PEORIA — The Bradley basketball team will likely be proclaimed No. 1 in the Missouri Valley Conference when the coaches and media preseason polls release some time next week. They will no doubt be a must-watch team on both the Valley level and perhaps a team to watch nationally.

But what are the must-watch games on the Braves' 2024-25 MVC schedule?

"I think it's always a challenge," Bradley coach Brian Wardle said. "What I've learned over my years is, don't put a lot of thought or time in it. It works itself out the way it should. The start of the schedule and the end of it are always the biggest parts. Home games to finish are important. For us, our schedule gives us an opportunity to start fast and finish fast."

There are plenty of subplots on the MVC schedule.

• BU opens at Southern Illinois on Dec. 3, where last season the Braves staged a 23-point comeback to win at Banterra Center, the largest comeback in program history.

• Missouri State comes into Carver Arena on Jan. 4, the final time Bradley will host them as a conference opponent.

• On Jan. 11 the Braves visit UIC for a first look at literally a whole new team. The Flames lost 12 players from last season's squad.

• Bradley goes to Evansville on Feb. 7, where almost a year ago to the day it lost when guard Duke Deen appeared to hit a game-tying 3 at the buzzer but it was ruled too late.

There are big games and big moments ahead, too. Asked what games on the BU schedule he'd be inspired to jump into a time machine and come back as college Brian Wardle to play in, the former Marquette star forward and longtime Braves coach laughed and said: "I'd want to be in those big-crowd games. The bigger the crowd the better I could play, I like those big crowd games."

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Here are eight games on Bradley's Valley schedule you'll want to see:

Jan. 8: Drake at Bradley, Carver Arena

• What to know: It's the longest running rivalry series in the MVC. The Bulldogs come in under new head coach Ben McCollum, whose program at NCAA Division-II Northwest Missouri State was a powerhouse. On the roster is Bennett Sturtz, younger brother to former Drake star Garrett Sturtz. There are those who believe the formula for an MVC regular-season championship tolerates four losses in conference play, and only one at home. So this game is huge.

• 2023-24 NET ranking: Bradley 57. Drake 47.

Jan. 18: Bradley at Murray State, Racer Arena

• What to know: Bradley has never won at Murray State as a Valley opponent. The all-time series is 9-9. BU owns a 1963 win at Murray State that was not a Valley Conference game. Fans will note it's less than two hours from Nashville, where the Braves play three days later.

• 2023-24 NET: Bradley 57. Murray State 169.

Jan. 21: Bradley at Belmont, Curb Event Center

• What to know: Belmont's top four scorers all graduated. But this game will feature the Dillon brothers — Connor with Bradley, Eoin with Belmont. Some old pain to avenge here, too, for fans who remember that Ben Sheppard driving buzzer-beater (sure looked like he traveled) over BU at Carver Arena in 2022-23 to break the Braves' 17-game home win streak. And, it's in Nashville. Fans will love that trip. "We better make sure we take a head count for our fans when that trip is over," Wardle said, laughing. "Make sure we don't leave any of them behind in Nashville."

• 2023-24 NET: Bradley 57. Belmont 117.

Jan. 25: Illinois State at Bradley, Carver Arena

• What to know: ISU projects to be a top five team in the Valley this season. The Braves lead the all-time series against their biggest rivals, 73-65. Valley All-Freshman Team selection in 2023, Johnny Kinziger, will lead ISU into Peoria. Big crowd, big energy, big game.

• 2023-24 NET: Bradley 57. ISU 178.

Feb. 2: Bradley at Northern Iowa, McLeod Center

• What to know: Chess battle between the Valley's two longest-tenured head coaches in Northern Iowa's Ben Jacobson and Bradley's Brian Wardle. BU has won four of the last five meetings and leads the all-time series 38-37.

• 2023-24 NET: Bradley 57. UNI 109.

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Feb. 16: Bradley at Drake, Knapp Center

• What to know: Bradley might need this game to split the season series. Or it could be a chance for BU to sweep. Either way, it's vital for positioning in the conference race.

• 2023-24 NET: Bradley 57. Drake 47.

Feb. 22: Murray State at Bradley, Carver Arena

• What to know: JaCobi Wood, Murray State's star guard, brings the Racers to Peoria in a game that should have MVC title implications. The Braves finish with two home games against major contenders in their final three outings.

• 2023-24 NET: Bradley 57. Murray State 169.

March 2: Northern Iowa at Bradley, Carver Arena

• What to know: The Braves beat them here, 85-69, last season. The Valley has a way of setting up what it thinks will be big games between top contenders at the end of the schedule. It was BU-Drake in front of 10,000 in Carver Arena two years ago on the final day. BU was at Drake on the final day last season. UNI played Southern Illinois and Murray State faced Indiana State on the final day last year. This season: The final day offers UNI at Bradley and Murray State at Belmont.

• 2023-24 NET: Bradley 57. UNI 109.

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What Brian Wardle says about the MVC schedule

Arch Madness is set for March 6-10 at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. The goal is always to stay away from that Thursday first round, something Bradley has been able to do under Wardle in five of the last six seasons. Here are Wardle's thoughts on the MVC schedule

• On big games: "I think Illinois State is always a big game for us. Murray State is going to be good. Northern Iowa is going to be good," Wardle said. "I don't know the players right now in the league, it's not like it used to be. With the transfer portal, teams hit home runs and reload.

• On which teams are favored: "You know more as a coach at the end of December about who could contend and who couldn't. There's teams in our league right now who could go 9-2 (in nonconference play) but still be a NET 250. So there's a lot of factors and it changes. I think Belmont is going to be better. I think UNI, Murray State, Illinois State all have a lot of guys back."

• On his team: "We have to plug away one day at a time. All the teams on our schedule … we're training to be the best against them. We have that mindset and attitude that every team we play, they are at the top of their league. It's more about one day, one week, keep getting better and building our chemistry."

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. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Bradley basketball: 8 games we circled on BU's MVC schedule