Bradley is Finally Old

(St. Louis, MO) – Bradley’s basketball team is finally old, but are they good? After being the youngest team in the nation two straight seasons, the Braves now sport a roster with five juniors and four seniors. In three seasons under coach Brian Wardle the Bradley win total has risen from five to 13 to 20.

Now the Braves are poised to create problems for upper echelon Missouri Valley Conference teams. Wardle won 95 games in five seasons at Green Bay and every Bradley measurable is pointed in right direction. Four starters return from last season and former starter Antoine Pittman returns after sitting out last season.

To get his team better prepared for this season, Wardle took is team on a summer foreign trip. He says ‘life experience’ was just as important as the basketball experience. Senior Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye says he loved playing in front of family and friends.

 

 

Guard Oriented Attack

What Bradley lacks in front court depth, they make up for with athletic and physical guards. Seven of the eight BU guards are 6’3 or taller and their shortest backcourt player is their star player, point guard Darrell Brown. The 5’10 junior led the team in scoring (13.5 points per game) and assists (4.3 per game) and was named to the MVC’s third-team all conference squad.

Juniors Brown and Pittman are both developing their games. Wardle says Brown is one of the best guards in the Valley and that Pittman’s year off was about developing his offensive game. Pittman has always been a fierce defender.

 

 

The Bradley backcourt is finally old. Five of the eight are juniors or older and DLO (as titled on Twitter) says he is excited that the Braves are finally an experienced team, and he too brags about the return of Pittman.

 

 

Boya Out – Thinner Up Front

Wardle and Bradley fans are excited about the signing of 7’1 center Ari Boya, but the Cameroon native is out with an ankle injury. He’s likely out until mid January. Don’t weep too loudly for the Braves.

Two former Valley all-freshman team members play up front. Sophomore Elijah Childs improved all season and finished the year as a key member of Wardle’s rotation. He averaged 8.4 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. The 6’7 lefty needs to improve his free throw shooting, but might be the key to BU’s front court success.

6’11 junior Koch Bar saw his minutes and his statistics decline last year compared to his first season and with Boya side-lined, Bar’s trajectory needs to change direction.

Wing Men Matter

The small forward position has depth and talent. Veterans Nate Kennell and Luuk van Bree return and provide experience and the ability to score from long distance. Freshman Ja’Shon Henry comes to Bradley from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where he was ranked as last year’s ninth best Canadian player. The 6’6 Henry averaged over 28 points per game during his final prep season.

Kennell led the Braves with 69 triples and van Bree made 42 percent of his shots from deep. The 6’9 van Bree was an all freshman team member (2015-16) was better from deep last season but saw his minutes diminished with the emergence of Childs. Kennell averaged 9.2 points per game.

Bradley hasn’t won a Missouri Valley regular season title since before most of the current Braves were born (1996). The Braves have a lot of perimeter weapons and now that they are finally old, they have a chance to contend for a Valley title.

Do Good