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BRADLEY BRAVES (4-23, 2-12 MVC) at SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS (20-7, 9-5 MVC)
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2016
Time: 7:00 p.m. CST
Location: Carbondale, IL | SIU Arena (8,339)
Tickets:  $10, $15, $18| Buy Online
TV:  ESPN3  | Darren Kinnard and Mike Trude
Radio:  1470 WMBD  |  Dave Snell, Chad Kleine and Dan DiOrio 
Series:  Bradley leads 46-43

OPENING TIPS
•  The youngest team in college basketball will make its first appearance at SIU Arena to complete the annual series against in-state Missouri Valley Conference rival Southern Illinois Wednesday night.
•  Southern Illinois enters Wednesday's game tied for third in the MVC standings, one game behind Illinois State and three games behind leader Wichita State with four games remaining in the regular-season schedule.
•  With a 12-man active roster that includes 10 freshmen, a sophomore and one senior, Bradley enters Wednesday's game having played The Valley's toughest schedule to date and likely will improve that rating by facing a 20-7 team on the road.
•  Wednesday's game will be the 999th Missouri Valley Conference game in Bradley history and the Braves will try to improve upon a 535-463 (.536) all-time league record.
•  Wednesday's game will be the 90th meeting in the all-time series between the Braves and Salukis, which dates to an Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference meeting Dec. 21, 1927 in Peoria, a 31-23 Bradley victory.

SERIES HISTORY
•  Wednesday's game will be the 90th meeting in the all-time series between the in-state Missouri Valley Conference rivals.
•  Bradley owns a 46-43 series lead, but Southern Illinois has won each of the last two meetings.
•  The series began with an Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference meeting Dec. 21, 1927 at the Peoria Armory.
•  The remaining 88 games in the series have been played as Valley rivals since Southern Illinois joined the league for the 1975-76 season.
90th All-Time Meeting
All-Time Record:  Bradley leads 46-43
Road:  Southern Illinois leads 24-16
First:  at Bradley 31, Southern Illinois 23 (Dec. 21, 1927)
Last:  Southern Illinois 65, at Bradley 44 (1/6/16)
Current Streak:  Southern Illinois W2
Brian Wardle vs. Southern Illinois:  0-3, 0-1 with Bradley
Barry Hinson vs. Bradley:  14-11, 3-4 with Southern Illinois

NATION'S YOUNGEST TEAM
•  Bradley is one of three teams in the country fielding a roster that includes at least 10 freshmen.
•  Bradley's roster has the highest percentage of freshmen in the country, increasingly so if you do not count the team's two inactive upperclassmen, leaving the Braves with 10 freshmen among 12 (.833) players who will dress Wednesday.
•  Bradley's freshmen have played more than 1,000 more minutes than any other freshman class in the country this season.
•  The Bradley freshmen are second nationally in scoring and lead in rebounds.

JUST GETTING STARTED
•  With only two non-freshmen suiting up for the Braves, Bradley's entire, 12-man active roster now has combined to score 1,961 career points.
•  Across the nation, eight individuals had scored more than 1,961 career points through Feb. 15, including Evansville senior D.J. Balentine (2,315).
•  By comparison, Southern Illinois' roster has combined for 4,332 career points.

SCHEDULE STRENGTH
•  Bradley's young team was put to the test during the non-conference portion of the schedule.
•  Bradley's 12 DI non-conference opponents have combined for a 180-120 (.600) record through Feb. 15, the fourth-best non-conference opponent winning percentage in The Valley.
•  Bradley's non-conference strength of schedule ranks 65th nationally, fourth-best in The Valley, according to numbers produced by ESPN.com.
•  Bradley's overall strength of schedule ranks 93rd nationally, currently the toughest in The Valley through Feb. 15.