The Drake University men's basketball team begins the Missouri Valley Conference season Dec. 28 at the Knapp Center when the Bulldogs host Bradley. Tipoff against the Braves is scheduled for 7 p.m. with Mediacom MC22 broadcasting the MVC opener for both teams.
 
The MVC opener for both teams features a Drake squad with a 6-7 record that has scored 79.5 points per game against a 10-3 Bradley team that has held opponents to 60.9 points per game. The Bulldogs begin MVC play following an 81-57 win over Maryland Eastern Shore while Bradley suffered an 82-59 loss at Mississippi in its final non-conference contest of the season.
 
Darnell Brown leads the Braves with 13.2 points per game and scored 10 points the last time the two teams met in the MVC Tournament last season. Bradley prevailed in that contest, 67-58, to earn its fourth-straight win over the Bulldogs.
 
Drake matched a season-high with 19 assists in the win over UMES, the fifth time it has done so this season. As a result, the Bulldogs lead the MVC in assists at 16.5 per game and assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.31. Nationally, Drake ranks 50^th in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio behind C.J. Rivers' (Cahokia, Ill.) 44 assists this season.
 
Following Thursday's MVC opener, the Bulldogs return to the road to take on SIU Dec. 31 at SIU Arena.