109th Hoops Season
• Now playing its 109th men's basketball season, Bradley has pushed its all-time win total to 1,588 victories, the most in The Valley.
• Bradley is playing its 61st season in the Missouri Valley Conference.
• The Braves are tied for second in Valley history with 523 all-time league victories, trailing only the 542 MVC wins by Drake in 100 MVC seasons.
Second Year Strides
• In his second year as Bradley's head coach, Geno Ford has more than doubled the team's win total after suffering through a 7-25 (.219) campaign in 2011-12.
• Ford is the fifth consecutive Bradley head coach to improve the team's record from his first year to his second.
• Ford is the third Bradley head coach all-time to improve the team's record by at least nine wins from Year 1 to Year 2.
Head Coach (at BU) 1st Year 2nd Year
Chuck Orsborn (1956-65) 22-7 20-7
Forddy Anderson (1949-54) 32-5 32-6
A.J. Robertson (1920-49) 7-9 12-6
* Olsen left after the 1st 9 games of the 1919-20 season
National Turnaround
• After going six years without improving its win total from one year to the next, Bradley's current 9-win improvement over last year is tied for sixth-best in the nation through games of March 4:
Team 2011-12 2012-13 +W's
Bryant 2-28 19-10 +17
Towson 1-31 18-13 +17
Arizona State 10-21 20-9 +13
Canisius 5-25 18-12 +13
Santa Clara 8-22 21-10 +13
Bradley 7-25 16-14 +9
UC Davis 5-26 14-14 +9
Florida Int'l 8-21 16-13 +8
Garnder-Webb 12-20 20-11 +8
Hartford 9-22 17-12 +8
Illinois-Chicago 8-22 16-14 +8
Louisiana Tech 18-16 26-3 +8
Loyola-Chicago 7-23 15-15 +8
Mount St. Mary's 8-21 16-13 +8
USC 6-26 14-15 +8
Valley Improvement
• After enduring a 2-16 Valley record in 2011-12, Bradley improved to 7-11 in league play this year.
• The MVC improvement is Bradley's best since the 2004-05 Braves jumped from 6-12 in the league to 11-7 in 2005-06.
• Bradley has experienced at least a +5-win improvement nine times in its 61 years of Valley membership.
MVC Tournament History
• Bradley enters the 2013 MVC Men's Basketball Championship with a 29-31 all-time tourney record in 33 previous appearances.
• The Braves own two MVC Tournament championships (1982 and 1988), but never have won the title when the tournament has been played outside of Peoria.
• Bradley is 17-21 all-time in MVC Tournament games played in St. Louis, including 16-18 at Scottrade Center.
• Second-year Bradley head coach Geno Ford is in search of his first MVC Tournament win.
15th Anniversary
• Since The Valley adopted its current, 10-team postseason tournament format, only one first-round winner has gone on to knock off one of the tournament's top two seeds in the quarterfinals.
• In 1998, #7 seed Bradley earned a 69-62 win against #10 seed Drake in the first round, then pulled off a 76-68 upset of #2 seed Creighton in the quarterfinals.
• In the 15th anniversary of that upset, #8 seed Bradley will play #9 seed Drake in a first-round game Thursday with the winner advancing to a quarterfinal matchup against #1 seed Creighton.
Braves and Bulldogs, Again
• Bradley and Drake will meet in the first round of the MVC Men's Basketball Championship for the third consecutive year.
• The two previous meetings were in the second first-round game between the seventh and 10th seeds and the teams split those two meetings: 10th-seeded Bradley won 63-48 in 2011, while 7th-seeded Drake won 65-49 last year.
• Thursday's tourney opener will be the 138th all-time meeting in the Bradley-Drake series, making Drake the most common opponent in Bradley history.
• Thursday's game will be the 10th postseason meeting in series history, also making Drake the most-common postseason opponent in Bradley history.
Series History
138th Meeting | Bradley leads 80-57
• Drake is the most common opponent in Bradley Basketball's 109-year history and the teams will meet for the 138th time Thursday night in St. Louis.
• In addition, the nine postseason meetings to date in the series also make Drake Bradley's most common postseason opponent.
• The Braves are 80-57 (.584) all-time in the series against Drake, including 5-4 in the MVC Tournament.
• In the last 10 seasons, however, Drake owns a 12-10 record against the Braves, including victories in four of the last five meetings.
• Second-year Bradley head coach Geno Ford is 1-3 against Drake, while fifth-year Bulldogs head coach Mark Phelps owns a 6-6 record against Bradley.
Recapping The Season Series
Dec. 29: at Bradley 67, Drake 57
Feb. 20: at Drake 92, Bradley 84 (OT)
• The teams split the regular-season series in games that were separated by 51 days.
• After earning a 10-point victory in the MVC opener for both teams Dec. 29 at Carver Arena, Bradley let a 12-point lead with 11:28 remaining in regulation slip away Feb. 20 in Des Moines.
• The Bulldogs overcame a 5-point deficit in the final 28 seconds, forcing overtime when Seth VanDeest made two free throws with 1.2 seconds remaining, then made 18-of-20 free throw attempts in the extra period to pull away.
• Drake scoring leader Ben Simons averaged 13.5 ppg in the two games, but shot just 23.3 percent (7-30) from the field and 20 percent (3-15) from 3-point range.
Arc Reversal
• Drake finished the regular-season second in The Valley in 3-point field goal percentage (.389) and 3-pointers per game (8.7), but the Bulldogs made just 13-of-52 (.250) 3-point field goal attempts in the two games against Bradley.
• Conversely, Bradley is ninth in The Valley in 3-point field goal percentage (.315) and treys per game (5.1), but the Braves buried 17-of-41 (.415) long-range attempts against Drake.
What To Watch For
• Bradley can earn its 17th win of the season Thursday, which would secure at least a final .500 record for the first time since 2009-10 (16-15) and would represent its most wins in a season since 2008-09 (21-15).
• Second-year Bradley head coach Geno Ford is seeking his first career MVC Tournament victory.
• Bradley is trying to beat a Valley rival twice in the same season for the first time in Ford's tenure at Bradley.
• Bradley is wearing the home whites as the higher-seeded team in the MVC Tournament for the first time since 2009: the Braves have won two straight postseason games as the higher seed and are 24-9 all-time in the home whites.
• Senior guard Dyricus Simms-Edwards needs two steals to surpass Larry Bird (85) for fifth place on the MVC single-season steals list.
• The backcourt combo of Simms-Edwards and Walt Lemon, Jr. need to combine for five steals to set the MVC single-season record for steals by two teammates (155 by Tulsa's Paul Pressey {96}and Mike Anderson {59) in 1980-81).
• Lemon needs 21 points and three steals to join Hersey Hawkins (1987-88) as the only players in Valley history to record 500 points, 100 rebounds, 100 assists and 70 steals in a season.
• Bradley needs 10 steals to break the school season record (303 in 1981-82 and 1985-86).
It's Been a While
• As the Braves head to St. Louis for the 2013 MVC Men's Basketball Championship, they will be trying to end a dubious skid.
• Bradley has not won any game played west of Peoria since beating Drake, 63-48, in the first round of the 2011 MVC Tournament, a streak that has reached 15 games.
Bradley's Blossoming Star
• Bradley junior guard Walt Lemon, Jr. has emerged as one of the top players in The Valley, earning 2nd team All-MVC and MVC All-Defense team honors this winter.
• For the season, Lemon is averaging 15.5 ppg, 3.5 apg and 2.2 spg and is shooting 50.0 percent (148-296) from inside the 3-point arc.
• In the 18 Valley games, Lemon's numbers were even better: 17.1 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 3.6 apg, 2.1 spg while shooting 35.5 percent from 3-point range and 50.3 percent from inside the arc.
• The 6-foot-3 point guard also leads the team with 108 defensive rebounds overall and 73 defensive boards in league play.
Historic Stat Stuffer
• Walt Lemon, Jr. enters the MVC Tournament with 479 points, 121 rebounds, 108 assists and 67 steals.
• Lemon needs 21 points and three steals to join Hersey Hawkins (1987-88 national player of the year) as the only players in school and MVC history to score 500 points, snare 100 boards, dish out 100 assists and make off with 70 steals in a season.
500 Points, 100 Reb., 100 Assists, 60 Steals
Player Year Pts Reb. A S
Colt Ryan, UE 2011-12 656 134 105 60
Hersey Hawkins 1987-88 1125 241 111 82
Hersey Hawkins 1985-86 656 200 104 66
Points and Assists Leader
• Bradley junior point guard Walt Lemon, Jr. leads the Braves in scoring (15.5 ppg) and assists (3.5 apg).
• Lemon is trying to become the first Bradley player since Jerome Robinson in 2000-01 (16.9 ppg, 2.6 apg) to lead the Braves in both areas.
• The same player has led the Braves in both scoring and assists just three times since Bradley began tracking assists in the mid-60's.
Leading the Braves in Scoring and Assists
Pts. & A Leader Year Pts PPG A APG
Jerome Robinson 2000-01 508 16.9 78 2.6
Anthony Manuel 1988-89 569 21.1 216 8.0
Sam Simmons 1971-72 555 21.3 87 3.3
1,000-Point Club
• Bradley's active career scoring leader, senior guard Dyricus Simms-Edwards ranks 29th in school history with 1,212 career points.
• Bradley's 2012-13 season scoring leader, junior guard Walt Lemon Jr. has climbed to 38th on the school's career scoring list with 1,080 points.
Dynamic Duo
• Not only do Bradley guards Walt Lemon, Jr. and Dyricus Simms-Edwards combine for 28.0 ppg, they rank among The Valley's top five backcourt combos in rebounds (3rd), assists (5th), steals (1st) and blocked shots (T1st).
• In the chart below, the Valley backcourts (top two guards by minutes played for each team) are comparatively ranked by combined points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocked shots per game, then listed in order according to the average of their combined rankings.
• The Bradley duo averages a 2.5 ranking.
El Hombre Update
• Having already broken Willie Scott's 30-year-old Bradley single-season school record for steals, Simms-Edwards needs two more thefts to surpass Larry Bird for fifth on the MVC list.
• Many of Simms-Edwards' 84 steals to date have happened by simply ripping the ball away from the player he has been guarding, a play described as an “hombre play” by head coach Geno Ford.
MVC Single-Season Steals Top 10
1. 96 Paul Pressey, Tulsa 1980-81
2. 94 Bryan Mullins, SIU 2005-06
3. 92 Nate Green, INS 1999-00
92 Darren Brooks, SIU 2004-05
5. 85 Larry Bird, INS 1978-79
8. 82 Hersey Hawkins, BU 1987-88
82 Arnold Bernard, MoSt 1990-91
Watching The Steals Pace
• As the week began, Bradley ranked eighth nationally by averaging 9.48 steals per game.
• With 294 steals to date, Bradley needs 10 more thefts to break the single-season school record and crack the MVC's top five.
MVC Steals in a Season
1. 345 Tulsa 1983-84
2. 337 Drake 1993-94
3. 322 Southern Illinois 2004-05
4. 321 Drake 2003-04
5. 303 Bradley 1985-86
303 Bradley 1981-82
Power of the Steal
• Bradley has enjoyed one of the top win-loss turnarounds in the country this season, despite being outscored by 51 points from 3-point range and 47 points from the free throw line, while being outrebounded by 2.4 boards per game.
• Thanks to its ability to turn over the opposition, often with steals, Bradley has attempted 113 more field goal attempts than its opponents.
• The Braves have 106 more steals than the opposition, contributing to a +91 turnover margin.
• Bradley boasts a 511-394 advantage in points off turnovers, a +3.8 points-per-game margin.
• The advantage in points off turnovers has cancelled out Bradley's 3.2-points-per-game disadvantage in 3-pointers and free throws.
Steals Per Turnover
• Through Monday's action, Bradley was tied for fourth nationally with a 0.78 steals/turnover ratio.
• Not only does Bradley rank eighth nationally by averaging 9.48 steals per game, the Braves commit just 12.2 turnovers per game.
• Bradley has committed no more than 10 turnovers 10 times this season, including six times in the 18 Valley games.
Clean Steals
• Not only does Dyricus Simms-Edwards rank fourth nationally with 84 steals, but he has been harassing without fouling.
• At 1.83 steals per personal foul, Simms-Edwards is the only player in the country averaging more than 1.50 steals per foul (Belmont's J.J. Mann is second with 1.41 steals for every personal foul).
• Simms-Edwards has been whistled for just 46 fouls in 31 games, 1.5 per game, helping him remain on the floor for 33.8 minutes per game.
Steals Per Turnover II
• While Dyricus Simms-Edwards ranks fourth nationally with 84 steals, he also is fifth by averaging 1.58 steals per turnover.
• Simms-Edwards boasts 84 steals against just 53 turnovers, the second-best ratio among Bradley players since steal and turnover records were routinely kept starting in 1980-81.
• The last Brave to play at least 10 minutes per game with more steals than turnovers was Chris Roberts in 2009-10 (47 steals, 44 turnovers).
Double Trouble
• The Bradley duo has combined for 151 steals - 84 by Simms-Edwards and 67 by Lemon - already the school record and the second-best mark in Valley history for total steals by two teammates.
• The MVC record for steals in a season by a pair of teammates is 155 in 33 games by the Tulsa duo of Paul Pressey (96) and Mike Anderson (59) in 1980-81.
Single-Season Steals by MVC Duos
155 1980-81 TU Paul Pressey (96) Mike Anderson (59)
145 1999-00 INS Nate Green (92) Michael Menser (53)
145 1978-79 INS Larry Bird (85) Carl Nicks (60)
Battle of the Paint
• Though Bradley's top two scorers are guards, the Braves outscore the opposition by 6.8 points per game in the paint.
• The Braves have at least doubled-up the opposition in paint points nine times this season, most-recently with a 44-22 edge Feb. 16 vs. Indiana State.
• Bradley is 15-3 when it outscores the opposition in the paint and 1-12 when the opponents own the paint scoring advantage.
Big Media Numbers
• Dave Snell is in his 34th season as the radio Voice of the Braves and has participated in 1,046 Bradley Basketball game broadcasts, all in succession, on 1470 WMBD since taking over play-by-play duties for the 1979-80 season.
• Peoria Journal Star beat writer Dave Reynolds has covered 709 consecutive Bradley games since taking over the beat for the start of the 1990-91 season.
• In addition, P.A. announcer Paul Herzog has announced 541 Bradley Basketball home games.
