For Starters

   Bradley (16-6 overall, 7-4 MVC) brings a three-game win streak into Saturday's home game against Northern Iowa to kick off a season-long three-game homestand.  The Braves are currently fifth in the Valley standings with a 7-4 league mark and will play five of the final seven games of the regular season at home.  Bradley is 8-1 in home games this season.  Northern Iowa (7-15 overall, 5-6) is sixth in the Valley standings at 5-6, but is coming off back-to-back road losses and has dropped six of its last seven since defeating the Braves 92-76 in Cedar Falls, Iowa.  The Panthers are 3-8 in road games season and are 2-4 in MVC road contests.

About Northern Iowa

   Northern Iowa wraps up a season-long four-game road swing Saturday against the Braves.  The Panthers opened up the swing with a 65-62 overtime win at Evansville, but suffered losses at Southern Illinois (40-58) and at South Dakota (67-76) after their Dec. 21 game was postponed.

   Picked to finish fifth in the preseason MVC poll, UNI is currently sixth in the Valley standings at 5-6.  The Panthers returned seven of nine letterwinners, including four starters from last year's team which finished 13-18 overall and tied for sixth in the MVC at 8-10. 

   UNI's roster is one of the youngest in the nation, featuring no seniors and just four juniors.  The Panthers are led by junior transfer Kim Wypiszynski.  The 6-1 forward leads UNI in scoring (12.0 ppg) and rebounding (5.1), while shooting 52.6 percent from the field. 

   Sophomore center Lizzie Boeck is tossing in 10.5 points per game and shooting a team-best 48.4 percent from beyond the three-point arc.  Junior guard Nicole Clausen hit 7-of-13 three-point attempts against the Braves in Cedar Falls earlier this year is scoring 10.5 points per game and is making 2.1 three-pointers per contest.

   Freshman guard K.K. Armstrong has taken over the primary ball handling duties after 2007-08 MVC Freshman of the Year Jacqui Kalin suffered a season-ending injury during the non-conference slate.  Armstrong is averaging 8.0 points and a team-best 3.2 assists per game.  

About Bradley

   Bradley features one of the most experienced rosters in the Missouri Valley Conference, returning eight letterwinners from last year's squad.  The Braves roster includes six of the top seven scorers from 2007-08, but also features eight newcomers (seven freshmen and one sophomore).

   Senior Monica Rogers has scored in double figures in 13 of 21 games she has played in this season and leads the team in scoring at 11.5 points per game, while ranking fourth in the MVC in rebounding at 7.9 boards per game.  Rogers missed the Dec. 28 home game against Air Force, but has started 19 of the 21 games she has played in and has posted a team-best seven double-doubles this season.

   Sophomore Sonya Harris missed two games due to injury but has returned to the lineup to play in the last 14 contests and is now averaging 9.9 points and 8.3 rebounds.  Harris leads the MVC in blocked shots (2.6 bpg) and also ranks third in The Valley in rebounding. 

   Freshman guard Michelle Lund has been named MVC Newcomer of the Week three times this season and is second in scoring 9.8 points per game.

She is second on the team in assists (2.0 apg) and is shooting 41.0 percent from three-point range.  Lund has already surpassed the Bradley freshman record for three-pointers with her 59 triples and ranks 18th nationally in three-point field goals per game.

   Junior guard Skye Johnson has taken over the primary ball-handling duties this year and is tossing in 8.0 points per game, while leading the team in assists (6.1 apg) and steals (2.2 spg).  The 2007-08 MVC Defensive Player of the Year is also averaging 1.3 blocks per tilt.

   BU has dominated the glass so far this season, outrebounding its opponents by better than eight boards per game and ranks 14th in the nation in rebounding margin through games of Feb. 8.  The Braves have outrebounded 18 of 22 opponents this season.  In addition to leading the MVC in rebounding margin, Bradley is second in The Valley in field goal percentage (.430) and three-point field goal percentage (37.6) a year removed from shooting 32.4 percent from beyond the arc.

The Coaches

   Paula Buscher (Missouri State, ?86) is in her ninth year at Bradley and has a record of 112-138 (.448) at BU.  The dean of Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball coaches, Buscher led teams to improved records in each of her first five seasons as a collegiate head coach and eight of her 11 seasons overall.  Buscher owns a 155-176 (.468) career record and is in her 12th year as a collegiate head coach.  She is the second winningest coach in school history and led Bradley to its first MVC Tournament victory since 1996 last season.  A longtime assistant coach at Nebraska-Omaha, Buscher coached Minnesota St.-Mankato during the 1997-98 season and returned to UNO as head coach for the 1998-99 and 1999-00 seasons, before coming to The Hilltop.

   Tanya Warren (Creighton ?88) is in her second season as head coach at Northern Iowa and has led the Panthers to a 20-33 (.377) record in her two seasons.  No stranger to the Missouri Valley Conference, Warren was an assistant coach at UNI for six seasons from 1995-2001.  She returned to alma mater in 2004 as associate head coach, after a three-year stint as recruiting coordinator at Missouri. 

Northern Iowa Series

   Bradley opens up a season-long three-game homestand with a Valentine's Day matchup with Northern Iowa.  The Braves hold a 31-21 lead in the all-time series with the Panthers, but have lost eight of the last nine meetings with UNI.  BU is 19-6 in home against Northern Iowa.  UNI has won three of its last trips to Central Illinois, however.  Bradley is 6-12 against the Panthers under head coach Paula Buscher. 

Last Week

   Bradley picked up a pair of road wins, defeating Southern Illinois 60-48 and topping Evansville 80-68 to improve to 4-3 in MVC road contests.  Senior Monica Rogers had 20 points and sophomore Raisa Taylor turned in her first career double-double with 16 points and a career-high 10 rebounds in the victory against the Salukis.  Rogers had a team-high 18 points in Bradley's 80-68 win against Evansville.  Sonya Harris added 14 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks while Taylor finished with 15 points and six boards to help the Braves complete the regular-season series sweep of Evansville.

Home, Sweet Home

   While Bradley has had success on the road this season, boasting a 6-5 record in road games and 8-5 mark in road and neutral contests, the Braves will play five of the final seven regular-season games at home.  Bradley is 8-1 at home this season and has won 12 of the last 14 home games overall dating back to last season. 

Second Half Team

   Bradley hopes to continue a trend which has become the norm during Paula Buscher's tenure on The Hilltop.  The Braves have had a better second half of Missouri Valley Conference play than the first half in six of eight seasons under Buscher, including each of the last three seasons.  In Buscher's eight years as head coach, Bradley has had fewer wins in the second half of conference play just once - 2001-02.  Bradley's winning percentage in the first half of Valley play under Buscher is 26-55 (.321) compared to 35-39 (.473) mark in the second half of play through last week.  Below is a chart comparing the first half of conference play for the Braves to the second half of league action under Buscher.

Year-by-Year Breakdown Under Buscher

Year           1st Round 2nd Round Final Record

2008-09      5-4              2-0                           ??

2007-08   2-7          4-5            6-12/8th

2006-07   3-6          4-5            7-11/7th

2005-04   1-8          4-5          5-13/T9th

2004-05   4-5          4-5          8-10/T6th

2003-04   2-7          5-4          7-11/T6th

2002-03   4-5          5-4              9-9/6th

2001-02   4-5          3-6          7-11/T7th

2000-01   1-8          4-5            5-13/8th

16 Wins

   Bradley picked up its 16th victory of the season Saturday at Evansville, marking the most wins for the Braves since finishing the 2001-02 season with a 16-12 mark.  The Braves seven MVC wins are the most since the 2006-07 season and Bradley's four MVC road victories are the most for the Braves since the 2004-05 campaign.  Bradley has started 15-7 or better each of three previous times the Braves have won 19 or more games in a season and have not had 16 victories in the first 22 games of the season since opening the 1981-82 campaign with a 17-5 mark. 

Best Starts Through 22 Games

Year       Start   Final Record MVC Record

1981-82         17-5           19-8        N/A

1980-81         16-6           19-8        N/A

2008-09  16-6    ??                  5-4

1979-80         15-7           20-9        N/A

Dishing The Rock

   With at least eight games remaining in the season, junior guard Skye Johnson has already dished out a career-high 134 assists and currently ranks third in the MVC in assists per game (6.1).  Johnson, who has three games with 10 or more assists this season, is just the sixth junior in school history to dish out 100 assists in a season.  Her 134 assists is the seventh best season total in school history and the most by a Brave since Jen Brown had 139 assists in 2004-05.  Just 13 assists short of breaking into Bradley's career top 10, Johnson needs one blocked shot and two steals to become the first player in program history to record 100 assists, 30 blocks and 50 steals in the same season.

BRADLEY ASSISTS IN A SEASON

ASSISTS BY A JUNIOR

Home Win Streak Ends At Nine

   Bradley's home loss to I-74 rival Illinois State Jan. 30 was the Braves first home loss of the year and ended a nine-game home win streak for BU.  The Braves are now 8-1 at home this year.  The nine-game home win streak was the longest since winning 10 consecutive home contests between the 1980-81 and 1981-82 seasons and is the third longest home win streak in program history. 

Winning Mark At Halfway Point Of MVC Play

   Bradley's victory against Indiana State (Feb. 1) wrapped up the first half of Missouri Valley Conference play and at 5-4 marked the first time BU finished the first half of league play with a winning record since the 1996-97 season.  Bradley has finished the first half of league action with a winning record just nine times in 25 years of conference membership.  The Braves have finished .500 or better in conference action five of the eight previous times BU had a winning record halfway through the conference season. 

Krumwiede Cracks Top 10 In Rebounding

   Senior forward Kelly Krumwiede pulled down three rebounds in the Braves home loss to Illinois State (Jan. 30) to move into 10th place on Bradley's career rebounding list.  BU's active career leader in both scoring and rebounding, she passed Sara Bailey for 10th on the all-time list and is currently 10th at Bradley with 589 career boards.  Krumwiede needs 12 rebounds to pass Connie Griffith for ninth place.

REBOUNDS (CAREER)

Harris With The Block

   Sophomore Sonya Harris leads the MVC in blocked shots, averaging 2.6 per tilt.  Her 51 blocked shots this season is the most by a BU sophomore and is tied for the third best season total in school history.  Harris is currently seventh all-time with 85 career rejections and needs four blocked shots to pass Ashley Chelleen for fifth place at Bradley.  Below is a list of Bradley's career blocked shots leaders.

BRADLEY CAREER BLOCKED SHOTS LEADERS

BRADLEY SEASON BLOCKED SHOTS LEADERS

51    Lynn Pastucha            1999-2000

46    Dena Williams                2003-04

Up Next

   Bradley continues its season-long three-game homestand Thursday against Creighton.  The Bluejays hold a 32-5 lead in the all-time series with the Braves after downing Bradley, 61-46 last month in Omaha.  The Braves are 2-17 all-time in home games against Creighton after last season's 52-51 BU victory at Roberson Memorial Field House.  Last season's home win by Bradley ended a 17-game home losing streak in the series for the Braves.  Bradley is 2-15 against Creighton under head coach Paula Buscher.

Win Streak Ends At Seven

   Bradley had its season-long seven-game win streak snapped with a 76-92 loss at Northern Iowa (Jan. 17) to open a three-game MVC road swing.  The seven-game win streak tied for the third longest in program history and was the longest win streak since the Braves opened the 2001-02 season with a school-record nine consecutive victories.  Bradley has two win streaks of four games or more this season, marking the first time BU has had two win streaks of four or more games in the same season since the 1981-82 campaign. 

Year              Win Streak          Final Record

2001-02     9                    16-12

1981-82     8                    19-8

2008-09        7                          ??               

1996-97     7                    16-12   

Braves Open Valley Play With 4-0 Mark

   Bradley opened Missouri Valley Conference play with four consecutive wins, marking the first 4-0 start to league play in program history.  The 4-0 start surpassed two previous 3-0 starts (1990-91 & 1988-89) to conference play.  Prior to the loss at UNI, Bradley had won five consecutive regular-season Missouri Valley Conference games dating back to last season's 79-63 home win against UNI in the regular-season finale, marking the first five-game win streak in regular season conference games in program history. 

Year       MVC Start            Final MVC Record    Place

2008-09 4-0           

1990-91             3-0                        9-9   T5th

1988-89             3-0                      6-12   6th

Road Warriors

   The Braves opened Missouri Valley Conference play with seven of their first 11 league games on the road.  Bradley is 6-5 in true road games and 8-3 away from home, including two neutral site victories.  The eight wins away from home are second only to preseason MVC favorite Illinois State's 10 wins away from (seven road and three neutral).

Blocking The Night Away

   Sophomore Sonya Harris is averaging 3.3 blocked shots per game in Missouri Valley Conference play and is closing in on Bradley's season record of 59 blocked shots held by Dena Willliams.  Harris has helped the Braves to a league-best 5.6 blocks per game this season.  Bradley's 123 blocked shots on the year is already the fourth best season total in school history and the most since BU had a school-record 134 blocks in 2004-05.  Bradley is on pace to finish the regular season with 162 blocked shots.

BRADLEY BLOCKED SHOTS IN A SEASON

Turnovers Are Key

   Turnovers have been a key stat for the Braves this season.    BU is committing 21.0 turnovers per game and forcing 17.0 opponent turnovers per contest.  While the Braves do a slightly better job of handling the ball in wins (20.8 turnovers per game) compared to losses (21.5 turnovers per game), the telling stat has been opponent turnovers.  BU has forced an average of 18.6 opponent turnovers in 16 victories this season, but just 12.8 turnovers in the six losses.  Foes have committed 15 or less turnovers in each of the six losses this season and BU is just 5-6 when forcing 15 or less turnovers in a game.

Balanced Attack

   One of the reasons for the Braves success this season has been its balanced attack.  BU has five players averaging 8.0 points per game or more and has had an impressive 13 different players score in double figures in at least one game in 2008-09.  The Braves have had three or more players in double figures in all but four games this season, with three of those outings resulting in losses.  Freshman walk-on Darcel Retreage is the only player who has seen action this year who has not scored in double figures. 

Lund Sets Underclassmen 3FG Mark

   Freshman guard Michelle Lund had already surpassed the school record for three-pointers by a freshman in the Braves Missouri Valley Conference opener at Wichita State, but the sharp-shooting guard has also set the mark for three-point field goals by an underclassmen.  Andrea McAllister hit 43 three-pointers as a sophomore in 1989-90 to set the underclassmen record.  Lund, whose 59 three-pointers is tied for fifth among Valley freshman all-time, is 18th in the nation in three-point field goals per game (2.7 per game) through Sunday's games.  She is shooting 41.0 percent (59-for-144) from beyond the arc.  Lund is the first freshman in school history to hit more than five three-pointers in a game, knocking down six trey's on two occasions.  Her 59 three-pointers ranks sixth among Bradley season marks and she is one trey short of becoming the fifth different Bradley player in school history to hit 60 three-pointers in a season.

3-Point Field Goals By A Freshman (MVC)

Bradley 3-Point Field Goals Made (Season)

Lund Earns Third Newcomer of the Week Award

   Freshman guard Michelle Lund has earned Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week honors three times this season.  She is the first Bradley player to win MVC Newcomer of the Week three times and is second only to Missouri State's Casey Garrison in the league this season, who has earned MVC Newcomer of the Week four times.

Nationally Ranked

   The Braves rank as one of the top rebounding team's in the country according to the NCAA National Statistics through games of Feb. 8.  Bradley was 14th in the nation in rebounding margin at +8.2 boards per game.  After ranking sixth in the MVC in three-point field goal percentage last year, Bradley entered this week's games in 13th place in the nation in three-point field goal percentage at 37.6 percent from beyond the arc.  As a team, Bradley is 14th nationally in blocked shots (5.6 bpg) and 24th in assists (15.9 apg).  Individually, freshman guard Michelle Lund was 18th in the country in three-point field goals per game (2.7 per contest) and also ranked 37th nationally in three-point field goal percentage (41.0 percent) through Sunday.  Junior guard Skye Johnson was ranked 12th in the country in assists per game (6.1 apg) while sophomore Sonya Harris was 21st in blocked shots (2.6 per game) in the latest national leaders report.

Non-Conference Streaks

   Bradley went undefeated in five non-conference home games this season, extending the Braves home win streak against non-conference foes to nine games.   The nine-game non-conference home win streak is the longest since Bradley joined the Gateway Conference for the 1983-84 season.  In addition, Bradley has also won seven consecutive home games against in-state non-conference opponents.  The Braves are 27-11 (.711) at home against non-conference opponents under head coach Paula Buscher. 

Braves Tie School Mark For Non-Conference Wins

   Bradley finished the non-conference portion of the schedule with a Missouri Valley Conference best 9-2 record and matched the school mark for non-conference victories.  The nine victories is tied for the most non-conference wins for the Braves since joining the Gateway Conference for the 1983-84 season.  Bradley finished the 2001-02 non-conference slate with a perfect 9-0 record.

Second City Is Second Home For Braves

   Bradley posted a 71-53 victory against Illinois Dec. 6 at the United Center in Chicago, ending a five-game Illinois win streak in games played in the facility.  Chicago has been a bit of a second home for the Braves over the years.  BU is 7-3 all-time in Chicago under head coach Paula Buscher and the Braves are 24-15 (.615) all-time in the “Second City”.  The Braves 18-point win against Illinois is the worst loss for the Illini in games played at the United Center.

Defending Her Title

   Junior guard Skye Johnson is making an early bid to repeat as Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year.  Johnson currently ranks among the league leaders in both steals and blocked shots after leading the MVC with 82 steals last season.  She currently leads the Braves in steals (48) and is second in blocked shots (29).  Her 29 blocks on the year is already a career high.  Johnson is fourth in the MVC in steals (2.2 per game) and sixth in The Valley in blocked shots per game (1.3 per game).  She is one of two players to rank in the top 10 in the MVC in both steals and blocks. 

Skye Johnson Earns Trio Of Honors

   Junior guard Skye Johnson was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 8, marking the first time a Bradley player earned the award since Jen Brown in February 2007.  In addition she was also selected as the MVC's and Bradley's Scholar-Athletes of the Week.  Johnson turned in one of the best all-around performances of her career, helping Bradley to a 71-53 victory against in-state foe Illinois at the United Center.  Johnson, who had just one turnover in the game, had 13 points and matched a career-best nine assists against the Illini.  She also collected four steals and recorded a then career-high four blocked shots.  Johnson had five points, two boards, five assists, three blocks and three steals in the first half, helping Bradley to a 40-27 lead at the break. 

Braves Win NAU Thanksgiving Classic

   The Braves won both games at the Northern Arizona Thanksgiving Classic in Flagstaff, Ariz., topping tournament-host NAU (83-66) and preseason Big West Conference favorite UC Riverside (59-56) to win the tournament title.  Bradley won an in-season tournament for the first time since claiming the Dead River Classic in Orono, Maine, in 2001-02 in addition to snapping a five-game neutral site losing streak with the wins.  The Braves are now 4-0 all-time in the state of Arizona, having also claimed the tournament title at the Sun Devil Classic in Tempe, Ariz., during the 1996-97 season.  Freshman guard Michelle Lund was named the tournament MVP and junior guard Skye Johnson joined Lund on the all-tournament team.

Buscher Gets 100th Win Against Familiar Foe

   Ninth-year Bradley head coach Paula Buscher picked up her 100th win as head coach of the Braves Friday against Northern Arizona and earned the milestone victory against a familiar face.  Northern Arizona head coach Laurie Kelly was a graduate assistant under Buscher at Minnesota State-Mankato.  Buscher is second in school history with 112 wins, needing just 13 victories to pass Lisa Boyer.  Boyer was 124-149 (.454) as Bradley head coach from 1986-87 through the 1995-96 season.  Buscher's 100th win at Bradley also marked the 400th win in program history. 

BRADLEY CAREER COACHING VICTORIES

Bench Coming Up Big

   Bradley's reserves have also been a big reason for the Braves success this season.  BU's reserves are averaging 24.2 points per game and have outscored their counterparts by an average margin of +9.1 points per contest.  Bradley's bench has outscored the opponent's reserves in 18 of 22 games, and BU boasts a 15-3 record when the Braves' reserves out score the opponents.  The Braves are 1-3 when the bench fails to outscore the opponents reserves.  In the victories this season, BU's bench has averaged 25.5 points per game and boasts a +11.7 margin.  In the losses, Bradley's reserves are scoring 20.8 points per game, but have outscored the opponents reserves by an average margin of just +2.2 points per game.

Braves End Several Streaks

   Several streaks came to an end for the Braves with the pair of wins at the Northern Arizona Thanksgiving Classic.  Bradley ended a four-game losing streak in non-conference games outside the state of Illinois, dating back to the Braves win against San Jose State in Dallas, Texas on Nov. 25, 2006.  Bradley also picked up its first non-conference road win outside the state of Illinois since the 2004-05 campaign.  The Braves had lost five consecutive non-conference road games outside of the Land of Lincoln dating back to an 86-56 road win at Saint Louis on Dec. 21, 2004.  The win against UC Riverside in the championship game also snapped a four-game losing skid in games played at neutral sites.

Bucking The Trend

   Bradley rallied to win after trailing at halftime in each of the first two games of the 2008-09 season.  The Braves were 1-29 when trailing at halftime over the previous two seasons (2007-08 & 2006-07) and have not won two games in the same season when losing at the break since the 2005-06 campaign.  BU is now 3-6 when losing at halftime after erasing a four-point halftime deficit against Evansville on Jan. 11.  BU trailed Loyola by 11 points at the break in the season opener, before coming back to win,  marking the first time BU came back from a double-digit halftime deficit to win since topping St. Mary's (Calif.) 64-57 in overtime on Nov. 28, 2003.  The 11-point comeback is the largest halftime deficit in a Bradley win since trailing 32-19 at Illinois State on Feb. 12, 2000 in an eventual 61-60 BU victory.

Crashing The Boards

   A year removed from ranking eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference in rebounds per game, the Braves have hit the boards early on in 2008-09, currently ranking second in The Valley at 42.8 rebounds per game.  In addition to the impressive +8.2 average rebound margin, Bradley is averaging 14.6 offensive boards per contest despite owning the second best field goal percentage in the league.  Sophomore Sonya Harris ranks third in the MVC in rebounding at 8.3 boards per game, while senior Monica Rogers is third in The Valley in rebounding at 7.9 caroms per contest.

In-State Opponents

   Bradley's first four opponents of the 2008-09 season each call the state of Illinois home, marking the first time the Braves open a season with four consecutive in-state opponents since the 1976-77 season.  Bradley is 25-14 (.641) against in-state non-conference opponents under ninth-year head coach Paula Buscher.  BU is 45-31 (.592) against in-state foes during Buscher's tenure, which includes an 20-17 mark against Illinois State and Southern Illinois.

Lund Starts Season Opener

   Freshman guard Michelle Lund started the Braves season opener, making her the 13th freshman since the start of the 1981-82 season to start in a season opener for Bradley.  Lund is the third freshmen to start a season opener under ninth-year head coach Paula Buscher, joining Jen Brown and Jaime Lugge.  Below is a list of freshmen to start in a season opener for the Braves along with their points, rebounds and assists for that outing.

Name                 Date               Pts.      Reb.     Ast.

Michelle Lund   11/15/08            3          6          5

Jen Brown          11/21/03            5          3          5

Jaime Lugge       11/16/01            3          4          4

Sarah Sommer   11/20/99            7          6          1

Lynn Pastucha   11/20/99            8          8          0

Heather Best       11/24/95            9          1          5

Dawn Cartwright  12/1/92              3          6          4

Liza Reed          11/25/91            2          5          1

Dawyel Jones     11/24/89            6          3          2

Kelly Mazza        11/26/88            7          1          3

Karin Nicholls   11/28/86            6          6          0

Kelly Miller          11/28/83           12          3          1

Judy Burns       11/20/81           23          2          2

* Bold indicates home games.

Braves Picked Eighth In Preseason Poll

   Bradley was picked eighth in the preseason Missouri Valley Conference poll, after finishing eighth in the 2007-08 regular-season race.  Bradley's roster featured eight of 13 letterwinners from last year, including six of the top seven scorers.  Illinois State was the unanimous choice to win the 2008-09 regular-season crown.  The Braves were five points behind Indiana State for seventh place. 

2008-09 MVC Preseason Poll

Rank Team (First-Place Votes)         Points

1.     Illinois State (40)                  400

2.     Creighton                            310

3.     Drake                                  297

4.     Evansville                           251

5.     Northern Iowa                      245

6.     Missouri State                     215

7.     Indiana State                       166

8.       BRADLEY                                       161

9.     Southern Illinois                   108

10.   Wichita State                        47

Returning Numbers

   Despite losing five letterwinners from last year's team, Bradley boasts one of the more experienced teams in the Missouri Valley Conference heading into the 2008-09 campaign.  The Braves return six of their top seven scorers from last year and are one of just three teams in the league which is returning over 70 percent of both its scoring and rebounding from the previous years.  The only other teams to join BU in that elite company are Northern Iowa and defending regular-season co-champion Illinois State.  The chart below takes a look at the returning numbers for all 10 league members.

Youth Movement

   While the Braves have a strong group of returning players, Bradley also has a lot of youth on its roster.  The Braves 16-player roster includes eight newcomers, the most newcomers to the team since welcoming nine new faces for the 2001-02 season when Bradley finished 16-12 overall.  This year's newcomers include seven freshmen and one sophomore, giving the Braves 10 underclassmen.  Northern Iowa is the only other team in The Valley that can match Bradley's 10 underclassmen and Southern Illinois and Indiana State are the only MVC schools to welcome eight newcomers for the 2008-09 season.  Bradley is the only team in the conference to welcome more than six newcomers, while returning eight letterwinners from last year.  The Braves' 16-player roster is the largest for the program since the 1997-98 campaign. 

Home Away From Home

   Bradley will play its home games at several different venues during the 2008-09 since Robertson Memorial Field House was razed in May to make room for a new facility which is currently under construction and schedule for completion during the 2009-10 school year.  The Braves closed out Robertson Field House with a 79-63 victory against Northern Iowa in the 2007-008 regular-season finale and won four of the last five games on the historic raised floor to finish with a 209-170 (.551) all-time record at the facility.  Bradley will play the bulk of its games in 2008-09 at Illinois Central College's Lorene Ramsey Gym, and own a 8-1 record at home this season which includes a 7-1 mark at Lorene Ramsey Gym and a 1-0 record at Richwoods High School.

Krumwiede Joins 600-500 Club

   Senior forward Kelly Krumwiede is the 14th player in

program history to collect 600 points and 500 rebounds in a Bradley uniform, pulling down her 500th career rebound at Evansville last March.  The 30th player in school history to score 700 points, Krumwiede is the Braves active career scoring leader with 717 points and also ranks as the active career leader in rebounding with 589 career boards.  She needs 11 rebounds to become just the 10th player with 700 points and 600 rebounds in a career.

Team Captains

   Junior forward Jenny Van Kirk and freshman Hanna Muegge have been voted team captains for the 2008-09 season. 

Braves On The Internet

            Bradley women's basketball fans can catch all of this year's home and away games via the internet at www.bradleybraves.com  Free audio will be available for each game in addition to a pay-per-view video stream for all home games and some road contests.  Junior Jenny Van Kirk will be blogging throughout the 2008-09 season on the Bradley Athletics website at www.bradleybraves.com