WSU vs Bradley (game notes)

[SB Shock]

Bradley has won the last 2 meetings in Koch Arena. Bradley has never won 3 games in a row at WSU and are looking to do it for the first time.

Bradley defeated Drake 67-59 at Drake.

Bradley is 3-3 at home and 2-2 on the road

Bradley fans don't seem happy with Les or Bradley team effort to this point. http://www.bradleyfans.com/

Bradley has lost 4 of their last 5

Junior guard Andrew Warren and Sophomore Taylor Brown are the heart and soul of the Bradley offense. Warren is averaging 24 ppg and Brown 21 ppg in MVC play.

Bradley has 4 players averaging 30+ minutes a game. WSU looks to have the potential of wearing them down just like they did against Drake. To support this argument:

Bradley Defense 1st Half: 31.0 points
Bradley Defense 2nd half: 36.5 points

Bradley two 3pt shooters are hitting 40% and 39% (Warren and Roberts). As a team Bradley is hitting 35% of their 3points attempts.

Bradley is being out rebounded by their opponents by +3.2 per game.

Bradley is getting outscored at the FT line even though they are making it to the FT line ~ 10% more than their opponents (shooting 68% of the FT).

[newshock1234]

i was surprised they lost last night, last i checked they were up by double digits in the 2nd half

[forevershockerfan]

With Bradley taking one on the chin by S. Ill., they will be hungry to get back on track. However, there will be electricity in the air with the "Hooping with the witness of former MTXE Stars" that will overrule Bradley's focus. No way do we want Bradley ever beating us at our House 3 times in a row. The basketball gods of Shocker home success of the past will demand Shocker success as the bounces and breaks will slant our way!!!!!!! No more coming out of the starting gate flat. We need 40 minutes of focus and concentration which will pave the way for future wins as well.

[Shox21]

Bradley is not Drake. We can't come out the same way. We get down to Bradley and we may not come back. We've not been tested much from behind this year, and the two times we got down by double digits, we didn't come back.

I'll be there like always Sunday, but I hope the intensity we witnessed in the last 10 minutes of the game with Drake is what we witness the entire game from here on out. There are too many teams in the Valley that are very good at holding onto leads. If we don't play with fire the whole game, we are going to lose some we shouldn't.

[SB Shock]

Bradley is not Drake. We can't come out the same way. We get down to Bradley and we may not come back. We've not been tested much from behind this year, and the two times we got down by double digits, we didn't come back.

I'll be there like always Sunday, but I hope the intensity we witnessed in the last 10 minutes of the game with Drake is what we witness the entire game from here on out. There are too many teams in the Valley that are very good at holding onto leads. If we don't play with fire the whole game, we are going to lose some we shouldn't.

I agree.

This team has enough depth to play with intensity for 40 minutes. Now Coach Marshall just needs them to buy into it - once they do they can be something really special.