Busting Out the BracketBusters

142 teams. 71 games. 16 conferences. The matchups for the 10th Annual BracketBusters event were announced last night. For those of you who don't know what this is, I will explain. In college basketball, there are six power conferences (Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, SEC, and Pac-12). These are considered to be the best collegiate conferences in the country. What happens with the BracketBuster games is that the best teams from the non-power conferences play each other to help show which teams are better than others. The best of these games are aired live on national television. The games will be taking place on Friday, February 17 and Saturday, February 18.

Here are the Top 5 BracketBuster games (all on February 18) in my opinion:

#16 St. Mary's @ #9 Murray State - 6:00 PM EST, ESPN/ESPN2

St. Mary's is in control of the WCC. With an overall record of 21-2, the Gaels are 10-0 in conference play with two wins over BYU and one over Gonzaga. Murray State is the only undefeated team left in the country, but the Gaels will be their toughest opponent so far. This game should give us a better indication of whether or not the Racers can finish off the perfect season and/or make a tournament run.

Long Beach State @ #12 Creighton - 10:00 PM EST, ESPN2

Long Beach State is 9-0 in conference play. The 49ers used a tough non-conference schedule to prepare for big games such as this one. Creighton has had an impressive season so far. They have non-conference wins over San Diego State and three Big Ten teams. They also currently sit atop what is a very deep and talented Missouri Valley Conference. This is an intriguing matchup all-around.

Nevada @ Iona - 4:00 PM EST, ESPN/ESPN2

Nevada stumbled out of the gates by losing their first two games, but have won eighteen out of nineteen since. The Wolfpack are led by a solid guard combo of Deonte Burton and Malik Story. Iona is tied atop the MAAC standings with Manhattan and Loyola (MD). I'm not sure what gave the Gaels the edge to receive this matchup, but the bottomline is that they got it. Iona likes to run an up-tempo offense, so this should be a high-scoring affair.

Wichita State @ Davidson - 12:00 PM, ESPN/ESPN2

Wichita State currently sits in second place in the Missouri Valley Conference. Their only two conference losses were to first-place Creighton and in triple overtime at Drake. The Shockers most convincing win came in their beatdown of UNLV at home. The Davidson Wildcats are the favorite to win the Southern Conference. Their best win this season is clearly an upset of Kansas in Kansas City. This game will help determine whether that was a fluke and which of these teams is a contender.

Drexel @ Cleveland State - 11:00 AM, ESPNU

Drexel started off the season slow with a 2-4 record. Since then, the Dragons have won fifteen of sixteen and are tied for second in the Colonial Athletic Conference. While Drexel seems like a long shot for at an at-large bid for the tournament, a big road win here could give the momentum they need going into their conference tournament. Cleveland State opened up play with the first major upset of season, a win over a then #7 ranked Vanderbilt team. The Vikings currently lead the Horizon. Both these teams are defensively minded, so expect a low-scoring grinder in this one.

Here is a listing of all of the nationally televised games: http://espnbracketbusters.com/site/about/tv-schedule

Here is a listing of all of the rest of the games: http://espnbracketbusters.com/site/about/tv-schedule?id=12

Seven Things: A Recap of Week 7 and a Preview of the Week to Come

1. Team of the Week: Florida State

In the span of a week, Florida State turned around their season. Okay, the week is from Saturday to Saturday, but these wins are too impressive not to put the Seminoles here. They crushed North Carolina at home and took care of business against Maryland. Then, they finished off the week by going into Cameron Indoor and ending Duke's unbeaten streak at home.

Six Runners Up: Missouri, Dayton, Murray State, Long Island, Long Beach State, & Kansas

2. Player of the Week: Kevin Jones, West Virginia

Can anybody stop this guy? All he did this week was score 25 points and have 7 rebounds against in-state rival Marshall. Then, against a red hot Cincinnati team, he helped lead the Mountaineers to the big win with 26 points and 13 boards. Look at his stats from the season so far. He is a virtual double-double machine. In my opinion, he has not only put himself in position as the favorite for Big East Player of the Year, but he should be considered in any All-American conversation.

Six Runners Up: Faisal Aden (Washington State), Jason Clark (Georgetown), Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Anthony Marshall (UNLV), Aaron Broussard (Seattle), Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)

3. What do we make of the Big East Conference?

Syracuse is still the best team, but certainly looked vulnerable against Notre Dame. Connecticut is struggling badly, having lost four of their last six. Georgetown certainly didn't look dominant in a win against Rutgers. Who knows how good Marquette, West Virginia, and Cincinnati really are? Then, everyone keeps beating each other. The bottomline is this is a untypically weak year for the conference.

4. Who is the best team in the Big 12?

Kansas is undefeated in conference play after knocking off Baylor at home and surviving a road trip to Texas. The Jayhawks certainly have to be considered as winners of 13 of their past 14. Missouri stated their case as well after putting a beatdown on Texas A&M and getting by Baylor as well. The Bears will have to look to respond after dropping two. Iowa State and Kansas State look to make some ripples in conference play as well.

5. Can Florida State win the ACC?

I already mentioned the Seminoles upset wins over UNC and Duke, so they are definitely capable. Those three teams are the favorites, but they can't afford to sleep on North Carolina State and Maryland. Both teams have shown signs of potential this season. Virginia looks less impressive after getting upset by Virginia Tech today at home.

6. How great is the Mountain West Conference?

This conference has been impressive so far and has already shown their supremacy as the best conference west of the Mississippi after knocking off a handful of Pac-12 teams. San Diego State is 17-2 and 3-0 in conference play, including a last second win over conference favorite UNLV. The Rebels have looked impressive in non-conference play. Who would have believed that Wyoming would be a Top 25 team right now? The Cowboys finished 10-21 last season, but are 16-3 so far this year. Colorado State, New Mexico, Air Force, and TCU are all not easy outs either in an impressive conference this year.

7. Seven Games to Watch This Coming Week

Monday: Syracuse @ Cincinnati

Tuesday: Michigan @ Purdue; San Diego State @ Wyoming

Wednesday: St. Louis @ Xavier

Thursday: Indiana @ Wisconsin

Saturday: West Virginia @ Syracuse; Mississippi State @ Florida