From the Philly Inquirer (bracket buster)

[Dr Z]

Which mid-majors are looking strong? Gonzaga is not a mid-major. Nevada is 12-2 in the WAC and looking good. If you insist on calling the Missouri Valley a mid-major league, then count Southern Illinois, which is up to 21 victories. Pacific also is up to 21 and out in front in the Big West, with only December losses to Kansas and San Francisco. Saturday's Bracket Buster game between Pacific and Texas-El Paso is a lot more important to UTEP than Pacific.

What's a Bracket Buster? Tomorrow there will be 11 games between mid-major teams. The idea is for mid-majors to get a chance to boost their chances for an at-large bid by playing a quality out-of-conference game. In fact, many of them have little or no shot to get an at-large bid. Drexel, for instance, plays at Ball State. It's a good game and will get the Dragons a little more exposure, but a win won't get them in the tournament.

Any other mid-majors with a chance at an at-large? Old Dominion chose to fill its schedule without a Bracket Buster game, but is up to 22 victories. The hangup: Bad losses to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and George Mason.

What about the Mid-American Conference, everybody's favorite mid-major pick in the tournament? Miami of Ohio is out in front and has the best chance. But wins over Buffalo and Akron are the best they have, so the Redhawks might want to beat Wichita State tomorrow in the Bracket Buster, and then get some revenge from a 19-point whipping they took from Can't State.

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[Captain Kangaroo]

What about the Mid-American Conference, everybody's favorite mid-major pick in the tournament? Miami of Ohio is out in front and has the best chance. But wins over Buffalo and Akron are the best they have, so the Redhawks might want to beat Wichita State tomorrow in the Bracket Buster, and then get some revenge from a 19-point whipping they took from Can't State.

source

Nice to know that beating the Zips means more than beating Xavier and Purdue!