Bradley set to play #10 Arkansas in Saturday action
Scouting the Razorbacks
- The Razorbacks boast one of the tallest teams in the NCAA according to KenPom with an average player size of 6' 5". Arkansas ranks 1st in PG height, 2nd in SG height, 7th in SF height and top 126 in both PF and C height. While Arkansas has a number of options they can turn to for scoring the main Hog to highlight will be Ricky Council IV. Council is a transfer from Wichita State and is averaging 19.2 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 1.7 SPG. The Razorbacks have a number of complimentary scorers but Nick Smith stands above the rest. Smith is coming off a 21 point out game against Oklahoma and former MVC coach Porter Moser. The 6' 4" freshman from Jacksonville AR, has only appeared in four games this season due to injury but already finds himself being the second leading scorer at 14 PPG. As a team the Razorbacks have a lot to like about their unit especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Hogs are ranked top 30 nationally in 4 of the 5 major metrics measured by the KenPom and rank 10th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency. Arkansas is led by Eric Musselman, Coach Musselman is in his 4th season at Arkansas after leading the Nevada program for 4 years and has a career record of 192-63.
Scouting the Braves
- The Braves have been playing their best basketball as of late setting them up for a big opportunity against the nation's 10th ranked team. The Braves received good news last week when Zek Montgomery was able to see game action after breaking his wrist back in November against Eastern Michigan. Rienk Mast has also found his groove of late, the preseason All-MVC First Team selection is tied for the team lead in scoring and is the team leader in rebounds. BU has also been on fire from three as of late with four players shooting 34% or better from 3-point land with at least 20+ attempts. If your looking for a sneaky edge for the Bradley it could come from the bench as Ville Tahvanainen, Christian Davis, James "Pop" Weathers, and Darius Hannah have all had big impacts in relief this season. A big key for Bradley in Saturday's matchup will be the turnover battle and free throws. The turnover totals have been on the rise for Bradley in recent contests but so far Bradley has found a way to over come them. On the other hand the free throw line has been anything but kind the Braves. BU currently sits with a team FT% of 66% which ranks 284th in the nation. The good news for Bradley fans that a win Saturday would all but secure one of their highest NET rankings in program history before January. BU is currently 70th in the NET or NCAA Evaluation Tool and is the highest of all the MVC teams with Indiana State at 89th and Drake at 94th.
Milestones to watch
- BU is 27-54 all-time against top 10 teams and Bradley's last true road win against a top 10 opponent came against #8 Cincinnati on 1/15/64 with a final score of 87-77
- This will be the first ever meeting between Arkansas and Bradley in men's basketball.
- Bradley is currently in a 4-game win streak and coming off an 11 day break from their last game action. Bradley's last 5-game win streak came in the 2017-18 season with wins over UTSA, Weber State, Missouri S&T, Georgia Southern, and Eastern Illinois.
How to Listen and Follow the Action
- Bradley vs #10 Arkansas will be broadcasted strictly over the radio. We highly encourage all fans to tune into Dave Snell and Chad Kleine on WMBD 1470 or pull up the live stats stream if you are unable to attend the game in person. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Saturday Dec. 17th from Simmons Bank Arena in North Little Rock, AR.
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