Next game at Northern Iowa, Wed. 12/27, 8:05pm

[Da Coach]

Bradley plays Wednesday, 12/27, at Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. The game is on ESPN2 at 8:05pm. It is the first MVC conference game at the McLeod Center, their 7,000 seat basketball arena. It is already a sellout.
The last time these 2 teams met was the final game played at the UNI-Dome last year on Feb. 22, 2006. Bradley completely dominated the Panthers 71-49. UNI was ranked #25 in the country at that time.

Bradley is 9-3 with an RPI of 30. UNI is 9-2 with an RPI of 82. It is the first MVC conference game for both teams.

http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_mvc_Men.html

Here is the current Valley standings--

http://www.mvc-sports.com/standings/Standings.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7600&SPID=2901&DEF_FY=2006&DB_OEM_ID=7600&KEY=

Current Valley stats--

http://www.mvc.org/mbb/stats/confldrs.htm

Links:
UNI men's basketball site--

http://unipanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/niwa-m-baskbl-body.html

UNI schedule and results--

http://unipanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/sched/niwa-m-baskbl-sched.html

UNI roster--

http://unipanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/mtt/niwa-m-baskbl-mtt.html

UNI stats--

http://unipanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2006-2007/teamcume.html

UNI Fan Message board--

http://www.panthernation.com/forumdisplay.php?f=8

[tornado]

Here is the story on the UNI Athletic web site:

http://unipanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/122406aaa.html

UNI is redshirting two of their freshmen, guards Josh Molstead and Kerwin Dunham, and one other player, junior guard Carlton Reed is sitting out the year as mandated by NCAA rules after transferring from Iowa.



And here's one thing that I find interesting....
Last Wednesday in their game against Wartburg, they had as one of the referees doing the game, an alumnus of UNI and one of their past scholarship athletes.
I suspect the MVC will see to it that there is no appearance of an issue when it comes to the refs, but to have one of your ex-jocks calling a home game it could cause at least the appearance of a problem.
It would be like having Marcus Pollard reffing one of our home games.

[Bravesguy]

Re: Next game at Northern Iowa, Wed. 12/27, 8:05pm

UNI Fan Message board--
http://www.panthernation.com/forumdisplay.php?f=8

Is it just me or does anyone else find this message board site confusing.
If you try to see what all forums they have, you run into 25 choices.
Even their Mens Basketball forum only has a handful of new topics in the last full week, and "Stickys" that have been up for 2 months as if nobody is home there.
The only thread they have going on Bradley hasn't had a post since 12/21!
Is everyone over there gone on break?

[tornado]

One thing I noted about UNI, is that in their 11 games so far, they have started all 11 with the same 5 guys.

Eric Coleman
Grant Stout
Brooks McKowen
Travis Brown
Jared Josten

These five guys account for 1492 minutes out of the team's total of 2200, or 68%.

This is even MORE than Bradley's starters (Ruffin, Tauai, Andrews, Crouch, Franklin) play and Bradley really does have a depth problem.

Bradley has eight different players who average over 15 minutes per game, but UNI has only five who do, and all five of them average over 24 mpg.
So we need to run these guys and/or get them in foul trouble.

By the way, three of their guys who shoot the most free throws are relatively bad FT shooters (56%, 61%, 65%),
BU also has a couple bad FT shooters (49%, 62%) but the rest are outstanding (95%, 79%, 78%, 76%, 74%)

[MacabreMob]

One thing I noted about UNI, is that in their 11 games so far, they have started all 11 with the same 5 guys.

Eric Coleman
Grant Stout
Brooks McKowen
Travis Brown
Jared Josten

Coleman 6'6"
Stout 6'8"
McKowen 6'2"
Brown 6'3"
Josten 5'11"

Who is gonna guard Stout and Coleman?

I am sure Zach will get one (and Salley when Zach is out) - which one will they get, the Center at 6'6" or the forward at 6'8"? Who gets the other? JC at 6'5"? JJ at 6'3"? Or do Salley and Zach both start or play together more when Coleman and Stout are both in the game?

[tornado]

Good question.
Zach has to guard Coleman, since he is just too much of a force inside. Coleman has been their leading scorer in four games and their leading rebounder in six.
Stout sometimes plays a little farther out on offense and been known to shoot the three (19 attempts in 11 games compared to none for Coleman).
Only one of their guards have made more than 11 3-pointers this year, while four of ours have (and another has made 10),
so I would prefer to make them beat us outside, not allow them to beat us inside.

I would prefer to guard the lane with both Salley and Zach in there, which is why I believe Coach Les worked with that rotation last game.
Our perimeter players are a little bigger than theirs
and may be able to shut down the outside threats.
Our guards go 6-5, 6-5, 6-2, 6-0, 5-10.
Theirs go .......6-3, 6-3, 6-2, 6-0, 6-0, 5-11

[Da Coach]

Bradley-UNI game notes from BUBraves.com--

http://www.bubraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=25965&SPID=1498&DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=734883

[Big Mike]

http://www.pjstar.com/stories/122706/BRA_BBU3O0C5.080.shtml

[Da Coach]

Some other articles--

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061227/SPORTS020704/612270377/-1/ENT05

http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2006/12/27/sports/local/doc459141c253d79260874646.txt

http://www.timesrepublican.com/Sports/articles.asp?articleID=5368

[MacabreMob]

Wagerline.com has Bradley a 4 pt underdog.

[IlliBraves]

Will the game be broadcast in HD?

[Da Coach]

Will the game be broadcast in HD?

The ESPN website does not say this game is in HD, so it probably is not.

[MDCowboy]

Da Coach is right... no HD feed for tonight's game.... still atleast it is on ESPN2 and we get national TV. The even better news is that there is not a game on before that could run long like the Iowa St. game. We'll get to see the start of the BU game this time!

[Da Coach]

I'm just about to head out across the tundra to Frostbite Falls, better known as Cedar Falls. At least the weather will be nicer than the last couple trips up there when there was freezing temps and lots of snow.

Let's go Braves.

Watch for an announcement about a possible chatroom tonight.

[lightsout]

Off the subject but thought i would ask, does anyone know who will be calling the game tonight on ESPN2???

just hope its not some ESPN Valley Bashers.