Bradley 2009 CIT Tournament Preview

Bradley Braves - Missouri Valley Conference (18-14, 10-8)

RPI: 98

Big Wins: 11/29 East Tennessee State (82-69), 1/6 Illinois State (56-52), 2/14 Evansville (86-79),

Bad Losses: 11/24 vs UMKC (61-73), 1/18 at Southern Illinois (62-68), 2/7 at Drake (54-68)

Coach: Jim Les

Probable Bradley Starters:

• Eddren McCain, Freshman, Guard, 5.6 ppg, 3.2 apg

• Sam Maniscalco, Sophomore, Guard, 12.4 ppg, 2.8 apg

• Chris Roberts, Junior, Guard, 8.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg

• Theron Wilson, Senior, Forward, 14.0 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.9 spg

• David Collins, Senior, Center, 4.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg

Key Bradley Roleplayers:

• Taylor Brown, Freshman, Forward, 3.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg

• Dodie Dunson, Junior, Guard, 10.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg

• Darian Norris, Freshman, Guard, 3.6 ppg

• Sam Singh, Senior, Forward, 4.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg

Why Bradley Can Surprise:

Having two players who can handle the ball is never a bad thing. Bradley’s turnover numbers have not been good by any means…they have actually been quite bad, but Sam Maniscalco and Eddren McCain are both capable ball handlers. The high turnovers are a result of their youth and inexperience and that issue is only getting better as time goes on. McCain, a 5-11 freshman, is not much of a scorer, yet he is a tough individual who will do the dirty work.

Maniscalco is the main scoring threat on the perimeter and he connects on 1.8 three-pointers per contest. He is also a great free-throw shooter and will occasionally attack the basket. And since he is a solid defender as well, this has turned into Maniscalco’s team despite the fact that he is just a sophomore.

Why The Braves Can Disappoint:
Maniscalco’s shooting has been inconsistent this year and Dodie Dunson, the only other legitimate outside shooter on the team, is not much better regarding consistency. The whole offense will have long droughts and the Braves cannot beat a good opponent when they cannot make an outside shot. There are other options in the backcourt like Chris Roberts and Darian Norris; however, those two will not do too much to spark the offense. Roberts is a decent rebounder and has decent size for a guard in the Missouri Valley Conference, yet he is not much of a shooter either. When the opposition feels that there is no reason to defend the perimeter, they will simply pack it in and make Bradley hit some outside shots.

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Who To Watch:
And when the defense does that, it is bad news for big men Theron Wilson and David Collins. Wilson is the team’s best scorer and rebounder and it may fall to him to have a good game in the paint to get the perimeter players open looks. But Wilson is more than just an interior scorer, the 6-5 senior will also step outside and consistently knock down the mid-range jumper. At 7-0 and 242 pounds, Collins is the true post presence for the Braves. The Canadian is not much of a threat to score and most of his points will come off of offensive rebounds. Collins’ biggest asset is on the defensive end and he is an imposing presence under the basket.

Bradley By the Numbers:

Scoring Offense: 66.8 (185th in nation, 5th in conference)

Scoring Defense: 66.3 (134, 9)

Field-Goal Percentage: 43.4 (187, 6)

Field-Goal Defense: 42.9 (145, 5)

Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.8 (216, 8)

Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 31.8 (235, 9)

Free-Throw Percentage: 71.9 (76, 6)

Rebound Margin: -0.4 (189, 6)

Assists Per Game: 12.2 (231, 6)

Turnovers Per Game: 14.5 (218, 9)

By Joel Welser
CollegeSports-fans.com Senior Basketball Writer

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