There are other teams of note that are involved in the Bracket Buster, but I summarized only the best games. For example, Loyola has been on a tear recently, but a win against Eastern Illinois is not going to do much for their resume.
Tonight- Missouri St. vs. Winthrop
Players of Note:
Watch out for guard Blake Ahearn of Missouri St. and guard/forward Torrell Martin of Winthrop. Both of these guys will be at the draft camps this summer and have a shot at the second round. Martin can do a little bit of everything, while Ahearn scores the majority of his points from the outside.
Importance of this Game:
While Missouri St. could use this win to solidify their solid resume, Winthrop absolutely needs a win here to be considered for an at large bid. Winthrop is playing at home, so this is a must win for them if they want any chance to make the Big Dance- assuming they lose their conference tournament.
Tomorrow- Sam Houston St. vs. Fresno St.
Players of note:
Ryan Bright and Aaron Wade lead a balanced Sam Houston St. attack. Dominic McGuire and Quinton Hosley will be draft picks at some point.
Importance of this Game:
Neither of these teams will receive an at large bid even if they win this contest. But, if either or both of these teams win their conference tournaments, this game will have major implications for each team's seeding in the bracket.
Wichita St. vs. Appalachian St.
Players of Note:
For Appalachian St, DJ Thompson is severely undersized, but makes up for his lack of height by playing with a lot of heart. Thompson and his forward counterpart Donte Minter form a nice inside-outside combination. For Wichita, Kyle Wilson is another great shooter.
Importance of this Game: Both of these teams are outside the bubble, but a win here could grant either side some tournament consideration.
Hofstra vs. Holy Cross
Players of Note:
Hofstra's big three- Rivera, Aguido and Stokes- is quite a trio. Holy Cross will try to counter Hofstra's efforts with their star Keith Simmons.
Importance of this Game:
Holy Cross was on a tear recently, but has since come back down to earth with a loss against Bucknell. Hofstra has had a few recent losses as well. Holy Cross will not receive an at large bid, but a win in this game would give Hofstra some serious consideration.
Butler vs. Southern Illinois
Players of Note:
AJ Graves has had a tremendous year. He is another outstanding shooter who can also create for his teammates. On the Southern Illinois side, the offense runs through Jamaal Tatum.
Importance of this Game:
Both of these teams are locks to make the tournament at this point. This game will decide seeding.
Nevada vs. Northern Iowa
Players of Note:
The main player to watch in this contest is Nick Fazekas, who is receiving some consideration nation wide for various basketball accolades. He has tremendous footwork and fundamentals. Then there's the guard/wing combination of Sessions and Kemp. As for Northern Iowa: they do not have any players with NBA upside, but they do have some solid big men in Grant Stout and Erik Coleman.
Importance of this Game:
Northern Iowa is on the outside of the bubble, but a win in this contest could really build their resume. They would have to follow a victory here with some quality conference wins if they want an at large bid. Nevada is a lock at this point.
Toledo vs. Old Dominion
Players of Note:
Justin Ingram can run his Toledo squad, while Vasylius and Dahi are solid contributors inside and out for ODU.
Importance of this Game:
This game will help decide the strength of the MAC conference. Toledo has played well of late- with a win against Akron- and a loss here would lower the seeding of pretty much any MAC squad. Old Dominion is firmly on the bubble right now and needs a win here.
Wright St. vs. Fullerton
Players of Note:
Fullerton's Bobby Brown has NBA potential and is capable of scoring in a hurry. Wright St. has Dashaun Wood, a Horizon League player of the year candidate.
Importance of this Game:
This game will determine the seeding if either of these squads wins their respective conference tournaments.
VCU vs. Bradley
Players of Note:
Both these teams have multiple players who can score in double figures on any given night. Walker and Maynor are VCU's stars, while Will Franklin and Daniel Ruffin are Bradley's noteworthy guards.
Importance of this Game:
VCU is right on the bubble and a win here coupled with some conference victories would most likely get them an at large bid. A win for Bradley would put them back on the bubble.
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