2007 MasterCard NIT ? First Round
Providence Friars (18-12, 8-8 Big East) At Bradley Braves (21-12, 10-8 MVC)
Tipoff: Wednesday, March 14, 2007 ? 7:07 p.m. (CST)
Location: Peoria, Ill. ? Carver Arena (11,140)
TV: TBA
Radio: WMBD AM 1470 (www.wmbdradio.com) -- Dave Snell (play-by-play) and Joe Stowell (analyst)
Tickets: $9-12-18-30, Bradley Students $1
? Season ticket holders may claim their seats at the Robertson Fieldhouse Box Office from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday.
? General public may purchase available seats at the Carver Arena Box Office or any TicketMaster outlet Monday-Wednesday and at Robertson Fieldhouse Wednesday only
? Bradley University students may buy their tickets Monday-Wednesday at Robertson Fieldhouse or at Wednesday evening's pregame party at the Michel Student Center.
Bradley Returns to the Postseason
? Following up on last year's run to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, Bradley has earned a spot in the 2007 MasterCard NIT, giving the Braves consecutive postseason appearances for the first time in 10 years: 1994 NIT, 1995 NIT, 1996 NCAA and 1997 NIT.
? The Braves are making their 21st appearance in the NIT, second only to the 27 appearances by St. John's, and Bradley's four NIT championships (1957, 1960, 1964 and 1982) also are second to the six titles for the Red Storm.
Bradley-Providence Series
? Bradley is 3-0 all-time against Providence, including an 88-72 win in the championship game of the 1960 NIT at Madison Square Garden.
? The series began with a 57-55 Bradley win Dec. 14, 1959 at Robertson Fieldhouse and most-recently included an 84-52 Braves victory Dec. 29, 1978 in the third-place game of the Sugar Bowl Classic at The Louisiana Superdome.
? Wednesday's game will be Bradley's third against a Big East member this season: the Braves opened the year with a 78-58 home win against DePaul and followed with a 101-72 triumph against Rutgers Nov. 24 at the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill., during the third round of the Chicago Invitational Challenge.
? Bradley is 85-97 all-time against the current, 16-team Big East membership and the Braves have won five straight against Big East schools, including the 72-66 win against Pittsburgh in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
About the Braves
? Bradley lost 66.9 percent of its scoring and 65 percent of its rebounding -- all by four seniors and a MVC-first sophomore entry into the NBA Draft lottery -- from the 2006 squad that produced a 22-11 record, tied for fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference race and danced its way into the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
? Fifth-year head coach Jim Les overhauled the offensive attack, opting for a four-guard lineup that has produced one of the nation's most proficient 3-point shooting attacks -- the Braves lead the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (.427) and rank second with 335 total treys -- as well as a 21-12 record and a solo fourth-place finish in The Valley standings.
? The majority of Bradley's offensive damage has been done by returning players as 84.2 percent (2066-of-2454 points) of the offense has come from members of the 2005-06 squad.
? In addition to the 3-point shooting, an added benefit of the four-guard attack has been Bradley's ability to handle the ball: the Braves are second in The Valley by averaging 74.4 points per game and rank seventh nationally by committing only 11.1 turnovers per game.
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, 6-foot-4 small forward Lawrence Wright, 6-foot guard Tony Bennett 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 produced Bradley's first 20-win regular season since 1988 and one of the nation's most prolific 3-point shooting attacks -- Bradley leads the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (.427) and ranks second with 335 total treys.
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 388 of 2454 (15.8 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 six players who have at least doubled their scoring averages this season.
Returning 2005-06 2006-07
Braves Pts. PPG Pts. PPG +/- Pct.
J.J. Tauai 53 1.8 236 7.2 400.0%
Danny Adams 51 1.7 202 6.1 358.8%
Jeremy Crouch 102 4.6 347 13.9 302.2%
Will Franklin 134 5.0 474 14.4 288.0%
Zach Andrews 171 5.3 366 11.1 209.4%
Daniel Ruffin 254 7.7 416 13.9 180.5%
Bradley-Providence Series
Bradley Leads 3-0
H 1-0 A 0-0 N 2-0
12-14-59 Robertson F.H. W 57-55
03-19-60 NIT Final - M.S.G. W 88-72
12-29-78 New Orleans W 84-52
Bradley vs. the Big East
all-time vs. current membership
School All Home Carver Arena
Cincinnati 13-19 10-5 0-0
Connecticut 0-1 0-0 0-0
DePaul 14-25 9-9 4-2
Louisville 9-27 8-10 0-0
Marquette 15-10 9-5 1-0
Notre Dame 11-5 2-2 0-0
Pittsburgh 5-1 4-0 0-0
Providence 3-0 1-0 0-0
Rutgers 2-0 1-0 0-0
St. John's 4-3 0-1 0-0
Seton Hall 1-1 1-0 0-0
Syracuse 3-1 0-1 0-0
Villanova 2-2 1-0 1-0
West Virginia 3-2 2-0 1-0
14 of 16 teams 85-97 48-33 7-2
Rare Big East Visit
? Although Bradley is 85-97 all-time against the current Big East Conference membership, the Braves are 48-33 (.593) all-time at home and 7-2 (.778) at Carver Arena against current Big East teams.
? Providence will join DePaul (1-0) and Villanova (1-0) as the only teams to visit Carver Arena as Big East members.
? The Braves dropped Villanova, 60-48, Nov. 29, 1997 and DePaul, 78-58, in this year's season-opener Nov. 11.
? Marquette and West Virginia were not Big East members when they visited Carver Arena and DePaul's only visit to Peoria as a Big East member came this year.
Valley-Big East Challenge
? Including Bradley's 2-0 record against the Big East this season, four Missouri Valley Conference teams have combined for a 5-0 record against five Big East teams this season:
Bradley (2-0): DePaul (78-58), vs. Rutgers (101-72)
Illinois State (1-0): at St. John ?s (78-65)
Missouri State (1-0): at South Florida (81-69)
Wichita State (1-0): at Syracuse (64-61)
? Bradley is the only Valley team that did not have to go on the road to beat a Big East team this year.
To the Victor
? Bradley and Providence are playing in the “North” bracket of the NIT and Wednesday's winner will meet the winner of Tuesday's first-round game between eighth-seeded Mississippi Valley State and top-seeded Mississippi State.
? If Mississippi State, wins the second-round game will be played in Starkville, Miss., although the game date appears to be in question (the original bracket lists the game as Saturday, but MSU apparently is interested in moving it to Monday).
? If Mississippi Valley State upsets their in-state rival, the Bradley-Providence winner would host the second-round game, Monday at Carver Arena if Bradley wins.
Back-to-Back Postseasons
? After last year's run to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, Bradley is making its second straight appearance in a postseason tournament, giving the Braves back-to-back postseason appearances since a four-year run from 1994 through 1997: 1994 NIT, 1995 NIT, 1996 NCAA and 1997 NIT.
? Overall, Bradley is making its 32nd overall postseason tournament appearance: NIT (21), NCAA (eight), 1974 Commissioner's Classic, 1951 National Campus Tournament and 1930 National AAU Tournament.
NIT Win Drought
? While Bradley ranks fourth all-time with 25 wins in the NIT, the Braves will be trying to snap a program-worst three-game losing streak in the NIT.
? Since a first-round win against Drexel in 1997, the Braves lost a second-round game at Connecticut and have followed with first-round home losses to Butler (51-50) in 1999 and to Detroit-Mercy (68-49) in 2001.
? Bradley has suffered two-game NIT losing streaks on three other occassions and has responded with a third-place tournament finish in 1939, a runner-up finish in 1950 and the 1982 NIT championship.
History Lesson
? Bradley advanced to the 1950 NCAA Tournament championship game after playing in the NIT championship game only 10 days earlier.
? Bradley lost to C.C.N.Y. in both championship games and both contested in New York City at Madison Square Garden, marking the only time in postseason history the same two teams played in the championship games of the NIT and NCAA Tournament in the same season.
? Bradley radio analyst Joe Stowell, who was a senior on the 1949-50 Bradley team, would be happy to share his account of the remarkable two-week stretch of postseason play in 1950.
More Interesting History
? The last time Bradley and Providence met in the NIT involved a bit of controversy.
? After averaging 24.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in the first two rounds of the 1960 NIT, Bradley All-American Chet “The Jet” Walker received a mysterious glass of orange juice from hotel room service after returning from the semifinal win against St. Bonaventure.
? Walker became ill with apparent food poisoning and was at less than full strength for the championship game versus Providence.
? While Walker did contribute nine points and seven rebounds against the Friars, his front court mate Mack Herndon stepped up with 26 points and 13 boards to lead the Braves to the 88-72 victory.
Non-Con Home Win Streak
? Bradley will put its 24-game non-conference home win streak on the line Wednesday night against Providence.
? The 24-game non-conference streak at Carver Arena is the longest among The Valley's 10 teams and ranks eighth nationally.
Current Non-Con Home Winning Streaks
Rk. School Stk. Next
1. Duke 51 Next season
2. Sam Houston State 35 Next season
3. Air Force 31 3/14 vs. Austin Peay
4. Arizona 29 Next season
5. Michigan State 27 Next season
Ohio State 27 Next season
Washington 27 Next season
8. Bradley 24 3/14 vs. Providence
9. Florida 23 Next season
10. Colorado State 22 Next season
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.
? Thus far the Braves already have tied the Missouri Valley Conference record with 20 3-pointers in a game Nov. 21 versus Florida A&M and shattered The Valley single-season record with 335 treys this year (old record was 293 by Creighton in 2005).
? Bradley leads the nation by shooting 42.7 percent from 3-point range and ranks second nationally with its 335 3-pointers.
? Since their coldest-shooting game from long range, a 3-for-22 (.136) effort Feb. 7 at Southern Illinois, Bradley has made 74-of-163 (.454, 10.6 3FGM/gm) 3-point tries in the last seven games.
National Leaders -- 3-Point Field Goal Pct.
Through March 11
Rk. School 3FG% 3FGM-A
1. Bradley .427 335-784
2. Northern Arizona .426 229-537
3. Texas A&M .422 202-479
4. New Orleans .415 225-542
5. Utah .414 217-524
National Leaders -- 3-Point Field Goals/Game
Through March 11
Rk. School GP 3FGM 3FG/Gm
1. Virginia Military 33 442* 13.4
2. West Virginia 31 321 10.4
3. Bradley 33 335 10.2
4. Houston 33 330 10.0
5. Wofford 30 297 9.9
*NCAA Division I season record
Field Goal Percentage Conversion
? For the season, Bradley is shooting 46.4 percent overall from the field, highlighted by its 42.7 percent effort from 3-point range.
? By converting Bradley's 1005 points from 3-point range into 2-point shooting, the Braves would have needed to make 64.2 percent (503) of those 784 3-point field goal attempts for the same number of points in as many shots.
? The conversion from 3-point shooting to 2-point shooting would have given Bradley an overall field goal percentage of .553 (1037-1874) for its 2,073 points from the field.
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 33 games this year, Bradley has made at least 12 3-pointers 11 times, most recently with 12 Feb. 20 against UNI.
? The Braves are 9-2 when they have made at least 12 3-pointers this season.
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 335 3-pointers and six of the eight players are shooting better than 36 percent from long range.
? Bradley boasts three of The Valley's top seven in both 3-point field goal percentage and treys per game.
Player 3FGM-A Pct.
Jeremy Crouch 77-151 .510
Andrew Warren 20-43 .465
Will Franklin 84-195 .431
Danny Adams 60-140 .429
Daniel Ruffin 65-165 .394
Matt Salley 4-11 .364
J.J. Tauai 24-70 .343
Brian Lavin 1-3 .333
Four with 60 3-Pointers
? Having already shattered The Valley single-season record for 3-point field goals, Bradley now has four players with at least 60 treys this season (see Bradley's Bomb Squad note), 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 joins VMI as the only two teams in the country to boast as many as four players with at least 60 treys.
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 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 challenging 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 (.623) and is challenging the single-season accuracy mark.
Team Stat 2006-07 School Record
3FG% 42.7 39.1%, 1987-88
Turnover Margin +4.5 +4.7, 1980-81
Individual 3FGM in a Season
Record: 90, Aaron Zobrist, 1996-97
2006-07: 84, Will Franklin (2.5/gm)
Individual 3FG% in a Season (1.0 3FGM/gm)
Record: .460, Aaron Zobrist (80-174), 1994-95
2006-07 Contenders:
.510, Jeremy Crouch (77-151)
.431, Will Franklin (84-195)
.429, Danny Adams (60-140)
Individual FG% in a Season (3.0 3FGM/gm)
Record: .668, Luke Jackson (127-190), 1987-88
2006-07: .645, Zach Andrews (147-228)
Dividing Line Set at 75
? Bradley has won 26 of the last 30 games in which the Braves have held the opposition to fewer than 75 points, a stretch that dates back to Feb. 11, 2006.
? Southern Illinois is responsible for three of those four losses in the last 30 games when holding the opposition to less than 75 points.
? Conversely, the Braves have lost 11-of-15 games when allowing at least 75 points during the same time span.
? Bradley's first-round NIT opponent, Providence, averages 76.0 points per game and is 12-2 this year when scoring at least 75 points.
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: Jeremy Crouch (nine times), Will Franklin (eight), Daniel Ruffin (eight), Zach Andrews (three), J.J. Tauai (three), Danny Adams (twice) and Salley (at Creighton).
20-Somethings
? The Braves also have featured six different 20-point scorers during this season: Jeremy Crouch (five times), Will Franklin (four), Daniel Ruffin (twice), Danny Adams (Florida A&M), Zach Andrews (Illinois-Chicago) and J.J. Tauai (SIU-Edwardsville).
Deep Backcourt
? Seven of Bradley's nine returning lettermen are backcourt players and six guards have played prominent roles for the Braves during the regular season.
? Bradley's top three scorers, as well as six of the top eight, are guards: Will Franklin (14.4), Jeremy Crouch (13.9 ppg), Daniel Ruffin (13.9), J.J. Tauai (7.2), Danny Adams (6.1) and Andrew Warren (4.1).
Let Me Assist You
? For just the fifth time in school history, and still with at least one game remaining, Bradley boasts two players with triple-digit assist totals: Daniel Ruffin with 162 and Will Franklin with 130.
? 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 (69.6) and field goal percentage defense (.462), Bradley's defensive success largely has been based on turnovers.
? Leading the league with 8.1 steals per game, Bradley also leads The Valley with a +4.5 turnover margin.
? The turnover differential has allowed Bradley to get off 136 more field goal attempts than their opponents.
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 is second in The Valley by averaging 74.4 points per game.
? Despite the uptempo style, Bradley is seventh nationally by averaging only 11.1 turnovers per game.
? Bradley joins UNLV and VCU as the nation's only three teams averaging better than 74 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 7.0 boards per game and lost the rebound fight in 26 of the 33 games to date this year.
? Providence, meanwhile, outrebounds its opponents by 7.0 boards per contest.
Managing the Deficit
? Bradley has shown this season that it does not have to win the battle of the boards to succeed, but the Braves must remain in the fight.
? Bradley is 17-1 when the Braves are at least within six rebounds of their opponent, but 4-11 when the Braves are outrebounded by more than six boards.
? Bradley has won 13 straight when finishing within at least six boards of the opposition since the Nov. 25 loss to Illinois, when the Braves outboarded the Illini, 37-36.
By The Numbers
11 The number of seniors who have played for current head coach Jim Les. All 11 seniors have earned their Bradley degrees.
20 Three-pointers made by the Bradley Nov. 21 versus Florida A&M to tie The Valley single-game record.
335 Bradley has made a Missouri Valley Conference single-season record 335 3-pointers this year, breaking the old record of 293 set by Creighton in 2005.
465 Junior point guard Daniel Ruffin, a preseason candidate for the Bob Cousy Award, is the Valley's active leader with 465 career assists.
509 Consecutive games covered by beat writer Dave Reynolds for the Peoria Journal Star, dating back to the start of the 1990-91 season.
845 Consecutive Bradley men's basketball radio broadcasts on WMBD AM 1470 by play-by-play man Dave Snell. Now in his 28th season, Snell began his Bradley broadcasting career Nov. 30, 1979.
1,465 Bradley men's basketball games witnessed in an official capacity by current radio analyst Joe Stowell. Stowell played for the Braves from 1947 to 1950, served as the assistant coach from 1956 to 1965, head coach from 1965 to 1978, Assistant A.D. from 1978 to 1985 and as radio analyst since 1985.
Head Coach Jim Les
? Now in his fifth year as the head coach at Bradley, Jim Les is one of the most-decorated players in program history, winning the 1986 Missouri Valley Conference Player-of-the-Year and Frances Pomeroy Naismith (6-feet and under) Player-of-the-Year Awards.
? After inheriting a team that produced a 9-20 record in 2001-02, Les joined Bradley legend A.J. Robertson as the only two coaches in the program's 103-year history to lead the Braves to an improved record in each of his first two seasons and he now has led Bradley to an improved mark in three of his first four years.
? Most recently, Les led the Braves to a 22-11 record during the 2005-06 season, which was capped by a trip to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
? The seventh Valley coach since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 40 teams in 1979 to lead his team into the third round.
? Has coached the Braves to a 48-11 (.814) home record the last four seasons, highlighted by a pair of 15-game win streaks and the current 24-game non-conference home streak, which is the longest active streak in the Valley.
? Each of the first 11 seniors to play for Les have graduated from Bradley, including current 5th-year senior Danny Adams, who is now pursuing a second undergraduate degree.
Bradley -- Head Coach (2002-Present)
Years Overall Pct. MVC Pct.
2002-03 12-18 .400 8-10 .444
2003-04 15-16 .484 7-11 .389
2004-05 13-15 .464 6-12 .333
2005-06 22-11 .667 11-7 .611
2006-07 21-12 .636 10-8 .556
Totals 83-72 .535 42-48 .467
Sacramento Monarchs -- WNBA
Assistant Coach (1999-2001)
Omaha Racers -- CBA
Player-Assistant Coach (1993-94)
Pro Playing Experience
? National Basketball Association (1988-95) -- Led the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage during the 1990-91 season with the Sacramento Kings and was the runner-up to Craig Hodges in the 1992 AT&T Long Distance Shootout.
? Continental Basketball Association (1993-94)
? World Basketball League (1988 and 1990)
? European Basketball League (1995)
College Playing Experience
Bradley University (1983-86)
? 1986 Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (nation's top player less than 6-feet tall)
? 1986 MVC Player of the Year
? Still ranks second in school history and third in Valley history with 696 assists in his two-plus seasons at Bradley and his 884 career assists still rank 15th in NCAA Division I history.
? Led the 1985-86 Braves to a 32-3 overall record, the last unbeaten (16-0) conference mark in Valley history and the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Cleveland State University (1981-82)
? Set school record wtih 159 assists during his freshman season
