Jan. 31, 2011
NORFOLK, VA--The ODU Monarchs will play Cleveland State (20-3) from the Horizon League inthe 2011 ESPNU Brackebuster on Sunday, Feb. 20 at 1 p.m. in the Constant Center on either ESPN or ESPN2.
ODU (17-5) with an RPI rating of 31 will play the Vikings for the first time ever. Cleveland State has anRPI rating of 29. The Vikings are led in scoring by 6-2 senior guard Norris Cole who is averaging 20.2 points, 5.5 reboundsand 5.0 assists per game. He ranks 20th nationally in steals at 2.4 per game. Trevon Harmon, a 6-1 junior is averaging 13.5 pointsper game and 6-2 junior guard Jeremy Montgomery is at 11.2 points per contest.
Cleveland State is 9-2 in the Horizon League with their only losses to Butler and Valparaiso on the road.The Vikings are averaging 71.2 points per game and allowing 60.3 which is 21st nationally . They are shooting .436from the floor and allowing opponents .398 and are averaging 35.1 rebounds per game to their opponents 34.7. CSU ranks 15th nationally in three-point field goal defense at .291.
This will be the Monarchs sixth Bracketbuster's game and all have been televised.ODU is 5-1.
2005-06 W Marist 84-712006-07 W at Toledo 73-702007-08 W Bucknell, 65-552008-09 W Liberty, 80-562009-10 L at No. 24 Northern Iowa, 71-62
The Monarchs will be one of five CAA teams selected for the 11 TV match-ups. VCU will play atWichita State on Feb. 18 (ESPNU), Drexel will host Kent State on Feb. 18 (ESPNU) while Hofstra will travel to Wright State on Feb. 19 (ESPNU)and George Mason will travel to Northern Iowa on Feb. 19 (ESPN2).
In other matchups involving CAA teams, James Madison hosts Miami (Ohio) at Noon on Saturday, February 19 in a game that will be televised on ESPN3. Also in action on Feb. 19, Delaware visits Rider, Georgia State is at Louisiana Tech,UNC Wilmington entertains Charleston Southern, Northeastern goes to UNC Asheville, Towson is at home against local rival Loyola (Md.) and William & Mary welcomes in-state foe Radford.
2011 BracketBusters Pairings
Friday, Feb. 18VCU at Wichita State - 7 p.m. (ESPN2)Kent State at Drexel - 9 p.m. (ESPNU)Saturday, Feb. 19Hofstra at Wright State - 11 a.m. (ESPNU)Austin Peay at Fairfield - 1 p.m. (ESPNU)Iona at Liberty - 3 p.m. (ESPNU)Missouri State at Valparaiso - 5 p.m. (ESPN2)Vermont at College of Charleston - 5 p.m. (ESPNU)George Mason at Northern Iowa - 7 p.m. (ESPN2)#21 Utah State at St. Mary's - 9 p.m. (ESPN2)Montana at Long Beach State - 11 p.m. (ESPN2)Sunday, Feb. 20Cleveland State at Old Dominion - 1 p.m. (ESPN or ESPN2)
CAA MEN'S BASKETBALL Co-PLAYER OF THE WEEK- Frank Hassell, Old DominionSr., F, 6-9, 255 - Chesapeake, Va./Indian RiverHassell averaged 18.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in ODU's 3-0 week. The senior forward had a career-high 25 points and 13 rebounds in a win over UNCW, converted a game-winning 3-point play with 6.6 seconds left in a road win at Georgia State and had 16 points and 10 boards in a triumph over Towson. On the week, Hassell shot 58.8% from the floor and was 16-of-17 at the line.He shares the honor with Chaisson Allen of Northeastern.