Last season (2011-2012)was unequivocally the worst season in Bradley men's basketball history. It was ugly, and at times, the Braves barely resembled a Division I basketball team. In Coach Geno Ford's first season, the Braves finished with a 7-25 record, which marked a program low. While the team had a few talented players, there was no one on the team that really scared opponents and the Braves especially struggled with their shooting and committed a lot of turnovers. Also, Bradley lacked depth, especially among their big men.
Going into this season, obviously, conventional wisdom says that there is no way the team could get worse. However, I think this season has going much better than most Bradley fans would have hoped for, myself included. Before the season started, I had told myself that I would have been happy with a 13-win season, which would have still been a significant improvement. With four regular season games to go, Bradley has an overall record of 15-12 and is in a tie for 5th place in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 7-8 record. The Braves are simply one of the most improved teams in college basketball. Last year at this point (15 games into the 18-game MVC schedule), Bradley was already assured of a last place finish in the conference (7-20 overall, 2-13 in the Valley).
The season started out on a very good note for the Braves. The team sat at 5-1 when Michigan (#3 in the country at the time) came to Peoria for a rare non-conference road trip. The game was very close and Michigan was never really able to pull away, edging the Braves 74-66. Although they did not win, the Michigan game showcased some of the improvements that the team has made this season. Later in December, the Braves struggled in back-to-back games against Virginia Tech and Portland, which were part of the Las Vegas Classic. Although the team has improved, they still do not have the depth of Wichita State or Creighton, the top two teams in the MVC. For this reason, I find it hard to believe they could win three games in a row during the conference tournament and secure a bid to the NCAA Tournament (more on BU's post-season prospects later). With the lack of depth (Bradley plays primarily eight guys), it is hard to see Bradley pulling off this feat.
Moving on to the MVC schedule, Bradley has mostly shown an ability to compete with most of the teams in the league. However, when they are not shooting well in league games, they tend to come out flat both offensively and defensively. Bradley's lowest score in a winning outcome is 66 points, so it is unlikely that the team will be able to grind out games with scores in the 40s and 50s. They have struggled with Northern Iowa, where in both games, the team surrendered huge first half deficits and was unable to climb out in the second halves. Conference play has also showcased the improvement of Dyricus Simms-Edwards and Walt Lemon Jr. into all-conference caliber players. This pair is the leading scoring backcourt in the conference, but has also shined on the defensive end. Simms-Edwards ranks among the top 5 nationally in steals, and Lemon Jr. is second in the MVC in steals.
Going forward, Bradley has a road game at Drake tonight. This game is really important to win because unlike last season, Bradley's final position in the standings is still up in the air. Losing to Drake would leave the Braves in a tie for seventh place in the MVC. Because the top six teams receive a first round bye in the conference tournament, seventh place is a perilous spot to be in. A win would also be important because Bradley has struggled tremendously on the road over the past two seasons. In fact, Bradley has not won a Valley road game outside of a win at SIU since Feb. 6, 2010 (a 24-game skid). Drake is currently in ninth place (11-15, 5-10), so this isn't exactly the biggest challenge ever.
With four games remaining, I still feel good about Bradley reaching the postseason, even if it is not the NCAA Tournament. I think it is realistic that the Braves can take three of their last four games or at least a split, which would leave them at 18-13 or 17-14. With a win the MVC tournament, I think Bradley could make it into the NIT and even with a loss, Bradley would still be eligible for the CIT or CBI, two newer, lower-tier tournaments, which would provide Bradley's younger players with more practice time and game experience. Not too shabby for a team picked to finish second to last in the Missouri Valley.
As a fan, I have been very pleased (and presently surprised) with Geno Ford as the head coach. People tend to forget that other than a few weeks in March 2006, the Jim Les tenure was very mediocre. Les (154-150 in nine seasons) never led Bradley to higher than a fourth place finish in the conference. With a fifth place finish in the MVC this year, something still very possible, Geno Ford isn't too far off of Les' peak in just his second season with the Braves. As a fan, I have been very pleased (and presently surprised) with Geno Ford as the head coach. People tend to forget that other than a few weeks in March 2006, the Jim Les tenure was very mediocre. Les (154-150 in nine seasons) never led Bradley to higher than a fourth place finish in the conference. With a fifth place finish in the MVC this year, something still very possible, Geno Ford isn't to far off of Les' peak in just his second season with the Braves.
