COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Bradley enters with a 1-0 start, 85.0 points per game, 47.8% shooting from the field, 35.3% from three, and 45.0 rebounds per game. The Braves have also held opponents to 41.0 points per game, which is the clearest sign of strength in the early season sample. Their KenPom profile is helped by the stronger defensive rating, even though the offense is still settling in. Pacific also opened 1-0 and produced bigger raw scoring numbers, posting 102.0 points per game, 63.3% field-goal shooting, 42.9% from three, and 56.0 rebounds per game. Defensively, though, the Tigers have allowed 47.0 points per game and their overall efficiency profile is not as balanced as Bradley’s. That contrast makes Pacific the more explosive offense, but Bradley the more stable side to trust over a full game.
Bradley should use its home floor and stronger defensive profile to get the better of Pacific in a competitive game. Pacific’s early scoring burst and shooting efficiency are real, but the sample is tiny and Bradley’s ability to suppress points gives the home side the edge. Projected final score: Bradley Braves 74, Pacific Tigers 69.
