The editors of ESPN have released a comprehensive book covering the history of NCAA Division I men's basketball -- ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia, A Complete History of the Men's Game -- and one feature of the book that has quickly generated headlines is The ESPN/Sagarin All-Time Rankings. Jeff Sagarin's computer programming places Bradley 39th among the 330 current NCAA Division I men's basketball programs.
A closer look at Sagarin's ratings shows Bradley ranks third among the programs that are not members of the six primary BCS football leagues (ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-10 and SEC), trailing only Utah (19) and Temple (31), as well as third among schools that do not play football, behind only St. John's (16) and DePaul (26). The next closest program from the Missouri Valley Conference is Wichita State, which checks in at No. 81 in the rankings. As one of the programs in Sagarain's top 64, Bradley's logo appears on the cover of the ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia.
The ESPN/Sagarin All-Time Rankings: http://assets.espn.go.com/photo/2009/1004/cbe1.pdf
Bradley will enter the 2009-10 season 25th in NCAA Division I history with 1,537 all-time victories since the program launched in 1902-03. The Sagarin Ratings begin in 1937-38 and during that season, Bradley posted an 18-2 record, won the Illinois College Conference with an 8-0 league record and earned an invitation to the first National Invitation Tournament. The Braves followed with a 19-3 overall mark and the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title in 1938-39, capping the season with a return trip to New York for the NIT after turning down an invitation to the first NCAA Tournament.
In the 72 years of the Sagarin Ratings period, Bradley has played in 33 postseason tournaments, winning four NIT championships (1957, 1960, 1964 and 1982) and playing in two NCAA Tournament championship games (1950 and 1954).
The Braves are currently working on a streak of four consecutive seasons with at least 21 wins, the longest active streak of at least 21 wins in The Valley, and they have capped those four seasons with a combined 10 postseason victories.
The ESPN/Sagarin All-Time Rankings
Rk. School Rating
1. Kentucky 88.91
2. UCLA 87.57
3. Kansas 87.27
4. North Carolina 87.19
5. Indiana 87.17
6. Illinois 86.79
7. Duke 86.65
8. Purdue 85.09
9. Ohio State 84.85
10. Iowa 84.60
39. BRADLEY 80.59
81. Wichita State 77.31
84. Southern Illinois 77.15
86. Creighton 76.87
104. Drake 75.54
106. Evansville 75.36
112. Missouri State 74.64
113. Illinois State 74.60
125. Indiana State 73.98
195. Northern Iowa 69.11
