Braves Meet I-74 Rival Illinois State on Wednesday

Men's Basketball 2/25/2020 12:44:00 PM

Bradley (19-10, 10-6 MVC) at Illinois State (9-19, 4-12 MVC)
Game Details	Wednesday, Feb. 26 • 6 p.m. • Normal, Ill. • Redbird Arena
Television	CBS Sports Network
Radio	1470 WMBD
Game Notes	Bradley \| Illinois State
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Twitter: @bradleyumbb \| Instagram: @bradleyumbb

The Bradley men's basketball team looks to finish the regular-season on a high note, opening the final week of play at I-74 rival Illinois State. The schools are set to meet at Redbird Arena on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

ABOUT THE BRAVES
• Bradley is third in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with a 10-6 record. Overall, BU is 19-10 during the 2019-20 campaign.
• The Braves saw their four-game winning streak snapped on Saturday at Valparaiso, 90-78. The Crusaders made 18-of-28 3-pointers in the victory.
• Junior Elijah Childs scored a team-best 19 points at Valparaiso. He leads BU with 15.1 points and 9.0 rebounds per game.
• Senior Darrell Brown is second on the team with 14.6 points to go with a BU-best 4.4 assists.
• Senior Nate Kennell also averages in double figures with 12.4 points – ranking eighth nationally in 3-point percentage (44.1).
• The Braves are averaging 71.7 points per game this season, while allowing 65.9 defensively.

SERIES HISTORY
• In a series that dates back to 1904-05, the nearby rivals are meeting for the 130th time Wednesday.
• Bradley is 67-62 all-time against the Redbirds, while Illinois State has the edge since joining the Valley in 1981, 44-39.
• BU posted a 75-63 win earlier this season despite its two leading scorers missing the game with injury. Nate Kennell led Bradley with 18 points.
• Last season, the Braves earned their first victory at Redbird Arena in 12 years, 65-59.
• Overall, Bradley has won four-straight games over its rival – the team's longest streak since claiming six-straight from 2005 to 2008.

ABOUT THE REDBIRDS
• Illinois State is locked in as the nine seed for the Missouri Valley Tournament. The Redbirds own a 4-12 league record and are 9-19 overall.
• Zach Copeland is the lone Redbird scoring in double figures, leading ISU with 14.8 points.
• Keith Fisher III is second on Illinois State with 9.0 points to go with a team-leading 5.8 rebounds.
• Rick Torres leads ISU with 2.9 assists per game.
• Illinois State is averaging 65.8 points per game, while allowing 70.1.

ARCH MADNESS SEEDING
• If the season ended today, Bradley would claim the third seed and play sixth-seeded Missouri State in the MVC Tournament Quarterfinals.
• With a win on Wednesday, Bradley would clinch a top-four seed for the tournament for the first time since 2009.
• BU can also clinch a first-round bye with a loss if either Drake or Valparaiso lose as well.

SEASON RETURNS
• Fresh off its first Missouri Valley Tournament title in 31 years, Bradley is continuing to rewrite its recent history during the 2019-20 season.
• At 10-6 during the MVC campaign, the Braves own their best conference record through 16 games since the 2000-01 team also started 11-5.
• In fact, Bradley has already clinched a winning conference record with 10 Valley wins for the first time since the 2008-09 campaign. BU has not won 11 conference games since 2005-06.
• Bradley is also just one win shy of reaching 20 victories before the MVC Tournament for the first time since 2006-07.

DOMINATING THE PAINT
• The biggest key for the Braves during their winning streak against Illinois State is dominating inside.
• In its four-straight wins, Bradley has outscored Illinois State in the paint by a total of 142 to 70 (average of 35.5 to 17.5).
• In its win on Jan. 22, Bradley outscored ISU inside, 42-12. The plus-30 margin was the highest for BU against a Division I school in seven years.

CHILDS PLAY
• Junior Elijah Childs has led the Braves in the post and has thrived since returning to BU's lineup.
• In five games since returning from a hand injury, Childs leads the Braves with 17.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game – shooting 53.2 percent from the field.
• The junior has led the team in scoring in 3-of-5 games since his return and four times in rebounds, helping Bradley to a 4-1 record.
• Overall, Childs leads Bradley with 15.1 points and 9.0 rebounds in 17 games this season.

TOP 3-POINT SHOOTING TEAM
• While the Brave have dominated the paint against its rival, they are just as capable of beating teams from the outside.
• Bradley has converted 37.4 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc – ranking 21st nationally.
• The Braves are posting their top shooting mark from 3-point range since also making 37.4 percent in 2007-08.

KENNELL IS EIGHTH NATIONALLY
• Nate Kennell is enjoying a career year as a senior and has led the Braves from beyond the arc.
• The senior currently ranks eighth nationally with a 44.1 clip from beyond the 3-point arc. He is also 72nd with 2.59 triples per game.
• Kennell is averaging a career-best 12.4 points this year, shooting 42.1 percent overall from the field.

BALANCED TEAM
• Bradley has featured a strong offensive and defensive team throughout the 2019-20 season.
• BU ranks third in the MVC in scoring offense (71.7) and fourth in scoring defense (65.9) this year.
• The Braves are on pace to finish in the top five in the MVC in both categories for the first time since 1981-82 (4th - offense / 3rd - defense).

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Players Mentioned

#5 Darrell Brown: G; 5' 10"; Senior

#10 Elijah Childs: F; 6' 7"; Junior

#25 Nate Kennell: G; 6' 6"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#5 Darrell Brown
: 5' 10"; Senior
: G

#10 Elijah Childs
: 6' 7"; Junior
: F

#25 Nate Kennell
: 6' 6"; Senior
: G

Braves Meet I-74 Rival Illinois State on Wednesday

Players Mentioned

#5 Darrell Brown

#10 Elijah Childs

#25 Nate Kennell

Players Mentioned

#5 Darrell Brown

#10 Elijah Childs

#25 Nate Kennell