Bravehearts: From the Bottom to...Where?

It's been a rough few days since Bradley endured their worst loss in over 100 years at the hands of Wichita State. However, LitCS correspondent Kevin McClelland says there's still a light at the end of the tunnel for BU.

The Bradley Braves opened up Missouri Valley Conference play Tuesday, and took on the Wichita State Shockers.

Carver Arena had a certain excitement about it—Valley play was opening up; many people had time off between holidays, and in general it was a light atmosphere. While the student section was spartan, the Bradley red was abundant in the crowd.


Unfortunately, the crowd can't get on the floor and make baskets for the Braves, and they desperately needed them.


Bradley shot 25 percent from the field against a Shockers team with more length and depth than the Braves were accustomed to. The only starter to break into double digits was Taylor Brown, although Prosser sniffed at a double double with nine points and nine rebounds.


Our bench got outscored. Our starters were manhandled by their bigs. They changed our shots near the rim. We got out-rebounded, out-hustled, and out-worked, things Coach Ford will likely address at practice.


But even after this paltry performance, I have no doubt that Carver will be packed when the Braves take on the Salukis January 3. It should be a ghost town—Southern is the only team in the Valley with a worse record that Bradley—but Peorians have shown some mix of resiliency and hope, now that the "Jim Les Era" is over and Geno Ford has introduced some offense besides the three-man weave.


They've seen the mediocre teams that followed the Sweet Sixteen run, but they remember that Sweet Sixteen team and tasted a bit of what the NCAA tournament can do for the program, the school and the community. That taste hasn't yet been washed away by the bitterness of those losing seasons, and they know something else is on the horizon.


It just may take awhile to see the sun after all this darkness, and I'm sure Bradley basketball fans won't forget that any time soon.


KDM

Kevin McClelland is a longtime resident of the Ohio city colloquially known as "Believeland". Follow him on Twitter @K_D_McClelland.