One-On-One with Brian Wardle
(St. Louis, MO) – After dropping three straight games, Bradley has won four of its last five games and the Braves seem to be finishing strong. Both of Bradley’s last two wins have come courtesy of Darius Hannah late game heroics. Bradley’s all-time leader in games played is certainly finishing strong.
Head coach Brian Wardle’s team (22-7, 13-5) is tied with Northern Iowa, in second place in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Braves have topped the twenty-win plateau for three straight years and during six of the last eight campaigns.
Wednesday night the Braves travel to Valparaiso to face the Beacons (13-16, 6-12) in a rematch of a late December game that went into double overtime. The Beacons are also finishing strong. Roger Powell Jr’s team has won two straight and three of its last four games. They have doubled the amount of conference wins achieved last season and are one win short of doubling their season output from last year.
Bradley’s veteran squad features preseason Valley player of the year, Duke Deen, Hannah and fellow seniors Christian Davis and Zek Montgomery. The Braves are the Valley’s top team in three-point percentage and defensive field goal percentage. While Deen is tied with Belmont’s Tyler Lundblade for the most three-point baskets (3.14 per game), Montgomery’s long range percentage is slightly higher.
Brian Wardle Tells us about Finishing Strong
Wardle’s team has been focused on finishing strong all year. While they would have loved to win the regular season title, their vision has included the Arch Madness Tournament. This team’s goal is the NCAA Tournament.
Wardle’s Braves won the 2019 and 2020 conference tournaments and desperately want to get back to the ‘Big Dance’.
Wednesday’s game tips at 8 pm. It will be aired over free television on Gray Media stations (Matrix Midwest in St. Louis). The Braves finish the season with a home game against Northern Iowa. That game could decide second and third place seeding at Arch Madness.
Do Good
Editor: Cover photo of Darius Hannah, courtesy of BradleyBraves.com.
Twitter Feed
Flooding, lightning strikes, etc. have cost @RacersHoops two home games. Had to play 'neutral site' tonight instead of at home and Wednesday's goes from home to away. Tough break for the Racers, and the whole area has been hit with difficulties. #FatherHarry
Murray State's scheduled home game Wednesday vs. Southern Illinois being moved to Banterra Center in Carbondale. #ValleyHoops
Gigantic game for @BradleyUMBB today in Des Moines. If they have a chance to catch @DrakeBulldogsMB, they have to win today. The Bulldogs can basically win the title today. @BustingBrackets breaks it all down. #FatherHarry https://bit.ly/3EGiVgi
Not rooting for any particular @ValleyHoops, but chaos is always fun. If things break certain ways, after today there could be a six-way tie for fifth place.
Fun to listen to @MLBLarry on the @SIU_Basketball/@BelmontMBB game tonight. Good job brother. #FatherHarry
