Northern Iowa at Bradley Saturday 12/29 - 2:05 pm

[Da Coach]

Next game: Northern Iowa at Bradley- 2:05 pm

UNI and Bradley play the first MVC conference game. UNI is 8-3, their last game was a home loss to Nevada.
Bradley is 7-5 and they are on a 2 game losing streak with losses at Butler and to VCU.
Bradley's RPI is 68 with a Strength of Schedule of 27 (2nd in the MVC only to Creighton's 23). UNI's RPI is 135 with a SOS of 228 (2nd worst in the MVC).

http://realtimerpi.com/rpi_mvc_Men.html

This game is televised by WTVP, Channel 47 in Peoria, cable channel 12 on Insight cable. It should also be available from www.BUBraves.tv .

Links of interest--
UNI basketball website--

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

Roster--

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

Schedule and results--

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

UNI stats--

http://unipanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stats/2007-2008/teamcume.html

Bradley stats--

http://www.bubraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=19334&SPID=1498&DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=1309880

UNI fan message board--

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

[Guinness]

At the risk of repeating myself......and being wrong........again.......


Not worried about this one, unless we do something stupid like let TCS loose and bench DC AND ruffin is still out.

[patrick_o'brian]

How many games are gonna be broadcast on wtvp?

[BradleyBrave]

I'd count on no Ruffin, and BU grinding out a win. Even without DR, we have better guards. JC, AW, and SM match up very, very well with their guards in both size and athleticism. UNI doesn't have anyone quite like Theron Wilson, so he could play a key role as well. If BU keeps UNI from shooting 80% in the 2nd half as UNI did last year, they should win.

[MacabreMob]

Good luck to the Braves .... mostly if this may be the 1st game without Ruff.

Without him, I think the players really need to look inward at themselves and decide who they want to be and how good they want themselves and Bradley to be. Everyone will need to step up their game.

This could make Bradley a stronger team (down the road) - or - this could make them crumble at their knees and want to tank it.

[BradleyBrave]

Without him, I think the players really need to look inward at themselves and decide who they want to be and how good they want themselves and Bradley to be. Everyone will need to step up their game.

It's Jim's job to make this happen. He did it last year in DR and JC's absence, there's no reason to think it can't happen this year.

This could make Bradley a stronger team (down the road) - or - this could make them crumble at their knees and want to tank it.

It's Jim's job to prevent this from happening. No one quit or crumbled when DR and JC went down last year, so there's no reason they should this year.

[Rusty 54]

Lets get one step closer to being the State Champs of Iowa

[Da Coach]

How many games are gonna be broadcast on wtvp?

This Saturday's game is the only one on WTVP.

[ph]

This Saturday's game is the only one on WTVP.

And if their SOS campaign fails then this may be their last one, ever.

As a non-cable subscriber, I'm almost glad for BU that they have games on Insight rather then WTVP, although I think more men's games on WTVP would of helped with the subscriber #'s

[chitown fanatic]

Bradley's slump will continue Saturday unless Ruffin plays. We are too soft and unless someone decides to step up on a consistent bases and DC comes ready to play, we will lose. I see an 0-2 start to the conference as likely at this point. I really hope I'm wrong, because this UNI team isn't good at all and will finish no better than 6th.

[BradleyBrave]

Bradley's slump will continue Saturday unless Ruffin plays. We are too soft and unless someone decides to step up on a consistent bases and DC comes ready to play, we will lose. I see an 0-2 start to the conference as likely at this point. I really hope I'm wrong, because this UNI team isn't good at all and will finish no better than 6th.

I guess you haven't seen how bad UNI is.

[real fan]

I do not expect D.Ruffin to play but if we can"t win this game without him then we are in serious trouble as N.Iowa should not finish any higher then 6th and probably lower then that as there seems to be a lot better teams in the valley; I know they should finish in front of Evansville and Ind. State .

[BradleyBrave]

One thing that concerns me is UNI controlling the pace and slowing the game down to a snail's pace. I think this is a game that BU really needs to speed up. UNI doesn't turn the ball over much (only 11 a game), and if they're allowed to control the tempo, it could be a close game. I think BU needs to take advantage of their depth, press a little, and make this game as up-and-down as they can. I don't think UNI has the horses for a track meet. If we're as deep and athletic as we pretend to be, Saturday would be a great time to show it.

[jasonpeoria911]

If it's any consolation or giving hope to us, the team that beat UNI last game by 3 points which is Nevada, just got smoked by #1 NC tonight by 36 points. 106-70.

Jason

[MacabreMob]

If we're as deep and athletic as we pretend to be....

That's it BradleyBrave.... we have been pretending all season (so far in my opinion).

Time for BU to step out and do something.