RENO, Nev. Nevada will play host to Northern Iowa on Saturday, Feb. 17 at Lawlor Events Center in the O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters. The game time and network televising the Wolf Pack’s game with the Panthers will be announced on Monday, Feb. 5.
ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPN360 will combine to televise the 14-game event with six games on ESPN2, five on ESPNU and the remaining three on ESPN360.
This year will mark Nevada’s fourth appearance in the BracketBusters, an event which was created in 2003 in conjunction with the Western Athletic Conference, ESPN and several top college basketball conferences to match potential NCAA tournament hopefuls against each other. Last season, the Wolf Pack turned in an 88-61 victory over Akron on Feb. 17, 2006 in Reno.
As part of the BracketBusters agreement, Nevada will play at Northern Iowa in 2007-08.
Northern Iowa has turned in a 15-6 overall record so far this season and is third in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with a 6-4 league mark, including a 63-59 road win over then No. 16 Wichita State on Dec. 30. The Panthers are led by 6-6, 240-pound junior center Eric Coleman who is turning in 13.2 points and 9.3 rebounds per game this season, while 6-8, 240-pound senior forward Grant Stout is averaging 12.4 points and 9.1 boards per contest.
The WAC will have four teams competing in O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters. Nevada, Boise State, New Mexico State and Utah State are part of the 28-team field that will play 14 televised games over the two-day event on Feb. 16-17.
The other five WAC teams not selected to compete in the O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters will play non-conference opponents on that weekend. Those matchups will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 30.
O’Reilly ESPNU BracketBusters Schedule
Northern Iowa @ Nevada (Feb. 17)
Winthrop @ Missouri State (Feb. 16)
Albany @ Boise State (Feb. 16)
Southern Illinois @ Butler (Feb. 17)
Cal State Fullerton @ Wright State (Feb. 17)
Holy Cross @ Hofstra (Feb. 17)
Old Dominion @ Toledo (Feb. 17)
Appalachian State @ Wichita State (Feb. 17)
Bradley @ Virginia Commonwealth (Feb. 17)
Utah State @ Oral Roberts (Feb. 17)
Austin Peay @ Akron (Feb. 17)
Drexel @ Creighton (Feb. 17)
Ohio @ New Mexico State (Feb. 17)
Kent State @ George Mason (Feb. 17)
Nevada Head Coach Mark Fox
Quotes from January 29, 2007 Media Availability
On the match-up with Northern Iowa:
“Northern Iowa is a very good basketball team, a team that has been in the (NCAA) Tournament consecutive seasons. It’s a program we have a lot of respect for and a top 50 team in the RPI, so it is certainly an excellent challenge.”
On what the BracketBusters event has meant to Nevada:
“The BracketBuster has been really critical for us for us because we have had a terrible time scheduling top 50 RPI teams, and the BracketBuster has allowed us to get quality games. We get them in February, which I am not sure if it’s important to play them then or play them in the preseason, but it’s important we add those teams, and the BracketBuster has allowed us to do that.”
On the timing of the BracketBusters:
“It’s a little bit difficult for the teams that have to travel in the middle of their conference play. I wish we could find maybe a little different weekend to play it, but you are never going to find an ideal situation. I do think it is a really good event for us.”
On the growth of the BracketBusters:
“I don’t think we’ve outgrown it. I do think the event has grown into something that is large enough to include some of the BCS schools. They probably wouldn’t want to admit that, but I just feel like the event has gotten strong enough to include some of those BCS teams.”
On what he knows about Northern Iowa:
“To be honest with you, I found out about Northern Iowa about five seconds before we went on ESPN(U) and went straight to practice, so I haven’t had a chance to research anything. I do know that they are very well coached and they’re doing a lot of good things. If they are still playing like they did last year, they’re doing a lot of good stuff.”
On Wednesday’s game with Louisiana Tech:
“La Tech is an athletic team, a team we just played, a team that caused us some problems, so we are going to have to really get geared up to play on their floor.”
On the trip to Louisiana Tech:
“It’s not an easy trip, but neither was Akron. That’s part of it; it’s nothing to cry about.”
