March Madness: Bucknell is going to the NCAA Tournament
By Jason Lisk
Conference: Patriot League (25-8)
Location: Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, 30 minutes from the home of the Little League World Series, Williamsport.
Famous Alum: Sunil Gulati, president of the U.S. Soccer Federation, and Les Moonves, President and CEO of CBS Television, among many famous alumni.
They’re Back! They made the second round with upsets in 2005 & 2006. Of course, the more notable one was the one where my then-one year old son’s entry was the only one in an entire of office (full of mostly Kansas fans) to have correctly, #14 seed Bucknell over #3 seed Kansas in 2005.
School’s Leading Scorer: Albert Leslie (1,973 points)
Resume: Bucknell started 2-6, with losses to Villanova, Marquette, and Princeton. They have since won 23 of 25, with Richmond being their best victory.
Emerging Young Bisons: Three sophomores will play key roles for Bucknell in the tournament. Mike Muscala is the inside threat, and gets to the line frequently (122 made free throws) where he shoots over 80%. Bryson Johnson (47% from 3-point range) is the perimeter threat, and has only attempted 36 two pointers all year. The 6’6″ Joe Willman will need to stay out of foul trouble and play big to give Muscala help against an opponent that will likely have a size advantage.
All-Important Rankings: 82 (RPI), 93 (Pomeroy), 88 (Sagarin)
Projected Seed: Most likely a #14 seed, but could move up to a #13.
Twitter: Leading scorer Mike Muscala (@mikejawz) and his biggest fan @bobmuscala are both on twitter.
Others with their dance ticket in hand:
Indiana State
Belmont
Morehead State
UNC Asheville
Old Dominion
St. Peter’s
Wofford
Oakland
Gonzaga
Butler
[photo via Getty]