Word has come down from on high. ESPN has announced the matchups for its inaugural Bracket Buster college basketball showcase, and Bowling Green gets a trip to the Windy City to play Illinois-Chicago later this month.
The game is slated for Feb. 22 at 5 p.m. It will air on ESPN2. The Bracket Busters will give a chance for teams which have spent the last few seasons living on and off the NCAA Tournament bubble to get some network face time.
“I like the matchup because of the TV,” BG coach Dan Dakich said. “I think it’s great that we’ll be on ESPN2. To be on two years in a row, that’s pretty good.”
BG has made serious runs at an NCAA bid in two of the last three seasons, coming up short both times. Illinois-Chicago fared a little better last year. They made it to the Dance, but only twirled with one partner. Oklahoma downed them 71-63 in the West Regional first round.
Under Dakich, BG has played Illinois-Chicago twice. The Falcons lost at Chicago 80-50 in November 1997, and BG won at Anderson Arena 89-54 in November 1998.
BG-UIC will be the third of four Bracket Buster games on ESPN2 that day. Creighton will play Fresno State at noon, Southern Illinois will play Wisconsin-Milwaukee at 3 p.m., and Hawaii will play Kent State at 9:30 p.m. following the Falcons.
Gonzaga and Tulsa will play on ESPN at midnight.
FATIGUE
The Falcons are starting to become a Jekyll-and-Hyde team. Three of their last four games have been double-figure losses, offsetting a solid win over Akron and an overtime comebeck against Ohio.
Dakich thinks his team is starting to wear down a bit. “I think we’re getting a little tired,” he said. “We’re going to have to do a job with that.”
Dakich said he is starting to see a trend with his team’s play in losses.
“We kind of play the same way,” he said. “We stand around a lot. We get beat a lot individually with the ball. In our wins, we really play as a team. I don’t think we are so selfish in our losses, but I don’t think we play as well together.”
JOSH ALMANSON
The Falcon forward had successful surgery on his ankle this past week, though it was a bit more complicated than originally thought. Doctors found a torn tendon, stress fracture, and bone deposits.
“They had to go in with a hammer and chisel and chisel out the deposits,” Dakich said. “I think he’s relieved, though, that now he can get on with rehabilitation.”
According to Dakich, the tear in Almanson’s tendon was vertical up his ankle, whereas most ankle tendon tears are horizontal and shorter.
Dakich said it will be at least eight weeks before Almanson can begin rehabilitation.
