Basketball: Bradley @ Wichita State (Pre-game)

On Wednesday night the Shockers and Bradley will meet for both teams second conference game of the season. The Shox are coming off a 68-56 loss to preseason favorite Creighton. Whiel Bradley is coming off a big 79-63 win over Southern Illinois. Both teams would like to pick up a big win early in the season to gain momentum.

SCOUTING THE BRADLEY BRAVES

As a team Bradley has struggled to find healthy players. Theron Wilson, also recruited by WSU, leads the team in scoring with 13.8 points per game and 7.3 rebounds per game. Sam Maniscalco leads the team with 42 assits on the season and also averages 11.8 points per game. Dodie Dunson leads the team in the 3 point percentage, at 37.7% and has hit 20 3's on the season. The Braves are an average team on the board keeping their season stats about even. Bradley is good at stealing the ball, they have 14 more steals than their opponents. David Collins leads the team in blocks with 19, he could certainly play an impact down low against the Shox. The three big impact players for the Braves are Maniscalco, Wilson, and Dunson, they lead this BU team and if WSU can shut them down then they will have a good shot at a win.

MATCH-UPS

Point Guard: Clevin Hannah (5'11, 155) will match-up against
Shooting Guard: Toure' Murry (6'3, 185) will match-up against
Small Forward: AJ Hawkins (6'5, 202) will match-up against
Power Forward: Ramon Clemente (6'6, 220) will match-up against
Center: Garrett Stutz (7'0, 235) will match-up against

BREAK OUT PLAYER - AARON ELLIS

Aaron seems hungry to get better and earn some respect from the fans and I think this game he breaks out and plays a role in this game. Ellis picked up some lose balls and had a good look at the basket, it's just a matter of time until this kid has a good game. We all know what Aaron is capable of after his 19 point, 9 rebound performance in the tournament against Indiana State. Look for Aaron to score 4 to 8 points, and grab around 5 rebounds. I sure hope this kid finds his game before he finds the door. (0 for 3, on break out picks)

SUMMARY

This is a key game for the Shox if they still have aspirations of finishing in the top half of the Valley. Bradley is coming off a huge win over the Salukis and I would like nothing more then to prove a point to this conference why we shouldn't be picked ninth. Look for Ramon to bring his intensity, something he seemed to lack on Sunday, and Clevin, Toure, and AJ will have a good night scoring the basketball. If the Shox post players don't show up we will have a tough time with the Braves but if the big guys play well the Shox could win this one in double digits. My prediction is the Shox more than likely won't win by more than 10 but it won't be real close at the end.

PREDICTION: WSU 70, Bradley 63.

-shockers02