NORMAL - Illinois State's basketball team has drawn a Mid-American Conference opponent for the second straight year in the ESPNU BracketBusters event.

ISU entertains Ball State on Feb. 17 at Redbird Arena, it was announced Tuesday. Game time will be at 4:05 p.m.

Ball State, which has won three of its last four games, takes a 7-13 record into Wednesday's MAC game at Bowling Green. The Cardinals have an RPI ranking of 242 as of Tuesday morning, while ISU is No. 124.

As part of the BracketBusters agreement, ISU will make a trip to Muncie, Ind., next season to play Ball State.

ISU traveled to Oxford, Ohio, for last year's BracketBusters game and lost to Miami (Ohio) 51-49. The Redbirds beat Miami 64-40 earlier this season in Normal.

The Redbirds and Ball State have played two common opponents this season - Indiana State and Western Michigan.

Ball State beat Indiana State 73-70 in overtime, while the Redbirds lost 54-50 to the Sycamores. Western Michigan beat ISU (65-57) and Ball State (74-61).

The BracketBusters series has been good for ISU. In four previous BracketBusters games, the Redbirds are 3-1. ISU is 4-0 on return trips.

Three other Missouri Valley Conference teams also found out their BracketBusters foes Tuesday. Evansville is on the road at Samford, while Indiana State is home against Miami (Ohio) and Drake entertains Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Six Valley teams will have their games televised by ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN 360, it was announced Monday.

On Feb. 16, Missouri State is home against Winthrop. Five games are slated the next day - Southern Illinois at 13th-ranked Butler; Northern Iowa at No. 15 Nevada; Bradley at Virginia Commonwealth; Appalachian State at Wichita State; and Drexel at Creighton. Network assignments and game times will be set Monday.