Northridge in ESPN Event, but Not on TV

Cal State Northridge Coach Bobby Braswell hoped that being involved in the Bracket Buster extravaganza concocted by ESPN would give his program some rare and much-needed national exposure.

But instead of drawing one of the 11 televised contests assigned by the network for Feb. 19, the Matadors will venture across the country to play Fairfield (Conn.) in what will amount to an odd nonconference matchup in the teeth of the Big West Conference season.

Braswell, knowing his team would play on the road, had hoped to be sent to Fresno State or Hawaii. He also knew the Matadors’ 10-9 overall record probably factored into ESPN’s scheduling decisions.

“Would I prefer to stay on the West Coast? Sure,” Braswell said. “But it’s a chance to step away from league a little bit and use it as an evaluation tool. Fairfield is a good team that plays in a good league.

“If they asked us to be in it again next year, we would.”

Fairfield, which plays in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, is also 10-9 overall. As part of the Bracket Buster agreement, Fairfield must play at Northridge next season.

Big West-leading Pacific, which is 16-2 and has won 12 in a row, will play host to Texas El Paso (17-4) in one of the televised matchups.

-- Eric Stephens

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North Carolina State forward Levi Watkins will be sidelined at least four weeks after spraining his right knee Tuesday.

The 6-foot-8 senior, who sat out most of his freshman season because of a torn left anterior cruciate ligament, sprained his medial collateral ligament during practice, the school said.

Watkins has averaged 4.7 points and 13.3 minutes in 18 games this season, including 12 as a starter.

The Wolfpack is already without Cameron Bennerman, the team’s second-leading scorer at 10.3 points per game, who has a sprained elbow.

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Reserve Duke forward David McClure had surgery on his left knee, repairing an injury sustained in the Blue Devils’ home loss to Maryland last week.

McClure, a freshman averaging 1.6 points and 1.4 rebounds, sat out Sunday’s game against Virginia Tech.

The fourth-ranked Blue Devils got a boost recently with the return of junior Shavlik Randolph, but reserve forward Reggie Love remains sidelined because of a broken right foot.

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Tennessee point guard Loree Moore will have surgery on her broken nose but is expected to play Thursday at Florida. Moore was hurt Monday, during the No. 5 Lady Vols’ 77-70 victory over Georgia. She was hit in the face by the Bulldogs’ Sherrill Baker.

Moore, a senior, sat out six games this season after having her tonsils removed.

From Associated Press