Bradley men play host to TCU on Wednesday in final nonconference matchup
TCU, Bradley?s final nonconference opponent Wednesday night at Carver Arena (7:05 p.m.), doesn?t own the resume many of the Braves? other foes so far can tout. Indeed, six of Bradley?s 10 losses have come to teams ranked among the top 77 in the RPI.
But the Horned Frogs (6-4) ? whose RPI is just 229 because five of their wins have come against teams with a combined six Division I victories so far ? definitely got Bradley?s attention with a 71-60 win at the Cancun Challenge over Illinois State.
?TCU is big and long with good balance,? said BU coach Brian Wardle. ?We?ll have to do a good job of keeping pressure on the ball and working them out of the paint. If they get deep paint touches on us, we?ll be in trouble because of their size in the lane.?
The Frogs boast a pair of quality 6-foot-10 inside guys ? leading scorer Vlad Brodziansky (14.9 points per game) and top rebounder Karviar Shepherd (6.4 boards per game).
Wardle noted it was critical that the Braves? top two interior players defensively ? Callum Barker and Donte Thomas ? stay out of foul trouble. That hasn?t been the case of late with the BU bigs.
?This is a game we have to be smart and keep Callum and Donte on the floor,? Wardle said. ?They?re trying to be aggressive and tougher. But along with that comes using your head. We just have to play smarter.?
Still, the BU coach has been pleased in other ways with the progress his 2-10 team (RPI 274) has made in its first dozen games with the Missouri Valley Conference opener looming next Wednesday at Northern Iowa.
?Losing is never easy and nobody in that locker room likes doing it,? he said. ?But we?ve learned a lot. We?ve grown in some areas and understood quickly what our deficiencies were. So we?ve tweaked some things already before we get into Valley play. That?s what a good nonconference schedule can do. It can expose you. We?ve played some really good teams and have been exposed.
?You can tell a lot about people?s character through adversity. You can learn a lot about your players and staff when things aren?t going well. This is an upbeat, energetic group. We?ll just keep working hard and see if we can get in some rhythm and start playing at a higher level.?
Freshman walk-on forward Peter Hanley of Peoria is one member of that group. Despite the Braves? record, he?s not regretting his decision to walk on at Bradley and play lesser minutes than he might have gotten at one of the Division III schools that was recruiting him out of Notre Dame.
?I like this situation a lot better,? he said. ?I?ve gotten a lot better, moved out and improved my guard skills. The coaches have really helped me out.?
Hanley?s father, Art, is a Bradley alum who instilled a love for the program into his son, the fifth of eight siblings, at a young age.
?My dad brought me to a lot of (BU) games,? Peter Hanley said. ?I remember going out to the airport to greet the Sweet 16 team when they came back. Bradley basketball was a big part of me growing up and it?s really cool to get to play here. I know my dad enjoys it. He?s been very supportive.?
Braves briefs: BU senior guard Ka?Darryl Bell, who banged his knee hard on the floor near the end of Sunday?s 90-70 loss at Boise State, practiced Tuesday and is expected to play Wednesday. ? Wardle and his wife, Lecia, hosted the BU team at their home for Christmas fun and dinner Tuesday night. ?We want them to understand we?re here for them not just as numbers on the floor, but as people,? Wardle said. ?Spending time with them they get to understand we?re family men and husbands and there?s a lot more to us than just basketball. That?s important for them to see.? ? Bradley will host Nevada next Dec. 3 in the Missouri Valley/Mountain West Challenge. Other matchups include San Diego State at Loyola, Indiana State at Utah State, UNI at Wyoming, Boise State at Evansville, Missouri State at Air Force, Wichita State at Colorado State, New Mexico State at Illinois State, Fresno State at Drake and Southern Illinois at UNLV.
TCU, Bradley?s final nonconference opponent Wednesday night at Carver Arena (7:05 p.m.), doesn?t own the resume many of the Braves? other foes so far can tout. Indeed, six of Bradley?s 10 losses have come to teams ranked among the top 77 in the RPI.
But the Horned Frogs (6-4) ? whose RPI is just 229 because five of their wins have come against teams with a combined six Division I victories so far ? definitely got Bradley?s attention with a 71-60 win at the Cancun Challenge over Illinois State.
?TCU is big and long with good balance,? said BU coach Brian Wardle. ?We?ll have to do a good job of keeping pressure on the ball and working them out of the paint. If they get deep paint touches on us, we?ll be in trouble because of their size in the lane.?
The Frogs boast a pair of quality 6-foot-10 inside guys ? leading scorer Vlad Brodziansky (14.9 points per game) and top rebounder Karviar Shepherd (6.4 boards per game).
Wardle noted it was critical that the Braves? top two interior players defensively ? Callum Barker and Donte Thomas ? stay out of foul trouble. That hasn?t been the case of late with the BU bigs.
?This is a game we have to be smart and keep Callum and Donte on the floor,? Wardle said. ?They?re trying to be aggressive and tougher. But along with that comes using your head. We just have to play smarter.?
Still, the BU coach has been pleased in other ways with the progress his 2-10 team (RPI 274) has made in its first dozen games with the Missouri Valley Conference opener looming next Wednesday at Northern Iowa.
?Losing is never easy and nobody in that locker room likes doing it,? he said. ?But we?ve learned a lot. We?ve grown in some areas and understood quickly what our deficiencies were. So we?ve tweaked some things already before we get into Valley play. That?s what a good nonconference schedule can do. It can expose you. We?ve played some really good teams and have been exposed.
?You can tell a lot about people?s character through adversity. You can learn a lot about your players and staff when things aren?t going well. This is an upbeat, energetic group. We?ll just keep working hard and see if we can get in some rhythm and start playing at a higher level.?
Freshman walk-on forward Peter Hanley of Peoria is one member of that group. Despite the Braves? record, he?s not regretting his decision to walk on at Bradley and play lesser minutes than he might have gotten at one of the Division III schools that was recruiting him out of Notre Dame.
?I like this situation a lot better,? he said. ?I?ve gotten a lot better, moved out and improved my guard skills. The coaches have really helped me out.?
Hanley?s father, Art, is a Bradley alum who instilled a love for the program into his son, the fifth of eight siblings, at a young age.
?My dad brought me to a lot of (BU) games,? Peter Hanley said. ?I remember going out to the airport to greet the Sweet 16 team when they came back. Bradley basketball was a big part of me growing up and it?s really cool to get to play here. I know my dad enjoys it. He?s been very supportive.?
Braves briefs: BU senior guard Ka?Darryl Bell, who banged his knee hard on the floor near the end of Sunday?s 90-70 loss at Boise State, practiced Tuesday and is expected to play Wednesday. ? Wardle and his wife, Lecia, hosted the BU team at their home for Christmas fun and dinner Tuesday night. ?We want them to understand we?re here for them not just as numbers on the floor, but as people,? Wardle said. ?Spending time with them they get to understand we?re family men and husbands and there?s a lot more to us than just basketball. That?s important for them to see.? ? Bradley will host Nevada next Dec. 3 in the Missouri Valley/Mountain West Challenge. Other matchups include San Diego State at Loyola, Indiana State at Utah State, UNI at Wyoming, Boise State at Evansville, Missouri State at Air Force, Wichita State at Colorado State, New Mexico State at Illinois State, Fresno State at Drake and Southern Illinois at UNLV.
