The Braves will need a herculean effort to beat the Spartans on their home floor, especially without center Will Egolf and guard Andrew Warren. Michigan State will be out for blood after losing by 35 to the No. 1 team in the country.
How does Bradley stand a chance? Quite a few things need to fall the Braves way, including:
* - Outside shooting - Wichita State hung close with the Spartans, but only hit 7-of-23 from 3-point range (30.4 percent). With an even better shooting team last year, Bradley hit 8-of-25 (32 percent) against Michigan State. Guards Chris Roberts and Dodie Dunson will need to keep knocking down treys if Bradley's going to stay in the game.
* - Rebounding - On the opposite side of the spectrum, this year's team has been rebounding much more effectively than the 2007-08 team. The ugliest aspect of the matchup last season came in this department, where the Spartans clobbered Bradley on the boards, 48-29.
Good news for the Braves: Michigan State center Goran Suton had arthroscopic knee surgery and will miss the next 2-4 weeks. Suton had 11 rebounds against Bradley and fellow big man Drew Naymick (10 rebounds) graduated.
* - Maturity - Good thing most of the players on the Bradley roster didn't play in the game last time the Braves were in East Lansing, Mich. The 82-53 drubbing was one of the worst losses in recent memory.
But, just as all the new players don't have memories, they also haven't had to play in a hostile environment yet. Turnovers have been a problem for Bradley so far, and this game must be the one to correct that. What Bradley lacks in talent must be made up in heart and intelligence.
Home teams seem to have a bigger advantage in college basketball than any other major sport. The Breslin Center certainly fits that mold, with the boisterous Izzone student section. Composure will be critical for the Braves in this environment.
* - New roles - Bradley centers David Collins and Anthony Thompson must grow up really quickly. Neither saw many minutes with how well Egolf had been playing. But everything changed with that one nasty slip to the Carver Arena floor.
Collins may be a veteran, but he plays like a boy at times. His lack of aggressiveness can't be taught, he just has to bring it. Collins showed signs of turning the corner at the end of last season but has since regressed.
He has a nice shooting touch and can be an intimidating force in the lane. Some of his critics say he doesn't have as much talent, but that argument is bogus. Forward/center Sam Singh isn't the most athletically gifted player, but he always gives everything he has on the floor and provides positive results. Collins has a second life after the Egolf injury and needs to remind everyone why he's on the team.
Thompson will finally get his chance to play after redshirting last season and playing sparingly in 2008. He received recognition as a pretty highly touted recruit coming to Bradley, but hasn't really gotten to prove why. There's no reason that he can't be the starting center for years to come, so start showing that now.
If the Braves can get a decent amount of production from the two (maybe 8-10 points & rebounds), that will go a long way to giving Bradley a chance Sunday.
* - Make 'em shoot - Michigan State hasn't shot much better than Bradley this season from 3-point range (35 to 32 percent) or from the field (47 to 44). With all of the attention the Braves must focus on preventing second chance opportunities, maybe dropping into a zone and making Spartans shoot over it will help.
You can bet that coach Jim Les will try it at some point during the game. Changing up defenses was what kept Bradley in the game for so long against Florida. With all of the time he has had to prepare, Les should throw many different looks out there to confuse Michigan State.
***
From a scheduling perspective, Bradley catches the Spartans at the best possible time. The Braves have been able to formulate a game plan for a week, whereas Michigan State only has two days. All of the preparation will help Bradley keep the game fairly close, but the talent level of the Spartans (especially at home) will likely win out in the end.
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