our bracketbuster foe is.....

[nysteve661]

Boise St

[GreatDanes06]

hmmm...i guess no trip for that one...what station? ESPN360?

[reeder]

BOISE, Idaho - The Boise State men's basketball team will make its first appearance in the O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters event when the Broncos host Albany on Friday, Feb. 16, at Taco Bell Arena. The Boise State-Albany game is one of two that will be played on Friday with one of the ESPN networks carrying the game.

 

Boise State (11-8, 5-3) sits in third place in the Western Athletic Conference race, while Albany, a member of the America East Conference, is in second place in its conference (14-7, 7-2 America East). The Great Danes have won six of their last seven games.

 

The exact time and the network (ESPN@, ESPNU or ESPN360) carrying the game will be announced next Monday or Tuesday.

[GreatDanes06]

i gotta say I am disappointed...travel out west for a game out of conference game...im not happy right now

[haggyland]

hmmm...i guess no trip for that one...what station? ESPN360?

 

RPI of 88...Now that's nice, even if the game is not accessible to the regular fan.

[GreatDanes06]

very winnable game if you ask me...but i wish it was east coast.

[getinthere42]

Look at it this way...ESPN has a lot of faith in our program and team and our ability to play with a team from the WAC. They wouldn't have us travelling across the country unless they didn't think this would be a great opportunity for us. I think this is a huge step for this program and shows that ESPN is giving us some props.

 

There were so many other teams we could be playing in the East, but they know something that we don't here.

[GreatDanes06]

i don't see it like that. I see this a a trip out west after Vermont and then a road game at Stony Brook on a game which will most def be on ESPN360, which no one really gets, so the national attention will be minimal, present yes, but minimal.

 

Even if we played Akron I would have been ok. You look at the matchups, we got by far the worst match-up of all. The only team that has to travel further is Nevada...but the fact they get to play a Missouri Valley team most likely on ESPN2 makes the trip even more worth it.

 

I am happy they got a game, but not happy at all about the match-up. George Mason was there for the taking and we were ignored.

 

I am not saying Boise St is not a good opponent. Playing a WAC school is fine and Boise St is a good team. However, I just feel the match-up and sending them somewhere where no fan base can really travel to (especially being a friday game!) is just terrible.

[purplehaze]

disappointed, yes. But, we do get Boise State coming to our place next season,

[GreatDanes06]

tell you what...we better get Covington, Gifford and Connelly working...because Boise St knows how to rebound!!!

 

Here is ESPN's take on the matchup:

 

Albany at Boise State

The America East is first and foremost a guards league, and if the Great Danes can survive a title challenge by resurgent (yet Buster-idle) Vermont, this western test will toughen them up for the NCAAs, where Connecticut's size wore them down last year. The Broncos feature Matt Nelson and Reggie Larry, two double-double machines who average 17.5 rpg between them.

 

other matchups:

Winthrop vs. Missouri St.

S. Illinois vs. Butler

N. Iowa vs. Nevada

Bradley vs. VCU

Holy Cross vs. Hofstra

Appalachian St. vs. Wichita St

Old Dominion vs. Toledo

Utah St. vs. Oral Roberts

Drexel vs. Creighton

Austin Peay vs. Akron

Ohio vs. Nex Mexico St.

Cal State Fullerton vs. Wright St

Kent St. vs. George Mason

 

They added a 14th game. THE ODDS MAYBE BETTER FOR UALBANY GETTING A NATIONAL TV GAME...THERE ARE ONLY TWO GAMES SCHED FOR THE 16TH, AND WE ARE ONE OF THEM. The other is Winthrop vs. Missouri St.

[alum73]

I doubt it's on 360. There are only 2 games on Friday. This will be a 9pm game, so it is probably on espnu or espn2 (I hope).

 

The AE gave us plenty of time before and after the BB game to get ready for SBU.

[B9j2j6s]

Hey its a T.V. how many teams that have signed up for the bracket buster actually have had two t.v. games in a row?

[danefan]

I hope its not on 360. I don't think we can get it on RoadRunner because Time Warner doesn't ESPN for it.

 

Anyone know how it works?

[UA_MA_2000]

I'm okay with the game: i.e., playing a team that has recently gotten a lot of exposure with its Fiesta Bowl victory in football. But one thing: "Taco Bell Arena." Are you kidding me? That is classic! I wonder if fans can buy chalupas at the concession stands. That would be pretty cool ... .

 

Of note, Vermont also had to travel out west two years ago, as they played Nevada in 2005. See http://www.albany.edu/sports/stories.htm#mbb07_buster

[sarge965]

Looking at the ESPN networks schedules for that Friday.

ESPN2 has a Bracketbuster game at 7:00pm and ESPNU has a Bracketbuster game at 9:00pm

My bet is that alum93 is correct and we will be playing at 9pm - on ESPNU

Not a bad deal at all

So that leaves 2 questions

1) Bob87 are you going to Boise?

and

2) Who will be at the Across the Street Pub?