George Mason travel to Northern Iowa for ESPN Bracketbusters

The Patriots were selected to play Northern Iowa of the MVC on Saturday February 19th at 7 p.m. on ESPN2. Northern Iowa has an RPI of 52 right now so not a selection you can complain about for George Mason. However I'm sure most fans wanted a higher RPI team but keep in mind how good the MVC is and UNI's really has a chance to improve as are on a 7-game winning streak right now. They have also already beaten Wichita St. once and still play them again before the regular season is over.

Here is  ESPN's Andy Katz's take:

"GMU assistant coach Chris Caputo called me out for not having Mason in my original televised game list. Since then, the Patriots have come on strong and look like a real challenger for the CAA title. They also have a top-35 RPI. Northern Iowa has also been on a tear of late, winning seven in a row (including at Missouri State) to make it clear the Panthers are not going away in the Valley race. This matches two Cinderella teams from the past few tournaments with the Panthers having beaten top-ranked Kansas in the second round during the previous season and Mason reaching the 2006 Final Four. This game should be a headline affair because both teams have created solid name recognition lately. "

From Yahoo's The Dagger:

"Neither Northern Iowa nor George Mason accomplished enough in non-league play to truly contend for an NCAA tournament berth, so this matchup of traditionally strong mid-majors isn't as good as it could be. The winner could still have a glimmer of at-large hope, while the loser will have to win its conference tournament."

Here is the video of the selection show in case you missed it.