Final: UNI 80 BU 70

[Da Coach]

From BradleyBraves.com-

http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=25965&SPID=1498&ATCLID=205095527&DB_OEM_ID=3400

Braves Host UNI Tuesday Night Courtesy: BradleyBraves.com
Release: 02/13/2011


PDF Version of Bradley's Pregame Notes Package Listen Live Live Stats

2010-11 Bradley Basketball Game Notes

Game 27 - Northern Iowa (18-9, 9-6 MVC) at Bradley (9-17, 3-12 MVC)
Tuesday, Feb. 15 - 7:07 p.m. CST - Peoria, Ill. -- Carver Arena (11,164)
Series History - Bradley leads 26-18

Television: MVC-TV -- Dan McLaughlin (play-by-play) and Rich Zvosec (analyst) - Live on FS Midwest, Comcast SportsNet Chicago and FS Kansas City
Radio: 1470 AM WMBD -- Dave Snell (play-by-play), Danny Adams (analyst) and Dan DiOrio (pregame host)
Online: BradleyBraves.com -- free audio streams and live stats
Mobile: BravesMobile.com -- live stats
Tickets: $4-20 Available at the Carver Arena and Renaissance Coliseum box offices, all TicketMaster outlets and online at www.BradleyBraves.com.
THE STORYLINE
February has seen a change of fortunes for Tuesday night opponents Bradley and UNI ... While the host Braves have recovered from a winless January to win three of its first four games this month, UNI has suddenly seen an eight-game win streak that started with its 83-77 home victory Jan. 9 versus Bradley, turn into a three-game losing streak as it heads to Peoria ... The three-game skid is UNI's longest drought since a similar three-game skid Feb. 14-21, 2009 and the Panthers have not lost four in a row since Jan. 5-15, 2008 ... A win Tuesday would ensure Bradley, currently 7-7 at Carver Arena, at least a .500 home record this season.
WITH A WIN
Bradley will ... Improve to 4-1 in the month of February ... Improve to 8-7 at Carver Arena, ensuring at least a .500 home record for the ninth consecutive year ... Win a third consecutive Valley home game and match its season-best home winning streak of the season.
UNI will ... Halt a season-long three-game losing streak ... Win in Peoria for the fourth time in five years.
TUESDAY PROMOTIONS
Two ticket promotions will be available only at the Carver Arena and Renaissance Coliseum box offices Tuesday: a $16 Family Pack (2 adults and 2 youth) and the $4 Ceiling Fan special for the top 10 rows at Carver Arena.
AGAINST UNI
Tuesday's game will be the 45th meeting in the all-time series between Bradley and Northern Iowa, which dates back to a 117-71 non-conference victory for the Braves Jan. 27, 1971 at Robertson Fieldhouse ... Bradley owns a 16-4 home record against the Panthers, including a 15-4 advantage at Carver Arena ... Despite Bradley's overall success in the series, UNI has held the advantage of late, winning nine of the last 12 meetings, including three of the last four at Carver Arena ... Ninth-year Bradley head coach Jim Les is 8-12 all-time against UNI, including a 5-3 home record against the Panthers and a 3-9 record against fifth-year UNI head coach Ben Jacobson.
IN THE LAST MEETING
UNI withstood a furious Bradley second-half rally to hold on for an 83-77 win Jan. 9 at the McLeod Center ... The Panthers rolled to a 42-21 halftime lead, only to see the Braves shoot 63.0 percent (17-27) from the field during a 56-point second-half outburst ... Behind 24 second-half points from senior guard Andrew Warren, Bradley twice closed to within two points in the second half -- 77-75 with 1:43 left and 79-77 with 1:17 remaining -- before running out of gas ... While Warren finished with a career-best 30 points, UNI forward Jake Koch countered with a career-high 34 points of his own.
THE TURNOVER STORY
Turnovers have been a telling statistic in Bradley's outcomes this season ... Bradley is 7-5 when it commits fewer turnovers than the opposition, but 2-12 when they commit at least as many turnovers as the opposition this year ... In Bradley's nine wins, the Braves have averaged 12.4 turnovers per game, while forcing an average of 16.3 turnovers by the opposition ... In the 17 losses, however, Bradley's turnover average is slightly higher at 13.2 per game, but the Braves have forced only 11.5 miscues ... The Braves are forcing only 10.8 turnovers in conference action ... Further compounding the issue, the opposition has outscored Bradley 213-171 in points off turnovers in the first 15 conference games ... UNI is averaging just 9.7 turnovers per game.
CALENDAR EFFECT
January has by far been the coldest month for ninth-year Bradley head coach Jim Les ... The Braves are 33-51 (.393) in January under Les, while playing 51 of those 84 games without the likes of Phillip Gilbert (missed nine January games due to injury), Jeremy Crouch (eight), Daniel Ruffin (six) Will Egolf (eight), Andrew Warren (eight), Dodie Dunson (10), Dyricus Simms-Edwards (two), Taylor Brown (10) and Sam Maniscalco (10) -- 71 individual games missed ... Aided by its 3-1 record so far this month, February is Les' winningest month (39-28, .582) and is second only to November (.660) by percentage ... Not coincidentally, the Braves have been without the above nine players for just 24 February games due to injury: Warren (11), Egolf (eight), Dunson (nine), Brown (4) and Maniscalco (4) -- 36 individual games missed -- though Brown and Maniscalco will not return this season.
CHANGING TREND
In Bradley's first 12 league games, the Braves dug themselves deep first-half holes by averaging just 25.1 points on collective 38.4 percent (114-297) shooting from the field in the opening half ... In the last three games, however, Bradley has taken the halftime lead each time by averaging 34.3 points on a combined 51.9 percent (42-81) shooting from the floor.
PAINT POINTS
Bradley has outscored the opposition, 662-592, in the paint this season, highlighted by a 46-14 advantage Feb. 9 at Missouri State ... Bradley has won the paint fight in six of the last eight games with a total 268-180 margin.
FEWER THREES
The sacrifice the Braves have made to control the paint has led to a big discrepancy in 3-point shooting ... The opposition has made more 3-point field goals than Bradley in six of the last eight games, outscoring the Braves by a 60-33 margin from behind the arc in those eight outings.
LOOKING AHEAD
Bradley will step out of conference play Saturday to visit Tennessee-Martin in a game created through the participation of both teams in the annual Sears BracketBusters event ... The Braves then will close out the regular-season by visiting I-74 rival Illinois State Feb. 22 and hosting Drake Feb. 26 ... Following Tuesday's game, Bradley's last three games will be played against teams with a combined 31-48 (.392) overall record -- at UT-Martin (9-1, at Illinois State (11-15) and home versus Drake (11-15) -- including a combined 13-32 (.289) conference record.

[AZ BU Fan]

This is BU's first chance to get out of the MVC cellar...Hold up your end of the deal BU! Kick the Panthers in the O'Rear!

[BradleyBrave]

Braves by 10. This is arguably the best stretch of basketball in over a year.

I'm not kidding when I say I think we can win out. 13-17 heading into the Arch isn't a stretch IMO.

[Big Mike]

Reynolds: UNI @ BU

http://www.bradleyhoops.com/news/x1055394024/Divergent-paths-for-Northern-Iowa-Bradley

[Da Coach]

UNI pregame notes-

http://boxscorenews.com/uni-panthers-mens-basketball-hit-the-road-with-trip-to-bradley-on-tuesday-p14662-68.htm

A few interesting notes from the UNI pregame release-

??? The Panthers will look to snap a three-game losing skid - the longest losing streak since losing three in a row at Wichita State (69-61 - Feb. 14, 2009), at home to Drake (47-46 - Feb. 18, 2009) and at Siena (81-75 - Feb. 21, 2009). UNI broke that three-game losing streak with a double-overtime road win at Illinois State (69-67 - Feb. 24, 2009).

??? UNI has not lost four games in a row since the 2007-08 season (head coach Ben Jacobson??™s second year at UNI) when the Panthers dropped four straight MVC games to Indiana State, Illinois State, Bradley and Creighton.

??? Over the past four seasons when UNI scores 60 or more points, the Panthers have compiled a record of 73-11. That number is 37-3 over the past two seasons with all three losses coming this season.

??? UNI??™s defense has allowed three straight 70-plus point games for the first time since the 2007-08 season. In 159 games under head coach Ben Jacobson, the Panthers have allowed 70 or more points on only 27 occasions (17.0 percent of the time).

??? UNI ranks No. 2 in the nation in turnovers per game at 9.7 per contest.

??? On the season, UNI has committed 10 or less turnovers 18 times.

??? UNI ranks No. 8 in the nation in scoring defense at 59.0 points per game.

??? The Panthers are 10-0 this season when making eight or more 3-pointers.

??? Senior point guard Kwadzo Ahelegbe has started 100 consecutive games, a number which ranks No. 8 in the nation among active streaks.

SERIES HISTORY BETWEEN UNI-BRADLEY
Bradley holds a 26-18 lead in the all-time series vs. UNI. However, UNI has won six of the last seven meetings. UNI is 4-16 all-time in games played in Peoria, Ill. The Panthers have won three of the last four meetings with the Braves in Peoria.
UNI head coach Ben Jacobson is 9-3 vs. Bradley.
Bradley head coach Jim Les is 8-12 vs. UNI.

[tornado]

today's PJS article about the game seems to focus on one and ONLY one thing...
that the injury to Lucas O'Rear has been devastating and has ruined UNI's entire season...
2/3 of the entire column dwells on this...which I find interesting since the local coverage hasn't given much consideration at all
to the fact that Bradley unexpectedly lost TWO players who were expected to have even MORE impact than O'Rear was for UNI.


BTW -- here's a decent review of the current Valley race...
nice article........good coverage.......

http://tribstar.com/sports/x1397432175/No-play-in-for-ISU-in-tourney-Sycamores-on-rise-but-MVC-race-still-to-be-run#

and again this guy writing this says ISU (red) is inexperienced.....
but that's a little bit of a myth....
Of ISU's top 8 players..their main playing rotation...NONE are true freshmen, only one is a 2nd year freshman, only two are true sophomores both both are extra-year prep schoolers, and three are seniors...
Compare to Bradley -- our top eight guys include...a TRUE freshman, a redshirt freshman, THREE true sophomores, a junior & and two seniors...
Hmm..not once all year have I ever heard anyone use the term "inexperienced" in regards to Bradley but they clearly have LESS experience than the "inexperienced" ISU

[ER3]

today's PJS article about the game seems to focus on one and ONLY one thing...
that the injury to Lucas O'Rear has been devastating and has ruined UNI's entire season...
2/3 of the entire column dwells on this...which I find interesting since the local coverage hasn't given much consideration at all
to the fact that Bradley unexpectedly lost TWO players who were expected to have even MORE impact than O'Rear was for UNI.

I thought you were begging for the PJS to give us information about the BU team that we all didn't already know? Now you want them to spend more time talking about not having Maniscalco and Brown? Players that we've been playing without for 3 months now? We all know that...we don't need an article in the PJS to remind us of that fact every week...

[srw]

I thought you were begging for the PJS to give us information about the BU team that we all didn't already know? Now you want them to spend more time talking about not having Maniscalco and Brown? Players that we've been playing without for 3 months now? We all know that...we don't need an article in the PJS to remind us of that fact every week...

Yep. It would seem to me that the article should have been written the first time through in the opposing teams paper not ours.

[tornado]

so an article that spends 2/3 of it's ink telling us what we already know, about a player who isn't even going to be available for the game is what you want?

If, as you say, I have been "begging for the PJS to give us information about the BU team" (I really haven't & I think you have me confused with someone else)..
then tell me what in this story about the BU team was what I have been begging for?

Hey -- if you read BradleyFans, you know Andrew Warren is in very elite company and tonight is likely to move into the TOP 11 scorers in Bradley history and is within range of hitting the TOP 10...
BUT -- I cannot imagine how you'd ever know that if all you did was read the newspaper.........it hasn't been mentioned at all!!

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=213941&postcount=21

[LittleBrave]

Looking forward to this game more than any other Valley game so far this year. Have only seen 1 minute of the last 3 wins Hopefully, I'll see 40 good minutes tonight!

The last game legitimized that we are a much different team now. This next game will prove that we are playing like a top-half Valley team, which was unthinkable 2 weeks ago. It also gives us a good shot to finish ahead of the 'Birds, which is always nice.

Also, if we lose to UNI, maybe not much to play for at TN-Martin on Sat.
But if we win, we carry over that swagger and continue a goal to finish the season winning 7 of last 8 heading into St. Louis.

[AZ BU Fan]

BTW -- here's a decent review of the current Valley race...
nice article........good coverage.......

http://tribstar.com/sports/x1397432175/No-play-in-for-ISU-in-tourney-Sycamores-on-rise-but-MVC-race-still-to-be-run#

and again this guy writing this says ISU (red) is inexperienced.....
but that's a little bit of a myth....

Of ISU's top 8 players..their main playing rotation...NONE are true freshmen, only one is a 2nd year freshman, only two are true sophomores both both are extra-year prep schoolers, and three are seniors...

Compare to Bradley -- our top eight guys include...a TRUE freshman, a redshirt freshman, THREE true sophomores, a junior & and two seniors...

Hmm..not once all year have I ever heard anyone use the term "inexperienced" in regards to Bradley but they clearly have LESS experience than the "inexperienced" ISU

For what it's worth, BU upperclassmen (jr and sr) have logged more minutes in games this year than ISU upperclassmen (jr and sr).

Bradley
2,849 minutes played by upperclass players
2,345 minutes played by lowerclass players

54.9% minutes played by upperclass players
45.1% minutes played by lowerclass players

Illinois State
2,023.00 minutes played by upperclass players
3,252.00 minutes played by lowerclass players

38.4% minutes played by upperclass players
61.6% minutes played by lowerclass players

This indicated to me ISU has had to rely on underclassmen more than BU has this season, hence ISU has had a less experienced team on the floor during their games this year.

I used minutes played as a indication of the affect on a game from players with more experience vs less experience.

Discussions about which team is more/less experienced can be crafted using whatever stats one chooses and can provide wildly different conclusions.

[Lakeview Brave]

For what it's worth, BU upperclassmen (jr and sr) have logged more minutes in games this year than ISU upperclassmen (jr and sr).

Bradley
2,849 minutes played by upperclass players
2,345 minutes played by lowerclass players

54.9% minutes played by upperclass players
45.1% minutes played by lowerclass players

Illinois State
2,023.00 minutes played by upperclass players
3,252.00 minutes played by lowerclass players

38.4% minutes played by upperclass players
61.6% minutes played by lowerclass players

This indicated to me ISU has had to rely on underclassmen more than BU has this season, hence ISU has had a less experienced team on the floor during their games this year.

I used minutes played as a indication of the affect on a game players with more experience have vs less experience.

Discussions about which team is more/less experienced can be crafted using whatever stats one chooses and can provide wildly different conclusions.

Bradley is the team that is forever young.

[Tulsa Brave]

According to the KenPom data, Bradley's experience is 1.74 years, which ranks 176th among D-1 teams...almost exactly middle of the pack. ISU's experience is 1.68 years, which ranks 190th among D-1 teams. Drake is the most inexperienced team in the league according to the KenPom data, while WSU and MSU are the most experienced, which helps explain why they're at the top of the league standings.

[Da Coach]

According to the KenPom data, Bradley's experience is 1.74 years, which ranks 176th among D-1 teams...almost exactly middle of the pack. ISU's experience is 1.68 years, which ranks 190th among D-1 teams. Drake is the most inexperienced team in the league according to the KenPom data, while WSU and MSU are the most experienced, which helps explain why they're at the top of the league standings.

Does the KenPom data count only the experience of the players logging minutes? Or does it include rostered players who are not playing like Sam and TB? If so, it would estimate the experience higher than reality.

[canadian]

The group Bradley puts out there tonight isn't an inexperienced group. At least not in relation to most college teams. I'm not saying it's overly experienced, but inexperienced is not an adjective I would use.

Generally all teams have some senior and juniors that play and some freshmen and sophomores that play. Nothing new there.

Bradley's 3-12 MVC record has a lot more to do with the talent of the players and less with the experience of the players. Recently the players have played a lot better. That is nice to see.