MAAC Schools Assigned Non-Televised Matchups for 2010 ESPNU BracketBusters
MAAC Sports
Edison, N.J. - Eight of the 10 MAAC men's basketball programs have received their pairings for the eighth annual ESPNU BracketBusters - a multi-day men's basketball event matching NCAA Championship hopefuls against each other Saturday, February 20.
For the fifth straight year, ESPNU, the 24-hour college sports network, will televise five BracketBusters games while ESPN2 will televise six contests. Both Iona College and Siena College are in the mix to receive a television game for this event. A live announcement of the 11 televised matchups will be made tonight at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU. Game time and network assignments will be announced Feb. 8.
"We are excited for Iona and Siena to be promoted on the national scene with their respective BracketBusters pairings as they make their case for NCAA at-large and seeding consideration," Richard J. Ensor, Commissioner of the MAAC, said. "Additionally, our teams have 10 great home and away series, both this year and with the return trip with their opponent in the next 21 months."
2010 ESPNU BracketBusters non-television pairings for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
James Madison (10-12, 3-8 CAA) at Canisius (11-11, 6-5 MAAC)
Fairfield (15-7, 8-4 MAAC) at Vermont (15-8, 6-3 America East)
New Hampshire (7-11, 3-5 America East) at Loyola (10-12, 3-9 MAAC)
Towson (5-16, 2-9 CAA) at Manhattan (7-14, 2-9 MAAC)
Marist (1-21, 1-11 MAAC) at Cal Irvine (7-13, 3-7 Big West)
Niagara (12-12, 5-7 MAAC) at Milwaukee (11-10, 5-6 Horizon)
Rider (13-11, 6-6 MAAC) at Hofstra (10-12, 4-7 CAA)
Buffalo (10-7, 4-2 Mid-American East) at Saint Peter's (12-9, 7-4 MAAC)
In last year's BracketBusters series, the MAAC earned six victories as Niagara bested Illinois State (70-56), Manhattan topped William & Mary (54-39), Canisius defeated Bowling Green (71-66 OT), Siena outlasted Northern Iowa (81-75), Marist dominated Hartford (57-35) and Rider routed UMBC (71-65).
As part of the agreement, all 11 of the BracketBusters home teams, as well as the remaining 38 home squads, will play a "return" game at the home facility of their opponent in November or December of the 2011-12 season.
Teams participating this season in BracketBusters have produced 89 appearances in the last six NCAA Tournaments, including a team in the Final Four - George Mason (2006); one in the Elite Eight - Davidson (2008); and six Sweet Sixteen squads - Butler (2007), Southern Illinois (2007), Bradley (2006), Wichita State (2006), UW-Milwaukee (2005) and Nevada (2004).
BracketBusters is part of ESPN's college basketball franchise programming, along with Rivalry Week Presented by Cisco, Feast Week, Holiday Hoops Presented by Kay Jewelers, Judgment Week and Championship Week Presented by Dick's Sporting Goods.