Sports-ophrenia: What is Bradley's Fate at Arch Madness?

In the last few months, my car's radiator has been on the fritz. At first, it was leaking coolant due to a loose hose clamp, then (supposedly) the thermostat was broken. Still, it continues to give me fits as I anxiously watch the engine temperature gauge jump frantically from the red to the black. This bit of automobile bipolarity reminded me of another stressful life situation: being able to see both sides of an argument.

Good debates, by nature, have arguments on both sides that are reasonable, but it's much easier to back one side or the other. However, there are those maddening times where you have one foot in both camps. It's usually relegated to today's pressing issues, like "Wendy's or McDonald's?"; "paper or plastic?"; and "Zoe Saldana or Emma Stone?"

With that mind, I thought up a monthly topic for Life in the Cheap Seats: Sports-o-phrenia. I'll take a topic and argue for both sides, while trying not to drive myself crazy in the process. After going to two Bradley games this week (Wednesday's loss to Illinois State and today's home win over Indiana State), I've got an easy question to start with...

How will the Bradley Braves fare at this year's MVC men's basketball tournament?

Why Bradley Will Make the MVC Tournament Finals

It's arguable that Bradley has the most dynamic starting guards in the Missouri Valley Conference - but it would be a fairly short argument. Jake Odum is a hard-nosed point guard, but he doesn't have a great outside shot, and Tyler Brown (who's potential even for next year is incredibly scary) isn't quite ready yet. So we have Walt Lemon, Jr. and Dyricus Simms-Edwards, whose names are almost as long as their all-around basketball ability. Walt and DSE have always been quick strikers who can finish at the rim while taking contact, pull up for the jump shot on the run and in traffic (Southern Illinois found that out firsthand this year), negate one-on-one and help defense, and average 35 minutes if necessary. Now they have both gained the ability that separates elite wing players from good ones: taking the ball away.

Entering today's game, the two combo guards combined for 131 steals, far and away best in the conference. They both average better than two steals per 40 minutes. Dyricus is especially adept at thefts: he is sixth in the country in terms of steals per game and the leader in steals/personal foul ratio. Only Virginia Commonwealth's Briante Weber (who was recently featured in ESPN: The Magazine) has a higher steal-to-turnover ratio.

Newcomer Tyshon Pickett has given the Braves a two-way frontcourt player, a phrase not uttered on the Hilltop since Lawrence Wright was on campus. The young man from New Jersey came into today's game against Indiana State averaging 11 points and almost six rebounds (just under three on the offensive glass), is shooting 72 percent from the free-throw line and has even hit five of the nine threes he's attempted this year; he has two treys in his last two games. If that weren't enough, Pickett played the gutsiest game of any Bradley player I've seen today against Indiana State, scoring 17 points and pulling down seven rebounds after sustaining a knee injury near the end of the first half. It was evident Pickett was in pain, as he paused and gritted his teeth on every break in the action, but he stayed in the scrum for rebounds on both ends and had two clutch jump shots, both times with a defender in his face.

These three players exemplify a quality of this Bradley team that has been lacking in the last five years: toughness. Dyricus and Walt aren't afraid to stare down defenders and attacking guards alike, and Tyshon has taken the pressure off of Will Egolf and Jordan Prosser to take rebounds away from the larger front lines of Valley opponents. Bradley doesn't score at a high rate or shoot very well from the outside, but with their ability to create turnovers, score in the paint, and close games at the free throw line (all starters except Will Egolf shoot better than 67 percent), Bradley can make any team scramble for answers. With Creighton's recent fall from grace, and the confidence of hanging with Wichita State and Michigan for 40 minutes, the Braves are primed to make a surprise run to the MVC finals in St. Louis--and perhaps a trip to the NIT.

Why Bradley Will Lose Early in the MVC Tournament

Every team fights the injury bug at some point during the season, it's just who gets bitten and for how long. Recently, the Braves have had to deal with the maladies every coach fears facing going into the final stretch of the regular season: injuries that severely limit your star players. Dyricus is suffering from back spasms and was doubtful for today's game against the Sycamores (though he did play and turned in a great performance), and Tyshon Pickett suffered the leg injury today; Coach Geno Ford said on the radio post game that it was a "bruise". Both injuries are normal for basketball players, but they tend to stick around for the remainder of the season and limit a player's output, and with both Simms-Edwards and Pickett playing high minutes for Bradley this season, they won't have too much time to rest.

Apart from being slowed by injuries, Bradley has had a tough time getting out of their own way in the second halves of games this year, specifically with eight minutes left in the game. They were sticking close to Michigan both last year in Ann Arbor and this year in Peoria before the Wolverines pulled away (though a late flurry brought Bradley within five with about one minute to play this year), and it was the same script in road games at Creighton and Illinois State. There's no simple answer for what causes these second-half stumbles, but if the offense bogs down or a couple of calls don't go their way, the Braves tend to unravel on both ends of the floor for a stretch. With high-powered teams such as the Shockers, Bluejays and a resurgent Redbird squad, letting up for even 45 seconds of game time can put Bradley in an insurmountable hole. If they had an automatic three-point shooter in the rotation or a frontline to consistently feed the ball and slow the game down, they could fight back from these missteps, but it's been their curse this season. At this point in time, it's difficult to believe Coach Ford can find a cure for the eight-minute disease, and that will spell disaster on Friday afternoon--or even Thursday night--come tournament time.

Like any debate, this one cannot be won on words alone; Bradley will determine its own fate. The Braves have three games left to decide their seeding and, even with a 7-8 Valley record, find themselves 3.5 behind Wichita State. The Braves can win their final three contests (2-1 is a better bet) and finish as high as fourth or fifth, or drop them all and play the tough Thursday night game. The only thing for certain is that all questions will be answered come March.

Until then, I'll see you in the cheap seats.

JS

Bravehearts V1E4: Bradley vs. SEMO

And that's why grown men play the game.

In case you didn't know Braves fans, I'll let you know: it won't get any easier.

There will be more games like this. They will be stomach-turning. You'll lose your voice from screaming, whether your anger is directed towards the television, the opposing players or the referees. The wins will be as draining as the losses, and the losses will be worse than losing could ever be.

What we do know is the Bradley Braves will play until the absolute last tenth of a second has ticked away. It came down to that last tenth of a second yesterday night for victory to be assured, but when the buzzer sounded, the Braves had come out on top against Southeast Missouri State.

For the time being, we can breathe a sigh of relief and quote those tongue-in-cheek "Bradley Football" t-shirts:

Still Undefeated.

Final Score: Bradley 66, SEMO 65


I won't lie, I didn't take notes at this one. Anything I wrote would have become a jumble of lines on the page with some barely decipherable phrases: "Hayden...ugly shot...no free wings...Jake BEASTMAN...Okenna does look like Ewing...oooh, Dyricus' leg is...GIMME THAT BALL!" It wasn't as big as the Wisconsin game will be next weekend or the Illinois State game in January, but this was the first real game on campus since before the student body was born and the place was full (at least until halftime. More on that later.)

Suffice it to say I lost my voice before five minutes had ticked away in the first half. If you haven't been to the Coliseum yet, disregard the silly name and GO. The building is loud, not as loud as the Fieldhouse was, but loud. There is not a bad seat in the place, and the women's team will be making noise this year.

Now that we're done with that shameless plug, the grades:

Offense: B-. Once again, there were signs, but they came in spurts. Jordan Prosser had a rugged 15 points and seven boards while taking a beating from SEMO's bigs, while Dyricus Simms-Edwards and Walt Lemon, Jr. scored 13 and 11, respectively. The outside shooting was on for the Braves (5-12 from the arc, two of those from my man Shayok Shayok) and give credit to Jake Eastman (five points, a trey, five assists and five boards in 25 minutes) for giving the Braves a great lift off the bench. The team shot well at 55 percent, but 14 turnovers is too many, especially when most of them came on lost balls on drives to the basket.

Defense: B+. Bradley is going to get hurt on defense in the paint. They're just too small with Egolf out. SEMO showed a lot of hustle and either tipped or took away rebounds from the Braves on multiple occasions and turned them into 12 second-chance points. The Redhawks also exploited Bradley down low on backcuts to the basket and on drive-and-kick plays against the zone. But Bradley held SEMO without a free thew for the last minute and a half of the game, and two sequences ended up giving them a win: Eastman grabbing the rebound of Marland Smith's missed free throw (which would have made it a three-point game), and Charonn Woods' full-court, one-on-one defense and contest on Marcus Brister's desperation jumper (see Kirk Wessler's blog at the Journal Star website).


Atmosphere: A. I might be biased, but the band put in work. The cheerleaders and dance team did a great job with their routines, and the cheerleaders especially kept to the throwback theme by wearing uniforms from different eras of Bradley sports. However, this grade rests on the shoulders of the fans. I'll say it again: the place was LOUD. The fans, who have an average age of 45, got into this one. The students weren't the only ones making themselves heard. I would have deducted for the portion of students that took off after halftime, but they don't matter. The fans wanted this one and showed it.




This season won't be an easy ride. The ballclub is eventually going to have to take a few tough losses to effectively bond. The conference schedule is miles away, but some tough foes are waiting. Still, the Braves now know they can win games like this and they know what they have to do to win games like this. Doesn't make for immediate success, but it will make things very interesting when January rolls around.

You hear that, Northern Iowa?


It's BRADLEY, SON.

See you in the cheap seats.

JS

Bravehearts V1E3: Bradley vs. Missouri-Kansas City

Note: The seats may be cheap, but I can't afford them every game, right? Thankfully, we've got a lot of talented writers here in the balcony. Kevin McClelland is a 2011 graduate of Bradley University, and as a Cleveland native, he knows the ignominy of waiting until next year (sorry, man). Here are K-Mac's thoughts on Bradley's first real men's basketball game of 2011-12.


First and foremost, let's begin with the vitriol I spit at the UMKC coach, Matt Brown:

"Hey! You coach D-I basketball, at least put on a necktie!"

What self-respecting Division I coach has the gall to NOT wear a tie with his shirt? How hard is this to comprehend? Sheesh.

Now, for the game.

Final Score: Bradley 68, UMKC 58

Slow start on both sides. UMKC has some shooters, but that's about it. Jordan Prosser went "beast mode" and was the man on the boards—a career-high 17 rebounds, five offensive, giving the Braves a 44-33 rebounding edge. He has added some bulk and UMKC had little to no height advantage. Translation: he dominated inside defensively. His 12 points were also a career high. 

DSE had 21- including an impressive 10-11 from the line—more free throws than UMKC made as a team (7 of 18; one guy was an ugly 1 for 8). He was his usual athletic self, taking a breakaway steal and dunking it home late in the first half before UMKC tied it with a three-pointer to make it 29-all going into the break.

Taylor Brown's baseline J is still silky smooth, and nothing was rusty about his game: 20 points on 8-13 shooting and 4-4 from the line proves it. He had some great offensive rebounds (five, to be exact) which quickly turned into easy points in the paint. TB is excellent within 12 feet of the rim and his athleticism makes it easy for him to fake out and overpower opponents. He had a great block after a UMKC rebound—just hopped up and pinned it on the backboard. If he keeps his head out of his ass (no smoking!), he'll score 20 or more on everybody this season. 

Shayok Shayok and Walt Lemon did not have great games—in fact, barely approaching good. Walt DID have one helluva of a block in the second half that energized the team defensively.

However, I cannot shake the image of Jake BEASTman (Eds. note: that nickname WILL stick) coming out of nowhere to block a shot into the student section, and then again on the next possession. His energy and hustle can't be beat. He finished with a very quiet but important 12 points to go along with the aforementioned two  blocks, three boards, two assists, and a pair of steals. We'll need that from him every game. 

Things to work on: 

-GET SOME STUDENTS IN THE STANDS. Pitiful attendance for "the start of the Geno Ford era." (I hate that people are calling it that- it's not the second coming, for Pete's sake.)

-Get Walt to slow down. He's got great vision and his speed is unquestioned, but he needs to slow down mentally and use his skills in ways that help the team. 

-Stay aggressive defensively. The Braves showed lapses in their defense, and UMKC took advantage. TB lost his man on an easy back cut; can't have that. 

We've got a good team, not a great team, and by no means do I expect us to finish in the top half of the Valley but if we overachieve, then anything is possible.

Did he just say, "Anything is possible?" That's my line!

There's always next year,

KDM


When he's not cursing the name of The-Akron-Basketball-Player-Who-Will-Not-Be-Named, Kevin McClelland works for Bradley's Admissions Department and is the public address announcer for BU women's basketball and volleyball. Check out his blog, "At Least We're Not Detroit", at http://atleastwerenotdetroit.wordpress.com.

Bravehearts, V1 Issue 2: Bradley Vs. College of Wooster

Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect from Bradley Tuesday night.

We've already gone over the facts of the upcoming season: Will Egolf's season-ending injury, brand new coach, brand new system, coming off an awful year, picked to finish last in the conference. After the pregame was finished and the lineups were announced, there was one more wrinkle to consternate Braves fans: two starting freshmen.

Yes, the fair-haired giant Nate Wells and Shayok Shayok (come on, say it out loud, it's so much fun) were in the starting lineup for Bradley in their final exhibition game against Division III College of Wooster. Even more unexpected, Jordan Prosser was out after emergency visit to the dentist. 

Note: Disregard the basketball game for a second: wouldn't that just mess up your week? Emergency dental work and you've got to be at practice the next day, playing the post, getting fouled, probably take a couple of shots in the mouth. Lousy.

Final: Bradley 81, CoW 71

I've heard the same thing from a lot of older Bradley fans this preseason, including myself: "I remember when we used to blow out the teams in these exhibition games." Yessir, Will Franklin, Daniel Ruffin and Zach Andrews would run, juke and dunk all over teams from the lower division when they came to Carver Arena years ago. Too bad those days are over. This game was a bit of a test for the team's newcomers and it will be a good while before Mean Geno and the boys are running all over preseason foes in preparation for the season.

That being said, the Braves displayed some of the talents that were criminally overlooked in the preseason ballots. Dyricus Simms-Edwards is in his third year on the Hilltop and has had to grow up quickly following Sam Maniscalco's injury and the departures of Manny, Dodie Dunson and "The Only One" Andrew Warren. Instead of faltering or stepping back, DSE has taken on a leadership role in this team while dramatically improving his game. Tuesday night was no exception. He was the first man in the huddle on stoppages in play and he was visibly upset when he connected on his first outside shot with eight minutes to go in the first half.

Dyricus has always had the ability to drive and finish, and after putting in work in the weight room, he can now score and absorb contact. He finished the half with a contorted scoop nearly underneath the basket after taking a shove from two of Wooster's big men, and he squeezed through three bodies for a lefty layup when it seemed there was no clear path to the hole. Not to put stars in your eyes, but he's starting to remind me of this guy...

Note DSE changed his jersey number to "1". Coincidence?

On the other side of the floor, Walt Lemon Jr. was incredibly impressive. Anonymous sources told me Walt shoots 200 threes and 100 free throws after every practice, and it showed. Walt came in last year with hops, speed and a suspect jump shot; Tuesday, Lemon hit three treys in the first half alone and sank both free throws after a foul. If he can consistently hit that jumper, no one in the conference will be able to guard him one-on-one. With his and Dyricus' abilities on offense and defense, they are a top-3 guard tandem in the MVC. Maybe the best in the conference.

Highlights: 3-2 zone defense that was in at the R-W Scrimmage looks to be a staple of the Ford Era; pays dividends with a Taylor Brown steal and two-handed jam...Walt Lemon stretches defense with early three-pointers...Jake Eastman plays extended minutes, will be nice off the bench...Shayok Shayok has a Jordan-on-Mercer block, dribbles the length of the court, loses a defender with a behind-the-back dribble and gets fouled on the layup attempt.

Lowlights: Wells has a lot of trouble defending in the post, gets beaten on weak side multiple times...Anthony Thompson has a decent offensive game but gets whistled for two offensive fouls, one 10 seconds after entering...Braves miss four of six FTs in first half...zone defense susceptible in the post; Sticks and Wells beaten on penetration and passes to cutters under the basket.

Did You Notice...the backup point guards? Limestone product Donivine Stewart and St. Louis walk-on Charonn Woods played well off the bench. One turnover for both, and Woods had a great steal and assist late in the first half.

Oh, before I forget...Dyricus had the play of the night midway through the second half as he turned the corner baseline, lost the defender and YAMMMMED ON 'EM for a one-handed dunk.

Grades:

Offense: C+. This is a preseason game against a DIII team and while the Braves were up 15 with three minutes to go, they still showed signs of weakness in halfcourt offense. The ball tended to bog down, and if the defense clogged the lane on drives, the passes weren't going to the perimeter. Even with Walt's new outside game, Bradley is still lacking in jump shooters.

Defense: B. No matter who you play, the defense has to be solid for you to have a chance, and Bradley might have the best perimeter D in the Valley. Dyricus, Walt, Shayok and Lil' Jake are all going to ballhawk at the arc, and Sticks and Nate will use their length to get blocks, change shots and force weak passes. Bradley did get beat on isos in the post (notably Nate), but give the big man time to mature and he'll be a force down low.

Atmosphere: Incomplete. The band was not present at this game (Come on, Dr. Vroman!), but as usual, the stadium music did not live up to the college standard. Half the time you couldn't hear it, the other half, it was super huff. The fans weren't catatonic, but they weren't exactly blowing the roof off. I'll give everyone a pass due to it being an exhibition, but the Bradley fan base needs to step its game up. You can't just fill the house for Illinois State.

So that's that. The Braves finish preseason 2-0 and will do it for real on Sunday against Missouri-Kansas City. I expect Bradley to have a better record than expected through non-conference play and trust me when I say this: this squad will be in their games against Wisconsin and Michigan.

IT'S BRADLEY, SON.

See you in the cheap seats, Bravehearts.

JS

Bravehearts, Vol. 1: Red-White Scrimmage Review

Where were the motorcycles? Where was the individual entrance music? Where was the hoopla?

Maybe someone finally figured out that wasn't a very good title for the basketball season opener.

Whatever the case, this year's Red-White Scrimmage was decidedly more low-key than last year's inaugural Hoopla on the Hilltop. And considering the men's team turned in a 4-14 conference season, perhaps that was a good thing.

It was the first chance for Bradley basketball fans to see their teams in action. While the women's squad has had the majority of buzz lately due to recent spring success, many fans were anxious to see the new-look men's team under freshman coach Geno Ford.

What were they treated to last night? Here's the rundown.

Women's scrimmage

I'm not sure which squad was supposed to employ the "run-and-gun" offense, but I definitely didn't hear about Paula Buscher using it. The women's scrimmage was a stream of quick rebound, outlet passes and running up and down the floor. The white team scored three or four baskets in a row via fast breaks about midway through the first half. When they did get into the halfcourt offense, the order was breaking down the zone defense employed on both ends of the floor, which led to quick passes to the post for layups or kickouts to the arc for three-pointers.

Obviously, you need the right team to run this offense and judging from last night, it will be a work-in-progress for Buscher's squad. Hanna Muegge, Kelsey Budd and Catie O'Leary can all run the point, and Budd especially will be a handful for opposing teams with her tenacious one-on-one defense, good passing and ability to stretch the floor with the jump shot. Newcomer Michelle Young will most likely come off the bench, but she's quick as they come and can drive the lane without going out of control. O'Leary will take some of the scoring pressure off Katie Yohn; the Wisconsin transfer will make it rain from the outside.

It will be interesting to see how the Braves fare against a fast one-on-one defense or a matchup zone, but the women's scrimmage was heartening. Paula Buscher has really had her team playing good basketball the last few years, and it looks as if this year will be more of the same. With Ashleen Bracey finally gone from Illinois State, BU might have the chance to post a victory or two against their archrival.

Surprise of the Night: Lauren Niemiera. "Wheezy" has never gotten a ton of playing time, which is odd considering her height at the guard position (Six-foot even). But she has good skills, can pass well and has a good midrange jumper.

Areas to Improve: Pivot players. Leah Kassing had a good night. She screened well, stayed off the floor and hit her close-in shots. But Latasha Hollingshed and Alyson Spinas-Valainis looked out of sync. Tasha has been dealing with a bad wheel since last season and spent most of the time outside of games in a walking boot, and ASV looks to still be adjusting to the speed of the college game. Both players need to find their gear in time for the season.

Men's scrimmage

Everyone was expecting big things from the new coach's offensive scheme, but I'm pretty sure no one was thinking "I want to see Anthony Thompson shoot from the outside". Granted, it was part of a three-point shooting contest, but the big man hit two of five to help the men's team defeat the women 7-5. "Sticks Did WHAT?" t-shirts are rumored to be going on sale soon.

In the scrimmage, there didn't seem to be the "Seven Seconds or Less"-type offense everyone was expecting. What was present was an element Bradley has been lacking since 2006: balance. Jim Les' guard-heavy lineup is gone, replaced by a 2-2-1 or 2-3 system when Taylor Brown comes back from his suspension (note to TB: stop smoking that green).

Without Dodie Dunson and Andrew Warren, the main focus will be on Dyricus Simms-Edwards to run things on the floor and in the locker room. He's the leader of the team and will be the main outside scoring threat. Walt Lemon's speed and hops will be on display as well; no sign of whether he's improved his jumper.

In the frontcourt, Nate Wells and Anthony Thompson should grab some boards, though the rail-thin duo will get knocked around somewhat. Wells has four years to hit the weight room, but "Sticks'" time is now and he showed some propensity to bang bodies last night. The scoring down low will come from Jordan Prosser, who'll have to contend with getting fouled. A lot.

Defense is where the Braves should shine. Walk-on senior Charonn Woods had a couple of steals in transition, the defense was quick to the ball and collapsed in the paint well, which led to some easy runouts and flashy dunks. If the D looks as good in the non-conference schedule, the Braves could be the surprise of the MVC season.

Surprise of the Night: Shayok Shayok. Don't worry, I watched the scrimmage and I was saving him for last. The kid from Canada (Africa?) is going to be the coolest player on the team. He already has the coolest name (doesn't it sound like a Mortal Kombat character?), is a tweener who can shoot, pass and drive, and uses his wingspan on defense. Say it with me: this boy is going to be a PROBLEM.

Areas to Improve: Outside shooting. Manny's gone and Will Egolf's out for the season, which greatly diminishes the Braves' percentage from beyond 15 feet. DSE can shoot the jumper along with TB, but Brown will take some time to get into the swing of things. Milos Knezevic and Shayok will have to step up.

Entertainment

Last year, the Hoopla affair, which was marked by motorcycle jackets, offbeat player entrances, (Hanna Muegge ran in like a cat, loved it), a dance show by the women's team and big-time audience contests. One kid hit a shot for a free semester's worth of books and two other people walked away with LCD-screen TVs. This year, however, was a bit more muted. The music track didn't come up for the opening video and there wasn't as much team stunts, but the three-point contest was a nice touch.

The audience didn't fare nearly as well this year. The BWW "Blazin' Fan" didn't come close to hitting even a three and the student shooting for free books hit the backboard on his halfcourt attempt. I guess the ringers didn't come out last night.

Surprise of the Night: Anthony Thompson's three-point shooting. Sticks only hit two of five, but that's 40 percent, better than a lot of NBA players' career averages. Yes, I'm joking.

Areas to Improve: Blazin' Fan of the Game. I'm sorry I have to hate on this dude, but he couldn't figure out that he had to sink a trey before he could shoot from halfcourt. Come on, man, haven't you been to a game before?

Overall, the Red-White Scrimmage was promising. The men have nowhere to go but up, and I think the women have a chance to turn a lot of heads within the conference. First non-conference games are in a couple of weeks.

Clock's officially ticking down to March. Until then, see you in the cheap seats.

JS