With this year's expansion of the ESPN Bracket Buster Saturday participation pool - to include 46 teams instead of 18 - comes debate about whether the games really matter in the end.
Tomorrow's second annual event was set up to give NCAA Tournament hopefuls an opportunity to play top non-conference teams three weeks before Selection Sunday. But some say it is not a bracket buster unless the teams involved actually have a chance to break the brackets, and 46 mid-major teams cannot possibly be on that bubble.
Only 10 of the games, however, are considered parts of the Bracket Buster and those teams involved are able to make a case to the tournament selection committee through national and regional television coverage, ESPN spokesman Mike Humes said.
Some teams just don't have that opportunity to bust the bracket
Humes said. But for those teams that do it provides them the chance to play another team with a similar record from another conference another chance to boost their RPI
a chance for national exposure and really a chance to further make their statement to the selection committee.
The Bracket Buster concept stemmed from the success of these teams in NCAA-Tournament play the past few years, and the event expanded its field of teams this year to produce a better cross section of squads. All teams participating in the Bracket Buster series agree to enter into a home-and-home series with their opponents.
Ohio set to face Butler in Indianapolis
With its 9-15 record (6-8 Mid-American Conference), Ohio does not have the chance to bust the brackets this year barring a postseason title but was matched up to face Butler in Indianapolis tomorrow.
Being a non-conference game, the contest does not have any real bearing for the Bobcats, but it sets them up against a team that just last year made it to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
I'm not real enamored that it's a non-conference game in the middle of Mid-American Conference play
Ohio coach Tim O'Shea said. It would maybe be more exciting if we had a chance to break the brackets
but right now I would rather focus on our upcoming game against Eastern Michigan.
Though O'Shea does not like the break from conference play, he said the Bracket Buster overall is good for the conference.
It helps us with scheduling teams that we normally would not play but have similar seasons as we have
O'Shea said. And it gives us a quality home-and-home series. It's going to be a tough game against Butler in Indianapolis this year
but it's going to be a tough game for them here next year.
Butler (12-12, 7-7 Horizon League) lost to Oklahoma in the tournament last year after beating Louisville and Mississippi State. The majority of that team returned this year.
Ohio guard Thomas Stephens said that though the game does not matter in the record books, neither team is going to take the game lightly. Four Bulldogs have reached double digits in shooting, led by guard/forward Duane Lightfoot, who averages 12 points per game, shooting .560 from the field.
It's scary any time you have a team with four guys in double figures
Ohio guard Jaivon Harris said. They are the same Sweet 16 team from last year. They haven't played as well this season
but we know what to expect
and we're going to have to be very sound defensively.
Ohio travels to face Butler at 2 p.m. Saturday in Hinkle Fieldhouse.
