The (12-7 SU, 10-8 ATS) Bradley Braves and (13-6 SU, 10-8 ATS) Indiana State Sycamores will take the court at the Hulman Center on Wednesday for a Missouri Valley Conference battle. The Braves, 2-4 on the road, lost 86-61 at Drake on Saturday. The Sycamores, 7-2 at home, lost 64-62 at Missouri State on Sunday.
Bradley and Indiana State split their two meetings last season. The Braves hold a 53-42 advantage in the series' history.
Tip-off from Terre Haute, IN, is at 7:00 p.m. ET. The Sycamores are 1.5-point spread favorites, and the game total is 137.5 points.
The Missouri Valley Conference is top-heavy this season, as four teams are tied for first place at 6-2, and five others are tied in second at 5-3. The Braves are among the latter group, with an opportunity to take down first-place ISU on Wednesday for a spot at the top.
Coming off a 45-point win over Evansville, Bradley was humbled by the Bulldogs. Drake led by 18 at the half and never relented, leading to a 25-point home win. Drake's hot shooting (56.1 FG%) was the difference, as the Braves (38.3 FG%) couldn't keep pace.
Malvey with the AND 1 pic.twitter.com/HIRkwE4S0w
— Bradley Basketball (@BradleyUMBB) January 15, 2023
The Braves score 70.4 points on 45.9 percent shooting, including 35.9 percent from behind the arc. They're 161st in schedule-adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom. Bradley is 147th nationally in rebounding (33.1 per game) with a +3.6 rebounding margin and 292nd in adjusted tempo, averaging 65.4 possessions per game.
Junior forward Rienk Mast paces Bradley in scoring, averaging 12.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game on 51.9 percent shooting. The Braves also count on contributions from junior guard Duke Deen (11.3 PPG and 3.1 APG), senior forward Malevy Leons (11.1 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 1.7 SPG), senior forward Ja'Shon Henry (9.5 PPG and 4.3 RPG), and sophomore guard Connor Hickman (9.1 PPG and 3.3 RPG).
Bradley surrenders 60.3 points, the 16th-fewest points per game in the nation, on 39.5 percent shooting, the 30th-lowest opponent field goal percentage. Its opponents also shoot 31.6 per cent from three. Bradey is 42nd nationally in schedule-adjusted defensive efficiency and 124th in assist-per-turnover ratio (1.04).