Tweet
Preparing for a White Out at Carver Arena Wednesday
White Out Conditions
Wednesday's game has been deemed a Bradley Basketball White Out: fans are encouraged to wear white and Bradley will enhance the effect by distributing white Bradley Basketball t-shirts to everyone in attendance...In addition, the Extreme Team will entertain fans at halftime with their high-flying slam dunk exhibition.
Radio: 1470 AM WMBD -- Dave Snell (play-by-play), Chuck Buescher (analyst), Joe Stowell (analyst) and Dan DiOrio (pregame host)
Online: BradleyBraves.com - subscription video streams, free audio streams and live stats
On A Roll
Two teams locked in the third-place logjam in the Missouri Valley Conference standings will battle Wednesday night at Carver Arena when Creighton visits Bradley...Bradley has won three straight games for the second time this season and the Braves will shoot for their longest winning streak since a five-gamer from Dec. 23, 2008-Jan. 6, 2009...Wednesday's game features The Valley's two coaching deans: Bradley's Jim Les (250 games in eight years) and Creighton's Dana Altman (489 in 16 seasons) have combined to coach 739 games at their respective schools, while the league's other eight head coaches have combined for 746 games with their respective teams.
Just The Bears
Heading into Wednesday's game versus Creighton, Missouri State (26-17) is the only current Missouri Valley Conference member with a winning record against Bradley...As the series between the Braves and Bluejays is tied at 39-39, Creighton could become the second Valley team with the series edge against Bradley with a win Wednesday night...The Bluejays have put themselves in position to take over the series edge by winning 16 of the last 19 meetings, dating to Feb. 14, 2001.
White Out Conditions
Wednesday's game has been deemed a Bradley Basketball White Out: fans are encouraged to wear white and Bradley will enhance the effect by distributing white Bradley Basketball t-shirts to everyone in attendance...In addition, the Extreme Team will entertain fans at halftime with their high-flying slam dunk exhibition.
With A Win...
Bradley will extend its winning streak to four games, its longest since a five-game streak from Dec. 23, 2008-Jan. 6, 2009...The Braves will snap a four-game losing streak against Creighton and reclaim the all-time series lead versus the Bluejays...Bradley will earn its fourth consecutive home victory...The Braves could climb into at least a three-way tie for second in The Valley standings if Illinois State also wins at Wichita State.
With A Loss...
Bradley will suffer a fifth consecutive loss to Creighton and will fall behind the Bluejays in the all-time series...The Braves will suffer their fourth home loss of the season and second in Valley play...The Braves could drop as low as a tie for sixth place in the league standings.
Carver Arena
Wednesday's game will be Bradley's 403rd at Carver Arena...Bradley is 304-98 (.756) at Carver Arena since moving its home games to the Peoria Civic Center to start the 1982-83 season...Included in that record, Bradley is 170-65 (.723) in Missouri Valley Conference games at Carver Arena...Bradley is 72-20 (.783) at Carver Arena since the start of the 2004-05 season.
Climbing The Coaching List
Eighth-year Bradley head coach Jim Les will coach his 251st game Wednesday night against Creighton...Currently tied with the legendary Chuck Orsborn for fourth place on the list of most games coached in Bradley Basketball history, Les will move into sole possession of fourth place on the list Wednesday night...Les enters Wednesday's game with a 136-114 (.544) career record, all with the Braves.
Strength of Schedule
According to the RPI information provided by CBSSportsline.com Jan. 26, Bradley owns the nation's No. 24 Strength of Schedule rating...Bradley and Miami-Ohio (22, 6-12 record) are the only two schools from non-BCS automatic qualifying conferences to rank among the nation's top 25 in Strength of Schedule...The next toughest SOS in The Valley is Creighton at No. 66 and the other nine teams in the MVC have a 137.3 average SOS ranking...Out of conference, Bradley's non-conference strength of schedule also easily paces The Valley at No. 56, 99 places better than second place Indiana State (155)...The average non-conference SOS for the other nine teams in the league is 263.8.
Strength of Schedule II
Bradley has played four teams that currently sit atop their current league standings...Through games of Jan. 26: BYU (Nov. 13) is the only undefeated team in the Mountain West Conference race; Northern Illinois (Dec. 2) is tied for first atop the Mid-American Conference West Division; Northern Iowa (Jan. 12) sits atop The Valley standings; and Western Carolina (Dec. 7) is first in the Southern Conference North Division standings.
Getting Defensive
Bradley started the 2010 calendar year by allowing at least 81 points in four consecutive games at an average of 85.0 ppg...In the last four games, however, the Braves have limited the opposition to no more than 64 points at an average of 56.8 ppg...The four-game opponent total of 227 points is the lowest since the Braves also surrendered just 227 points in a four-game stretch from Feb. 24-March 14, 2007...The last four Bradley opponents have combined to shoot just 35.0 percent from the field and 26.6 percent from 3-point range...Finally, the Braves have finished off their defensive work by outrebounding the last four opponents by an average of 6.0 boards per game.
Historic Defensive Effort
In Bradley's 57-55 win Wednesday night at Southern Illinois, the Braves limited the host Salukis to a frigid 27.4 percent shooting from the field...The effort marked Bradley's best defensive field goal percentage since limiting Alaska-Fairbanks to 20.9 percent shooting Nov. 22, 2000 at Carver Arena in an 81-50 victory...The defensive field goal percentage was Bradley's best road effort since limiting Indiana State to 25.0 percent (14-56) Feb. 18, 1997.
Looking Ahead
Following the Creighton game, Bradley will visit Illinois State Saturday in the first installment of the annual Interstate 74 Rivalry...The 4:05 p.m. game at Redbird Arena will be televised on the MVC-TV network: Fox Sports Midwest, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Fox Sports Indiana, Fox Sports Kansas City, Fox College Sports and MetroSports in Kansas City...Saturday's game will be the 109th all-time meeting between the Braves and Redbirds, and Bradley owns a 61-47 lead in the series.
Percentages Tell Story
The team that has shot at a more efficient clip from the field has won 18 of Bradley's first 19 games...Bradley is 10-1 when it shoots a better field goal percentage than its opponent and 0-8 when the opponent has a better field goal percentage.
Closing In On 1,000
Bradley junior guards Sam Maniscalco and Andrew Warren both are on pace to join the school's 1,000-Point Club this season...Maniscalco begins the week with 973 career points, while Warren owns 856 points...At his current average of 11.9 ppg, Maniscalco needs three more games to join the club -- Feb. 2 versus Drake...At his current average of 14.8 ppg, Warren needs 10 more games to hit the 1,000-point mark -- Feb.27 at Creighton...Bradley currently boasts 42 members of the 1,000-Point Club.
One-Two Punch
Bradley junior guards Andrew Warren and Sam Maniscalco for the highest-scoring teammate tandem in Valley action through the first 10 rounds of league play...Warren leads the loop by averaging 16.1 ppg against Valley competition, while Maniscalco is fourth at 15.6 ppg against the league...The 6-foot Maniscalco is shooting 52.9 percent from the field through 10 Valley games, while Warren has hit 47.5 percent of his 3-point field goal attempts and 95.0 percent of his free throw attempts against the league.
Brown's Improvement
Bradley sophomore forward Taylor Brown ranks among the nation's leaders in improved scoring from 2008-09 to this season...After averaging 3.4 ppg as a freshman last year, Brown currently is The Valley's sixth-leading scorer at 13.4 ppg...His increase of 10.0 ppg is the best in The Valley.
Big Media Numbers
Now in his 31st year as the radio Voice of the Braves, Dave Snell has participated in 940 Bradley Basketball game broadcasts, all in succession, on WMBD AM 1470 since taking over play-by-play duties for the 1979-80 season...Snell was inducted into the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame last Saturday...Snell's longtime radio sidekick, Joe Stowell, has been witness to 1,536 Bradley Basketball games in his various roles as player (103, 1947-50); assistant coach (250, 1956-65); head coach (344, 1965-78 ); assistant athletic director (107, 1978-85); and radio analyst (732, 1985-present)...Peoria Journal Star beat writer Dave Reynolds has covered 603 consecutive Bradley Basketball games since taking over the beat for the start of the 1990-91 season...Reynolds was recently selected the 2009 Illinois co-Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, making him just the third "downstate" winner in the award's 51-year history.
White Out Conditions
Wednesday's game has been deemed a Bradley Basketball White Out: fans are encouraged to wear white and Bradley will enhance the effect by distributing white Bradley Basketball t-shirts to everyone in attendance...In addition, the Extreme Team will entertain fans at halftime with their high-flying slam dunk exhibition.
Bradley Basketball Pregame Notes
Game 20 - Creighton Bluejays (10-10, 5-4 MVC) at Bradley Braves (10-9, 5-4 MVC)
Wednesday, Jan. 27 - 7:05 p.m. CST - Peoria, Ill. - Carver Arena (11,164)
Series History - Tied 39-39
Television: Comcast Spotlight (Central Illinois 74 and Chicago 102) - Frank Bussone (play-by-play), Dick Versace (analyst) and Danny Adams (sideline)Game 20 - Creighton Bluejays (10-10, 5-4 MVC) at Bradley Braves (10-9, 5-4 MVC)
Wednesday, Jan. 27 - 7:05 p.m. CST - Peoria, Ill. - Carver Arena (11,164)
Series History - Tied 39-39
Radio: 1470 AM WMBD -- Dave Snell (play-by-play), Chuck Buescher (analyst), Joe Stowell (analyst) and Dan DiOrio (pregame host)
Online: BradleyBraves.com - subscription video streams, free audio streams and live stats
On A Roll
Two teams locked in the third-place logjam in the Missouri Valley Conference standings will battle Wednesday night at Carver Arena when Creighton visits Bradley...Bradley has won three straight games for the second time this season and the Braves will shoot for their longest winning streak since a five-gamer from Dec. 23, 2008-Jan. 6, 2009...Wednesday's game features The Valley's two coaching deans: Bradley's Jim Les (250 games in eight years) and Creighton's Dana Altman (489 in 16 seasons) have combined to coach 739 games at their respective schools, while the league's other eight head coaches have combined for 746 games with their respective teams.
Just The Bears
Heading into Wednesday's game versus Creighton, Missouri State (26-17) is the only current Missouri Valley Conference member with a winning record against Bradley...As the series between the Braves and Bluejays is tied at 39-39, Creighton could become the second Valley team with the series edge against Bradley with a win Wednesday night...The Bluejays have put themselves in position to take over the series edge by winning 16 of the last 19 meetings, dating to Feb. 14, 2001.
White Out Conditions
Wednesday's game has been deemed a Bradley Basketball White Out: fans are encouraged to wear white and Bradley will enhance the effect by distributing white Bradley Basketball t-shirts to everyone in attendance...In addition, the Extreme Team will entertain fans at halftime with their high-flying slam dunk exhibition.
With A Win...
Bradley will extend its winning streak to four games, its longest since a five-game streak from Dec. 23, 2008-Jan. 6, 2009...The Braves will snap a four-game losing streak against Creighton and reclaim the all-time series lead versus the Bluejays...Bradley will earn its fourth consecutive home victory...The Braves could climb into at least a three-way tie for second in The Valley standings if Illinois State also wins at Wichita State.
With A Loss...
Bradley will suffer a fifth consecutive loss to Creighton and will fall behind the Bluejays in the all-time series...The Braves will suffer their fourth home loss of the season and second in Valley play...The Braves could drop as low as a tie for sixth place in the league standings.
Carver Arena
Wednesday's game will be Bradley's 403rd at Carver Arena...Bradley is 304-98 (.756) at Carver Arena since moving its home games to the Peoria Civic Center to start the 1982-83 season...Included in that record, Bradley is 170-65 (.723) in Missouri Valley Conference games at Carver Arena...Bradley is 72-20 (.783) at Carver Arena since the start of the 2004-05 season.
Climbing The Coaching List
Eighth-year Bradley head coach Jim Les will coach his 251st game Wednesday night against Creighton...Currently tied with the legendary Chuck Orsborn for fourth place on the list of most games coached in Bradley Basketball history, Les will move into sole possession of fourth place on the list Wednesday night...Les enters Wednesday's game with a 136-114 (.544) career record, all with the Braves.
Strength of Schedule
According to the RPI information provided by CBSSportsline.com Jan. 26, Bradley owns the nation's No. 24 Strength of Schedule rating...Bradley and Miami-Ohio (22, 6-12 record) are the only two schools from non-BCS automatic qualifying conferences to rank among the nation's top 25 in Strength of Schedule...The next toughest SOS in The Valley is Creighton at No. 66 and the other nine teams in the MVC have a 137.3 average SOS ranking...Out of conference, Bradley's non-conference strength of schedule also easily paces The Valley at No. 56, 99 places better than second place Indiana State (155)...The average non-conference SOS for the other nine teams in the league is 263.8.
Strength of Schedule II
Bradley has played four teams that currently sit atop their current league standings...Through games of Jan. 26: BYU (Nov. 13) is the only undefeated team in the Mountain West Conference race; Northern Illinois (Dec. 2) is tied for first atop the Mid-American Conference West Division; Northern Iowa (Jan. 12) sits atop The Valley standings; and Western Carolina (Dec. 7) is first in the Southern Conference North Division standings.
Getting Defensive
Bradley started the 2010 calendar year by allowing at least 81 points in four consecutive games at an average of 85.0 ppg...In the last four games, however, the Braves have limited the opposition to no more than 64 points at an average of 56.8 ppg...The four-game opponent total of 227 points is the lowest since the Braves also surrendered just 227 points in a four-game stretch from Feb. 24-March 14, 2007...The last four Bradley opponents have combined to shoot just 35.0 percent from the field and 26.6 percent from 3-point range...Finally, the Braves have finished off their defensive work by outrebounding the last four opponents by an average of 6.0 boards per game.
Historic Defensive Effort
In Bradley's 57-55 win Wednesday night at Southern Illinois, the Braves limited the host Salukis to a frigid 27.4 percent shooting from the field...The effort marked Bradley's best defensive field goal percentage since limiting Alaska-Fairbanks to 20.9 percent shooting Nov. 22, 2000 at Carver Arena in an 81-50 victory...The defensive field goal percentage was Bradley's best road effort since limiting Indiana State to 25.0 percent (14-56) Feb. 18, 1997.
Looking Ahead
Following the Creighton game, Bradley will visit Illinois State Saturday in the first installment of the annual Interstate 74 Rivalry...The 4:05 p.m. game at Redbird Arena will be televised on the MVC-TV network: Fox Sports Midwest, Comcast SportsNet Chicago, Fox Sports Indiana, Fox Sports Kansas City, Fox College Sports and MetroSports in Kansas City...Saturday's game will be the 109th all-time meeting between the Braves and Redbirds, and Bradley owns a 61-47 lead in the series.
Percentages Tell Story
The team that has shot at a more efficient clip from the field has won 18 of Bradley's first 19 games...Bradley is 10-1 when it shoots a better field goal percentage than its opponent and 0-8 when the opponent has a better field goal percentage.
Closing In On 1,000
Bradley junior guards Sam Maniscalco and Andrew Warren both are on pace to join the school's 1,000-Point Club this season...Maniscalco begins the week with 973 career points, while Warren owns 856 points...At his current average of 11.9 ppg, Maniscalco needs three more games to join the club -- Feb. 2 versus Drake...At his current average of 14.8 ppg, Warren needs 10 more games to hit the 1,000-point mark -- Feb.27 at Creighton...Bradley currently boasts 42 members of the 1,000-Point Club.
One-Two Punch
Bradley junior guards Andrew Warren and Sam Maniscalco for the highest-scoring teammate tandem in Valley action through the first 10 rounds of league play...Warren leads the loop by averaging 16.1 ppg against Valley competition, while Maniscalco is fourth at 15.6 ppg against the league...The 6-foot Maniscalco is shooting 52.9 percent from the field through 10 Valley games, while Warren has hit 47.5 percent of his 3-point field goal attempts and 95.0 percent of his free throw attempts against the league.
Brown's Improvement
Bradley sophomore forward Taylor Brown ranks among the nation's leaders in improved scoring from 2008-09 to this season...After averaging 3.4 ppg as a freshman last year, Brown currently is The Valley's sixth-leading scorer at 13.4 ppg...His increase of 10.0 ppg is the best in The Valley.
Big Media Numbers
Now in his 31st year as the radio Voice of the Braves, Dave Snell has participated in 940 Bradley Basketball game broadcasts, all in succession, on WMBD AM 1470 since taking over play-by-play duties for the 1979-80 season...Snell was inducted into the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame last Saturday...Snell's longtime radio sidekick, Joe Stowell, has been witness to 1,536 Bradley Basketball games in his various roles as player (103, 1947-50); assistant coach (250, 1956-65); head coach (344, 1965-78 ); assistant athletic director (107, 1978-85); and radio analyst (732, 1985-present)...Peoria Journal Star beat writer Dave Reynolds has covered 603 consecutive Bradley Basketball games since taking over the beat for the start of the 1990-91 season...Reynolds was recently selected the 2009 Illinois co-Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association, making him just the third "downstate" winner in the award's 51-year history.