The Valley
The Missouri Valley Conference continues to be a league defined by parity and close contests, as two of the final three unbeaten teams suffered their first conference losses of the season. Illinois State fell on the road at Valparaiso, while Northern Iowa lost at home to Belmont. The league's top five now features Murray State in sole possession of first place at 6-0, Illinois State and UNI tied for second at 4-1, and Bradley and Belmont tied for fourth at 4-2.

Saturday's showdown between Bradley and UNI will be the only matchup this week featuring two top-five MVC teams. UNI enters the contest with the league's best scoring defense, allowing just 58.6 points per game, while Bradley brings one of the conference's top offenses, ranking fourth at 78.4 points per game. Additionally, Bradley and UNI are the two best teams in the MVC in turnover margin this season. Bradley ranks sixth nationally and first in the league, while UNI sits 34th nationally and second in the MVC.

The Bradley Braves
Bradley bounced back in a big way against Drake with a dominant 93-66 win over the Bulldogs. Five Braves scored in double figures, tying a season high previously set against Indiana State in the triple-overtime contest in Terre Haute. Jaquan Johnson moved into a tie for first in the MVC in scoring while continuing to lead the league in steals, ranking fourth in field goal percentage and sixth in total assists. Demarion Burch has also begun to heat up, averaging 16.3 points per game and shooting 44 percent from the floor over the past three games.

Defense and rebounding have been constants in Bradley victories this season. The Braves are 9-1 when holding opponents to 70 points or fewer and carry the same record when out-rebounding their opponents.

The UNI Panthers
Northern Iowa enters Saturday's contest after a 78-65 loss to Belmont in Cedar Falls. Prior to that defeat, UNI had won three straight games and opened MVC play with four consecutive victories. The Panthers are led by head coach Ben Jacobson, who is in his 20th season and owns a career record of 386-250. On the floor, UNI is powered by a duo of double-digit scorers in Trey Campbell and Leon Bond III, who are combining for 25.2 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game.

History Says!
History says these two programs are once again set for a close contest. Of the 77 previous meetings between Bradley and UNI, 58 have been decided by 10 points or fewer, including 21 decided by five points or less. Bradley leads the all-time series 39-38 and has won seven of the last 10 matchups. In Peoria, the Braves hold a 24-10 advantage. With a win Saturday and a Drake home loss to Belmont, Carver Arena will own the best win percentage of any MVC venue since 2022-23 when the league expanded while also owning the highest average attendance in that span.

The game is set for a 5:00 p.m. tip-off at Carver Arena and will air on ESPNU, with streaming available on ESPN+. Fans can also tune in to 1470 WMBD for the Bradley Basketball radio broadcast with Chad Kleine and Dave Snell.