Game 30 ? UNI Panthers (16-12, 7-9 MVC) at Bradley Braves (19-10, 9-7 MVC)
Tipoff: Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2007 ? 7:05 p.m. (CST)
Location: Peoria, Ill. ? Carver Arena (11,140)
Television: None
Radio: WMBD AM 1470 (www.wmbdradio.com) -- Dave Snell (play-by-play) and Joe Stowell (analyst)
Video Stream: www.bubraves.com
Tickets: Available ($4, $12 and $18) ? Bradley Ticket Office (209-677-2625)
Final Home Push
? For the first time since the magical 1985-86 Missouri Valley Conference championship season, Bradley will end the regular-season with two Valley home games, beginning with Tuesday night's tilt against the Northern Iowa Panthers.
? After playing four of its first five February games away from home, and going 4-1 in those games, Bradley will try to continue to build momentum for the postseason by finishing strong at Carver Arena, where the Braves boast a 12-2 record so far this year.
? Bradley has not won as many as 14 regular-season home games since the 1993-94 team went 14-0 at Carver Arena in the regular season before tacking on a pair of NIT home wins to complete the year with an overall 16-0 home record.
Bradley-UNI Series
? Tuesday's game will be the 34th meeting in the all-time series between Bradley and UNI, which dates back to a 117-71 non-conference Braves victory Jan. 27, 1971 at Robertson Fieldhouse.
? Bradley owns a 23-10 lead in the all-time series, including a 15-1 advantage in home games aainst the Panthers.
? The Braves have won four straight home games in the series since UNI earned its lone win at Carver Arena, a 67-61 victory Dec. 8, 2001.
? Fifth-year Bradley head coach Jim Les owns a 5-4 record against UNI, while first-year Panthers head coach Ben Jacobson is 1-0 against the Braves.
First to 300
? Ranked third nationally by averaging 10.3 3-pointers per game, Bradley needs just one more trey to become the first-ever Missouri Valley Conference team to make 300 in a single season.
The Re-Making of the Braves
? Dominated by losses to its front line, Bradley lost 66.9 percent of its scoring and 65.0 percent of its rebounding from the 2006-06 squad that went 22-11 and reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
? Bradley lost five players from last year's team -- 7-foot center Patrick O'Bryant as an early entry lottery pick in the NBA Draft, as well as graduates 6-7 power forward Marcellus Sommerville (France), 6-foot-4 small forward Lawrence Wright (Harlem Globetrotters), 6-foot guard Tony Bennett (ABA) and 7-foot-1 center Brandyn Heemskerk.
? Fifth-year head coach Jim Les has re-designed the Bradley scheme, primarily utilizing an eight-man rotation built around six returning players and two newcomers in a four-guard attack.
? The changes have produced a 19-10 record to date and one of the nation's most prolific 3-point shooting attacks -- Bradley leads the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (.430) and ranks third with 10.3 treys per game.
R?sum? Points
? For the second year in a row, it appears Bradley is making a late-season charge for a spot on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Here is a closer look at Bradley's r?sum?:
RPI
? Bradley has climbed to 30th in the ratings percentage index, as published Feb. 18 by collegerpi.com.
Strength of Schedule
? Bradley's schedule strength is ranked 18th nationally and is second among the teams that do not belong to the six major college football power conferences (ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East, Pac-10 and SEC).
? In addition to its 10-3 non-conference record, Bradley boasts a 3-1 record against teams currently leading their conferences -- wins against the Horizon League's Wright State (88-49) and the Colonial's VCU (73-64), as well as a split against Missouri Valley Conference rival Southern Illinois.
Road Success
? By winning a pair of road games last week at Evansville and VCU, Bradley now owns a 5-7 record in true road games and a 7-8 overall mark in games outside Carver Arena.
? Bradley's seven wins away from home were tied for 17th among the top 50 RPI teams through Feb. 17 and tied for third among those outside of the top 25.
Injuries
? Bradley has overcome a trio of injuries to its starting backcourt, most notably a 13-game stretch with junior guard Jeremy Crouch out of the starting lineup due to a right knee sprain.
? The Valley's leading 3-point shooter, Crouch was leading the Braves in scoring at 16.4 points per game when he went down Dec. 30.
? Bradley went 5-3 in the eight games he missed entirely and 2-3 in the five games immediately after his return from the injury while he worked himself back into game shape.
? While Bradley is a modest 7-6 (.538) without Crouch in the starting lineup, the Braves are 12-4 (.750) with him among the first five.
? In addition to Crouch's injury, preseason Bob Cousy Award candidate, junior point guard Daniel Ruffin, missed three November games with a strained hip flexor and senior guard J.J. Tauai has been playing with a broken bone in his left hand since Jan. 2.
Braves in the Pros
? Bradley has produced 18 athletes who have played in the NBA and old ABA, including active players Patrick O'Bryant (Golden State) and Anthony Parker (Toronto).
? Probably the most accomplished NBA players from Bradley were Hersey Hawkins, who scored 14,470 points in 13 seasons; and Chet “The Jet” Walker, who was a seven-time All-Star and averaged 19.3 points on Philadelphia's 1967 NBA world championship team.
? In addition to the NBA, former Bradley power forward Marcus Pollard recently completed his 12th NFL season as a tight end for the Detroit Lions and a total of 13 former Braves are playing professional basketball around the world.
Carver Arena -- Home of the Braves
? Carver Arena has served as the gameday home to Bradley Basketball since the start of the 1982-83 season, making this the 25th season in the 11,140-seat facility.
? Bradley now boasts a 269-84 (.762) all-time record at Carver Arena.
? Bradley's 25-3 (.889) home record since the start of 2005-06 gives the Braves the second-best home court winning percentage in The Valley the last two seasons.
Points from Within
? As mentioned, Bradley lost five players from last year's Sweet 16 squad who combined for 1,577 of the team's 2,359 (66.9 percent) points.
? The Braves have received only 366 of 2208 (16.6 percent) points from newcomers this year.
? The bulk of Bradley's offensive production is the result of improved contributions from six returning players, including five players who have more than doubled their scoring averages from last season.
? The other nine teams in The Valley have combined to produce seven players who have at least doubled their scoring averages this season.
Dividing Line Set at 75
? Bradley has won 24 of the last 27 games in which the Braves have held the opposition to fewer than 75 points, a stretch that dates back to Feb. 11, 2006.
? Conversely, the Braves have lost 10 of their last 14 games when allowing at least 75 points during the same time span.
? Two of the three losses in the last 27 games when allowing fewer than 75 points came against Southern Illinois -- 59-46 in last year's MVC Tournament championship game and 60-50 Feb. 7 in Carbondale.
? UNI has been held to less than 75 points in all eight losses during its 1-8 spell, but scored 79 in the lone win Feb. 3 at Evansville.
Long Interval
? The season's first meeting between Bradley and UNI was played Dec. 28 in Cedar Falls as the conference opener for both teams, a 76-65 UNI win.
? Tuesday's game will be the 17th of 18 Valley games for both teams.
? This is the second year in a row Bradley and UNI have had 15 league games in between their two meetings.
Consecutive 20-Win Seasons
? Bradley has at least three chances to earn its 20th win of the season, a threshold the Braves have not achieved in consecutive seasons since a three-year run from 1994 though 1996.
Tough Schedule
? Bradley's strength of schedule ranks as the 19th-best in the country, according to numbers posted at www.collegerpi.com through games of Feb. 18.
? Bradley's strength of schedule is the best in The Valley, just ahead of Southern Illinois at No. 25.
Three-Mendous
? Often utilizing a four-guard lineup, it should not come as a surprise that Bradley has been bombing away from 3-point land this year.
? So far this year, the Braves already have tied the Missouri Valley Conference record with 20 3-pointers in a game Nov. 21 versus Florida A&M and set The Valley record with 299 treys in a season.
? Bradley currently owns the nation's best 3-point field goal percentage (.430) and ranks third by averaging 10.3 treys per game.
Field Goal Percentage Conversion
? Through 29 games, Bradley has shot a national-best 43.0 percent from 3-point range, scoring 897 points by making 299 3-point baskets in 695 attempts from long range.
? The equivalent 2-point field goal percentage for 897 points in 695 attempts would be 64.6 percent (449-695).
? By comparison, UNI has scored 546 points on 182 3-pointers in 514 attempts, giving the Panthers a converted 2-point field goal percentage of .531.
More Fun with Math
? Due to Bradley's proficiency from long range, the Braves have scored 1859 points (free throws not included) on their 1663 field goal attempts, a ratio of 1.12 points for every field goal attempt.
? By comparison, Bradley's opponents have scored 1622 points on 1549 field goal attempts, an average of 1.05 points per shot.
? Again for comparison purposes with Tuesday's opponent, UNI has scored 1448 points on their 1416 field goal attempts for a ratio of 1.02 points per field goal attempt.
Bradley's Dozens
? In the first 20 years of the college 3-point arc, Bradley had made as many as 12 treys in a game just six times in 594 games.
? Through 29 games this year, Bradley has made at least 12 3-pointers 10 times, most recently with 13 Feb. 14 at Evansville.
Bradley's Bomb Squad
? According to mid-season statistics released by the NCAA, the national average for 3-point field goal percentage was .3501.
? Eight Bradley players have combined for the team's 299 3-pointers and seven of the eight players are shooting at least 40 percent from long range.
Player 3FGM-A Pct.
Jeremy Crouch 68-134 .507
Brian Lavin 1-2 .500
Andrew Warren 18-38 .474
Danny Adams 55-126 .437
Will Franklin 78-179 .436
Daniel Ruffin 57-142 .401
Matt Salley 4-10 .400
J.J. Tauai 18-58 .310
Four with 50 3-Pointers
? Well on its way to breaking the Missouri Valley Conference single-season record for 3-point field goals, Bradley now has four players with at least 50 treys this season (see list above), a first in school history.
? This season marks just the third in school history that at least two Bradley players have made 50 3-pointers in a season.
? Bradley and VMI (five) are the only two schools in the nation that currently boast at least four players with 50 3-pointers.
Other Records in Sight
? The already-broken Valley record for 3-pointers in a season is not the only mark in sight for the Braves this year.
? The Braves also are on pace to challenge the single-season school records for 3-point field goal percentage, steals and turnover margin.
? Individually, junior guard Jeremy Crouch is primed to break Aaron Zobrist's school record for 3-point field goal percentage, while senior guard Will Franklin is on pace to challenge Zobrist's mark for treys in a season.
? From inside the arc, senior center Zach Andrews has taken over as Bradley's career field goal percentage leader (.621) and is beginning to challenge the single-season accuracy mark.
Spreading the Wealth
? Junior forward Matt Salley led the Braves with a career-best 18 points Jan. 18 at Creighton, becoming the seventh player to lead Bradley in scoring this year: Will Franklin (eight times), Jeremy Crouch (seven), Daniel Ruffin (seven), Zach Andrews (three), Danny Adams (twice), J.J. Tauai (twice) and Salley (at Creighton).
20-Somethings
? The Braves also have featured six different 20-point scorers in the first 29 games: Jeremy Crouch (five times), Will Franklin (four), Danny Adams (Florida A&M), Zach Andrews (Illinois-Chicago), Daniel Ruffin (at UNI) and J.J. Tauai (SIU-Edwardsville).
Deep Backcourt
? Seven of Bradley's nine returning lettermen are backcourt players and six guards are playing prominent roles for the Braves in the early going.
? Bradley's top three scorers, as well as six of the top eight, are guards: Will Franklin (15.2), Jeremy Crouch (14.4 ppg), Daniel Ruffin (14.0), J.J. Tauai (6.6), Danny Adams (6.4) and Andrew Warren (4.3).
Let Me Assist You
? For just the fifth time in school history, and still with at least three games remaining, Bradley boasts two players with triple-digit assist totals: Daniel Ruffin with 143 and Will Franklin with 116.
? Bradley had not had two 100-assist players in a single season since the 1995-96 Missouri Valley Conference championship campaign.
Possessions Game
? Ranked ninth in The Valley in scoring defense (71.0) and field goal percentage defense (.464), Bradley's defensive success has been based on turnovers.
? Leading the league with 8.5 steals per game, Bradley also leads The Valley with a +4.4 turnover margin.
? The turnover differential has allowed Bradley to get off 114 more field goal attempts than their opponents.
? The added shots have allowed the Braves to outscore their opponents by an average of 5.1 points per game.
Up Tempo, but Under Control
? In addition to its proficiency from long range, another advantage of Bradley's deep backcourt is the ability to play at a quick pace, but under control.
? Including three games with at least 100 points, Bradley leads The Valley by averaging 76.1 points per game.
? Despite the uptempo style, Bradley is tied for seventh nationally by averaging only 11.6 turnovers per game.
? Bradley joins UNLV as the nation's only teams averaging better than 76 points and fewer than 12 turnovers per game.
Disadvantage on the Boards
? The most glaring disadvantage of Bradley's small lineup has been the team's inability to consistently keep the opposition off the boards.
? Bradley is being outrebounded by a league-worst 6.9 boards per game and has lost the rebound fight in 22 of the 29 games to date.
Managing the Deficit
? Bradley has shown this season that it does not have to win the battle of the boards to succeed, however, but the Braves must remain in the fight.
? Bradley is 16-1 when the Braves are at least within six rebounds of their opponent, but 3-9 when the Braves are outrebounded by more than six boards.
