In case you missed it ...

Semester exams aren't just an annoyance for students. They also keep teams off the floor for many days, making fans a bit restless.

The wait for Bradley's next game (at UW-Milwaukee, Sat.) has seemed like about a month. So for those who've been hibernating, here's the news from the Valley since Sunday's matinee:

Award-winner

Guard Sam Maniscalco received the Country Financial Bradley Scholar-Athlete of the Week award on Wednesday. The Bradley sophomore won the award for the first time in his career.

He's the first men's basketball player to have the honor since April 2, 2008. Jeremy Crouch won it that day for the eighth and final time in his career.

Maniscalco will need to have some more big games, but he could end up having as successful of a Bradley career as Crouch did on and off of the court.

Read the press release from Bradley University: here

On the mend

Forward Sam Singh had surgery on his broken nose after getting whacked in the face against Southeast Missouri State. His status for Saturday sounded uncertain at the time of the report, but don't count on Singh against UW-Milwaukee.

As expected, no progress has been shown from guard Andrew Warren. Even though his original foot fracture looks healed, another smaller break may have occurred in his foot now.

Considering how important he will be to Bradley in the coming season(s), watch for him to get a medical redshirt soon. The Braves won't want to take chances with one of their best players and Warren, who has always shown a great love for the game, wouldn't likely want to waste a year of eligibility.

Read the full story by Dave Reynolds of the Journal Star: here

Recruit in limbo

The Braves still await a decision by the NCAA on forward John Wilkins, who was hoping to transfer to Bradley at the semester.

The situation is difficult because Wilkins played a few games with a professional team in Belgium. So, even if Wilkins is allowed to play at Bradley, he'll have to sit for five games as an NCAA punishment.

If I had to place a bet right now, I'd feel pretty safe putting it on the side that he isn't in a Bradley uniform this season, maybe ever.

A few more details in the Journal Star story: here

Playing the best

Even in a loss, Evansville continues to impress. The Purple Aces (7-2) lost by 18 points at No. 1 North Carolina (10-0) tonight but managed to play the unbeaten Tar Heels even for the first 10 minutes of the game.

Sure the best team in the nation pulled away and won fairly easily, but this is also a group that beat Michigan State in Detroit by 35 points. The Tar Heels have appeared invincible so far.

The bigger story must be that Evansville competed so well in extremely challenging circumstances. Little argument can be made that the Purple Aces should be competitive again in conference play. But are they contenders along with Creighton and Illinois State?

Once MVC games begin, the intensity level gets ratcheted up and familiarity sets in. Teams don't radically change their styles on a season by season basis, so every team in the Valley comes in with a built-in advantage against one another.

This doesn't bode well for Evansville, as their talent level doesn't match up to some of the top teams in the Valley. But, with their experience against some good non-conference opponents, the Purple Aces could finish in the upper half of the MVC. Like most of the conference, Evansville is just as puzzling as the next. Only time will tell how it will stacks up against the other nine.

Birds keep flapping

Speaking of puzzles, Illinois State continued its perfect season (10-0) by bullying another weak opponent. This time though, the weakling almost got in the final blow.

The Redbirds won at Central Michigan (3-6) by three points, 72-69. Not a single opponent that Illinois State has played this season has a winning record against Div. I opponents.

The UIC Flames (7-2) head to Normal on Saturday, giving the Redbirds a chance to finally knock off a good opponent. This game will give fans across the Valley a chance to see how good Illinois State can be going into conference play.

Countdown

Only 10 more days until conference games begin!

Game Nine Recap: SE Missouri State @ Bradley

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The result was never in doubt, but the progress was in question. Bradley (5-4) cruised to an easy 75-62 victory over Southeast Missouri State (2-8) on Sunday afternoon.

The Braves jumped out to a 12-2 start and would eventually extend that lead to 30-10 in the first half. After the end result seemed pretty safe, head coach Jim Les began tinkering with the lineup, trying to see who will be able to provide quality minutes for the team.

Nine players were on the floor for double-digit minutes and that would have been 10 players if forward/center Sam Singh hadn't broken his nose early in the first half.

The Braves showed defensive intensity that wasn't there enough against Butler. Even though SEMO was fairly inept on offense, Bradley's 20 steals were still a remarkable total.

Both of Bradley's speedy freshman guards had good games. Darian Norris and Eddren McCain earned roles in the starting lineup after Les had put all spots up as an open competition this week.

Norris had a career high 12 points to go along with two assists and three steals. McCain's stat line was impressive as well, with seven points, six assists and two steals. Aside from a couple poor passes, McCain showed again why he should be the starting point guard for the rest of the season.

Saying that isn't a slight to guard Sam Maniscalco, who had five assists and only one turnover. But, when the lineup has both of these men in there, Maniscalco can slide to his more natural two-guard position. In reality, the Bradley offense involves so much motion that having two players with point guard ability only helps the offense run smoother.

Center David Collins, who was one of the players demoted from the starting lineup, responded to the backup role. He posted 10 points, three rebounds and five blocks. His intensity was turned up again on both ends of the floor.

Not to be lost in the shuffling should be forward Theron Wilson, who had his best game of the season, filling the stat sheet with 17 points, four rebounds, three assists, two blocks, four steals. Though not technically a team captain, Wilson's play often mirrors how the team performs as a whole.

The other member of the team that continues to deserve playing time is forward Taylor Brown. Even though he's a bit undersized for his position, Brown looks to be one of the best pure rebounders on the team, pulling in seven more Sunday. He has now averaged more than five per game since the Richmond matchup Nov. 26.

Bradley doesn't play again until Saturday when the Braves head north to Wisconsin to take on the UW-Milwaukee Panthers (5-5). This game is the final road test for Bradley before conference play begins. UWM has been inconsistent this season, just like the Braves, so this should be a pretty good matchup.

Other observations:

* - Rebounding still must a point of emphasis for Bradley. The team gave up too many offensive rebounds to SEMO (14 total). This will be a major downfall for the Braves come conference season if it isn't corrected soon.

The problem still remains though, that Les plays undersized lineups against every opponent. Much of rebounding involves desire, but team size also is a contributing factor.

* - Redshirt freshman center Anthony Thompson saw his first extended minutes of the season (11) and had his first basket in a Bradley uniform. He also chipped in three rebounds and a block. Thompson clearly has skills and looks smooth in the paint. Once he gets more seasoning for the Braves, Thompson will surely be a major contributor for years to come.

* - Even walk-ons Ned Goertzen, Brian Lavin and Ryan Phillips saw some time this game. Phillips made a rare appearance in the first half, playing the final two minutes.

Important games for the Valley this weekend

Most of the games involving Missouri Valley conference teams this weekend look one-sided. But, if the teams hope to raise the conference's overall RPI, an upset or two needs to happen.

Scouting the Braves

Bradley certainly needs a confidence boost after its performance against Butler on Wednesday. The Braves should get that Sunday against Southeast Missouri State, a team whose only Division I win this season comes against Longwood.

The Redhawks have a few good players, including forward Calvin Williams (6'9" So.). He has shot 59.7 percent from the floor this season and also grabs seven rebounds per game.

Most of his best games though have come against inferior competition. He didn't play against New Mexico and Kansas State. Williams' only game that he shot under 50 percent (3 of 8 shooting) was 34-point loss at Iowa.

SEMO also has two other players who average in double figures, guard Kenard Moore (15.3 PPG) and forward Jaycen Herring (14.7 PPG). Just like Williams, both players had bad games against the better opponents on the Redhawks' schedule.

Games like these often come down to depth, as Bradley usually outlasts these smaller conference teams. The Redhawks only play eight guys regularly, whereas the Braves will go nine to ten players deep.

The biggest question about this game isn't whether or not the Braves are going to win but rather who will be the guys on the floor bringing home the victory. Coach Jim Les declared that "changes will be made" after the Butler loss. Will this difference include a change in playing time for certain players or different lineups on the floor?

With the start of conference play only 15 days away, Bradley needs to start shaping its identity and finding players that can be consistent contributors.

Biggest opportunity for a statement

Evansville (6-1) gets a chance to truly show if it's going to be a serious league contender tonight at Western Kentucky (5-2). The Purple Aces have beaten a couple decent opponents (Austin Peay, Buffalo), but this game should be their toughest test yet. Western Kentucky has already knocked off nationally ranked Louisville on the road.

Evansville has shot well as a team this season at 44 percent. The team will need to have a big game from its leaders Shy Ely and Jason Holsinger in order to pull off the upset.

Intriguing games

Two enigmatic teams this season have been Southern Illinois and Northern Iowa. Both have had good and bad performances and look to make statements on the road this weekend.

Southern Illinois (3-4) goes to Nevada (4-4) as a return game from last year's Bracketbuster matchup, one that the Salukis won 74-49. Neither team has gotten off to a good start this season, but SIU has played a much tougher schedule. Maybe the young Saluki team can come together and bring home a win for the Valley.

Northern Iowa (5-4) also heads west to play Wyoming (6-1). Having seen Northern Iowa play in person against Auburn led me to believe that this would be a solid team. But, the Panthers have also had some really poor performances and playing on the Cowboys' in Wyoming (though not their home floor) won't be easy.

Look for a Valley win in at least one of these games.

Predictions

Saturday

No. 17 Purdue over Indiana State

Wyoming over Northern Iowa

Creighton over Northern Colorado

Western Kentucky over Evansville

Missouri State over Central Arkansas

Drake over Stephen F. Austin

Sunday

Bradley over Southeast Missouri State

Illinois State over Morehead State

Southern Illinois over Nevada (Upset of the weekend)

Game Eight Recap: Butler @ Bradley

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Traveling five hours in a day to Bradley games isn't for everyone. But even though the Braves were burnt on their home court by a hot shooting Butler team, the trip still had value.

Butler made 13 three-pointers and shot 53 percent overall en route to a victory over Bradley on Wednesday. The game dropped the Braves to 4-4 overall, whereas Butler stayed a perfect 8-0.

Having made the five-hour trek to and from Peoria, this game has had a chance to settle a bit before discussing what happened.

No team should come to Carver Arena and be able to put up 87 points, especially a team as young as the Bulldogs. That being said, Butler has assembled another solid team that will surely continue to get better in the next 3-4 years.

Bradley made a point to stop leading scorer Matt Howard, which it did rather well. The sophomore forward sat most of the first half with foul trouble and the Braves limited him to 2-of-7 shooting and nine points overall.

The problem was, as Bradley sagged down to stop Howard, Butler had five different players that hit from beyond the arc. Forward Gordon Hayward couldn't be stopped in the first half, netting Butler's first eight points and 17 total during the first twenty minutes. He helped the Bulldogs streak out to a 20-6 lead to start the game, putting Bradley in a huge hole from which it never recovered.

Guard Shelvin Mack had a solid game throughout, matching fellow freshman Hayward for high scoring honors with 20. These two are already really good players and they've got 3 1/2 seasons of eligibility left.

Bradley tried to battle back from a 13-point halftime deficit, and nearly got there, trimming the Butler lead to 57-52 with 10:35 left. But, as they did the entire game, the Bulldogs answered another punch from the Braves, reeling off 16 of the next 21 points to put the game out of reach.

While Butler did have a great game, Bradley didn't do much to stop the Bulldogs. Slow defensive rotations led to either wide open jumpers or layups when the Braves didn't rotate quickly enough on screens.

From a player perspective, freshman guard Eddren McCain clearly was the most valuable Brave. He poured in a career-high 18 points and looks like he's rapidly turning into the point guard of not just the future, but also the present.

Another bright spot was sophomore guard Sam Maniscalco, who was coming off a rough game at Michigan State. He looked sharper, quicker and finally knocked down his 3-point attempts (4 of 5). Maniscalco should start at the off/shooting guard position next to McCain.

As for the rest of the team, the effort looked either inconsistent or not there at all. Guards Dodie Dunson and Chris Roberts both had poor defensive games. Center David Collins was invisible again, seeing his minutes drop from 23 against Michigan State to just 11 versus Butler.

But, all of those lost minutes didn't go to center Anthony Thompson, who was firmly planted on the bench until four minutes left in the game. Most of these went to freshman Taylor Brown, who looks to have a lot of talent, but shouldn't be playing the five position at only 6'6" tall.

Forward Theron Wilson had his usual impressive moments, including a couple great hustle plays and a tip slam dunk. But, for a team that desperately needs leadership, he went stretches of the game where he too was invisible. Wilson finished with the quietest 15 points in recent memory.

Listening to the postgame show, head coach Jim Les had little positives to say. He sounded angry and pledged that there would be changes to the lineup and certain privileges would be taken away from the team.

Maybe they won't be able to use their locker room? Coaches have done it before.

What the lineup changes are can only be pure speculation at this point, but look for Collins and Roberts to be moved out of the starting lineup in favor of Brown and McCain.

***

Though the final turned out to be ugly, I was able to take some pretty decent pictures at this game. If anyone looked at my shots from the 2007 Michigan State game, it will be evident how much better of a camera I am using now.

Click the photo above to view a slideshow.

Scouting: Butler Bulldogs

The Bulldogs from Butler University come to Peoria for a big game Wednesday. Most of Bradley's games have been against teams that weren't equally matched. Florida and Michigan State clearly have more talent than the Braves. But, the Braves certainly were better than the likes of Florida Gulf Coast and East Tennessee State.

The Butler game will be different, giving Bradley a chance to play a quality opponent who shouldn't overpower them.

The Bulldogs have run off seven straight wins to start the season but have a lot of inexperience in their lineup. Most notably, they have beaten two Missouri Valley Conference teams (vs. Evansville, at Drake) as well as a home win against Northwestern. Most of their victories have been anywhere between eight- and ten-point margins.

Statistically, the Bulldogs only have given up 52.4 points per game, good for sixth overall in Division I. They are a team that plays tenacious man-to-man defense, but with how poorly Bradley has been shooting from the perimeter, will that change?

Even with three road wins, none of these came in a boisterous place like Carver Arena. Fans of the Braves will need to be loud and try to rattle the inexperienced Butler team.

From a personnel perspective, Butler has three players that average double figures in scoring: forward Matt Howard (6'7" So.), guard Shelvin Mack (6'3" Fr.), Gordon Hayward (6'8" Fr.). All three shoot at least 46 percent from the floor.

Howard had a good game against Bradley last season at Hinkle Fieldhouse. He finished with 14 points and six rebounds, easily pushing around the Bradley post players.

To make matters more challenging for Bradley, the trio of Mack, Hayward and Zach Hahn (6'0" So.) all have outside shooting ability (38, 44 and 40 percent, respectively).

Butler also takes care of the ball well, only turning the ball over 11 times per game. Maybe Bradley's team quickness will be able to disrupt the Butler offense more than the Bulldogs' first opponents have.

Butler plays ten players, all of whom have played in every game. The Bulldogs aren't an overly big team though, so size isn't as big of a concern as it often can be for the Braves.

Important aspects to watch:

Slow down Howard - This young big man looked pretty impressive last season. He looked too quick for forward Sam Singh, so it'll be interesting who matches up against him. In Singh's defense, he's looked more nimble himself this year, so I'd imagine we'll see a lot of this matchup.

No freebies - The team shooting percentage from the free throw line is only 68 percent. But these numbers are skewed by poor totals from some of the players who don't see much time. Of the six players who have at least 10 shot attempts, only guard Ronald Nored (6'0" Fr.) shoots less than 71 percent.

Bradley must play smart defense and will likely need to play more zone in order to stay out of foul trouble.

Freshman mistakes - Just as the Braves need to limit their turnovers (which on the whole has improved lately), they also must force the Bulldogs into committing some. Nored averages 2.0 assists but 2.4 turnovers per game. Using the home court to its advantage, Bradley must cause Nored to make mistakes.

Play your game - These two teams play contrasting styles, with Bradley trying to get out and run and Butler looking to slow down. The Braves need to get out in transition and not let Butler dictate the pace, which is what happened in Indianapolis last year.

***

Bradley really needs to win this game as its on their home court. The team needs proof that it can not only play with some of the better teams in the nation, but actually beat them. Hopefully the first half of the Michigan State game showed the Braves a glimmer of that chance. Butler's team is just as young as Bradley's and the Bulldogs are the on road. This one should be a thriller.

Final prediction: Bradley 67, Butler 65