BALTIMORE, Md. -- The Morgan State men's basketball team will travel to face Murray State in a televised BracketBusters game on Sat., Feb. 20, it was announced today live on ESPNU during the 2010 BracketBusters Selection Show.
The game is scheduled to tip at noon and will be televised by ESPNU.
Murray State won their 11th straight game in a 77-45 win at UT Martin. The Racers are 20-3 and in first place in the Ohio Valley Conference at 11-0 and have won 17 consecutive OVC regular season games. Located in Murray, Ky., the Racers have a balanced scoring attack, as five players average 10 points or better. Murray State's RPI as of today was 92.
Murray State is led by head coach Billy Kennedy. Kennedy was an assistant coach for Bears head coach Todd Bozeman when Bozeman was the head coach at California.
The game will mark the first meeting between the two teams.
Morgan State (15-7, 7-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) and Murray State have one opponent in common this season, in Atlantic Sun Conference foe East Tennessee State. Murray State defeated ETSU, 61-57, on Dec. 12 at the MSHA Athletic Center, while Morgan State dropped the Buccaneers at Hill Field House, 72-61 on Nov. 19.
Morgan State, the 2009 MEAC champion, has won 8 consecutive games, including 10 straight regular season conference games, and will host Florida A&M on Saturday (Feb. 6).
More About BracketBusters
This year's 22 BracketBusters televisedteams represent 10 conferences and:
- Two ranked teams: No. 15 Butler and No. 22 Northern Iowa
- 19 teams in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) top 100: No. Iowa (16); Butler (18); Siena (44); Old Dominion (46); Wichita State (48); William & Mary (51); Utah State (55); Northeastern (56); Virginia Commonwealth (60); Nevada (66); Kent State (69); Western Carolina (73); La. Tech (74); New Mexico State (82); Missouri State (84); Iona (85); Murray State (92); College of Charleston (94); Pacific (95)
- Seven 2009 NCAA Tournament participants: Northern Iowa; Siena; Butler; Morgan Sate; Akron; Virginia Commonwealth; Utah State
- 16 teams with 15 or more wins overall: Old Dominion; Northern Iowa; William & Mary; Iona; Siena; Butler; Morgan State; Murray State; La. Tech; Missouri State; Akron; Virginia Commonwealth; George Mason; Western Carolina; Wichita State; Utah State
- Four teams undefeated in conference play: Butler; Siena; Morgan State and Murray State
The BracketBusters concept, named because of the success of participating teams from these conferences in NCAA Tournament play through the years, provides programs with an opportunity to play top non-conference opponents roughly three weeks before Selection Sunday. Each conference selects its participating teams before the season, and the matchups for the event are determined by ESPN in conjunction with the conferences. BracketBusters is an example of ESPN college basketball franchise programming. Others include Rivalry Week Presented by Cisco, Feast Week Presented by Lowe's, Holiday Hoops Presented by Kay Jewelers, ESPNU Campus Connection Week, Judgment Week and Championship Week Presented by Dick's Sporting Goods.
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