Looking to bounce back
Bradley came out on the short end of a close battle against St. Bonaventure in their last contest but showed flashes of what could make this team very dangerous. The Braves finished with four players scoring in double figures and had a three-way tie for leading scorer, with Demarion Burch, Jaquan Johnson, and Alex Huibregtse each collecting 13 points. Eight different Braves entered the game, and all of them played 19 minutes or more. Of those eight players, seven recorded at least one assist, showing the good balance Bradley had when sharing the ball. Heading into their last contest against St. Bonaventure, only two of Bradley's six returning players had played more than 30 minutes in a single game (Jaquan Johnson and Ahmet Jonovic).

Home sweet home
The Braves will get their first chance at home cooking this Saturday as they play three of their next four games at Carver Arena before traveling to Florida for the ESPN Event Invitational, beginning with this matchup against Central Michigan. Carver Arena has been a tough place for opposing teams to win during the Brian Wardle era. Over the last three years, Bradley is 43-8 inside Carver Arena and 75-18 since the 2019–20 season. That home-court success should help the Braves, who entered this season as the second-youngest team in the MVC by number of underclassmen (nine), trailing only Valparaiso (ten).

About the Chippewas
Central Michigan was picked 12th in the MAC preseason poll and is coming off an 82-66 win over Appalachian State in their season opener, a game in which eight different players scored. The Chippewas were led by Kasen Jennings and Alonzo Dodd, who combined for 32 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Like many mid-major programs, Central Michigan's offseason was one of change. They are now led by Andy Bronkema, who is in his first season as head coach at CMU. Previously, he coached at Ferris State for 12 years, where he won one national championship, claimed nine Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles, and guided the Bulldogs to nine NCAA tournament appearances. Additionally, one member of CMU will be making a return to familiar territory, as Kayden Nation of CMU is originally from Peoria and attended Limestone High School.

History says
Bradley, as a program, is 31-10 all-time against MAC opponents and 22-1 against them at home. The last meeting between Central Michigan and Bradley came in 2014, when the Braves defeated the Chippewas 84-73 at Carver Arena. Bradley has won four straight games against Central Michigan, dating back to 2003.