UPDATE: VCU gets Northern Iowa, TV spotlight in Feb. 17 BracketBusters game

By: Tim Pearrell | RTD Sports Blog
Published: January 30, 2012

If Northern Iowa gets back on track, Virginia Commonwealth’s BracketBusters pairing could be a profile-enhancer.

VCU (18-5) will play the Panthers (14-9) in one of the Sears BracketBusters limelight games on Friday, Feb. 17 at the Siegel Center. The 7 p.m. game will be televised on ESPN2 and ESPN3.

The network matches mid-major schools in the three-day event (Feb. 17-19), with teams high in Ratings Percentage Index getting the opportunity to improve their credentials for at-large bids to the NCAA tournament.

The Colonial Athletic Association seems to be a longshot, at best, for an at-large bid this season. VCU, despite its record, has the CAA’s top RPI at 84, but that’s not nearly enough to get into the at-large discussion.

The Rams are 0-2 against top 50 RPI teams and 2-3 against top 100 teams.

A win over Northern Iowa could help some. The Panthers currently have an RPI of 57. Northern Iowa, though, has lost four of its past five games and five of its past seven. The Panthers have dropped to 4-7 in the tough Missouri Valley Conference.

TV appeal from last year’s Final Four run likely helped the Rams get a more favorable pairing. VCU, a predetermined home team, was 11th in RPI on the home side on Sunday. Northern Iowa was fourth among road teams.

The Panthers, who beat CAA member Old Dominion 63-46 on Nov. 12, are led by junior guard Anthony James (13.4 points) and 6-foot-9 junior forward Jake Koch (10 points, 5.5 rebounds). Under coach Ben Jacobson, UNI has produced three consecutive 20-win seasons.

The Friday pairing gives VCU the television spotlight for the second consecutive year. Only two games are televised on the ESPN networks on Friday.

The Rams won 68-67 at Wichita State in a Friday BracketBusters game last year when Joey Rodriguez made two free throws with 0.8 seconds left. VCU coach Shaka Smart believes that victory was a huge factor in the Rams’ at-large invitation to the NCAA tournament selection because VCU had, in essence, a captive audience of NCAA selection committee members.

Two other CAA teams will play on ESPNU on Saturday, Feb. 18. Drexel is at Cleveland State (11 a.m.), and Old Dominion is at Missouri State (5 p.m.).

William and Mary will play at Virginia Military Institute on Saturday. George Mason plays host to Lamar on Saturday (ESPN3), while James Madison is the road against Detroit.

tpearrell@timesdispatch.com

(804) 649-6965