Game Notes: Wichita State (PDF) | Bradley (PDF)

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WICHITA STATE (7-5) at BRADLEY (2-12)
Jan. 3, 2016  | 1:00 p.m. CT
Peoria, Ill./Carver Arena

Telecast --
On Air: Cox Channel Kansas
Time Warner SportsChannel2 (available to TWC subscribers in Kansas City area)
Streaming: ESPN3* (Link)
Announcers: Bruce Haertl & Shane Dennis
* - Subject to blackout throughout Kansas and in the Kansas City Metro area

Radio --
On Air: KEYN 103.7 FM
Online: goshockers.com/watch
Announcers: Mike Kennedy & Bob Hull

Social Media ---
Twitter: @GoShockers, @GoShockersLive
Facebook: facebook.com/WichitaStateUniversityAthletics
Instagram: instagram.com/goshockers
Exposure: goshockers.exposure.co
 

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OPENING TIPS
• Winners of five of its last six, Wichita State prepares for its first MVC road action, traveling to Peoria, Ill. for a 1 p.m. Sunday tip against Bradley (2-12) on Cox Channel Kansas.
• WSU is looking to start MVC play 2-0 for the fourth-straight year.
• The Shockers' 38-7 MVC road record over the past five-plus seasons is a league-best -- better, in fact, than the MVC home records posted by the other nine Valley schools during that span. UNI is the closest with a 38-9 home MVC mark since 2010-11.
• WSU has won 11-straight over Bradley (matching a school record for consecutive wins over one MVC foe), including five-in-a-row in Carver Arena (also a record), after several decades of road misery in Peoria [see series notes on pg. 3]
  • Among the current Valley membership, there have only been eight recorded instances of one conference team defeating another 11-or-more consecutive times. SIU holds the record with 17-straight wins against Drake (2000-08). The previous WSU record is 11-in-a row, also against Drake, from 1981-86.
• WSU extended its home court winning streak to 38-games, matching Tulsa for the fourth-longest streak in MVC history, and won its sixth-straight MVC opener, downing Drake 67-47 on New Years Eve. Ron Baker (14 points), Fred VanVleet (13 pts, 6 assists) and Zach Brown (10 pts) led the charge.
• The Shockers are 5-1 since the return of VanVleet from an early-season hamstring injury. The senior All-American became just the 15th player in MVC history to reach 500-career assists during Thursday's win and also moved into second on WSU's career steals chart.
• VanVleet - a native of Rockford, Ill. - is 8-0 as a starter on his home soil, averaging 13.5 points, 5.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds. He's trying to become just the fourth player in MVC history to lead the conference in assists in three consecutive years, joining a couple of former Bradley Braves ((Jim Les– 1984, 85, 86; Anthony Manuel – 1986, 87, 88)
• WSU's non-conference schedule, which included five games against RPI Top-50 teams, is ranked the 10th-toughest in the nation by the NCAA's latest numbers.
• Markis McDuffie's 1.0 steals per game is tops among MVC freshmen.
• WSU ranks seventh nationally in turnover margin (+5.5 per game) and its scoring defense (63.6 points) ranks 35th.
• In addition, the Shockers also lead the Valley in steals (7.2), offensive rebounds (12.7) and offensive rebound percentage (.337).
 
SERIES NOTES:
• This is the 137th meeting between the two programs. WSU has played more games against Bradley than any other opponent, with the exception of Drake (148 games), and the Braves' 71 wins is tops among WSU foes.
• WSU has won its last five games in Peoria, equaling its entire win total from 1990 through 2010. Prior to this current five-game road streak, WSU had managed back-to-back wins at Bradley on just two other occasions, spanning 61 years (2003/2004 and 1976/1977).
• WSU is in search of its 12th-straight win over Bradley, which would set a new school mark for consecutive wins over one MVC foe.
• Among the current Valley membership, there have only been eight recorded instances of one conference team defeating a other 11 or more consecutive times. SIU holds the record with 17 straight wins against Drake (2000-08). The previous WSU record is 11 in a row, also against Drake, from 1981-86.
• 9 of the 11 WSU wins in this stretch have come by 14-or-more points with an average margin of victory at just under 20.3 per points per contest.
 
SCOUTING THE BRAVES:
• Bradley - picked 10th in the MVC preseason poll - is looking to rebuild under head coach Brian Wardle, who compiled a 96-65 record in five season at Green Bay with three-consecutive postseason appearances.
• The Braves are the nation's youngest team - 10 of their 12 players are freshmen.
• Sophomore Donte Thomas averages a team-high 9.7 points. He's the only active Brave who saw time in the last meeting with WSU, finishing with four points in 17 minutes.
• Senior KaDarryl Bell is the team's lone active upperclassmen, averaging 3.3 points and 1.3 rebounds off the bench.
 
THE STAKES
A Shocker Win Would...
... extend WSU's MVC road winning streak to 5-games
... up the Shockers' record to 8-5 and put them a season-best three-games above .500.
... extend their winning streak to three-games.
... be Gregg Marshall's 212th win at WSU, moving him to within eight games of all-time wins leader Ralph Miller (220).
A Shocker Loss Would...
...drop WSU to 7-6.
...put the Shockers at 1-1 in MVC play for the first time since 2011-12 (although that group successfully rebounded to go 16-2 and win the MVC title).
...lower WSU's road record to 1-3 and make them 1-6 outside of Wichita for the year.
...be less good than a win.
 
UP NEXT
Wednesday night, Wichita State (picked first in the MVC preseason poll) returns home to battle Evansville (picked second) in a game that will feature four of the five preseason All-MVC selections. Shockers Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet will look to shut down the NCAA's active career leading scorer, Evansville's D.J. Ballentine (2,070 points) and Egidijus Mockevicius (1,225 career points and 979 career rebounds). Mockevivious is looking to become just the 13th player in MVC history to reach 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. Evansville handed the Shockers their last home loss in late February of 2013.