The so-called pre-season is over -- now the Missouri Valley conference race begins. The Bradley Braves host defending NIT champion Wichita State in their Valley opener Wednesday night at Carver Arena. The match up is not lost on first year Bradley head coach Geno Ford.
"Wichita State is kind of (Missouri Valley) Commissioner Doug Elgin's first gift to me for Christmas," jokes Ford. "We have Wichita State and then Indiana State, who won last year's tournament, and then Creighton and later Wichita State again. We have Wichita two of our first six."
Seriously, Ford says the Shockers will be a strong test for the Braves. "They are very athletic, they press and get up and deny," says Ford. "They have great depth. They keep running bodies at your and keep the speed of the game high."
Ford says turnovers and rebounds will be the key factors for Bradley. "If we're giving them extra possessions, either by them getting offensive rebounds or us throwing the ball into the bleachers, the game could be difficult for us," explains Ford. "This is a game in which we have to maximize possessions."
Live coverage begins with State Bank of Speer Braves Plus Wednesday night at 6:00 on 1470 WMBD.
