What to know as Bradley basketball gears up to extend its lengthy home win streak
PEORIA — The Bradley Braves homecourt run has put them on a nice trip up the national win streak list.
The Braves have won 16 straight games at Carver Arena, the program's longest home win streak in 27 years. It is also the 10th-longest active home win streak in the nation among NCAA Division I teams — one behind both Dayton and No. 7-ranked UCLA.
"We're just comfortable here, with our home crowd, we want to defend it every time we're here," Bradley center Rienk Mast said. "We know as long as we don't lose a game at home … if we can step it up on the road we'll be fine.
"It always feels good to play in here, but now we got to show it on the road, too. Our play is drastically different at home than it is on the road. We really have to make it translate to road games."
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The Braves are 9-0 at home this season but 2-6 away from Carver Arena, where their losses include games against Arkansas and Auburn (ranked 10th and 13th, respectively, at the time).
Bradley gets back onto the Carver Arena floor on Wednesday, where Evansville will be in the crosshairs. BU's home win streak is the longest active in the Valley, where Drake has an 11-gamer and no other team has more than five in a row.
The Braves own three of the 11 longest home win streaks in Missouri Valley Conference history, checking in at 46 (No. 2), 30 (No. 9) and 27 (No. 11).
"It's hard to win on the road," Bradley coach Brian Wardle said. "If you look at Div.-1 over the last five years, 10 years, 20 years, I think teams are about 84% (win rate) at home.
"We're clicking in this building right now, our fans are tremendous. Guys are very comfortable here. We just need to find a little bit of that on the road and we'll win some games."
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What is the longest home win streak in NCAA Division I?
Here's a look at the longest active win streaks, heading into Wednesday action, in the nation at the NCAA Div.-I level:
75 — Gonzaga
27 — Auburn
25 — Tennessee
21 — Jacksonville
20 — Iona
19 — Norfolk
18 — Arkansas
17 — UCLA
17 — Dayton
16 — Bradley
16 — San Diego State
Bravely Speaking
Bradley has won nine in a row against Evansville. BU's last loss to the Aces was a 66-53 decision on Jan. 20, 2018. … Bradley is 25-5 all-time at home against Evansville. … Evansville has lost 13 straight regular-season Missouri Valley Conference games, and seven in a row on the road. … The Aces are 2-22 in the Valley going back through last season. Their last win in the Valley and on the road was a 65-56 decision at Indiana State on Feb. 2 of last season. … The Aces are 2-28 in regular-season Valley road games going back through the 2019-20 season. … The Braves are 25-5 all-time at home against Evansville. ... Bradley forwards Malevy Leons and Darius Hannah are rank first and second, respectively, in the Valley for total blocked shots. at 27 and 22. … Bradley guard Ville Tahvanainen is on a free throw shooting roll. He has made 27 consecutive free throws starting from a year ago. He's one shot of joining Daniel Ruffin's 28 in a row (2005-06) in the 10th spot all-time in Bradley history. Tahvanainen's last missed free throw was a second attempt with 16:38 left in the second half against Indiana State in Jan. 2, 2022 loss at Carver Arena. His current streak started on Jan. 5, 2022 at home in a buzzer-beater loss to Missouri State. That's also the last home game Bradley lost before starting a 15-game win streak. Tahvanainen is 11 of 11 at the line this season.
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Evansville at Bradley
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Carver Arena, Peoria
Watch: ESPN+
Listen: WMBD-AM 1470, FM 100.3
Records: Bradley, 11-6 (3-2), 2nd in MVC. Evansville, 4-13, (0-6), 11th in MVC.
All-time series: Bradley, 37-23.
NET ranking: Bradley, No. 72. Evansville, No. 331.
KenPom ranking: Bradley, No. 78. Evansville, No. 340.
MVC preseason poll: Bradley, No. 2. Evansville, No. 12.
Head coaches: Bradley, Brian Wardle (8th season). Evansville, Dave Ragland (1st season).
Players to watch: Evansville Aces: 6-6 G Kenny Strawbridge team-best 16.2 ppg, 40a; 6-10 F Yacine Toumi 10.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg; G Marvin Coleman II, 9.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 48a. Bradley Braves: C Rienk Mast 12.9 ppg and 8.3 rpg among MVC best, 32.0% from 3; F Malevy Leons 11.2 ppg, 5.8 ppg and MVC-best 27 blocks and 29 steals; F Ja'Shon Henry 10.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg; G Duke Deen 10.7 ppg, team-best 51a, 36.9% from 3.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: College basketball: Bradley looks to extend home win streak vs. Evansville
