Bracketbuster game announced

(UPDATED) Allan Lewis, Alestle Sports Editor

The Ohio Valley Conference has announced the conference’s pairings for this year’s Bracketbuster event, sponsored by ESPN, and as I stated a little earlier, the Cougars will be traveling to Fullerton, Calif. to take on the Titans of Cal State Fullerton. The game will be played Feb. 20, and as a part of the whole bracketbuster deal, Fullerton will be coming to the Vadalabene Center in a return game next season, or so it is supposed to pan out.

Here is a little bit to know about the Titans.

They are 10-10 overall, (4-4 Big West Conference,) with their biggest win being a 68-65 overtime victory over UCLA on Nov. 17. Fullerton is winners of their last two games, beating UC Irvine and Cal State Bakersfield. They are three games behind Pacific in the conference standings in fourth place.

They have four players averaging in double-figures, low end double figures, in Jer’Vaughn Johnson 11.4 ppg, (great name) Aaron Thompson 11.15 ppg, Jacques Streeter 10.6 ppg and Devon Peltier 10.6 ppg.

Perhaps a negative omen for SIUE, the Titans have controlled their home court all season long. They are 7-1 at the wonderfully named Titan Gym.

Fullerton is 5-5 against teams with RPI’s over 200. SIUE comes into Bracketbuster announcement day with an RPI of 314, the Titans at 211, so kind of a surprising pick on ESPN’s part, considering there were worse teams designated as home squads out there for the Cougars to match up with, in Gardner Webb (307) and Manhattan (223.)

It is however, no surprise to me we are going to the West Coast, kind of the normality for lower tier midwest teams in Bracketbusters.

Fullerton leads the Big West, averaging 77.3 points per game, (99th in the country) 36 rebounds a game and 14 assists. They also let down an average of 70 points per game, (234th in the nation) so really, not the most defensively minded team out there.

Here are really all the Fullerton stats you would ever want. I fully endorse statsheet.com. It’s awesome.

Listed below are the other OVC bracketbusters – Murray State will know their opponent at 4:30 when ESPNU announces the TV games. No matter what, it is going to be a VERY important game for the Racers, with an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament potentially on the line in the future.

Murray State vs. Morgan State (TV) (updated)

UT Martin at Ball State

Tennessee Tech at Appalachian State

Tennessee State at Central Michigan

SEMO at Miami (Oh.)

Morehead State at Illinois State

Presbyterian at Jacksonville State

Winthrop at Eastern Kentucky

Northern Illinois at Eastern Illinois

Oral Roberts at Austin Peay

Let the unofficial madness begin.