Bradley University Athletics

Bradley MBB prepares for the Myrtle Beach Invitational following win over NIU

Cody Roskens Men's Basketball 11/17/2024 1:16:00 PM

Peoria, IL -- Bradley MBB has begun final preparations before heading to Conway, SC to participate in the Myrtle Beach Invitational.

A Saturday Night Home Win
The Bradley Braves held serve at home with a Saturday night victory, improving to 3-1 after a 76-60 win over Northern Illinois. The win extends the Braves' current home-court win streak to seven games and also increases Bradley's streak of consecutive wins over schools from the state of Illinois, which now stands at 17 straight. Bradley's starters once again delivered: heading into last night's game, all five of the BU starters were averaging double-digit scoring, and against NIU, the starters combined for 56 of Bradley's 76 points.

Game information
Bradley Braves 3-1 (0-0 MVC) vs Texas State 2-2 (0-0 SBC)
Date & Time: Nov 21-24th, 2024 • 4:30 PM CST
Live Coverage: ESPN+ | Live Stats | Radio
Location: HTC Center
All-Time Series: NA

Who's Next?
In the first round of the Myrtle Beach Invitational, Bradley will face the Texas State Bobcats (2-2, 0-0 SBC) from the Sun Belt Conference at 4:30 CST on ESPNU. Texas State has wins over Eastern Michigan and McMurry so far in the 2024-25 season, with losses to TCU (76-71) and Abilene Christian (72-60). The Bobcats are coached by Terrence Johnson, who is 74-54 his fifth season as a head coach. Texas State was picked 7th out of 14 teams in the Sun Belt Conference preseason poll. On the floor, Texas State is led by a core of five players who each average 10+ points per game. Kaden Gumbs and Joshua O'Garros are the two main catalysts, combining for over 30 PPG, 12 RPG, and roughly 4 APG.

Who could the Braves see?
Bradley is guaranteed three games in the MBI and will meet the winner or loser of the Wright State and Princeton game following their matchup with Texas State. Additionally, the tournament field consists of Middle Tennessee, Ohio, Portland, and South Florida. Princeton, Bradley, and USF enter the tournament as the top three highest-rated teams according to KenPom, with Princeton ranked 91st, Bradley 101st, and South Florida 120th.

November & Regular Season Tourney Under Brian Wardle
Bradley has had more than its fair share of success in regular-season MTEs under Brian Wardle. Since 2018, Bradley has won three regular-season tournaments outright: the 2018 Cancun Challenge, the 2021 Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational, and the 2023 SoCal Challenge. All-time, Bradley has a record of 85-81 in regular-season tournaments. But tournament success isn't the only way BU has excelled in the early part of the season, as the team boasts a 14-4 record in November over the past three years

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