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59 | 75 |
Another big name opponent, another big time defeat.
Bradley dropped to 4-3 after No. 12/13 Michigan State (5-2) exploded for 43 second half points and a 16-point victory. The Braves kept the game close for awhile, only trailing at the half by five, but persistent poor shooting dug themselves into a insurmountable deficit.
Playing a full 40-minutes must be a focus for Bradley in the weeks and months ahead. For the signs of brilliance that the Braves show, these often are counteracted by pronounced dry spells.
For as often as a "team-first" attitude can lead to on-the-court results, the importance of a dynamic player also has value in college basketball. The teams who have played the best in the Missouri Valley Conference this season (Illinois State, Creighton, Drake) all have at least one, if not two or three, players who can take over a game.
Unfortunately for Bradley, that young man hasn't stepped on the court all season. Guard Andrew Warren was sorely missed today, more than any other game.
The Braves shot a dismal 4-of-22 from 3-point range (18.2 percent) and 20-of-59 from the floor (33.9 percent). This type of shooting led to long stretches where Bradley simply couldn't score. Warren may have been able to break the Braves from their doldrums.
Even when the team got to the line, that didn't seem to help either. Bradley hit 57.7 percent of its free throws (15-of-26), another ingredient in the recipe for a road loss. Many of the most critical misses occurred late in the first half when Bradley was still in the game.
Michigan State simply hit more shots than the Braves and that's what cost the road squad a chance at victory. Bradley didn't give up an exceptional amount of offensive rebounds like last year's game in Peoria. The team also had less turnovers than the Spartans (Bradley 16, Michigan State 19).
Some of the other stat lines look deceiving. The Spartans held a 45-32 advantage in overall rebounds, but Bradley also missed a lot more shots, so Michigan State was bound to have more rebound opportunities.
Bradley only had six assists, but if the team had shot better, then the assist totals would have obviously gone up, too.
Give Michigan State credit for getting through this one with as much as ease it did. The Spartans didn't play well for much of the game, missing some easy layups and making ill-advised turnovers.
This Bradley team has proven that it can't hang with the top teams in the country when its top scorer from last season is still sidelined. But, with most of the rest of the MVC teams struggling, Bradley still has as good of a chance as any to be a contender.
Other observations:
* - Center David Collins came out with some intensity and had two baskets early in the game. He finished with nine points altogether, but only grabbed two rebounds. Hopefully this game was a sign of him improving again and not just an aberration.
* - Forward Theron Wilson looked noticeably frustrated with the quickness of Michigan State. His ability to drive to the basket should pick back up in future games against less talented teams.
* - The most worrisome shooting performance came from guard Sam Maniscalco, again. He missed all five three-pointers he took and also committed six turnovers.
* - Center Anthony Thompson barely saw the floor, which came as a surprise. Instead of taking over injured center Will Egolf's minutes, Collins and forward Taylor Brown saw increased playing time. Hopefully head coach Jim Les will give Thompson a chance soon.
* - One of the first true barometers for this Bradley team comes Wednesday against the undefeated Butler Bulldogs at Carver Arena. These are the types of teams the Braves will need to beat if they are to truly have another positive season.
(I will be in attendance for this game, so expect another photo slide show if I can get any interesting pictures.)
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