Peoria Standard

Game Preview: Bradley vs Valparaiso

Scouting the Beacons
Valparaiso will play their final home game of the season against Bradley before hitting the road to play Murray State. Valpo's current seeding range for the Conference tournament is 9th-11th with Illinois State hot on their heels. The Beacons will look to Ben Krikke and Kobe King to lead a late push to jump up to the 9 seed. Krikke this season is playing the best basketball of his career with 19.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG, and 2 APG. Kobe King is giving Valpo 16.6 PPG and 4.1 RPG.

Scouting the Braves
Bradley comes into this contest against Valparaiso as winners of eight straight and five straight road contests in league play. BU's seven true road wins are the most since the year 2000 when Bradley also won seven road games. The last time BU won eight or more true road games was during the 1987-88 season when they finished 26-5 overall and won 10 road games. On the court, the Braves have gotten contributions from a number of players, but the biggest of the bunch have been Malevy Leons and Rienk Mast. Leons became just the fourth player in the MVC since 1991-92 to collect 40+ blocks and 40+ steals in the same season and is now just two blocks and four steals away from becoming the only MVC player on record to have 50+ steals and 50+ blocks in the same season. Mast was one of the late-game heroes for Bradley in their last game when he hit what would be the game-winning 3-pointer to sink Southern Illinois. 

Original source can be found here