PEORIA, Ill. – Bradley Men's Basketball begins Arch Madness on Friday night to face the winner of Southern Illinois/UIC at 8:30 PM.
Arch Madness History
Head Coach Brian Wardle has the second most MVC Conference Tournament wins at 10, one behind Jim Molinari at 11. The Braves made it all the way to the finals last season before falling to Drake. Bradley has made it to the finals in three of the last five seasons with two championships in 2019 and 2020. In the 2018-19 championship season, Bradley finished the regular season tied for third place, similar to the 2023-24 season.
Series History
The Braves hold a 58-50 all-time record against the Southern Illinois Salukis with both matchups won this season. SIU has a 6-3 record against the Braves in the MVC Tournament but Bradley has won two of their last three matchups. Between their two games this season, Darius Hannah had 27 points with 10 rebounds, six assists and four blocks.
Against the UIC Flames, Bradley holds a 10-2 record in their all-time matchup. The Braves defeated the Flames in both games this season by double digits in both games. Bradley and UIC have never matched up at a neutral site in their history and have not faced at Arch Madness after the Flames joined the MVC in 2022.
About the Salukis
Southern Illinois goes into the MVC Tournament with a 19-12 overall record and a 11-9 MVC record. They fell to Northern Iowa in their last game of the season to drop to sixth place in the MVC standings. Xavier Johnson had 24 points in that game with seven rebounds and six assists.
SIU's defense ranks second in the conference and their offense ranks sixth. They have the lowest opponent three-point field goal percentage and combined opponent rebound mark. Johnson is fourth in the nation in scoring with 22 points per game. He is also 18th in assists per game and 17th in minutes.
About the Flames
UIC concluded their regular season with an 11-20 record and 4-16 conference record. In their last game, they lost by 10 points to Missouri State on the road. Toby Okani recorded 14 points in that game with seven rebounds, two assists, three blocks and three steals.
The Flames rank ninth in the nation in blocks per game with 5.5. Okani is 30th in that category in the NCAA with 2.03 per game. UIC has the third highest three-point field goal percentage in the MVC at .371. Isaiah Rivera is 11th in the MVC in points and ninth in field goal percentage.
Game Information
Bradley Braves (21-10, 13-7 MVC) vs. SIU Salukis (19-12, 11-9 MVC) / UIC Flames (11-20, 4-20 MVC)
Date & Time: Friday, March 8, 2024 • 8:30 PM
Location: Enterprise Center
Live Coverage: Radio | MVC TV Network | Live Stats
