Game 12 ? Southern Illinois Salukis (5-6) at Bradley Braves (6-5)
Dec. 28, 2008 ? 1:05 p.m. ? Peoria, Ill. ? Carver Arena
Bradley Opens 57th MVC Season Sunday Against Salukis
PEORIA, Ill. ? The Bradley men's basketball team will open its 57th Missouri Valley Conference season Sunday when the Braves (6-5) host Southern Illinois (5-6) in a 1:05 p.m. tip at Carver Arena. Both teams are coming off home victories in their final non-conference tuneups: Bradley a 67-61 win Tuesday against SIU-Edwardsville and Southern Illinois a 64-46 win Monday against Western Michigan. Following Sunday's Valley opener, Bradley will be on the road for five of its next seven games.
Game Information
TV: Mediacom (Southern Illinois)
Radio: 1470 WMBD (Dave Snell, Chuck Buescher and Joe Stowell)
Video Stream: BradleyBraves.com
Live Stats: BradleyBraves.com
Tickets: Available, $9-20
Series: Bradley leads 38-35
Last: SIU, 60-71 -- Feb. 26, 2008 at Carver Arena
Bradley Braves
2008-09 Record: 6-5
Missouri Valley: 0-0
Head Coach: Jim Les (Bradley '86)
Career: 111-95 (7th year)
at Bradley: Same
Website: www.BradleyBraves.com
Southern Illinois Salukis
2008-09 Record: 5-6
Missouri Valley: 0-0
Head Coach: Chris Lowery (Southern Illinois '95)
Career: 101-47 (5th year)
at SIU: Same
Website: www.siusalukis.com
Starting Five
? Bradley will open its 57th Missouri Valley Conference campaign Sunday afternoon by hosting Southern Illinois in a 1:05 p.m. contest at Carver Arena.
? Following Sunday's league opener, the Braves will play five of their next seven games on the road.
? Bradley has dropped each of its last two Valley openers, as well as seven of the last nine and nine of the last 12.
? Bradley owns a 38-35 lead in the all-time series against Southern Illinois, but the Salukis have won four straight and 14 of the last 17 meetings.
? Coming off Monday's 64-46 victory versus Western Michigan, Southern Illinois is attempting to win consecutive games against NCAA Division I competition for the first time this season.
105th Season
? Now in its 105th men's basketball season Bradley ranks 26th in NCAA Division I history with 1,522 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.
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 763 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.
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, both of whom have missed games this season due to injury.
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.
Injury Bug Bites Again
? For the third consecutive year, the injury bug has taken a big bite out of the Bradley lineup.
? Junior guard Andrew Warren, the team's top returning scorer (13.2 ppg in 2007-08), has yet to suit up this season as he continues to recover from offseason surgery to repair a broken foot.
? Sophomore center Will Egolf, who was making his third career start, suffered a torn ACL in his right knee with 10:02 remaining Nov. 29 versus East Tennessee State and underwent season-ending surgery Dec. 18.
? Senior center Sam Singh suffered a broken nose Dec. 14 and has not played in either of the last two games after undergoing corrective surgery Dec. 17.
? The injury losses left the Braves with just three returning scholarship players the last two games.
Newcomer Impact
? With junior guard Andrew Warren (foot) likely out and sophomore forward Will Egolf (knee) unavailable, Bradley's rotation now features six newcomers and four returning players.
? The six newcomers -- Dunson (30.0 mpg), Chris Roberts (26.7), Eddren McCain (20.9), Taylor Brown (13.0), Darian Norris (13.5) and Anthony Thompson (5.3) -- have combined for 1182 of the team's 2200 total minutes played.
? The six rookies also combine to average 35.1 points per game, compared to 31.6 ppg by the four returning players in the current rotation.
Scoring In Threes
? Bradley is third nationally with 763 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 63 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.
About Southern Illinois
? Southern Illinois returned six lettermen, including three starters, from last year's squad that posted an 18-15 overall record, finished third in the Valley and reached the second round of the NIT.
? Sophomore forward Carlton Fay is the only Saluki scoring in double-figures, averaging 12.2 ppg, and he is the team's second-leading rebounder at 4.7 rpg.
? A dominant home team, the Salukis have begun to struggle away from SIU Arena the last two seasons: Southern Illinois is 1-5 away from home this year and 6-17 on the road (4-12) and at neutral sites (2-5) since the start of the 2007-08 campaign.
? One of those four true road wins, however, was a 71-60 victory against a short-handed Bradley squad Feb. 26, 2008 at Carver Arena (the Braves played without starting guards Daniel Ruffin and Andrew Warren).
Bradley-Southern Illinois Series
? Bradley owns a 38-35 lead in the all-time series against Southern Illinois, which dates back to a 31-23 Braves victory Dec. 21, 1927 at the Peoria Armory.
? The teams did not meet again until the Salukis joined the Missouri Valley Conference for the 1975-76 season.
? Bradley owns a 24-10 home record against Southern Illinois, including an 18-8 mark at Carver Arena.
? The Salukis have dominated the series of late, winning four straight and 14 of the last 17 meetings since the start of the 2001-02 season.
? Sunday's game will be just the second ever December meeting in the all-time series: Southern Illinois won the first pre-New Year meeting in overtime, 64-63, Dec. 31, 1996 at Carver Arena.
Carver Arena - Home of the Braves
? The Peoria Civic Center's Carver Arena has served as the Bradley men's basketball program's home arena since the start of the 1982-83 season.
? Now in its 27th year playing in downtown Peoria, Bradley enters Sunday's game against Southern Illinois with a 288-92 (.758) record at Carver Arena.
? The Braves own a 160-62 (.721) Valley record at Carver Arena.
? The Braves are 4-1 at home so far this year.
Free Throws Could Be Key
? Bradley enters Sunday's game second in The Valley by averaging 25.3 free throw attempts per game.
? Southern Illinois averages 22.5 fouls per game and has sent the opposition to the line 292 times (26.5 FTA/gm).
? Bradley has outscored its opposition by 25 points at the free throw line, while Southern Illinois has been outscored by 56 points at the stripe.
Efficiency At The Line Aids The Cause
? Bradley has not made the most of its frequent trips to the free throw line as the Braves enter the weekend ninth in the league by shooting just 66.2 percent from the line.
? Bradley is 4-0 when shooting at least 70 percent from the free throw line this season.
? By contrast, the Braves are 2-5 when shooting less than 70 percent at the stripe.
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 already has attempted 80 charity shots in the first 11 games (7.3 FTA/gm).
? Wilson already has been fouled 77 times in 11 games, drawing better than 32 percent of the total fouls (239) committed against the Braves.
Wilson Sets The Tone
? Senior forward Theron Wilson's impact has been in direct correlation with the outcome of each of Bradley's first 11 games this season.
? The Braves are 6-0 when the Braves have outscored the opposition during his time on the floor.
? Bradley also is 0-5 when the Braves have been outscored during Wilson's minutes.
? Wilson is the only Brave whose personal impact has matched the outcome of every game so far this season.
Winning The Close Games
? While eight of Bradley's first 11 games have been decided by double-digit margins, the Braves are 3-0 in games decided by six points or less.
Playing The Percentages
? Known for its 3-point shooting the last two seasons, Bradley has struggled with its long-range shooting so far this year.
? Bradley is shooting just 29.8 percent from behind the arc, while averaging only 6.2 treys per game.
? The Braves are 3-0 when they shoot at least 30 percent from beyond the arc, but 3-5 when shooting less than 30 percent.
Getting Defensive
? Bradley is 6-0 this season when holding the opposition to less than 70 points.
? The Braves have won 11 straight when limiting the opposition to fewer than 70 points, dating back to a 69-68 loss to Drake Jan. 16, 2008 at Carver Arena.
? Bradley also is 4-0 this season, and 9-0 the last two years, when limiting the opposition to less than 40 percent shooting from the field.
Maui Jim 3-Point Challenge
? Peoria manufacturer Maui Jim 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.
? 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.
Looking Ahead
? Following Sunday's Valley opener, the Braves will play five of their next seven games on the road, beginning with a two-game swing to Wichita State (Dec. 31) and Missouri State (Jan. 3).
? Bradley will interupt the road slate with back-to-back home games versus Illinois State (Jan. 6) and Creighton (Jan. 10).
Upcoming Promotions
Jan. 6 Illinois State 7:05 pm
Better Banks Hand Banner Night: the first 4,000 fans in attendance will receive a Better Banks Bradley Basketball hand banner.
Jan. 10 Creighton 7:05 pm
Hall of Fame: The 2008-09 Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame Class will be inducted during a special halftime ceremony.
