Peoria, IL -- The Bradley Braves 7-1 (0-0 MVC) are nearing their Missouri Valley Conference opener when they hit the road to take on the Southern Illinois Salukis 3-5 (0-0 MVC)
Game information
Bradley Braves 7-1 (0-0 MVC) vs Southern Illinois 3-5 (0-0 MVC)
Date & Time: Tuesday, Dec 3rd, 2024 • 7:00 PM CST
Live Coverage: ESPN+ | Live Stats | Radio
Location: Banterra Center
All-Time Series: BU leads (58-50)
Setting the Table
When Bradley meets Southern Illinois on Tuesday night, it will mark the 109th all-time meeting between the Braves and Salukis. Bradley leads the series 58-50, with a 20-28 record in Carbondale. Under Brian Wardle, Bradley has done a good job of keeping their in-state rivals to the south in check. BU has won the last four games in the series and ten of the last fourteen overall. In Carbondale, BU has won four of the last five, including last year's meeting, when the Braves erased a 23-point second-half deficit to record the largest comeback in school history. Another historical note is that Bradley currently carries a streak of 17 straight D-I wins against schools from Illinois, dating back to the 2021-22 season.
About the Braves
The Braves are riding a six-game win streak and are fresh off a sweep of the Myrtle Beach Invitational and a 105-47 victory over Judson on Friday, when they set a program record for single-game three-pointers (22). BU is currently a metrics darling on offense, ranking highly among the best teams in college basketball. Bradley ranks 2nd in Effective Field Goal Percentage (EFG%), 4th in team three-point percentage, 1st in true shooting percentage, and 49th in overall offensive rating. All five of Bradley's starters are averaging double-figure scoring, with three of them shooting over 53% from the floor.
Currently, the Braves' starters average 62 points per game (PPG), 20.7 rebounds per game (RPG), and 12.6 assists per game (APG). In addition to the production from the starting five, Bradley saw the return of #0 Demarion Burch, who appeared in his second game of the season after missing the previous five due to injury. Bradley's bench is averaging 21 PPG, with the bench unit playing nearly 14 minutes per game.
About the Salukis
Southern Illinois enters tomorrow's contest with a 3-5 record, having earned victories over Missouri S&T, North Dakota State, and Florida Tech. SIU suffered a major blow to their roster when it was announced that starting point guard Elijah Elliott will miss the remainder of the 2024-25 season with an ACL tear. Elliott was averaging 14 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 1.6 APG. In his absence, the Salukis will likely look to Kennard Davis Jr. and Ali Dibba, who combine for roughly 30 PPG and just under 10 RPG.
The Salukis are coached by Scott Nagy, who is in his first season as head coach of SIU. Previously, Nagy was the head coach at North Dakota State and Wright State, where he accumulated nearly 30 years of coaching experience. He has a career record of 580-337.
