Braves Return to Valley Play at Indiana State

Men's Basketball 1/1/2022 10:00:00 AM

Bradley (7-6, 1-0 MVC) at Indiana State (7-6, 0-1 MVC)
Game Details	Sunday, Jan. 2 • Noon CT • Terre Haute, Ind. • Hulman Center
Television	ESPN+
Radio	1470 & 100.3 WMBD
Game Notes	Bradley \| Indiana State
Game Coverage	Live Stats \| Twitter: @bradleyumbb \| Instagram: @bradleyumbb

After winning the Sun Bowl title before the holiday break, the Bradley basketball team returns to Valley action with a road contest at Indiana State on Sunday. First tip is set for noon CT on ESPN+.

ABOUT THE BRAVES
• Bradley enters the New Year with a 7-6 overall record and 1-0 mark in Missouri Valley action.
• The Braves – in action for the first time in 11 days – are coming off a title at the Sun Bowl Invitational, earning victories over Sam Houston, 87-61, and host UTEP, 73-66.
• Junior Terry Roberts leads the Braves with 16.6 points, 4.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
• Senior Ja'Shon Henry and junior Malevy Leons also average in double figures, posting 11.2 and 10.8 points, respectively.
• Sophomore Rienk Mast has collected a team-best 8.4 rebounds per game.
• The Braves average 72.1 points this season, while allowing 66.3 on defense.

SERIES HISTORY
• Bradley holds a 54-41 advantage against Indiana State in 95 all-time meetings.
• Last season, Indiana State won a pair of home games against the Braves as BU was completing a 10-game in 21-day stretch due to COVID pauses.
• Overall, the home team is a perfect 6-0 during the last three seasons, while the Sycamores have won 12 of the last 13 over BU at Hulman Center.

ABOUT THE SYCAMORES
• Indiana State is also 7-6 through 13 games of the 2021-22 season, having won its last three games.
• The Sycamores lost their MVC opener at Loyola last month, 88-76.
• Cooper Neese leads ISU with 16.1 points.
• Cameron Henry is second with 14.1 points to go with a team-best 6.3 boards, while Xavier Bledsoe adds 12.1 points and a team-leading 4.7 assists.
• The Sycamores average 75.8 points per game, while allowing 70.3 points.

RETURN TO VALLEY PLAY
• The Braves return to conference play for the first time in more than a month since defeating Northern Iowa, 71-69, on Dec. 1.
• Terry Roberts led BU with 20 points in the winning effort, including the go-ahead basket with just 4.5 seconds remaining.
• The Braves entered the Valley game with a 2-5 record but since the UNI win, have gone 4-1.
• The 32 days between Valley games is tied for the longest in school history (also in 1950-51).

AIMING FOR 2-0 VALLEY START
• After winning its Valley opener, the Braves are looking to double down and start 2-0 for the first time in nine years.
• A win on Sunday would mark the first time Bradley won its first two Valley games since 2012-13 and just the third time in the last 25 seasons overall (also 2008-09).

SUN BOWL CHAMPIONSHIP
• When last in action, the Braves were collecting a trophy as the 2021 Weststar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational champions.
• Bradley opened with an 87-61 victory against Sam Houston before defeating host UTEP, 73-66.
• It marked the sixth in-season title in BU history – also winning the 1937 Rock Island Tournament, 1950 Sugar Bowl, 1966 Sugar Bowl, 1983 River City Shootout and 2018 Cancun Challenge.

EARLY-SEASON TURNAROUND
• The Sun Bowl title highlighted Bradley's strong play to finish the non-conference season.
• The Braves have won six of their last seven games after a 1-5 start to the season.
• BU has seen its KenPom ranking rise by 70 (214 to 144), while their NET ranking has risen 110 places since the first release on Dec. 5 (240 to 130).

SHOOTING TURNAROUND
• One reason for the BU turnaround is shooting.
• Bradley has improved its shooting by more than seven percent the last seven games, while increasing its 3-point percentage by 13 percent.
• Overall, Bradley is shooting 44.1 percent from the field and 34.0 percent from 3-point range.

HONORS FOR TERRY ROBERTS
• Junior Terry Roberts led BU during its Sun Bowl run, adding to his list of honors this season.
• The junior was named Sun Bowl MVP after averaging 24.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.0 steal in Texas.
• Roberts added Valley Player and Newcomer of the Week honors – becoming the second Brave in school history to sweep the weekly awards.
• It also marked the second Newcomer of the Week honors for Roberts this season (also Dec. 6).

STAY HOT TERRY ROBERTS
• Overall, Terry Roberts continues to impress in his first season at BU and raise his game.
• In six December games, Roberts scored at least 20 points in four games – averaging 20.0 points overall and shooting 54.2 percent from the field.
• Roberts' 20.0 points in December are the most for any Brave during the month since Andrew Warren averaged 20.2 in 2010-11.

Print Friendly Version