Game 15 ? Illinois State Redbirds (14-0) at Bradley Braves (9-5) ? Jan. 6, 2009 ? 7:05 p.m. ? Peoria, Ill. ? Carver Arena
Valley Lead At Stake in First Round of I-74 Rivalry
PEORIA, Ill. ? First place in the early Missouri Valley Conference standings will be on the line when Interstate 74 rivals Bradley (9-5, 3-0 MVC) and Illinois State (14-0, 3-0 MVC) meet in the first of their bi-annual clashes Tuesday night at Carver Arena. Illinois State is now one of only four unbeaten teams in the country, while Bradley will be trying to extend its season-best four-game winning streak. A limited number of $8 upper bowl tickets remain for Tuesday's game and may be purchased through the Bradley Ticket Office at Shea Stadium, the Carver Arena Box Office or online at www.BradleyBraves.com.
Game Information
TV: Comcast (Frank Bussone and Dick Versace)
Radio: 1470 WMBD (Dave Snell, Joe Stowell and Chuck Buescher)
Video Stream: BradleyBraves.com
Live Stats: BradleyBraves.com
Tickets: Limited $8 Upper Bowl
Series: Bradley leads 60-46
Last: Illinois State, 72-68, Feb. 9, 2008 at Redbird Arena
Bradley Braves
2008-09 Record: 9-5
Missouri Valley: 3-0
Head Coach: Jim Les (Bradley '86)
Career: 114-95 (7th year)
at Bradley: Same
Website: www.BradleyBraves.com
Illinois State Redbirds
2008-09 Record: 14-0
Missouri Valley: 3-0
Head Coach: Tim Jankovich
Alma Mater: Kansas State ?82
Career: 92-67 (6th year)
at ISU: 39-10 (2nd year)
Web: www.goredbirds.com
Starting Five
? The early lead in the MVC race will be on the line when Illinois State visits Bradley for the first installment of the Interstate 74 Rivalry Tuesday at Carver Arena.
? Tuesday's game will mark the first time both teams have been fighting for first place in the league standings at the time of one of their bi-annual clashes since the Braves earned a 65-64 win Feb. 24, 1996 at Carver Arena to secure at least a share of their last league title.
? Tuesday's game features the top scoring team in The Valley (Illinois State, 77.4 ppg) against the league's stingiest defense in league play (Bradley, 59.3 ppg allowed).
? Off to its best start in league play since 1995-96 (3-0), Bradley is trying for its first 4-0 Valley start since 1993-94.
? Tuesday's game will be the 900th game (all in succession) in which Dave Snell has taken part in a WMBD AM 1470 broadcast of Bradley Basketball.
105th Season
? Now in its 105th men's basketball season, Bradley ranks 26th in NCAA Division I history with 1,525 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 776 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 is tied for second in The Valley with 74 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 76 12 22 22 20
Bradley 74 9 21 22 22
S. Illinois 74 5 18 29 22
Drake 68 11 28 17 12
Missouri St. 68 7 17 22 22
UNI 67 8 18 18 23
Wichita St. 60 6 11 17 26
Illinois St. 53 14 25 15 9
Indiana St. 44 3 15 13 13
Evansville 43 10 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), 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 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.
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 -- Dodie Dunson (27.9 mpg), Chris Roberts (27.4), Eddren McCain (23.1), Taylor Brown (12.7), Darian Norris (12.9) and Anthony Thompson (5.1) -- have combined for 1484 of the team's 2800 total minutes played.
? The six rookies also combine to average 35.7 points per game, compared to 32.7 ppg by the four returning players in the current rotation.
Scoring in Threes
? Bradley is third nationally with 776 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 66 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.
Good Omen From 3-0 Start
? Bradley has started 3-0 in the Valley race for the 15th time in its 57th year of league membership.
? The Braves have gone on to finish at least second in the league standings in 12 of the previous 14 years they have started at least 3-0.
? Bradley also has played in either the NCAA Tournament or NIT in 10 of the 14 years they have started 3-0.
? The last four times Bradley started at least 3-0 they have captured three Valley regular-season titles, played in two NCAA Tournaments and gone a combined 7-1 in two NIT's.
Bradley's Last Four 3-0 Valley Starts
Year Start Finish Place Postseason
1995-96 3-0 15-3 1st NCAA (0-1)
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)
Tough Home Stand
? Tuesday's game against the Redbirds opens a tough two-game homestand for Bradley.
? Combined with Saturday's game against Creighton (12-3), Bradley's two opponents this week began the week with a combined 26-3 (.897) record.
About Illinois State
? Illinois State lost six lettermen, including three starters, from last year's squad that went 25-10 overall, finished second in The Valley with a 13-5 league record and reached the second round of the NIT.
? Led by the duo of high-scoring guards Osiris Eldridge (15.9 ppg) and Champ Oguchi (15.8 ppg), the 14-0 Redbirds begin the week as one of five remaining undefeated teams in the country.
? Illinois State enters Tuesday's rivalry game as the highest-scoring team in The Valley by averaging 77.4 ppg and the Redbirds do their share of damage from 3-point range, where they shoot 40.5 percent and average 9.8 treys per game.
? Illinois State also has worked the glass well, outrebounding their opponents by 6.3 boards per game.
Bradley-Illinois State Series
? Tuesday's game will be the 107th meeting in the all-time series between Bradley and Illinois State, which dates back to a 39-13 ISU victory during the 1904-05 season.
? Bradley owns a 39-15 advantage in home games against the Redbirds, including a 20-7 series lead at Carver Arena.
? Bradley has won six straight home games against the Redbirds, as well as nine of the last 10 and 14-of-16.
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 will enter its Jan. 6 game versus Illinois State with a 289-92 (.759) record at Carver Arena.
? The Braves own a 161-62 (.722) Valley record at Carver Arena.
? The Braves are 5-1 at home so far this year.
Bradley D Against Redbird O
? Tuesday's rivalry game matches the highest scoring offense in the Valley (Illinois State) against the league's top defense in the MVC play (Bradley).
? Illinois State is averaging 77.4 ppg and has scored at least 72 points in seven of the last eight games.
? Bradley has allowed its first three Valley opponents only 59.3 ppg and has limited five of its last six opponents to no more than 63 points.
Winning The Close Games
? While eight of Bradley's first 14 games have been decided by double-digit margins, the Braves are 5-0 in games decided by six points or less, including each of the two Valley road wins last week.
That 70's Streak
? Bradley is 9-0 this season when holding the opposition to less than 70 points.
? The Braves have won 14 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 6-0 this season, and 11-0 the last two years, when limiting the opposition to less than 40 percent shooting from the field.
Getting Defensive
? Through the first three rounds of Valley play, Bradley has been the stingiest defense in the league.
? Against the league, the Braves lead the MVC in fewest points allowed (59.3 ppg), field goal percentage defense (.359) and blocked shots (5.0), while ranking second in steals (8.3).
Playing The Percentages
? Through the first three rounds of Valley play, Bradley leads the league in both field goal percentage (.500) and field goal percentage defense (.359).
Free Throws Could Be Key
? Bradley enters Tuesday's game second in The Valley by averaging 24.9 free throw attempts per game.
? Bradley has outscored its opposition by 47 points at the free throw line, and the Braves have made just 20 fewer free throws than their opponents have attempted.
? Although shooting 69.6 percent from the stripe for the season, the Braves have made 59-of-71 (.831) attempts in the last three games.
Efficiency At The Line Aids The Cause
? Including a 59-of-71 (.831) combined effort in the first three Valley games, Bradley is 7-0 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 111 charity shots in the first 14 games (7.9 FTA/gm).
? Wilson already has been fouled 102 times in 14 games, drawing better than 33 percent of the total fouls (302) 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 one of Bradley's first 14 games this season.
? Bradley is 8-0 when the Braves have at least matched the opposition in scoring during Wilson's time on the floor.
? Conversely, Bradley is just 1-5 when the Braves have been outscored during Wilson's minutes.
? The lone victory was the 60-58 win Dec. 31 at Wichita State when the Braves were outscored by one during Wilson's time on the floor.
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 are still tied for third nationally with 776 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 current 4-game winning streak, the Braves have become more selective with their long range shooting, averaging only 11.3 3-point attempts per game but connecting on 44.4 percent of those tries.
Bradley's 3-Point Shooting Breakdown
1st 10 Last 4
Record 5-5 4-0
3FGA/gm 21.3 11.3
3FGM/gm 6.1 5.0
3FG% .286 .444
FG% .412 .511
3-Point Percentage Plays Role
? Including Saturday's 5-for-9 (.556) effort at Missouri State, the Braves are 5-0 when they shoot at least 30 percent from beyond the arc, but 4-5 when shooting less than 30 percent.
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.
Snell's 900th Game
? Tuesday's clash against rival Illinois State will be the 900th game in which Dave Snell will have participated in the WMBD AM 1470 broadcast of Bradley Basketball.
? Snell took over as the radio Voice of the Braves for the start of the 1979-80 season and he is now in his 30th year behind the microphone.
? He has participated in 899 consecutive radio broadcasts, although his play-by-play streak was briefly interrupted by illness during the 2005-06 campaign.
Looking Ahead
? Bradley will continue its two-game home stand by hosting Valley preseason favorite Creighton (12-3, 2-1) in a 7:05 p.m. contest Saturday night at Carver Arena.
? Bradley will induct the 2008-09 class into the Athletics Hall of Fame during a halftime ceremony Saturday night.
? Following Saturday's game, the Braves will hit the road for their only three-game road trip of the year, beginning Jan. 13 at Indiana State.
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.
Halftime: The Amazing Christopher will perform during halftime.
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.
