Bravehearts: The Only Thing We Have to Fear...

It cannot get worse for Bradley basketball.

Ok, that's not true. We could lose to ISWho twice this year. If (when) we do lose to a team that has managed to move up a few spots in the conference this year, I won't feel terrible.

What I do feel terrible about is losing by at least 30 points three different times this season to three different team.

What I feel terrible about is knowing that we have become the laughingstock of the Valley.

What I feel terrible about is knowing that this season is doomed to repeat itself next year.

Uptempo, on and off the court

Geno Ford might be one of the funniest and loosest coaches I've ever had a conversation with. He's funny, genuine, and shoots straight. I wish his team could latch on to that kind of charisma and turn it into points on the board. Geno's positivity on the side lines almost makes me wonder if he's blindly ignorant to his situation—or maybe he's just blind.  He's clapping his guys up and down the floor, never yells during timeouts, and never looks totally disparaged, as far as I can tell.

Why? Because he knows that this is only year one.

The proof is in the pudding

If you want proof that Geno Ford is the guy to fix Bradley,  look at this year's Kent State Team.  The team he assembled is 16-6, including a season-opening win at West Virginia. These guys play under Ford's former assistant, and they also run the same system Ford runs. Did I mention the guy won back-to-back MAC championships? Yes, it's the MAC, a weaker conference, but to win back-to-back means that you can find talent, and then you can mold it. Besides, Norris Cole came out of the MAC and look what he's doing in Miami.

It took him a few years, but Geno Ford can get it done.

"I've failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed." 

The Braves will rise again. They will. Their combined failures will give way to a bold phoenix, ready to spread its wings and whip away the dust and debris of this abysmal season.

But not with this crop of players.

Don't be surprised if five or six guys don't come back next season. At all. We're talking off the team, people. Personally, I'm excited to see Nate Wells and Will Egolf in the post, Walt continue working on his jump shot, and what DSE can do so ball will be in his hands more next season. 

I think we're all excited, really. They can only improve.

Until then, go check out the women's games, and Katie Yohn's passes. Trust me. 

There's always next year, 

K-Mac

Ed. Note: "A bold phoenix"? K-Mac must have been reading the fifth Harry Potter again.

Bravehearts: Bradley Women vs. Western Illinois

It's getting ridiculous out here.

Basketball is supposed to be difficult. It's supposed to be a seesaw affair, a teeth-clenching battle of wills where every loose ball counts and the ref's whistle makes the crowd draw a single, halting breath.

It's not like that at the Coliseum.

Bradley was facing an easy game tonight against Western Illinois and they made sure there would be no trap against the Leathernecks. Braves took the W, 93-64, behind 29 points from Catie O'Leary.

Ball don't lie

If you're looking for heart-stopping basketball excitement in Peoria right now, please stay away from the Bradley women's squad. If you're looking for close games and fast finishes, don't come out to the Coliseum.

In short, if you don't want to see a blowout, go somewhere else. That's what you're going to get from Bradley right now: hot shooting from the arc, points in the post, second-chance opportunities and solid free-throw shooting.

I may be getting ahead of myself; the conference schedule hasn't started and the grind of mid-season hasn't taken effect. Still, the Braves have not made the same mistakes that plagued them last year. They're limiting turnovers (they haven't crested 20 in the past two contests); they're rebounding well; the shooters are spreading the floor for the slashers and everyone has a role.

Kelsey Budd and Catie O'Leary, the Wisconsinites, are shooting the daylights out of the bucket. Budd tallied 31 Saturday night in the win over Iowa; O'Leary came off the bench with 29 tonight. Katie Yohn continued to break out of her slump with 11 points and Leah Kassing picked up another double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Individual numbers don't nearly tell the story, though: Bradley dominated this game. They held the 3-8 Leathernecks to 32 percent field-goal shooting and 15 percent from three-point range. Bradley outrebounded Western IL 46-39, shot over 50 percent overall and from beyond the arc and picked up 53 points from their bench.

If all basketball was this easy, everyone would be playing.

On Wisconsin! And Iowa, and Minnesota...

It's no secret that Paula Buscher has recruited from the northern Midwest over the past six years. Renee Frericks and Jenny Van Kirk both hailed from Minnesota, as does freshman Michelle Young. Budd and O'Leary are from Wisconsin, while Mackenzie Westcott and Alyson Spinas-Valainis head back to Iowa on breaks. I don't know if the air is thinner or what, but the Wisconsin kids in particular can shoot from almost any spot on the floor. Kelsey Budd has the ability to control the game with shooting or passing (10 points and nine assists tonight), while Catie O'Leary can run the second unit.

The Braves' greatest asset might be their depth. There are five potential point guards on the team, two of whom can shift to the three of whom can shift to the shooting guard position. Westcott and Frings can both play small or power forward, and both can shoot from beyond 15 feet. Spinas-Valainis still needs to improve, but she clocked five points and six rebounds tonight, a building-block performance.

In short, the out-of-towners are really turning the cogs for the Braves tonight.

Grades

Offense: A+. I only saw one interior pass get stolen tonight, and the Braves outscored the Leathernecks bench 53-16. Next.

Defense: A. Six blocks. Ten steals. 23 points off turnovers. And Coach Buscher got a warning from the refs after the sixth bad call on what should have been a jump ball. The Braves didn't have to worry about an inside offensive presence, so they swarmed the basketball on the perimeter.

Atmosphere: C+. Again, sparse crowd, but the Morton Junior High Band did their best imitation of the BU Basketball Band and got loud on free throws. The guys next to me were all over the refs about fouls and got several glances from the zebras. Nice job, guys.

So.....what?

I'm sure that's what people are thinking after reading this, if they read to the end. "So what? Why should I care?" they're saying to themselves.

Right now, this is the streaking basketball team in Central Illinois. Bradley has won four in a row since dropping a four-point game to Wisconsin-Milwaukee on November 28. They're 9-3 going into conference play. They shoot, they drive, they make julienne fries! What more do you really want to see?

Two more games on the homestand starting next Thursday. Either find your seats on the bandwagon or get left in the dust. I know one thing: we're making noise in St. Charles come March.

See you in the cheap seats.

JS

Bravehearts: Bradley Women vs. Iowa

Two years ago, you would be hard-pressed to say, "We still have a chance to win this game even if Katie Yohn doesn't score 20 points." Very hard-pressed. Even a year ago it would have been a stretch of the imagination.

To say Bradley could win if she scored less than 15? Crazy. Chalk up that 'L' and take it home.

That's exactly what happened Saturday night at the Renaissance Coliseum. Yohn struggled (by her standards) once again, and there was the Bradley women's basketball team, hooting and yelling as the final buzzer sounded on a 96-88 victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes.

One more time: 96-88.


Never mind the torrid Bradley offense: a women's college basketball game that saw one team score more than 90 points and only win by eight? That's a Christmas miracle of it's own accord.

Considering this was the first women's game of the season I had a chance to see, I'll go ahead and call myself "the key to victory." Why not?

Three-mendous


Imagine a glass case with liquid suspended inside, precariously balanced on a fulcrum. The liquid shifts back and forth endlessly, moving toward one end, then toward the other. Sometimes, the case never settles on one side, but most of the time, the liquid moves inexorably in one direction as the case finally drops to the surface.

The case in a liquid is a mirror of a good basketball game. One team makes a run before the game settles to a medium, then the other team pushes back. That's what Bradley and Iowa went through for the first half of their game Saturday night. The Braves shot better and hit more threes than the Hawkeyes, but Iowa controlled the glass and only trailed by six at the break.

The Hawkeyes picked up two quick baskets after the half, and even after a Kelsey Budd jumper from the arc, Bradley's lead had shrunk to three points.

Then the liquid in the case became a flood of points.

Budd hit another three, then a jump shot. Shronda Butts connected for three, then three more. Budd hit another distance J, followed by Kelly Frings and Yohn. With more than seven minutes to go in the game, Bradley led 74-55.

As I tweeted to Hayden Shaver, it was as if we had morphed into one giant Kyle Korver.

On the run again


When I first came to Peoria, the Bradley men's basketball team had just shocked the world by beating Kansas and Pittsburgh in the NCAA tournament. A large part of that was due to Patrick O'Bryant sonning the mess out of Aaron Gray, but the glue turning the Bradley wheels was in the person of their three-guard lineup. In 2006-07, that lineup was anchored by Daniel Ruffin (the Speedster), Will Franklin (the Slasher) and Jeremy Crouch (the Shooter).

The days of Jim Les and the three-man weave are gone from Carver Arena, but it seems his philosophy might have been passed on to Coach Buscher and the women's team.

Kelsey Budd's defining sequence Saturday was not one of her three that totaled 31 points. It was a call that didn't go her way: on a Braves turnover, Iowa was out in transition looking at an easy layup. Budd raced back alone, cut off the right side of the rim, and blocked the shot. She was called for an anticipatory foul (don't get me started on the officiating that night), but the message was clear as Kevin McClelland's announcer voice: no easy baskets.

Shronda Butts did not impress me at the Red-White Scrimmage, to tell you the truth. I thought she would be coming off the bench in favor of the quicker and taller Michelle Young. Butts, however, dropped 18 points against Iowa and showed an ability to get to the hoop and draw contact at will. She's not a true point guard and was more comfortable at the shooting guard spot, but the always-dangerous left-hander will be effective slashing to the hoop this season.

Katie Yohn has been cold lately, according to my boy Clark Benjamin, but she is still the main threat for Bradley. Remember, before this game, Budd's career high was 12 points. Katie hit a few shots and might be getting back into a rhythm, and she can still play solid perimeter defense (when she doesn't gamble for steals, of course). Having Katie put up 18 points on a minimum of shots spells victory for Bradley.

The Grades


Offense: A. The passing was the only problem; too many interior passes were stolen, especially in the second half. Bradley had eight turnovers at the half; they finished with 19. But what can you say about 96 points?

Defense: C-. The Braves had no answer for Iowa's Morgan Johnson, who led all scorers with 37 points, most of those on easy slip-screen layups. The Braves need to do a better job rotating in the post to contest those shots or deny the entry pass.

Atmosphere: C+. "Cram the Coliseum"? I doubt it was half-full. The women's basketball team has outperformed the men in the past few years, but you wouldn't know it from the fan support. This team deserves to get a better showing now that they're back on campus, period. If more fans don't show up at their next game, then Bradley fans don't really care about their school's basketball teams. Print it.

The Bradley women's basketball team is not a juggernaut, but their record is 8-3 with two weeks to go before the conference season begins. Coach Buscher has built a balanced team of perimeter shooters, post players (Leah Kassing didn't get lost in the shuffle, posting 10 points and outrebounding the taller Johnson 10-8) and bench contributors. The Braves have three more games at home before they go on the road again. I'll be there for all of them and I'd better see the cheap seats filled when I get there.
Otherwise you're going to miss out on the surprise team of the season. Let me spell it out for you:

"Northern Iowa, ISU: we comin' for you, baby!"

See you in the cheap seats.

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