¢ Located in Peoria, Ill., Bradley University has an enrollment of 6,154. School colors are red and white. The team plays in Carver Arena, which seats 11,300.
¢ Bradley is 20-10 overall and 11-7 in Missouri Valley Conference regular-season games. The Braves have an RPI of 33 and Sagarin Rating of 37. Bradley is 7-6 versus top 50 teams. The Braves beat MVC regular season champ Wichita State, 60-52, this season.
¢ Bradley beat Kansas, 59-57, in a 1950 Western Regional game in Kansas City. It’s the only time the schools have met in men’s basketball.
¢ KU makes its 17th consecutive appearance in the NCAAs today and 35th overall. KU is 73-34 in the tournament; 29-5 in the first round.
¢ Bradley last won the Valley regular-season title in 1996. The Braves last won the MVC Tournament in 1988.
¢ Bradley has eight NCAA Tournament appearances, the last in 1996. Bradley has played in the 1950 and ’54 Final Fours.
¢ Patrick O’Bryant leads the MVC in blocked shots per game (3.1) and ranks ninth nationally. He was named MVC defensive player of the year and second-team all Missouri Valley.
¢ Marcellus Sommerville was named second-team all-Valley after averaging 15.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He was first-team Valley the previous two seasons. He’s 14th on Bradley’s all-time scoring list with 1,436 points.
¢ Tony Bennett is the only Brave to start every game the last two seasons. BU is 18-5 the last two years when he shoots 50 percent.
¢ Daniel Ruffin leads the Valley in assists (5.2 per game). He hit 34 of 35 free throws in league play. He made six of six charities in the MVC Tournament.
¢ J.J. Tauai is known as BU’s top defender. BU is 12-4 in his 16 starts.
¢ Bradley was among the 18 institutions cited by the NCAA in August for using a “hostile and abusive” nickname. Bradley University has appealed the ruling and the NCAA Management Council is scheduled to consider the latest and final appeal in April.
