Not having homework this year means that I can follow college basketball more closely, and one of the teams I follow closest is Bradley, naturally.
Bradley's basketball season thus far has fallen short of preseason expectations. As it stands, the Braves are 8-17 overall, and 2-12 in Missouri Valley action. In the past several seasons, the Braves have entered the MVC conference tournament as a four or five seed, but this year the Braves will be playing in the Opening Round of "Arch Madness" as a team seeded anywhere from seven to ten. If Drake wins again, the best Bradley can finish is 8th.
There is a silver lining to Bradley's record. Bradley narrowly lost to the co-conference leaders Missouri State, and won their two previous MVC. The record also doesn't indicate that the Braves have played their entire season without two of their three players, honored before the season as preseason All-MVC candidates, Taylor Brown and Sam Maniscalco.
Both players are sitting out the season with medical redshirts and their losses have been a big blow to the Braves. Brown, a small forward led Bradley in rebounding last year and was named the conference's most improved player. Brown is sitting out the season for a mandatory 90-day rest period necessary to evaluate a heart condition. Maniscalco, Bradley's starting point guard during the past three seasons, is sitting out the year due to ankle issues. The loss of Brown and Maniscalco has been a big blow to the team, and you can't simply replace players like that. Both players should be eligible to return next year, which means Bradley could have a vastly improved record next season.
The third of the preseason award candidates, Andrew Warren, has been the biggest bright spot for the Braves. Warren was always a great shooter, but this season he has become a complete player and one of the best in the MVC (full disclosure: Andrew and I have the same major, so we had several classes together). Andrew leads the MVC in scoring (19.0), free throw percentage (.886), and three point field goals (59). I think he's a shoo-in to be named to the MVC's First Team All-Valley.
Since Bradley beat Creighton during Snowpocalypse, the team has been playing a lot better (the two wins, and the close game at MSU). As of late other good options have emerged around Warren, Dyricus Simms-Edwards has emerged as a legitimate scoring threat in his second season at Bradley, and could be the type of player to lead Bradley in scoring during his next two seasons. Freshman Jordan Prosser is also emerging as a good option in the post, and I could see him averaging at least 10 pts, eight boards in the near future. Jake Eastman, a reserve guard for now, is a solid defender and developing a consistent three-point shot. Also, freshman Walt Lemon, is learning how to harness his athleticism and could develop into a top-level guard in the MVC.
As bad of a season as its been, I don't think head coach Jim Les will be fired, no do I believe he should. It's almost impossible to overcome the loss of two of your three best players. Additionally, he is bringing in a solid recruiting class, led by guard Remy Abell from Louisville, the best player on the top ranked high school team in Kentucky (basketball is kind of a big deal there). Besides, there is always the issue of who would you replace Coach Les with. I think next year if Bradley doesn't finish in the top of the MVC, then his job should be in question.
Down the stretch, Bradley has a pretty favorable schedule, and Northern Iowa is the only game against a team near the top of the MVC. Bradley plays host to Evansville on Saturday, and I think they can definitely win 4 of the final 5 games on the schedule. Bradley is definitely the type of team no one will want to face at Arch Madness. Without a powerhouse team in the MVC, Bradley could make a little run in St. Louis.
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