Bradley men's basketball releases nonconference schedule for 2021-22 season

PEORIA — The Bradley men's basketball team will test itself with a nonconference schedule that includes two tournament appearances and an array of games against opponents expected to contend for conference titles this season.

"As always, our goal is to schedule opponents that will both challenge us and best prepare us to contend for another Valley title," Bradley coach Brian Wardle said in a release. "We will have an opportunity to face a high number of teams that will contend for postseason bids and conference titles, allowing our program to peak in a highly-competitive Missouri Valley Conference this season." 

Bradley will open the regular season on Nov. 9 with a game at South Dakota State against a team that has won the Summit League regular-season or tournament championship seven straight years.

The Braves will host Howard in their home opener at 2 p.m. in Carver Arena on Nov. 13.

Missouri S&T comes in to Carver Arena on Nov. 16 for a 7 p.m. battle.

Then BU travels to St. Thomas/U.S. Virgin Islands for the Paradise Jam tournament. The Braves open that against Colorado State at noon on Nov. 19. That tourney concludes on Nov. 22 with two more games against potential opponents Brown, Creighton, Colorado, Duquesne, Northeastern and Southern Illinois.

Bradley then plays three of its next four games at Carver Arena, including a 2 p.m. start against Maine on Nov. 27, a 2 p.m. start against SIU Edwardsville on Dec. 4 and 2 p.m. start against St. Joseph's on Dec. 18.

In between, on Dec. 7, BU will visit Toledo to play the defending regular-season MAC champs in a 6 p.m. game.

The Braves will head to El Paso, Texas for the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl tournament, where they'll play Sam Houston State at 6 p.m. on Dec. 21 and either North Carolina Central or tournament host UTEP on Dec. 22 at 6 p.m. or 8 p.m.

After the Christmas break, Bradley comes back to Carver Arena to host Bellarmine in a 7 p.m. game that serves as its final outing before the Missouri Valley Conference schedule begins.

Ticket information

Braves season tickets start at $125 and are available online with a deposit through Sept. 15.  Those who make deposits will be contacted after Sept. 15 to select their preferred seats.

Fans can renew or purchase tickets at the Bradley Athletics ticket office at Renaissance Coliseum via (309) 677-2625 or BradleyTicketOffice@bradley.edu. The ticket office hours are 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Mini packs and single-game tickets will be available later in the preseason.

Bravely Speaking

The Braves will play a Nov. 2 exhibition game against Illinois-Springfield at 7 p.m. in Carver Arena. ... The season opener at South Dakota State marks the first time BU will start its season against a defending conference champion since facing BYU in 2009-10. ... South Dakota State beat Bradley at Carver Arena 88-84 last season. ... Bradley beat Toledo, 61-59, in the Xavier Invitational in its 2020-21 season opener. ... Colorado State was 20-8 last season and went 14-4 in the Mountain West. ... Bradley had St. Joseph's on its initial schedule last season, but the game was cancelled because of COVID among Tier 1 personnel in St. Joseph's program. ... The 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament will run March 3-6 in St. Louis.

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. Reach him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.