ESPN revealed the matchups for the February 18 Bracketbuster Saturday and the Saint Mary's Gaels might have received the most intriguing matchup of the slate. The Gaels will travel to Murray, Kentucky to face the currently undefeated Murray State Racers. Both teams are fast approaching lock status even without a postseason conference title, but a win for either team in this matchup further solidifies their respective cases.
The Gaels are currently 19-2 versus D-1 opponents with a pair of wins against non-D-1 schools. They are 10-0 in conference with a season sweep of BYU and a chance to equal that against Gonzaga. After falling just short of the NCAA tournament last season, the Gaels are playing like a team possessed as they roll through WCC play. However, if they can claim the Racers' zero, it would add one more big win to their portfolio.
The Racers are sitting at 18-0 versus D-1 schools and 3-0 against non-D-1 schools. Although they are unbeaten, they are not getting quite the respect other undefeated schools might. Murray State's best wins include solid wins over Southern Miss (No. 11 in the RPI) and Memphis (No. 29 in the RPI). A win over Saint Mary's would solidify their at-large chances if they stumbled in the Ohio Valley tournament.