Bradley Basketball Opens 2021-22 Season at South Dakota State

Men's Basketball 11/8/2021 10:00:00 AM

Bradley (0-0) at South Dakota State (0-0)
Game Details	Tuesday, Nov. 9 • 8:15 p.m. • Brookings, S.D. • Frost Arena
Television	ESPN+
Radio	1470 & 100.3 WMBD
Game Notes	Bradley \| South Dakota State
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Twitter: @bradleyumbb \| Instagram: @bradleyumbb

Bradley officially tips off the 2021-22 season on Tuesday night with a road contest at South Dakota State. The schools are set to square off on ESPN+ with an 8:15 p.m. approximate tipoff time.

ABOUT THE BRAVES
• Bradley finished the 2020-21 COVID season with a 12-16 record and a 6-12 mark in the Valley, placing eighth overall in the conference.
• Ja'Shon Henry is the team's leading returning scorer at 10.9 points per game.
• Ville Tahvanainen and Rienk Mast also return after averaging 8.6 points per game, while Mast is the team's top returner on the boards at 5.8 per contest.
• BU averaged 69.6 points per game on offense last season, while allowing 66.6 defensively.

EXHIBITION RECAP
• The Braves defeated Illinois Springfield in their exhibition game, 93-64, on Thursday.
• The 93 points scored by Bradley is its most in a preseason exhibition game since a 105-82 win against Quincy prior to the 2007-08 season.
• Four Braves scored in double figures in the win – Rienk Mast (18), Malevy Leons (15), Connor Hickman (14) and Jayson Kent (12).

SERIES HISTORY
• Bradley has played South Dakota State on four previous occasions with BU holding a 3-1 edge in the series.
• BU won the first three meetings in the series – all from 1946 to 1955 – with South Dakota State claiming a four-point win last year in the first contest between the schools in 65 years.
• Last year, the Jackrabbits made 17-of-27 from 3-point range – including 10-of-12 in the second half – to squeak out a four-point win in Peoria.
• Tuesday's game will be the first between the schools in South Dakota.

ABOUT THE JACKRABBITS
• South Dakota State claimed its fourth-straight Summit League regular-season title last season, posting a 16-7 overall record.
• The Jackrabbits return every player that scored at least 10 total points last season, including five that averaged in double figures.
• Douglas Wilson led SDSU with 16.7 points, while Noah Freidel was right behind with 16.0.
• Baylor Scheierman added 15.4 points and led SDSU in rebounds (9.2) and assists (4.0).
• South Dakota State averaged 80.4 points per game in 2021-22, while allowing 73.5.

BRAVES VERSUS SUMMIT LEAGUE
• Bradley is 18-6 all-time against teams in the Summit League with a 5-2 mark on the road.
• The Braves have lost their last three meetings with the conference, falling to both IUPUI and Purdue Fort Wayne in 2013 and the Jackrabbits last season.
• Bradley's last win against a Summit League foe was over IUPUI in 2012.

BRAVES IN SEASON OPENERS
• Bradley is set to begin its 118th season of play.
• The Braves are 84-33 all-time in season openers with a 5-1 mark under Brian Wardle.
• Last season, BU earned a 61-59 victory against MAC regular-season champion Toledo at the Xavier Invitational as Terry Nolan Jr. scored with less than a second left for the victory.

ROAD OPENERS
• While BU has had a lot of success in the first game of the season, the Braves are looking for a rare victory on the road in an opener.
• Bradley is 10-21 in true road games to begin a season – opening for just the second time on the road in the last 12 years.
• The Braves' last win in a true road opener was in 2005 with a 75-60 victory at DePaul.

DUO NAMED PRESEASON ALL-MVC
• Bradley landed two players on the All-Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Team for only the second time since 2013.
• Ja'Shon Henry earned third-team honors after averaging 10.9 points and 4.6 rebounds last year.
• Rienk Mast joined Henry on the third team and is the only underclassmen on any of the league's three units.
• Mast averaged 8.6 points and 5.8 rebounds during his rookie season of 2020-21.

BRAVES SLATED SIXTH
• Bradley was selected sixth in the annual preseason poll by coaches, SIDs and media.
• Drake ranked first in the preseason poll, followed by Loyola, Northern Iowa, Missouri State and SIU.

2020-21 RECAP
• Bradley saw its two-year run atop the MVC come to an end last season, falling in the first round of the MVC Tournament to Southern Illinois.
• BU featured an inconsistent lineup during the season as all but four players missed at least five games – only Rienk Mast played in all 28 contests.
• Overall, the Braves posted a 12-16 record with a 9-3 non-conference season before a 6-12 record in league play.

RETURNING AND LOST NUMBERS
• The Braves return eight letterwinners and two starters from a season ago, while they look to replace seven players and three starters.
• The biggest departure for Bradley saw Elijah Childs graduate after finishing his career second in BU history in blocks, seventh in rebounds and 22nd in points.
• Overall, BU brings back 47.4 percent of minutes, 48.7 percent of scoring, 56.1 percent of rebounds and 30.3 percent of assists from last season.

Print Friendly Version