Games 3-5 ? Bradley Braves at O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic ? Nov. 24-26, 2008 ? Ft. Myers, Fla.
Bradley Returns to Sunshine State for Three Tourney Games
With a full week to prepare since its last game, the Bradley men's basketball team will resume play in the 2008 O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic with a trio of games in the Ft. Myers Sub-Regional at Florida Gulf Coast's Alico Arena. The Braves will face UMKC in its first sub-regional game Monday. While the Braves are trying to rebound from an 81-58 loss at #19 Florida in the first round of the CBE Classic, the Kangaroos bounced back from a 71-56 loss at #23 Kansas with a 66-63 win Wednesay at Wichita State. The Braves also will be trying to continue a recent trend of success during exempt, regular-season tournaments: Bradley has gone 3-1 in each of its previous three such events.
O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic - Ft. Myers Sub-Regional ? Alico Arena
Monday, Nov. 24 - Bradley (1-1) vs. UMKC (1-2)
Time: 5 p.m. EST
TV: Comcast (Peoria 74, Richmond 19) - Frank Bussone and Dick Versace
Radio: WMBD Am 1470 - Dave Snell and Chuck Buescher
Internet: www.BradleyBraves.com ? Free audio/subscription video
Series: First Meeting
Tuesday, Nov. 25 at Florida Gulf Coast (1-1)
Time: 7 p.m. EST
TV: Comcast (Peoria 74, Richmond 19) - Frank Bussone and Dick Versace
Radio: WMBD Am 1470 - Dave Snell and Chuck Buescher
Internet: www.BradleyBraves.com ? Free audio/subscription video
Series: Bradley leads 1-0
Last: BU 82-74, 11/20/07 at BU
Wednesday, Nov. 26 vs. Richmond (1-1)
Time: 5 p.m. EST
TV: Comcast (Peoria 74, Richmond 19) - Frank Bussone and Dick Versace
Radio: WMBD Am 1470 - Dave Snell and Chuck Buescher
Internet: www.BradleyBraves.com ? Free audio/subscription video
Series: First Meeting
Starting Five
? Following a week off from competition, Bradley returns to the Sunshine State for the final three games in the Ft. Myers Sub-Regional of the 2008 O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic.
? Including an 81-58 loss at #19 Florida Nov. 16, Bradley owns a 3-3 all-time record in Florida.
? Bradley's top two scorers through the first two games are newcomers and six first-year Braves have combined for 205 minutes played to date.
? Bradley has played only one previous game against the three teams it will meet in Ft. Myers, an 82-74 win against Florida Gulf Coast in the second round of last year's South Padre Island Invitational at Carver Arena.
? Bradley has finished 3-1 in each of its three previous four-game exempt tournaments.
Ft. Myers Sub-Regional EST TV
Nov. 24 UMKC vs. Bradley 5 p.m. Comcast
Nov. 24 Richmond at FGCU 7 p.m. ---
Nov. 25 UMKC vs. Richmond 5 p.m. ---
Nov. 25 Bradley at FGCU 7 p.m. Comcast
Nov. 26 Richmond vs. Bradley 5 p.m. Comcast
Nov. 26 UMKC at FGCU 7 p.m. ---
Ft. Myers Sub-Regional Standings
Team W-L Defeated
Bradley 0-1 ---
Florida Gulf Coast 0-1 ---
Richmond 0-1 ---
UMKC 0-1 ---
In-Season Tourney Success
? Head coach Jim Les sports an 11-5 (.688) record in five regular-season tournaments and has never lost more than one game during regular-season tournament play.
? The Braves have gone 3-1 in each of their three previous four-game exempt tournaments.
? Bradley tied for first in the 2003 Las Vegas Tournament and was the runner-up in the 2006 Chicago Invitational Challenge and the 2007 South Padre Island Invitational.
Jim Les In Regular-Season Tournaments
2002 Rainbow Classic (5th) 2-1
2003 Las Vegas Tournament (T1st) 3-1
2006 Chicago Challenge Invitational (2nd) 3-1
2007 South Padre Island Invitational (2nd) 3-1
2008 O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic 0-1
About UMKC
? UMKC returned only four of 12 lettermen from last season's squad that finished 11-21 overall and tied for eighth in the 10-team Summit League with a 6-12 league record.
? Tied at the half (32-32), the Kangaroos opened the season with a 71-56 loss at #23 Kansas in the first round of the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic.
? UMKC comes to Ft. Myers with some momentum after knocking off Bradley's Missouri Valley Conference rival Wichita State, 66-63, Wednesday night at Charles Koch Arena.
? The Kangaroos are shooting 28.8 percent (21-73) from 3-point range, but also are limiting their opponents to 28.6 percent (14-49) through three games.
? Monday's game will be the first-ever men's basketball meeting between Bradley and UMKC.
Against The Summit League
? Bradley is 31-7 (.816) against the current 10-team membership of the Summit League, but the Braves have never played a neutral-site game against any of the league's teams.
About Florida Gulf Coast
? Florida Gulf Coast returned only two of 13 lettermen from last season's squad that finished 10-21 overall and tied for eighth in the 12-team Atlantic Sun Conference with a 6-10 league record.
? Like UMKC, Florida Gulf Coast opened its season at Kansas in the CBE Classic, dropping an 85-45 decision to the defending national champions, but rebounded with a 66-58 home win Thursday against NC Central.
? The Eagles are in their second year of full NCAA Division I membership.
? Bradley won the only previous meeting in the all-time series, knocking off the Eagles, 82-74, Nov. 20, 2007 in the second round of the South Padre Island Invitational at Carver Arena.
Against The Atlantic Sun
? Bradley is just 1-2 in its previous three meetings against the current membership of the Atlantic Sun Conference with both losses coming in neutral environments.
? Bradley has never played a true road game against a current Atlantic Sun member.
? Following Tuesday's game at Florida Gulf Coast, the Braves will host Atlantic Sun member East Tennessee State Saturday night at Carver Arena.
About Richmond
? Richmond is the veteran squad in the O'Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic Ft. Myers Sub-Regional as the Spiders boast 10 returning lettermen, including four starters, from last year's squad that finished 16-15 overall and tied for fourth in the 14-team Atlantic 10 Conference with a 9-7 league record
? Like Bradley, Richmond played in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational last spring, dropping a 66-64 decision at Virginia in the first round.
? The Spiders opened the season with an 81-57 win against non-Division I Randolph-Macon, then played host Syracuse to the wire, before falling 76-71 at the Carrier Dome.
? Wednesday's meeting will be the first-ever men's basketball matchup between Bradley and Richmond.
Against The Atlantic 10
? Bradley is 73-46 all-time against the current 14-team makeup of the Atlantic 10 Conference, although more than half of those games have been played against former Valley rival Saint Louis.
? The Braves are 7-8 in neutral-site games against current Atlantic 10 members.
? Nine of those 15 neutral-site games were played in either the NIT at Madison Square Garden or in the NCAA Tournament championship game (La Salle 1954).
Getting To The Line
? Through the first two games, Bradley has made 40-of-58 (.690) free throw attempts.
? The Braves have made one more free throw (40) than their opponents have attempted (39).
Leading The Parade To The Line
? Senior forward Theron Wilson continues to lead the parade to the line.
? After easily pacing the Braves with 179 free throw attempts last season (4.8 FTA/gm), Wilson has attempted 19 charity shots in the first two games (9.5 FTA/gm).
? Wilson already has been fouled 17 times in two games, drawing better than 35 percent of the total fouls committed against the Braves.
Newcomer Impact
? Through the first two games, Bradley has primarily utilzied a nine-man rotation made up of five newcomers and four returning players.
? The team's top two scorers are newcomers: junior guards Dodie Dunson (18.0 ppg) and Chris Roberts (12.5).
? The five newcomers -- Dunson (37.0 mpg), Roberts (26.5), Eddren McCain (21.5), Taylor Brown (11.0) and Darian Norris (6.0) -- have combined for 204 of the team's 400 combined minutes played.
Category Returners (5) Newcomers (6)
Points Per Game 28.0 34.5
Rebounds Per Game 19.5 15.0
Assists Per Game 5.0 5.5
Turnovers Per Game 9.5 9.5
Blocks Per Game 2.0 0.0
Steals Per Game 4.5 3.0
Minutes Per Game 97.5 102.5
Solid Two-Point Defense
? Through the first two games, Bradley has limited the opposition to just 38.8 percent (26-67) shooting from inside the arc.
? Unfortunately, Bradley's first two opponents have combined to make 21-of-55 (.382) of their attempts from 3-point range and have outscored the Braves by 30 points from beyond the arc.
Cold Start Not Unprecedented
? Noted for their prolific 3-point shooting since instituting their “spread motion” offense three years ago, the Braves have started cold from long range this year.
? Although third in the nation with 706 3-pointers since the start of the 2006-07 campaign, Bradley has made just 11 treys through the first two games while shooting 24.4 percent (11-45) from behind the arc.
? The two-game numbers mark the fourth time in the three years of the “spread motion” offense the Braves have made as few as 11 treys in consecutive games:
Feb. 3, 2007 at Illinois State (W) 8-23 .348
Feb. 7, 2007 at #20 S. Illinois (L) 3-22 .136
Two-Game Totals (1-1) 11-45 .244
Feb. 9, 2008 at Illinois State (L) 6-19 .316
Feb. 12, 2008 at Indiana State (L) 4-27 .148
Two-Game Totals (0-2) 10-46 .217
March 7, 2008 vs. Creighton (L) 5-24 .208
March 19, 2008 vs. Cincinnati (W) 6-17 .353
Two-Game Totals (1-1) 11-41 .268
Nov. 14, 2008 vs. UIC (W) 4-21 .190
Nov. 16, 2008 at #19 Florida (L) 7-24 .292
Two-Game Totals (1-1) 11-45 .244
105th Season
? Bradley has started its 105th men's basketball season and the Braves rank 26th in NCAA Division I history with 1,517 all-time wins.
? Bradley played its first men's basketball game Jan. 1, 1903 defeating a YMCA program known as the Invincibles, 12-8.
Postseason Streak
? The Braves are attempting to reach the postseason for a fourth consecutive season, a streak the program has not enjoyed since 1994-97.
? In addition, Bradley has won at least one postseason game in each of the last three years, an accomplishment only previously achieved from 1949-51.
New-Look Braves
? While returning seven lettermen from the 2007-08 squad, Bradley is working six newcomers and a redshirt freshman into the lineup this season.
? Bradley entered the season with only two scholarship players boasting more than one year of experience in the program -- fifth-year senior center Sam Singh and junior guard Andrew Warren.
Three Is The Key
? Due in large part to the loss of all-star big men Patrick O'Bryant (early entry NBA lottery pick) and Marcellus Sommerville (graduation) following the 2006 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 season, head coach Jim Les installed a “spread motion” offense modeled after the Phoenix Suns' system in 2006-07.
? Bradley has recruited to the system for three years and has assembled an athletic, skilled lineup that continues to fit with the uptempo style of play.
? The system often utilizes a four-guard attack and has helped Bradley rank third nationally with 706 3-point field goals since the start of the 2006-07 season and finish among the two highest-scoring teams in the Missouri Valley Conference each of the last two years.
? More notably, Bradley has won at least 21 games three consecutive seasons and is tied for eighth nationally with seven postseason wins the last three years.
Who Knew?
? While Bradley has often utilized a four-guard attack the last two years, the Braves do have plenty of size to throw at their competition.
? Bradley's roster features four players that stand at least 6-feet, 9-inches: senior center David Collins (7-0), redshirt freshman center Anthony Thompson (6-10), senior center Sam Singh (6-9) and sophomore forward Will Egolf (6-9).
? Bradley is the only team in The Valley boasting as many as four players standing at least 6-feet, 9-inches.
? Illinois (5), Ohio State (4) and Wisconsin (4) are the only three Big Ten teams that can make a similar claim.
Scoring in Threes
? Bradley has ranked among the national leaders in 3-point shooting each of the last two years and is third with 706 total treys since the start of 2006-07.
? Bradley became the first-ever Missouri Valley Conference team to make as many as 300 3-pointers in a season with 349 during the 2006-07 season and the Braves followed with 346 more last season.
Scoring Big
? A player standing no taller than 6-foot-5 has led Bradley in scoring in 54 consecutive games, a streak dating back to Jan. 20, 2007 when 6-foot-8 Zach Andrews paced the Braves with 21 points versus Wichita State.
Unique Staff Makeup
? Bradley's coaching staff is believed to be one of just two in the country to boast two staff members with NCAA Tournament head coaching victories.
? Seventh-year head coach Jim Les led the Braves to the 2006 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, while second-year Bradley assistant Steve Merfeld coached Hampton to the second round of the 2001 NCAA Tournament.
? North Carolina assistant Steve Robinson led Tulsa (1997) and Florida State (1998) to NCAA Tourney wins.
Graduate Players
? For the fourth consecutive year, Bradley's roster features a player who already owns his degree.
? Fifth-year senior center Sam Singh received his bachelor's degree in communications-public relations during commencement ceremonies May 17, 2008.
? Previously, Brandyn Heemskerk (?05), Danny Adams (?06) and Daniel Ruffin (?07) all earned their degrees before completing their eligibility the following season.
Maui Jim 3-Point Challenge
? Peoria manufacturer Maui Jim Sunglasses is sponsoring Bradley's 3-point shooting in 2008-09, with proceeds to benefit the Jimmy V Foundation for Cancer Research.
? For every 3-pointer the team makes throughout the season, Maui Jim will donate $10 to the Jimmy V Foundation and the company is encouraging fans to join the challenge.
? For every pledge, participants will be entered into a postseason drawing for a pair of Maui Jim Sunglasses, as well as two tickets to the 2008-09 Bradley Basketball Postseason Banquet.
? All pledge gifts,which will be tax deductible, will be invoiced at the conclusion of the season and should be made payable to The Jimmy V Foundation.
? For more information and to make your pledge, visit the men's basketball page at www.BradleyBraves.com and click on the Maui Jim 3-Point Challenge graphic.
Future Braves
? Bradley signed a pair of 6-foot-8 high school players during the Early Signing Period Nov. 12.
Milos Knezevic, Henderson, Nev., Liberty H.S.
? Averaged 14 ppg and 8 rpg as a junior
? Friends with Bradley guard Darian Norris, a freshman from Las Vegas Mojave High School.
Jordan Prosser, Eureka, Ill., Eureka H.S.
? First-team all-state in 2007-08 (Illinois 2A)
? Averaged 19.5 ppg and 11.7 rpg as a junior.
Jim Les Live
? The Better Banks Jim Les Live radio show has changed its format for the 2008-09 season and is now be conducted as two, half-hour segments during the week on WMBD AM 1470.
? The first half-hour segment airs on Monday mornings after the 8:30 news segment on the popular Greg and Dan Show, hosted by Greg Batton and Dan DiOrio.
? The second half-hour segment airs on Saturday mornings (7:30) during the final segment of The Saturday Sports Page, hosted by Shaun Newell.
? Fans may listen live at 1470wmbd.com or may visit BradleyBraves.com for on-demand, archived episodes of the shows.
The Jim Les Show
? For the second consecutive year, the weekly Jim Les Show television program will air most Saturdays at noon. throughout the season on Comcast channel 44.
? The half-hour show once again will be hosted by Dave Snell and will feature highlights, game previews, behind-the-scenes looks at Bradley Basketball and interviews with the players.
? The first of 13 episodes will air on Nov. 22 and will future episodes or planned for the following dates:
November 22
December 6, 13, 20
January 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
February 7, 14, 21, 28
