Ball State University Athletics
Men?s Basketball Draws Illinois State in BracketBuster
January 30, 2007 | Men's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. - - As part of the O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters series, the Ball State men's basketball team will travel to Normal, Ill., to face the Illinois State Redbirds Saturday, Feb. 17 at 4:05 p.m. (5:05 p.m. Muncie Time).
Illinois State, a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, enters its game tonight versus Evansville with an 11-11 (3-8 MVC) record. Under the direction of fourth-year head coach Porter Moser, ISU finished the 2005-06 season with a 9-19 (4-14) record.
The Feb. 17 match-up between the Cardinals and the Redbirds will mark the 19th overall meeting between the two schools, but the first since a 77-65 BSU victory on Feb. 8, 1975. Ball State owns a 10-8 advantage in the all-time series, including a 3-6 record in games played in Normal, Ill.
The ESPNU BracketBusters concept, named because of the success of teams from these conferences in NCAA Tournament play over the past years, provides participating programs with an opportunity to play top non-conference opponents approximately three weeks prior to Selection Sunday. Each conference selected their participating teams prior to the season and the match-ups for the event were determined by ESPN in conjunction with the conferences.
Other MAC games in the 2007 O'Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters Series:
Austin Peay (13-6, 10-1 OVC) at Akron (15-4, 6-1 MAC)
Kent State (12-8, 5-2 MAC) at George Mason (12-8, 6-4 CAA)
Ohio (13-7, 4-3 MAC) at New Mexico State (17-4, 7-1 WAC)
Toledo (11-8, 7-0 MAC) at Old Dominion (14-7, 7-3 CAA).
(Non-televised)
Ball State (7-13, 3-4 MAC) at Illinois State (11-11, 3-8 MVC)
Bowling Green (10-10, 1-6 MAC) at Morehead State (10-11, 6-7 OVC)
Detroit (8-13, 4-5 Horizon) at Buffalo (9-11, 1-6 MAC)
Central Michigan (8-11, 3-4 MAC) at Illinois-Chicago (9-14, 4-6 Horizon)
Manhattan (10-10, 7-3 MAAC) at Eastern Michigan (8-12, 3-4 MAC)
Miami (8-11, 4-3 MAC) at Indiana State (11-9, 4-6 MVC)
UW-Green Bay (12-10, 4-5 Horizon) at Northern Illinois (4-15, 1-6 MAC)
Valparaiso (10-11, 4-3 Mid-Con) at Western Michigan (9-11, 4-3 MAC)
