The Valley
Ten of the Valley's eleven teams have played at least one conference game to this point, with Valparaiso being the lone team yet to begin MVC action. Bradley, Illinois State, Murray State, Northern Iowa, and Belmont all earned MVC wins in their conference openers, with Belmont starting league play 2–0 after victories over UIC and Evansville.

The Bradley Braves
In their most recent contest, Bradley earned a triple-overtime victory over the Indiana State Sycamores. The win marked the longest game Bradley has ever won, as the Braves were previously 0–3 in games that extended to three overtimes or more. Jaquan Johnson recorded 20 points, four assists, and three steals, with those steals allowing him to reclaim the top spot on the NCAA steals leaderboard. Alex Huibregtse, Montana Wheeler, and Jaquan Johnson have been on a hot streak over the last three games, combining for 50.0 points per game and 8.2 assists per game, while each is shooting at least 47% from the floor. Corey Thomas had a dominant performance on the boards with 14 rebounds and was one of several Braves to post new career highs in minutes played, points, or rebounds.

Brian Wardle can further etch his name into the Bradley record books. With a win, Wardle would break a tie and move into the program's third spot for all-time victories. He currently sits tied with Chuck Orsborn at 194 wins, who coached the Braves from 1956 to 1965. Wardle already ranks second in Missouri Valley Conference wins with 101, trailing only Jim Molinari's 110.

The Southern Illinois Salukis
Southern Illinois will look to bounce back following a 75–68 home loss to the Illinois State Redbirds. Quel'ron House and Drew Steffe led the Salukis in the loss, scoring 22 and 17 points, respectively. On the season, both House and Steffe are averaging double-figure scoring outputs, combining for 25.2 points per game, 5.6 assists per game, and 5.1 rebounds per game. The Salukis are coached by Scott Nagy, who is in his second season at the helm of the program. Prior to Southern Illinois, Nagy coached at Wright State, where he previously coached current Bradley Brave Alex Huibregtse. Nagy owns a career coaching record of 597–357.

Histroy Says!
Bradley leads the all-time series 60–50 against Southern Illinois, including a 36–16 record in Peoria. The Braves have won the last six meetings overall and seven of the last ten matchups. Since 1927, 64 games in the series have been decided by 10 points or fewer, with Bradley holding a 39–25 edge in those closely contested games.