Little guys get chance to boost their NCAA chances

Stephen Curry leads Davidson against Winthrop in an important game for both teams' NCAA chances. Damian Strohmeyer/SI

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BracketBusters celebrates its sixth birthday this weekend, but will anybody notice?

The annual mid-major national TV festival, which features six high-profile mid-major games broadcast on ESPN2, has two factors working against it this season. One, the weekend happens to coincide with the Memphis-Tennessee showdown, a unique No. 1-vs.-2 matchup that has the national hoops media in a legit frenzy. The other is that there are not as many mid-majors in contention for at-large bids this year as in recent years, so not as many of the BracketBusters matchups carry NCAA tournament implications.

In fact, two mid-major teams who have worked themselves into the tournament discussion are not scheduled to participate. Western Kentucky and South Alabama, two under-the-radar Sun Belt teams who are in a virtual tie for the conference lead, are both fighting to get in position for at-large consideration. Western Kentucky (20-6) has an RPI of 52, while South Alabama (20-5) has an RPI of 35. If both go unbeaten until the Sun Belt final, they will both have a good chance of getting into the NCAAs. An extra resume win for either team this weekend would have helped enormously.

Here are four BracketBusters matchups to keep an eye on:

Davidson at Winthrop, Friday, 7 p.m.

Why It's Big: Davidson is very much in the bubble discussion these days, and a road win against Winthrop will boost its cause. The Wildcats are heavy favorites to win the Southern Conference tournament and earn an automatic bid since they are 18-0 and only four games have been decided by less than 10 points. But if they somehow slip in the conference tournament, their resume will be examined very closely. Respectable losses to Duke, N.C. State, UCLA and North Carolina should help, but a loss to Winthrop on top of earlier defeats at Western Michigan and Charlotte will leave Davidson with an ugly 2-7 non-conference record.

Who To Watch: Davidson's Stephen Curry is a high-major talent who has flourished at Davidson for two years. He is in the top five in the nation in scoring (25.8 ppg) and three-pointers made (111) and has scored at least 30 points eight times this season. And don't forget about Jason Richards, Curry's backcourt mate who leads the nation with 8.1 assists per game.

The Winner: This should be an entertaining matchup between two schools that have not met in 16 years despite being just 45 miles apart. Winthrop has won nine of its last 11 to move to the top of the Big South and is looking to build momentum heading into the Big South tournament. Davidson needs the game more, however, and should win a tight one.

Creighton at Oral Roberts, Saturday, 3 p.m.

Why It's Big: A strong run in Summit League play has Oral Roberts on the bubble for an at-large bid. Scott Sutton's club is 15-1 in league play and has worked its RPI up to No. 44. Creighton will be the highest RPI opponent for the Golden Eagles since a December loss at Texas. A loss ends all discussion. Creighton will try to salvage some respect for the Missouri Valley in a down season.

Who To Watch: Junior college transfer Robert Jarvis is having a big impact in his first season with Oral Roberts. The 5-foot-11 guard is averaging 15.7 points and is shooting 42 percent from three-point range. Eleven Creighton players average at least nine minutes a game, including freshman Kaleb Korver, the third of four basketball-playing brothers (Kyle, Klayton and high schooler Kirk are the others). Freshman P'Allen Stinnett leads the Bluejays in scoring.

The Winner: Oral Roberts carries some big momentum and is 12-0 at home this season. Creighton is used to playing in hostile environments, but ORU will pull it out.

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