Braves Travel to Face Wichita State on Sunday

Duane Zehr, Bradley University ITPS

Men's Basketball 12/31/2016 11:52:00 AM

Bradley (6-8, 1-0 MVC) at Wichita State (11-3, 1-0 MVC)
Game Details	Sunday, Jan. 1 • 1 p.m. • Wichita, Kan. • Koch Arena
Television	ESPN3
Radio	1470 WMBD
Game Notes	Bradley \| Wichita State
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Twitter: @bradleyumbb \| Instagram: @bradleyumbb

After earning a victory in its first Missouri Valley Conference game of the season on Thursday, the Braves aim for a 2-0 start at preseason favorite Wichita State. The schools will meet on Sunday at 1 p.m.

ABOUT THE BRAVES
• Bradley won its Missouri Valley Conference opener on Thursday, posting a 60-51 victory against Southern Illinois. Overall, the Braves are 6-8 this season.
• Freshman Darrell Brown leads Bradley with 11.8 points per game and 39 assists this year, making 47.3 percent of his 3-pointers.
• Junior JoJo McGlaston ranks second with 9.0 points per game, while sophomore Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye is third with 7.8.
• Freshman Koch Bar has collected a team-leading 6.2 rebounds per game and 1.7 blocks per game.
• As a team, BU is making 43.0 percent of its field goals with a 35.8 percent mark beyond the 3-point line.

SERIES HISTORY
• In a series that dates back to the 1947-48 season, the Braves are playing the Shockers for the 70th-consecutive season, marking the longest uninterrupted series in program history.
• Overall, Bradley holds a slight 71-68 advantage in the all-time series.
• Wichita State, however, has controlled the series as of late, winning 13-straight games against the Braves since the 2010-11 season.
• The Shockers also own a 45-20 advantage at home with Bradley losing seven-straight at Koch Arena and its last win coming during the 2008-09 season.

ABOUT THE SHOCKERS
• Wichita State is 11-3 this season and also won its MVC opener after posting an 80-72 victory at Indiana State on Wednesday.
• The Shockers were picked to win the MVC for the fourth-straight year in the preseason.
• Wichita State owns the top-ranked scoring offense in the MVC and the second-ranked scoring defense, outscoring their opponents by an average of 81.7 to 63.3 (+18.4 scoring margin).
• Darral Willis leads Wichita State with 12.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, while Markis McDuffie is second on the team with 12.1 points per game.

GOOD START TO MVC SEASON
• With its win on Thursday over Southern Illinois, Bradley improved to 36-29 all-time in Missouri Valley Conference openers.
• The victory ended a three-game losing streak in BU's first league game with the team's last 1-0 start coming during the 2012-13 campaign.
• The Braves are now aiming to start 2-0 in conference play for just the third time since the start of the 2000-01 season – joining the 2008-09 and 2012-13 teams.

ON THIS DATE
Record on Jan. 1: 9-6
Jan. 1 Highlight: The Bradley men's basketball team played its first-ever game on Jan. 1, 1903, posting a 12-8 victory at Invincibles. The Braves finished their inaugural season with a 5-2 record.

FRESHMAN LEAD THE VICTORY
• The Bradley rookie class led the Braves to victory during its conference-opening victory against Southern Illinois.
• The four BU rookies – Koch Bar, Darrell Brown, Jayden Hodgson and Nate Kennell – combined to score 37 of the team's 60 points (61.7 percent) with a 52.4 shooting percentage (11-21) and 66.7 3-point percentage (6-9).
• The Bradley rookie class now leads the team with 370 points this season (26.4 per game).

THREE IS THE KEY
• One of the biggest factors in the Braves' games this season is the 3-point line.
• In the team's six victories, Bradley has made 43.5 percent of its long-range shots (47-108). However, in their eight losses, the Braves have made just 30.6 percent of their 3-pointers (49-160).
• In three of its losses this season, Bradley has failed to make 20 percent of its shots from beyond the arc.

3-POINT IMPROVEMENT
• The good news for Bradley and its hopes for victory is that the team is making more 3-pointers this year than in previous seasons.
• Last year, Bradley made just 28.0 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc. However, the Braves are making 35.8 percent during the 2016-17 campaign
• Bradley's improvement of 7.8 percent is currently the 11th-largest increase in the country this year.
• The team's 35.8 percentage is also Bradley's highest since making 37.4 percent during the 2007-08 campaign.
• Freshman Darrell Brown leads Bradley in 3-point percentage, making 47.3 percent of his attempts – ranking fifth in The Valley.

Print Friendly Version