talented but enigmatic Missouri transfer), Jamel Jackson (a streaky shooter who hit 12 threes in a game last season), and freshman Fuquan Edwin should all see minutes. Eniel Polynice, an Ole Miss transfer, will be eligible immediately and could sneak into the Pirate starting line up. At 6'5", Polynice is more of a defender, a slasher, and a creator and should really complement Hazell well. Up front, Seton Hall has quite a bit of talent as well. Herb Pope is a double-double machine when healthy (if you remember, he had that scary incident when he collapsed back in April). Jeff Robinson also returns after pulling his name out of the draft. Those two can matchup with most front lines in the Big East, but Willard will need to develop some kind of bench between sophomore Ferrakhon Hall and four freshmen. If Pope returns to himself, Seton Hall has all the pieces they need to make a run at a spot in the top four of the league. The question is whether new head coach Kevin Willard can fit all those pieces together. Hazell doesn't understand the concept of team basketball or what a good shot is. Pope was ejected from the NIT last year for punching a Texas Tech player below the belt. Four players have transferred in from different colleges. This is a talented group, but if there is no chemistry, it could be another disappointing season.

41. Wichita State

• Last Season: 25-10, 12-6 (MVC)


• Head Coach: Gregg Marshall


• Key Losses: Clevin Hannah


• New Additions: Trey Jones, Randall Vautravers


• Projected Lineup:


• G: Joe Ragland, Jr.
• G: Toure' Murry, Jr.
• G: Graham Hatch, Sr.
  
• F: JT Durley, Sr.
  
• C: Garrett Stutz, Jr.
• Bench: Gabe Blair, Sr.; David Kyles, Jr.; Demetric Williams, So.; Aaron Ellis, Sr.
  

• Outlook: The Shockers look like they will be the early favorite to win the Missouri Valley. They only lose one senior and bring back a roster loaded with talent, size, and experience. In the Missouri Valley, it tends to be the front court that determines who wins the league, and Wichita State has one of, if not the best. Senior JT Durley is probably the Shockers most dangerous scorer in the front court, and if seven-foot junior Garrett Stutz can regain the form he had late in the season, he'll be force inside as well. Aaron Ellis and Gabe Blair are athletic live-bodies that will provide defense and rebounding, while redshirt freshman Jerome Hamilton and seven-foot sophomore Ehimen Orukpe could also see minutes. The biggest question for the Shockers is going to be how they replace point guard Clevin Hannah, their best scorer and the leader of this club the past two seasons. Sophomore Demetric Williams got better as the season progressed, and JuCo transfer Joe Ragland should also fight for minutes at the point. The guy that Gregg Marshall will be looking for more consistency out of will be two-guard Toure' Murry. A tough defender, Murry is a bit streaky on the offensive end, although he is capable of going for 20. Senior Graham Hatch is a glue guy through and through that can also knock down a three, while junior David Kyles will see a bigger role this year as well. The Shockers will, once again, be a tough defensive team with a lot of size on the inside. The Valley is always tough and full of close, competitive, physical basketball games. If Wichita State can figure out how to win some of those on the road -- which they didn't do last season -- this looks like a team that could win the league.

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BracketBusters actually worked, the teams that needed wins just didn't win

BracketBusters weekend did not exactly have the outcome that many believed it would this year.

Instead of mid-major teams playing their way into the tournament, the consensus seems to be that the bubble teams that did participate in the event only hurt their chances of earning an at-large bid. With the outcome of so many games going against the teams on the bubble, the big winners of the weekend were teams like St. Mary's, UConn, and Mississippi State; teams that vaulted up a few spots on the bubble thanks to the losses of the BracketBusting mid-majors.



All this has led to some talk of the BracketBusters system being imperfect.

Its not.

Think about it. For a mid-major playing in BracketBusters, it is really no different than playing one of the best teams from your conference. Is there all that big of a difference between Old Dominion losing at Northern Iowa and losing at a William & Mary or Northeastern? Is Wichita State losing at Utah State any worse than if they lost at Northern Iowa or Illinois State?

If there is not BracketBusters, then where do these mid-majors go to fill that game? Do they schedule a middle-of-the-pack power conference team to play on the road? If you are looking to solidify a resume, would you rather play Butler or Alabama? Northern Iowa or Seton Hall?

More than anything, the bottom line is that the BracketBuster game is just one game. And one game is not going to make or break a team's resume.

Butler beat Siena in a brunch-time tipoff on Saturday.
(photo credit: SBRSports)

There were four teams on the bubble that lost their BracketBusters game - Old Dominion, William & Mary, Siena, and Wichita State. How much of an effect did the loss really have on their at-large chances?

• Old Dominion lost at Northern Iowa on Friday night. Northern Iowa has three losses all season, none of which came at home. They are currently sitting at 15th in the RPI. This is a team that is rated as high as a six seed according to some of the mock brackets that have come out. There is no shame in losing to Northern Iowa on the road, and its a loss that should have a minimal effect on the Monarch's seeding. If they had won, however, it would have been ODU's second best win of the season. As it is, ODU still probably needs to win three games - two regular season, at least one in the CAA tourney - if they want to feel at all comfortable on Selection Sunday. I probably would have said the same thing before the Northern Iowa game.
  
• Siena lost at Butler on Saturday in a situation similar to Old Dominion's. Before this game, Siena was probably not going to get an at-large bid. That's what happens when you don't have a win against anyone in the RPI top 50. If they had pulled off the upset in Hinkle Fieldhouse, it might have been enough to give the Saints some insurance should they get upset in the MAAC Tournament. If Siena really wanted to gripe, they should be mad at themselves for losing at Niagara and blowing their best chance at an at-large bid - going undefeated in league play.
• Wichita State lost at Utah State late on Saturday night. Even with a win, the Shockers were a long shot to make the field thanks to a disappointing few weeks in the MVC, which included a loss to Evansville. The win did help Utah State so long as the Shockers finish the season strong. WSU is currently sitting at 50th in the RPI, giving the Aggies their second top 50 win.
• William & Mary was the only team that really suffered in BracketBusters, as they lost to Iona on the road. The loss may have been the end of the Pride's at-large chances. William & Mary may have the best non-conference resume for mid-major bubble teams - beating Richmond at home and Maryland and Wake Forest on the road. To be honest, I don't feel bad for W&M. They wouldn't be in this predicament if they had beaten UNC-Wilmington at home or James Madison on the road, two teams that are 4-12 in the CAA. Or, and this may be a crazy thought, they could have simply beaten Iona.
  

The bottom line? No matter who you play, you must win games to make the tournament.

Old Dominion, Siena, and Wichita State lost games that would have helped their tournament resume. William & Mary lost a game it should have won. If ODU and Siena had both won, and that win helped the two teams to earn an at-large bid, people would be singing a much different tune about BracketBusters.

So until a situation arises in which a team winning their BracketBusters game has a negative effect on their tournament resume, I think BracketBusters is working just fine.

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Complete list of the Bracket Buster matchups

On Monday, ESPN released their schedule of televised Bracket Buster games, and we got a couple of very good ones. If you are planning on filling out a bracket (which, if you read this site, is probably true multiple times over), than this is a pretty big weekend for you. Upsets are what make the tournament exciting, but not just because everyone loves an underdog story.

We do.

Watching Stephen Curry carry undermanned Davidson to within a shot of the Final Four is the stuff Disney movies legends are made of.

But lets not kid ourselves. The reason upsets are so exciting is because you called that 12 seed beating that 5 seed; or you picked the 4 seed that's about to lose to a 13 seed to make the Elite 8; or you thought that 10 seed would beat that 2 seed. The key to winning a bracket is predicting those upsets. Everyone had UNC making the Final Four last season, but it was the guy that had Arizona in the Sweet 16, Dayton beating West Virginia, and Wisconsin getting past Florida State that probably won money.

So what is so great about Bracket Busters weekend?

It allows the nation a chance to see the team's that will make or break our brackets. Bragging rights will be earned and money will be made by the people that take Saturday to enjoy some of the best mid-major hoops in the country. Hit the jump for the full breakdown of games.


Games with Bubble implications

• 2/19 - 7:00 pm: Old Dominion @ Northern Iowa (ESPN2): Barring a collapse, Northern Iowa is in. They are 20-2 on the season and 10-1 in the MVC, with their only loss coming at a Wichita State, another bubble team with one of the best home courts in the country. Old Dominion, on the other hand, has a little bit of work to do to feel safe. The Monarchs are 17-6 on the season, but they don't exactly have any bad losses. The worst, believe it or not, is probably to Mississippi State. They are 9-2 in the CAA, but those losses came at George Mason and at Northeastern, the two other teams competing for the CAA title. They've knocked off Georgetown and William & Mary on the road as well. The Monarchs still could earn an at-large bid if they lose to UNI with a strong finish in league play, but beating a team on the road with an RPI in the top 20 is always a good thing.


• 2/20 - 11:00 am: Siena @ Butler (ESPNU): I feel like I could just retype the previous preview, exchange Butler with Northern Iowa and Siena with Old Dominion, and nothing would change. Butler should be in. They are 18-4, they have a top 20 RPI, and if the regular season has shown us anything, they shouldn't have a problem cruising to a win in their conference tournament. Siena, on the other hand, whiffed on all of their chances for a signature win. But they have no bad losses (at Temple, at Georgia Tech, at Northern Iowa, only vs. St. John's is questionable), an RPI in the 40's, and a 13 game winning streak. There is a shot that they could still get in even with a loss, and will definitely be the favorites to win the MAAC Tournament, but I'm sure every Saints fan will like to see them pad that resume a little bit.


• 2/20 - 11:59 pm: Wichita State @ Utah State (ESPN2): If you want an idea of how weak the bubble is this season, both the Shockers and the Aggies have a shot at earning an at-large bid this season. The Shockers probably have the better chance at making a run to a bid, simply because they get another shot an Northern Iowa on Wednesday. They probably need to sweep UNI (they beat them in their first meeting at home earlier in the season) and pick up the win at Utah State if they want any serious consideration. The Aggies have a very nice win over BYU, but other than that they have not played much of anyone. The WAC probably doesn't warrant an at-large bid this season, but if anyone is going to get it, it will be USU. To do that, however, the Aggies are probably going to have to win out.
  

Other televised games

• 2/19 - 9:00 pm: William & Mary @ Iona (ESPN2)
  
• 2/20 - 12:00 pm: Morgan State @ Murray State (ESPNU)
• 2/20 - 1:00 pm: Louisiana Tech @ Northeastern (ESPN2)
• 2/20 - 3:00 pm: Nevada @ Missouri State (ESPN2)
• 2/20 - 4:00 pm: Akron @ VCU (ESPNU)
• 2/20 - 8:00 pm: Charleston @ George Mason (ESPN2)
• 2/20 - 8:00 pm: Western Carolina @ Kent State (ESPNU)
  
• 2/20 - 10:00 pm: New Mexico State @ Pacific (ESPNU)

Non-televised games: These games have not had their times or dates announced by the schools as of yet. They will be trickling out over the course of the next week or so.

Tennessee Tech at Appalachian State
Oral Roberts at Austin Peay
Tennessee-Martin at Ball State
California-Davis at Boise State
Valparaiso at Bowling Green
Drexel at Bradley
Southern Illinois-Edwardsville at Cal State Fullerton
Drake at Cal State Northridge
Marist at California-Irvine
Youngstown State at California-Riverside
Fresno State at California-Santa Barbara
James Madison at Canisius
Tennessee State at Central Michigan
Toledo at Cleveland State
Loyola (Ill.) at Creighton
Boston University at Delaware
Eastern Michigan at Detroit
Northern Illinois at Eastern Illinois
Winthrop at Eastern Kentucky
Illinois-Chicago at Evansville
Elon at Gardner-Webb
South Carolina State at Georgia State
Cal Poly at Hawaii
Rider at Hofstra
Long Beach State at Idaho
Morehead State at Illinois State
Presbyterian at Jacksonville State
New Hampshire at Loyola (Md.)
Towson at Manhattan
Southeast Missouri at Miami (Oh.)
San Jose State at Montana State
Wright State at Ohio
North Carolina-Wilmington at Radford
Buffalo at Saint Peter's
Western Michigan at Southern Illinois
Fairfield at Vermont
Indiana State at Wisconsin-Green Bay
Niagara at Wisconsin-Milwaukee
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Early Season Surprises

USC Trojans: After starting the season 2-4, the Trojans have reeled off six straight wins, four of them with transfer Mike Gerrity running the show. Three of the four wins Gerrity has been a part of: 77-55 over Tennessee, 60-49 over St. Mary's, and a 67-56 win over UNLV on Christmas Day. USC has done it with defense, allowing just 50 ppg and 34% shooting from the field over the six win. No team out west in playing as well as the Trojans right now. Could this team win the Pac-10?


Wichita State Shockers and Missouri State Bears: In the preseason, just about everyone pegged Northern Iowa as the favorite in the MVC. In fact, neither the Shockers or the Bears were voted into the top four of the MVC preseason poll, but both could very well give the Panthers a run in a competitive Valley this season. Wichita State is 11-1 on the year, with their lone loss coming to Pitt, while Missouri State is 10-1 coming off of a loss at Arkansas. While neither team has much of a resume at this point, Missouri State has beaten Tulsa while Wichita State notched a win over Texas Tech a week and a half ago.


Syracuse: The rise of the Orange has been well documented this season. They began the year with blow out wins over UNC and Cal in NYC during the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament, notched wins over Cornell and Florida, and now head into Big East play at 12-0 on the season. All this after the Orange lost to Le Moyne, a DII team, in their last preseason game and coming off of an off-season where Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf, and Paul Harris all jumped ship and went pro. I doubt that even the most die-hard, disillusioned Syracuse fan could have hoped for this good of a start to the season.


William & Mary: The Tribe lost their first two games of the season, but they have bounced back nicely, winning eight in a row. They haven't just beaten cupcakes either; that eight game winning streak includes victories over Richmond and VCU, at Wake Forest, and best of all, they beat my alma mater Vassar College. The two losses to start the season aren't too shabby either - they lost road dates with UConn (by nine) and Harvard (in triple overtime on a half court prayer). The CAA looks to be pretty good this season, and William & Mary may very well be the best team in the league.


New Mexico: The Lobos are now 12-1 are losing on the road to a tough Oral Roberts team, but that shouldn't diminish how good New Mexico's start to the season has been. The Lobos won their first 12 games, which included wins over Texas A&M, Cal, and Creighton, while climbing to 12th in the polls. The combination of Darington Hobson and Roman Martinez up front is one of the best out west.


UAB: The Blazers have bounced back nicely from an early season loss to Kent State. They've won 10 straight games, which includes impressive victories over Cincinnati and Butler. UAB's best player early in the season has been Elijan Millsaps, a 6'6" guard nearly averaging a double double (15.4 ppg, 9.8 rpg). C-USA is wide open this season, with UTEP, Tulsa, and Houston all being mentioned as possible successors to Memphis. But thus far in the season, the Blazers may be the favorite to win the league.


Temple: The Owls returned to the top 25 for the first time since 2001 after beating both Villanova and Seton Hall, who were at the time undefeated. Temple has two losses on the season- a one point setback in DC to Georgetown and a seven point loss to St. John's. The Owls have done it with defense, holding their opponents to 37.3% shooting from the field and 23.9% shooting from deep.


St. John's: St. John's basketball has fallen far from their glory days, but Norm Roberts has led the Johnnies to a bit of a resurgence this season. The Red Storm is sitting at 10-2 on the season, with their only losses coming to Duke and Cornell while having beaten Temple, Siena, and Georgia already this season. DJ Kennedy (16.7 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 3.3 apg) is playing as well as anyone in the conference, and Dwight Hardy has caught fire in the last couple of week, averaging 17.3 ppg in the last three games. The most impressive part: St. John's is still waiting for Justin Burrell and Anthony Mason, Jr., to get healthy.


Kevin Jones, West Virginia: West Virginia has started the season out 10-0, and the biggest reason may be Jones. The athletic, 6'8" forward has averaged 15.5 ppg and 8.1 rpg while shooting 10-29 from three. West Virginia bases their team around stingy defense and aggression on the offensive glass, and Jones is perfect for that system.


Jacob Pullen, Kansas State: The Wildcats have shot up the rankings the last few weeks, and the biggest reason for that has been Pullen. In KSU's 11-1 start, Pullen is averaging 20.0 ppg and 3.5 apg while shooting 43.6% from deep. KSU has had some impressive wins this year, beating Dayton, Washington State, Xavier, UNLV, and Alabama. In those five games, Pullen averaged 24.2 ppg. He looks to be the early season favorite for Big XII player of the year.


Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame: Many people wrote Notre Dame off this season after Scott Martin tore his acl, but Abromaitis has more than filled that void. Abromaitis is averaging 15.8 ppg while shooting a ridiculous 50.7% from beyond the arc. His emergence alongside Luke Harangody as a second scoring option has been a big reason the Fighting Irish have a shot at reaching the dance this season.


Quincy Pondexter, Washington: Pondexter was a top 50 player coming out of high school, but was overshadowed by the likes of Jon Brockman and Isaiah Thomas during his first three seasons. But this year, it has been Pondexter's team. Pondexter has averaged 21.9 ppg and 8.7 rpg, and is one of the bright spots for a Washington team still not playing up to its potential.


Ekpe Udoh, Baylor: Udoh had two mediocre seasons playing in Ann Arbor before deciding to transfer to Baylor. After sitting out a season, Udoh has had a phenomenal start to the '09-'10 season, especially on the offensive end. His scoring (14.6 from 6.0), rebounding (9.8 from 5.0), and assist (2.8 from 0.9) numbers have all made marked improvements, while he is also averaging 3.9 bpg and shooting 60.2% from the floor.


Antonio Pena, Villanova: The biggest question mark for Villanova coming into the season was how they would fill the void Dante Cunningham left inside, which became a much bigger issue when Mouph Yarou was diagnosed with Hepatitis. But Pena has done his best to answer those questions, averaging 13.1 ppg and 8.9 rpg thus far in the season.

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