Bulldogs to host Buffalo in
Bracket Buster Saturday

Men's basketball selected to play MAC team on either regional or national television on Feb. 19

By EDDIE HUGHES

There are no more secrets on the Fresno State men’s basketball schedule.

On Monday, Buffalo was announced as the Bulldogs ‘opponent for the Feb. 19 Bracket Buster game at the Save Mart Center.

“It’s a great opportunity for us,” Fresno State coach Ray Lopes said. “Bracket Buster is a special event, especially if you have a chance to be on national TV or get some kind of television exposure out of it.”
The game will be televised nationally by ESPN or ESPN2 or regionally by ESPN Regional Television.

Bracket Buster Saturday, an annual set of games in its third season, matches some of the nation’s best teams outside the traditional power conferences.

All 10 teams from the Western Athletic Conference are set to participate in this season’s Bracket Buster.

Fresno State is 0-2 in previous Bracket Buster games, losing 67-66 on the road to then-No. 17 Creighton in 2003 and losing 66-62 at home to East Tennessee State last season.

This will be the Bulldogs’ first-ever meeting with Buffalo.

Buffalo, of the Mid-American Conference, is 13-5 overall and 6-4 in MAC play. The Bulls have won three straight games and are in second place in the MAC East division.

“Buffalo looks like a pretty tough opponent,” Lopes said. “They’re having a good year. It looks like a veteran team and I’m sure they’re going to come out here excited to play us.”

The Bulls, guided by sixth-year coach Reggie Witherspoon, beat Indiana State in last season’s Bracket Buster.

Buffalo is led by senior guard Turner Battle, who averages 15.2 points.

As part of the Bracket Buster, the Bulldogs are required to play at Buffalo next season in November or December.

“It’s going to be a long trip, but we did the same thing this year with East Tennessee State,” Lopes said of next season’s return trip to Buffalo, N.Y. “That was a long, tough trip and Buffalo will be very much the same.”

The Bulldogs beat East Tennessee State 90-73 in Johnson City, Tenn. earlier this season.

Five of the 11 Bracket Buster games to be televised include WAC teams. Texas-El Paso visits Pacific, Nevada hosts Vermont, Hawaii hosts Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Rice hosts Murray State.

ESPN will announce game times and the channels they will be televised on Feb. 8.