BOSTON ? For the second-consecutive year, the University at Albany men’s basketball team has been selected to play a nationally-televised game in the fifth annual O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters. The Great Danes will travel to Boise, Idaho to face Western Athletic Conference opponent Boise State University. The game will be aired live on an ESPN network (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN 360) on Friday, February 16 with game time and programming information to be determined.
Six of the 14 O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters games will be televised on ESPN2. Five other televised contests will be featured on ESPNU and three games on ESPN 360 ? ESPN’s broadband network.
“We are excited and proud to once again be included in the O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters,” said America East Commissioner Patrick Nero. “Albany has done a great job representing the America East Conference the past two years on the national scene and we are confident that they will do so again.”
“We are proud to represent the America East Conference in the BracketBusters event,” said Albany head coach Will Brown. “It’s a great opportunity to cast a spotlight on our University, athletic department and basketball program by playing a nationally televised game. The national exposure will help our recruiting efforts and the event will prepare us for the America East Conference tournament.”
The 2007 O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters will take place over two days -- Friday-Saturday, February 16-17 -- with a total pool of 102 teams representing 16 conferences in a 51-game event. In an effort to provide a greater opportunity for NCAA Tournament-caliber teams, the event has expanded its pool of teams (18 in 2003, 46 in 2004, 64 in 2005, 100 in 2006, 102 in 2007) each year to produce a better cross section of squads for the basketball bonanza.
The event has allowed Division I conferences to participate in a cutting-edge format that involves “wild-card” pairings for the pool of participating teams, with half of the O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters teams pre-designated as “home” and the remaining half as “road” teams.
The evaluation and pairings of teams for the ESPN television package was made by the staff of ESPN, in consultation with the commissioners of participating conferences. Consideration was given to avoid match-ups of conference teams and match-ups of any teams that have already met during the current season. Pairing decisions for the remaining games that will not be televised will be announced by Tuesday, January 30, 2007.
BRACKETBUSTERS NOTES:
BracketBusters Match-up
The University at Albany and Boise State University will meet for the first-time ever when the two square off as part of the O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters’ series on Friday, February 16. The Great Danes have never played an opponent from the Gem State.
Conference Exposure
America East is one of only seven conferences selected to participate in an O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters game each of the last three seasons. Last year, Albany played at Virginia Commonwealth University on ESPNU, while Vermont competed at Nevada in 2005 on ESPN2. The Colonial Athletic Association, Horizon League, Mid-American Conference, Missouri Valley Conference, Ohio Valley Conference and Western Athletic Conference are the other league’s that have received nationally televised games as part of the O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters’ series in each of the last three seasons.
A League on the Rise
As a conference, America East currently ranks 20th in latest RPI Report, seven spots higher than a season ago. No league in the country has made more of an improvement when it comes to the RPI ratings.
All Eyes on America East
With the addition of Albany’s television game as part of O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters, America East’s most comprehensive television schedule in league history continues to grow. The conference now boasts a total of 59 men’s and women’s basketball television games for the 2006-07 season, which is more than double the league’s total from a season ago.
Time for Travel
A trip to Idaho in the heart of a conference schedule could be troublesome for many teams, but fortunately for the Great Danes, their schedule provides ample amount of time before and after the BracketBusters contest. Albany hosts Vermont in a pivotal America East contest on Sunday, February 11 before enjoying four days off leading up to its game at Boise State on Friday, February 16. Following their BracketBusters’ game, the Great Danes then have five days off before returning to the hardwood on Thursday, February 22 at Stony Brook.
The Numbers Game
In the most recent Collegiate Basketball News RPI Report, Albany ranks 103 in the RPI and comes from the 20th ranked conference (America East), while Boise State is 89 and comes from the ninth-ranked league (WAC). Of the 28 teams selected to play in the 14 televised games that make up the O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters’ series, the Great Danes are the 11th-ranked road team, while the Broncos are the ninth-ranked home team. The 14-spot difference in the RPI between Albany (103) and Boise State (89) is the sixth closest match-up amongst the BracketBusters games. Holy Cross (73) at Hofstra (66) and Ohio (91) at New Mexico State (84) are the closest match-ups with just seven RPI spots separating those foes.
Happy Returns
One of the biggest benefits of being part of the “road team” pool for the O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters’ series is receiving a return game from your selected opponent the following season. Boise State will travel to Albany to take on the Great Danes at SEFCU Arena during the 2007-08 season.
America East-WAC Meet Again in BracketBusters
When Albany and Boise State meet in this season’s O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters, it will mark the second time in three years that America East and the Western Athletic Conference will square off in the event. In 2005, Vermont headed to Reno, Nev. to take on Nevada.
Getting to Know the Broncos
Boise State (11-8, 5-3 WAC) returned all five starters from last year’s squad that finished seventh in the Western Athletic Conference. BSU has won six of its last 10 outings, including three straight. The Broncos, who are making their first appearance as part of the O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters’ series, are an impressive 9-1 at home this season, drawing an average attendance of 4,415. Boise State has played seven games versus teams with an RPI currently in the top 100, posting a 2-5 mark in those outings. The Broncos are led by Coby Karl who is averaging 16.2 ppg, while shooting 43.0 percent (55-for-128) from beyond the arc.
About the WAC
The Western Athletic Conference is a nine-team league ? Boise State, Fresno State, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana Tech, Nevada, New Mexico State, San Jose State, Utah State ? based out of Englewood, Colo. The WAC currently ranks ninth as a conference in the RPI with Nevada (32), Utah State (67), New Mexico State (84) and Boise State (89) all boasting RPI spots in the top 100. The WAC has sent multiple teams to the NCAA Tournament in 22 of the past 23 seasons, including the last three years. In a combined 81 NCAA appearances by WAC members, they boast a 64-87 (.424) overall record.
Albany Connection
Boise State standout Coby Karl is the son of Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl. For the 1990-91 season, George Karl piloted the Continental Basketball Association’s Albany Patroons to a league record 50-6 mark, including a perfect 28-0 at home.