Game #9

#9/10 Michigan State (6-1) at Bradley (6-2)

Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2007 ? 8:05 p.m.

Peoria, Ill. ? Carver Arena (11,060)

Radio:  WMBD AM 1470 -- Dave Snell, Joe Stowell and Chuck Buescher

Television:  ESPNU -- Lou Canellis and Mike Kelly

Web Audio:  www.BradleyBraves.com

Tickets:  SOLD OUT

First Top 10 Visit in 26 Years

?   For the first time in 26 seasons, Bradley will host a top 10 nationally-ranked opponent when #10 Michigan State visits Carver Arena for a Tuesday night clash that will be televised nationally on ESPNU.

?   Among the story lines for Tuesday's game, Bradley will be trying to extend its 29-game non-conference home winning streak, tied for the fifth-longest streak in the country, against a Spartans team that happens to be tied for the third-longest streak with 31 consecutive non-conference home wins.

?   Tuesday's game also features a matchup of two of the top point guards in the country:  Bradley senior Daniel Ruffin is the only active player in the nation with 1,000 career points and 500 career assists, while Michigan State senior Drew Neitzel is regarded as one of the top shooters in the country and is second to Ruffin with 471 career assists.

Braves Club Gameday Luncheon

?   Bradley head coach Jim Les and Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo will be the featured speakers Tuesday's Braves Club Gameday Luncheon.

WMBD Tailgate Tuesday

?   Bradley and WMBD AM 1470 are co-sponsoring a tailgate party at the Peoria Civic Center Exhibit Hall, beginning at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday.

?   The “Markley and Luciano” and the “Peoria Banking Center Braves Plus” shows will be broadcast from the Exhibit Hall, where fans can register to win three pairs of tickets to the game, which is sold out.

?   Free food and drinks for all Braves Club members.

?   Appearances by the Bradley Pep Band and Cheerleaders beginning at 6 p.m. and free BU face tattoos.

?   Projection screens for TV viewing of the game for fans without tickets.

White Out

?   Bradley Athletics is sponsoring the first of three colored t-shirt promotions of the season and will place white t-shirts on every seat Tuesday night.

?   In addition, fans are asked to wear white shirts to Tuesday's game.

About The Braves

?   One of just 14 programs in the country to win 22 games and claim a postseason victory in each of the last two years, Bradley returned seven lettermen, but just two starters, from last year's squad that went 22-13, advanced to the second round of the MasterCard NIT and ranked among the nation's leaders in 3-point shooting.

?   While working six scholarship newcomers into the rotation, Bradley relies heavily upon its senior tri-captains -- sharp-shooting guard Jeremy Crouch, lightning quick point guard Daniel Ruffin and steady front-court player Matt Salley.

?   The Braves often operate an uptempo, three-guard attack with the backcourt trio of Ruffin (16.4 ppg), Crouch (14.8 ppg) and sophomore guard Andrew Warren (11.3) combining for 42.4 points per game.

?   After ranking among the nation's leaders in 3-point shooting last season, Bradley was tied for seventh nationally with 78 treys to start this week.

?   Unlike last year, however, the Braves have coupled an inside game with their long-range attack as Bradley is outrebounding its opponents by 3.5 boards per game and is shooting 54.2 percent from inside the arc.

About the Spartans

?   Michigan State lost six lettermen, but five of the returning eight players were starters from last year's squad that went 23-12 overall and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

?   Although Michigan State did beat Missouri, 86-83, at a not-so-neutral site in Kansas City, Tuesday's game at Bradley will be the first true road game for the Spartans this season and the first non-conference road game since MSU lost at Boston College, 65-58, Nov. 29, 2006 in last year's ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

?   While sophomore forward Raymar Morgan (18.0 ppg) and senior guard Drew Neitzel (14.3) are the only two Spartans scoring in double-figures, Michigan State has outscored its first seven opponents by an average of 15.0 points per game.

?   The Spartans are outrebounding the opposition by 10.4 boards per game and are limiting their opponents to 37.6 percent shooting from the field, including 30.2 percent from 3-point range.

Bradley vs. Michigan State

Michigan State leads 2-0

Home 0-0;  Away 0-1;  Neutral 0-1

12-19-69   Salt Lake City, Utah  L  87-89

12-03-06   at Michigan State     L  53-82

Bradley-Michigan State Series

?   Michigan State has won both of the previous meetings in the all-time series versus Bradley, which began with an 89-87 Spartans victory Dec. 19, 1969 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

?   Starting a three-year series last season, Michigan State earned an 82-53 win Dec. 4, 2006 at the Breslin Center.

?   Following Tuesday's game at Carver Arena, the series will conclude with another game in East Lansing next season.

Carver Arena - Home of the Braves

?   The 2007-08 campaign is the 25th anniversary season of the Peoria Civic Center's Carver Arena, which has served as the home court for the Braves since the start of the 1982-83 season.

?   Bradley played its first game at Carver Arena Nov. 27, 1982, downing in-state rival Loyola Chicago, 90-82.

?   Including a 4-0 start at home this year, Bradley now boasts a 275-85 (.764) all-time mark at Carver Arena.

?   In his sixth season as Bradley head coach, Jim Les owns a 61-18 (.772) home record, including a 31-3 (.912) record in non-conference games at Carver Arena.

Non-Con Home Win Streak

?   Extended by the 90-72 win against Southeast Missouri State Saturday night, Bradley's non-conference home winning streak now stands at 29 games.

?   Bradley's streak is tied for fifth nationally heading into this week's action.

?   The Braves have not lost to a team outside the Missouri Valley Conference at Carver Arena since a 74-71 setback to Chris Kaman's Central Michigan squad Dec. 18, 2002.

Rk.  School           Stk.  Next

1.   Duke             55    Dec. 8 vs. Michigan

2.   Sam Houston St.  40    Dec. 4 vs. Texas Lutheran

3.   Michigan State   31    Dec. 8 vs. BYU

     Washington       31    Dec. 8 vs. Pittsburgh

5.   Arkansas         30    Dec. 12 vs. Texas-San Antonio

6.   Bradley          29    Dec. 4 vs. Michigan St.

7.   New Mexico       27    Dec. 8 vs. San Diego

8.   Pittsburgh       26    Dec. 15 vs. Oklahoma St.

9.   UNI              24    Dec. 5 vs. Iowa

     Utah State       24    Dec. 15 vs. Prairie View

Rare Top 25 Visit

?   Michigan State becomes the first Top 25 team to visit Carver Arena since #23 Creighton left Bradley's home court with a 66-49 victory Jan. 5, 2004.

?   Since Carver Arena opened for the 1982-83 season, Bradley has hosted only one other nationally-ranked non-conference opponent:  #15 Illinois earned a 72-62 road win against the Braves Nov. 22, 1999.

?   Ranked as high as No. 10 in the national polls, Michigan State becomes the highest-ranked team to play in Peoria since Bradley downed #8 Tulsa, 82-79 in overtime, Feb. 27, 1982 in the final regular-season game at Robertson Memorial Fieldhouse.

?   That 1982 win against the Golden Hurricane also stands as Bradley's last victory against at Top 10 team at any venue.

?   Michigan State will be the highest-ranked non-conference team to visit Peoria since #4 UNLV won a 107-106 shootout Feb. 1, 1977 at Robertson Fieldhouse.

Against The Top 10

Rk.   W-L     H    Most Recent Win

#1    1-7    1-1   1/16/60 vs. Cincinnati, 91-90

#2    3-6    3-2   1/9/82 vs. Wichita St., 55-47

#3    2-7    2-2   3/7/59 vs. Cincinnati, 84-66

#4    2-6    2-2   2/8/64 vs. Wichita St., 76-75

#5    5-1    2-1   12/30/57 vs. Cincinnati, 79-73

#6    2-5    2-0   2/17/58 vs. Okla. St., 57-43

#7    4-2    2-0   2/23/63 vs. Wichita St., 64-63

#8    3-4    3-0   2/27/82 vs. Tulsa, 82-79 (OT)

#9    4-2    1-1   3/16/60 vs. St. Bonny, 82-71

#10   1-4    0-0   12/15/56 at Canisius, 66-64

All  27-44  18-9   2/27/82 vs. #8 Tulsa

Top 10 Bradley Home Crowds

Att.    Opponent               Date  Result

11,444  Illinois State      1/24/07  W, 88-67

11,430  #15 Illinois       11/22/99  L, 62-72

11,320  Indiana State        1/8/00  W, 62-51

11,309  Illinois State      2/21/01  W, 64-52

11,164  Illinois State       2/1/06  W, 73-44

11,161  Southern Illinois   1/17/04  L, 62-72

11,080  Wichita State       1/20/07  W, 78-63

11,080  DePaul             11/11/06  W, 78-58

11,079  Southern Illinois   2/26/00  W, 71-63

11,030  Illinois State      2/10/99  W, 74-70

Non-Conference Home Crowds

Rk.  Att.    Opponent              Date

1.   11,430  #15 Illinois      11/22/99

2.   11,080  DePaul            11/11/06

3.   10,741  Michigan           12/8/97

4.   10,401  Saint Louis        12/9/82

     10,401  Loyola Chicago    11/27/82

6.   10,400  Memphis             2/7/87

7.   10,253  Iowa State        11/14/07

8.   10,201  Pepperdine        12/18/04

9.   10,115  Western Illinois  12/19/98

10.  10,080  Southern Miss     12/23/06

Bradley Joins the 1,500-Club

?   Bradley overcame an 11-point first half deficit en route to a 64-47 win Wednesday at Loyola Chicago to earn the 1,500th win in program history.

?   Bradley became the 26th program in NCAA Division I history to achieve 1,500 wins and now boasts a 1501-976 all-time record.

Ruffin Makes History, Too

?   Having helped Bradley to 63 of its 1,501 all-time wins as the team's starting point guard the last four years, senior Daniel Ruffin made some history of his own in Saturday's 90-72 victory against Southeast Missouri State.

?   Finishing with 10 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals against the Redhawks, Ruffin became the 41st member of Bradley's 1,000-Point Club.

?   The nation's active leader with 533 career assists, Ruffin also became the fourth player in Missouri Valley Conference history to record score at least 1,000 career points and dish out at least 500 career assists.

1,000 Points, 500 Assists in MVC History

Player, School, Years                Points   Assists

Rick Fields, Indiana State, 1981-85  1,142    551

Anthony Manuel, Bradley, 1984-89     1,221    855

Ryan Sears, Creighton, 1997-01       1,309    570

Daniel Ruffin, Bradley, 2004-Active  1,003    533

Looking Ahead

?   Bradley faces two stiff road challenges as the Braves will visit the two defending Horizon League co-champions Wright State (Dec. 11) and #13 Butler (Dec. 19) in their next two games.

?   Bradley will not play another home game until hosting defending Colonial Athletic Association champion VCU Dec. 22 in the final non-conference tuneup.

Heating Up From Long Range

?   During the 2006-07 season, Bradley ranked third nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (.420) and fourth in treys per game (9.97).

?   Bradley opened the 2007-08 season by combining to make just 13-of-46 (.282) 3-point field goal attempts at Illinois-Chicago (8-28) and versus Iowa State (5-18).

?   In the last six games, however, the Braves have returned to the 2006-07 form by sinking 65-of-156 (.417) 3-point tries for an average of 10.8 treys per game.

?   Through Sunday's games, Bradley was tied for ninth nationally with 78 3-point baskets this season.

Improved Rebounding

?   Bradley's biggest weakness in 2006-07 came on the glass as the Braves were outrebounded by 6.8 boards per game.

?   Through the first eight games, Bradley has not yet lost the rebounding fight and the Braves are outrebounding the opposition by 3.5 boards per contest.

?   Bradley's improved rebounding has been accomplished through a group effort as seven of the 10 players in the team's regular rotation are averaging between 2.4 and 6.8 rebounds per game.

Defensive Free Throw Percentage

?   While Bradley's defensive pressure is forcing the opposition into 18.9 turnovers per game, the most telling stat from Bradley's defensive end may be coming from the free throw line.

?   Through the season's first eight games, the opposition is shooting just 63.2 percent from the charity stripe.

?   Four of Bradley's first eight opponents have shot less than 60 percent from the stripe and three were no better than 50 percent.

Turnover Prone

?   Bradley's pressure defense is forcing 18.9 turnovers per game, but the Braves also have been loose with the ball through the season's first eight games.

?   Last year, Bradley averaged only 11.4 turnovers per game and committed a season-high 20 turnovers in the NIT opener versus Providence.

?   Bradley already has committed at least 20 turnovers four times in the first eight games and the Braves are averaging 18.5 turnovers per game.

Possessions Game

?   The simple description of Bradley's scheme is to run an efficient offense while creating a high number of possessions in each game.

?   Through the first eight games, Bradley is averaging 72.9 possessions per game (583 total).

?   By averaging 78.4 points per game, the Braves are averaging 1.08 points per possession.

?   By contrast, Michigan State is averaging 68.2 possessions per game, but the Spartans have been a more efficient 1.16 points per possession.

Assists Tell The Story

?   Another sign of Bradley's efficient offensive attack is evident from the team's assists numbers.

?   Bradley is second in The Valley and 16th nationally by averaging 18.8 assists per game.

?   Through eight games, the Braves have accumulated 150 assists on 219 field goal attempts (.685).

?   By comparison, the opposition has been credited with assists on 103-of-200 (.515) baskets.

Three-Guard Attack

?   A large portion of Bradley's offensive attack comes from the guard trio of Daniel Ruffin (16.4 ppg), Jeremy Crouch (14.8) and Andrew Warren (11.3).

?   The three starting guards combine to average 42.4 points per game, 54.1 percent of the team's overall point production.

?   The Braves also have received 8.6 points per game from reserve guards Sam Maniscalco (4.6 ppg) and Tyrone Cole-Scott (4.0), giving Bradley a total of 51.0 points per game from its guard rotation.

Low-Post Efficiency

?   While Bradley's guards continue to bomb away from 3-point range, the team's post players have been tremendously efficient from inside the arc.

?   Despite the long-range attack, Bradley also has nearly matched the opposition in points in the paint (238-244).

?   Bradley's six post players have combined to shoot percent 60.5 percent (78-129) from inside the arc to date.

Player         2-Pt. FG-A    Pct.

Rashad Austin   2-2         1.000

Will Egolf      9-13         .692

Sam Singh      12-17         .706

David Collins  23-32         .719

Theron Wilson  15-30         .500

Matt Salley    17-35         .486

Streaks

11  Consecutive games in which senior point guard Daniel Ruffin has scored in double figures, the longest active streak on the team and the longest double-digit scoring streak of his career.

29  Consecutive non-conference home victories, tied for the fifth-longest active streak in the nation.

230  Consecutive games in which Bradley has made at least one 3-pointer, dating back to an 0-for-8 effort Feb. 16, 2000 versus Drake.

519  Consecutive games covered by beat writer Dave Reynolds for the Peoria Journal Star, dating back to the start of the 1990-91 season.

856  Consecutive Bradley Basketball broadcasts Voice of the Braves Dave Snell has participated in on WMBD.

Opponents Tourney Tested

?   By facing Vanderbilt in the final round of the South Padre Island Tournament, the Braves now will play a school-record nine regular-season games against teams that advanced to the previous year's NCAA Tournament.

?   Not only are the seven 2007 NCAA Tournament participants on the schedule a program record, but five of the opponents won at least one postseason game in 2007:  Butler (2-1), Creighton (0-1), Michigan State (1-1), Southern Illinois (2-1), Vanderbilt (2-1), VCU (1-1) and Wright State (0-1).

?   Bradley faced six NCAA Tournament participants from the previous year in 1999-2000, 1986-87, 1985-86 and 1981-82 and the Braves have never faced as many as four teams that won games in the previous year's tournament.

Big Visits

?   Iowa State became the first member of the Big 12 Conference to visit Carver Arena since Kansas State earned a 73-61 victory Dec. 7, 1996 on Bradley's home floor in the league's first year of existence.

?   Michigan State will be the first Big Ten Conference opponent to visit Carver Arena since #15 Illinois pulled out a 72-62 win Nov. 22, 1999.

?   Bradley is 3-1 all-time versus the Big Ten at Carver Arena, with wins against Northwestern (Nov. 30, 1985), Michigan (Dec. 8, 1997) and Penn State (Dec. 12, 1998).

?   Bradley has not hosted current members of both leagues in the same season since 1956-57 when Oklahoma State was a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.  After downing Wisconsin, 74-62, Dec. 20 at Robertson Fieldhouse, the Braves dropped a 68-53 decision to #16 Oklahoma State March 8 in the regular-season finale.