Georgia Southern (5-1) at Bradley (5-1)
Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017 - Carver Arena (11,442) – 2 p.m. ET
Radio: GS Sports Network (pregame show starts a half hour before tipoff) - Internet only (GSEagles.com/watch)
Series: GS trails 3-1, L1
Last Meeting: 12/17/2012, L 62-43 (away) |
| Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats | Twitter Updates |
Probable GS Starters:
#0
Montae Glenn
#2
Mike Hughes
#3 Ike Smith
#4 Tookie Brown
#10 Jake Allsmiller
Setting the Scene
• Georgia Southern caps a four-game in six-day stretch with a road contest at Bradley. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
• Bradley owns a 3-1 edge against the Eagles in the all-time series, which began in 1970, and three of the four meetings have been on the road, all losses.
• The Braves won the last meeting 62-43 at home in 2012.
•The Eagles last played in Illinois in the 2014-15 season opener, an 81-70 loss at the University of Illinois.
• It's the Eagles' second game against a Missouri Valley Conference opponent this week as GS topped Missouri State, 74-73, Monday in the opening round of the Gulf Coast Showcase.
• The Eagles are coming off a 70-67 setback to Towson in the championship game of the tournament Wednesday, their first loss of the season.
• GS started 5-0 for the first time since the 1991-92 season. Four of GS's six games have been decided by three points or less, including the last three.
• The Eagles have been one of the youngest teams in the country the last two years, and for the second year in a row, Georgia Southern returned 94 percent of its scoring and all five starters, including first-team All-Sun Belt selections
Ike Smith and
Tookie Brown.
• GS was picked fourth and Brown, Smith and
Mike Hughes were named all-conference in the Sun Belt Preseason Poll, which is voted on by the league's 12 head coaches.
• As of Nov. 16, the Eagles are ranked ninth in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major top-25. Gonzaga is ranked first, UTA is ranked fourth, Louisiana is 12th, Georgia State is 20th and Missouri State is 21st.
• Bradley has won its last three and is coming off a 79-47 home win over Missouri S&T Wednesday night.
• The Braves were picked seventh in the MVC Preseason Poll, and leading scorer Darrell Brown (12.2 ppg) was named second-team All-Valley.
Team Storylines
•
Mark Byington is coaching in his 147th career game today and his 136th at Georgia Southern. His 51 wins in his first three seasons at Georgia Southern were the best of any coach in the modern era. He posted a 7-4 record at College of Charleston in 2012, filling in as the interim coach for Bobby Cremins.
• Under
Mark Byington, Georgia Southern is 52-11 in games when leading at half and 61-6 when leading with five minutes to go.
• The Eagles' 85-83 victory at Wake Forest was their first over an ACC opponent since topping Virginia Tech 83-78 on the road in 2012. Byington was an assistant coach for the Hokies at the time.
• Georgia Southern's 120 points against Bluefield State was the most in a game since 1974.
Next Up
• Georgia Southern plays just two games in the next 14 days as the Eagles host Tennessee Wesleyan Saturday, Dec. 2, and Savannah State Saturday, Dec. 9. Both contests will tip off at 5 p.m. in Hanner Fieldhouse.
Georgia Southern Athletics provides current information on all its sports through its official website, GSEagles.com, which is fully responsive across all mobile devices. Information on Eagle athletics can also be found through social media channels facebook.com/GSAthletics, twitter.com/GSAthletics and Instagram.com/GSAthletics. To purchase tickets to Georgia Southern athletics events, visit GSEagles.com/tickets.
In order to expedite entry and provide a safe environment for all patrons and participants, Georgia Southern Athletics has implemented a Clear Bag Policy for all ticketed sporting events, effective Aug. 1, 2017. Fans can find the complete policy as well as an FAQ section at GSEagles.com/ClearBag.
