Game 18 ? Bradley Braves (11-6) at Southern Illinois (7-10) ? Jan. 18, 2009 ? 6:05 p.m. ? Carbondale, Ill. ? SIU Arena
Bradley Visits Salukis in First MVC Return Game of ?08-09
PEORIA, Ill. ? The Bradley men's basketball team will try to continue its best league start in more than a decade and remain on top of the Missouri Valley Conference when it plays its first “return” game of the season Sunday night at Southern Illinois (7-10, 2-4 MVC). The Braves (11-6, 5-1 MVC) will be shooting for their fourth straight Valley road win to start the season for the first time since 1985-86 at a place, SIU Arena, where they have lost seven straight. Sunday's game will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
Game Information
TV: ESPNU (Dan McLaughlin and Mac McCausland)
Radio: 1470 WMBD (Dave Snell and Chuck Buescher)
Video Stream: Unavailable
Live Stats: siusalukis.com
Tickets: Available ($16)
Series: Bradley leads 39-35
Last: Bradley, 79-63, Dec. 28 at Carver Arena
Bradley Braves
2008-09 Record: 11-6
Missouri Valley: 5-1
Head Coach: Jim Les (Bradley '86)
Career: 116-96 (7th year)
at Bradley: Same
Website: www.BradleyBraves.com
Southern Illinois Salukis
2008-09 Record: 7-10
Missouri Valley: 2-4
Head Coach: Chris Lowery (S. Illinois '95)
Career: 103-51 (5th year)
at SIU: Same
Website: www.siusalukis.com
Starting Five
? Bradley faces its first return game of the season Sunday night when the Braves visit Southern Illinois in a 6:05 p.m. contest at SIU Arena to be televised nationally on ESPNU.
? The Braves rolled in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams, building a 27-point lead en route to a 79-63 victory against SIU Dec. 28 at Carver Arena.
? Sunday's game will be the 75th meeting in the all-time series between Bradley and Southern Illinois, dating back to a 31-23 Braves victory in an Illinios Intercollegiate Athletic Conference affair Dec. 21, 1927 at the old Peoria Armory.
? Bradley owns a 39-35 lead in the series, but SIU has won seven straight home games against the Braves.
? Bradley will be trying to win its first four Valley road games since the 1985-86 Braves swept the league (16-0).
105th Season
? Now in its 105th men's basketball season, Bradley ranks 26th in NCAA Division I history with 1,527 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 fifth nationally with 791 3-pointers the last three years and finish among the two highest-scoring teams in The Valley 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.
Winning In The Valley
? Bradley and Southern Illinois are tied for second in The Valley with 76 victories the last four years, just two behind leader Creighton.
? Bradley is the only Valley squad to win at least 21 games each of the previous three seasons.
Team Total ?08-09 ?07-08 ?06-07 ?05-06
Creighton 78 14 22 22 20
Bradley 76 11 21 22 22
S. Illinois 76 7 18 29 22
Drake 70 13 28 17 12
UNI 70 11 18 18 23
Missouri St. 68 7 17 22 22
Wichita St. 60 6 11 17 26
Illinois St. 54 15 25 15 9
Indiana St. 45 4 15 13 13
Evansville 44 11 9 14 10
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), will not play this season due to a stress fracture in his right 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 missed the next two games after undergoing corrective surgery Dec. 17.
? The injury losses left the Braves with just three returning scholarship players during Singh's absence and Singh is now the only scholarship player with more than one full season of experience in the program.
Newcomer Impact
? With junior guard Andrew Warren (foot) and sophomore forward Will Egolf (knee) unavailable, Bradley's rotation now features six newcomers and four returning players.
? The six newcomers -- Chris Roberts (27.2), Dodie Dunson (27.3 mpg), Eddren McCain (23.7), Taylor Brown (12.4), Darian Norris (11.9) and Anthony Thompson (5.1) -- have combined for 1772 of the team's 3400 total minutes played.
? The six rookies also combine to average 33.5 points per game, compared to 32.4 ppg by the four returning players in the current rotation.
Scoring In Threes
? Bradley is fifth nationally with 791 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 69 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.
? Among the current players in the 69-game streak to at least share the team scoring lead: Dodie Dunson (6 times), Sam Maniscalco (5 times), Eddren McCain (Once), Chris Roberts (3 times), Andrew Warren (9 times) and Theron Wilson (12 times).
Good Omen From 4-0 Start
? Bradley started 4-0 in the Valley race for the ninth time in its 57th year of league membership.
? The Braves have gone on to finish at least second in the league standings in seven of the previous eight years they have started at least 4-0.
? Bradley also has played in either the NCAA Tournament or NIT in six of those eight years.
Bradley's Eight Previous 4-0 Valley Starts
Year Start Finish Place Postseason
1993-94 4-0 14-4 T2nd NIT (2-1)
1985-86 16-0 16-0 1st NCAA (1-1)
1981-82 5-0 13-3 1st NIT (5-0)
1980-81 4-0 10-6 T4th ---
1961-62 4-0 10-2 T1st NIT (0-1)
1960-61 4-0 9-3 2nd ---
1957-58 5-0 12-2 2nd NIT (0-1)
1956-57 6-0 9-5 2nd NIT (3-0)
Best Valley Start Since 1993-94
? When Bradley visits Southern Illinois Sunday, the Braves will be trying to improve to 6-1 in the league standings for the first time since 1993-94.
? The 1993-94 Braves went on to tie for second in The Valley standings with a 14-4 league record and advanced to the third round of the NIT.
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.
? Freshman guard Kevin Dillard, who scored a game-high 21 points in the first meeting against Bradley this year, leads the team with 12.7 ppg and sophomore forward Carlton Fay is second at 11.5 ppg.
? Although 5-3 at home so far this season, Southern Illinois has been a dominant home team most of this decade as the Salukis boast a 97-9 (.915) record at SIU Arena since the start of the 2001-02 season.
? The Salukis lead The Valley and rank fourth nationally by shooting 41.5 percent from 3-point range.
Bradley-Southern Illinois Series
? Bradley owns a 39-35 lead in the all-time series against Southern Illinois, which dates back to a 31-23 Braves victory as Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (Little 19) rivals 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.
? Southern Illinois owns a 20-13 series record at SIU Arena, where the Salukis have won seven straight versus the Braves.
? Despite Bradley's 79-63 win Dec. 28 in Peoria, SIU has won 14 of the last 18 meetings since the start of the 2001-02 season.
Recapping The First Meeting
Bradley 79, SIU 63 ? Dec. 28 ? Peoria, Ill.
? Bradley put together perhaps its best all-around game of the season and rolled to a 79-63 victory against Southern Illinois in the MVC opener for both teams.
? Bradley shot 55.0 percent from the field, 53.8 percent (7-13) from 3-point range and 87.5 percent (28-32) from the free throw line, while also limiting the Salukis to 33.3 percent (17-51) shooting from the floor.
? Bradley trailed 27-26 with 5:13 left in the first half, but broke the game open with a 26-3 run that spanned both halves, 15-3 to close the first and 11-0 to start the second.
? Sophomore point guard Sam Maniscalco paced the Braves with a career-best 18 points and senior forward Theron Wilson added 17.
? Senior center Sam Singh provided an emotional and physical lift by returning to the court for the first time since breaking his nose and contributing eight points, five rebounds, two blocked shots and five steals while donning a protective mask.
? Box score on page 28 of the attached PDF version of this pregame notes packet.
SIU Ended The Last 3-0 Road Start
? Bradley has opened the season by winning its first three Valley road games for the first time since 1993-94.
? The last time Bradley won its first three MVC road games, Southern Illinois snapped the streak with a 72-66 win Jan. 15, 1994 at SIU Arena.
? Bradley has not started 4-0 on The Valley road since the 1985-86 Braves swept through the league with a 16-0 overall conference record.
Finding Valley Road Success
? Bradley has improved to 11-8 in its last 19 Missouri Valley Conference road games.
? The Braves are 7-3 in their last 10 MVC road games.
Getting Defensive
? Bradley's 6-1 record in the last seven games coincides with the team's improved defensive play.
? In the last seven games, Bradley has allowed only one opponent (Creighton, 73) to score better than 63 points and the Braves have held five of the seven opponents to less than 40 percent shooting from the field.
Bradley's Defensive Turnaround
1st 10 Last 7
Record 5-5 6-1
Points Allowed/gm 71.4 59.4
FG% Defense .430 .381
3FG% Defense .387 .329
Rebound Margin -2.0 +2.9
Steals/gm 8.0 8.6
Blocked Shots/gm 3.8 5.3
Deflections/gm 19.3 22.0
That 70's Streak
? Bradley is 11-0 this season when holding the opposition to less than 70 points.
? The Braves have won 16 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 8-0 this season, and 13-0 the last two years, when limiting the opposition to less than 40 percent shooting from the field.
Winning The Close Games
? While eight of Bradley's first 17 games have been decided by double-digit margins, the Braves are 6-0 in games decided by six points or less, including two of their three Valley road games.
? In the last six seasons, Bradley is 36-18 (.667) in games decided by six points or less.
Free Throws Could Be Key
? Bradley enters Sunday's game second in The Valley by averaging 24.2 free throw attempts per game.
? At just over the halfway point of the regular season, Bradley has outscored the opposition by 54 points at the free throw line.
? The last four seasons the Braves have outscored their opponents by at least 100 points from the stripe have coincided with the team's last four Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championships.
Season BU FTM Opp. FTM Margin MVC
2008-09 285 231 + 54 5-1, T1st
1995-96 502 381 +121 15-3, 1st
1987-88 580 472 +108 12-2, 1st
1985-86 536 412 +124 16-0, 1st
1981-82 562 410 +152 13-3, 1st
Efficiency At The Line Aids The Cause
? Bradley is 8-0 when shooting at least 70 percent from the free throw line this season.
? By contrast, the Braves are 4-6 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 129 charity shots in the first 17 games (7.6 FTA/gm).
? Wilson already has been fouled 116 times in 17 games, drawing better than 32 percent of the total fouls (356) committed against the Braves.
Wilson Sets The Tone
? Senior forward Theron Wilson's impact has been in direct correlation with the outcome of all but two of Bradley's first 17 games this season.
? Bradley is 9-0 when the Braves have outscored the opposition during Wilson's time on the floor.
? Conversely, Bradley is just 2-6 when the Braves have been outscored during Wilson's minutes.
? The lone victories were the 60-58 win Dec. 31 at Wichita State and Tuesday at Indiana State when the Braves were outscored by one during Wilson's time on the floor in each game.
? Among the Bradley roster, Wilson's “impact” has most closely simulated the outcome of the games.
Changing Gears
? Bradley entered the season as one of the nation's most proficient 3-point shooting teams the last two years and the Braves still rank fifth nationally with 791 3-pointers since the start of the 2006-07 campaign.
? During a 5-5 start to the season, the Braves were averaging 21.3 3-point field goal attempts per game, but were shooting just 28.6 percent from behind the arc.
? During the last seven games, however, the Braves have become more selective with their long range shooting, averaging only 13.9 3-point attempts per game, but are connecting on 36.1 percent of those tries.
Bradley's 3-Point Shooting Breakdown
1st 10 Last 7
Record 5-5 6-1
3FGA/gm 21.3 13.9
3FGM/gm 6.1 5.0
3FG% .286 .361
FG% .412 .471
3-Point Percentage Plays Role
? The Jan. 10 loss to Creighton was Bradley's first this year when the Braves shot at least 30 percent from 3-point range (6-18, .333).
? The Braves are 6-1 this season when they shoot at least 30 percent from beyond the arc, but 5-5 when shooting less than 30 percent.
Dunson Leads The Bench Brigade
? A starter the season's first eight games, junior guard Dodie Dunson has provided a lift off the bench by moving into a reserve role the last nine games.
? The team's third-leading scorer, Dunson leads all Valley reserves in scoring at 10.6 ppg.
MVC Bench Scoring Leaders
GP-GS PPG
Dodie Dunson, Bradley 17-8 10.6
Cavel Witter, Creighton 18-2 10.4
Josh Parker, Drake 18-0 10.4
Kyle Weems, Missouri State 17-8 8.9
Brandon Sampay, Illinois State 17-1 7.2
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.
? Recently became the all-time leading scorer in Eureka boys basketball history.
Big Media Numbers
? Now in his 30th year as the radio Voice of the Braves, Dave Snell has participated in 902 Bradley Basketball game broadcasts, all in succession, on WMBD AM 1470 since taking over play-by-play duties for the 1979-80 season.
? Snell's longtime radio sidekick, Joe Stowell has been witness to 1,514 Bradley Basketball games in his various roles as player (103, 1947-50); assistant coach (250, 1956-65); head coach (344, 1965-78); assistant athletic director (107, 1978-85); and radio analyst (710, 1985-present).
? Peoria Journal Star beat writer Dave Reynolds has covered 566 Bradley Basketball games, all in succession, since taking over the beat for the start of the 1990-91 season.
Looking Ahead
? Following Sunday night's visit to Southern Illinois, Bradley will conclude its three-game road swing Wednesday evening at Northern Iowa.
? The game against the Panthers will have first-place ramifications as the two teams enter this weekend tied atop the league standings.
? Wednesday's game will be televised throughout Central Illinois on Comcast channel 74 and Mediacom channel 78.
? The Braves will return home Jan. 24 by hosting Indiana State in a 6:05 p.m. tip at Carver Arena.
Get Used To The Early Starts
? Bradley fans are reminded that two of Bradley's next three games will tip off at 6:05 p.m. (CST).
? Both of the 6:05 p.m. tip times Sunday at Southern Illinois (ESPNU) and Jan. 24 at home against Indiana State (FS Midwest) were determined by television.
Upcoming Promotions
Jan. 24 Indiana State 6:05 pm
Throwback Night: Everyone in attendance will receive a Bradley Basketball “Throwback” t-shirt, sponsored by Maui Jim, Methodist and Country Inn & Suites, and the Braves will wear special “Throwback” uniforms.
Jan. 28 Wichita State 7:05 pm
Associated Bank Ice Scraper Night: The first 5,000 fans in attendance will receive an Associated Bank Ice Scraper.
