Game Six Recap: ETSU @ Bradley

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Bradley showed it was vastly superior to East Tennessee State even without guard Andrew Warren. Now the Braves will have to come together even more after a serious injury to starting center Will Egolf.

Finally, head coach Jim Les had found an interior player who could play with intensity and skill. But in one ugly twist of the knee, Egolf looks to be gone for the season. He crumpled to the ground after turning to attempt a shot near the basket midway through the second half.

Even watching the game online, you could feel the air go right out of the arena. Bradley finished the game as feebly as Egolf was escorted off the floor, clearly in shock after such a disappointing turn of events.

The game looked very promising as Bradley jumped all over ETSU to start the game, running 17 straight points into a 17-2 lead. Most of these were put in by guard Dodie Dunson who started the game on fire again, just like against Florida Gulf Coast. Dunson finished as the Braves' leading scorer with 17 points.

Guard Chris Roberts continues to improve nightly, scoring 16 points including 4 of 6 from 3-point range. His athleticism makes your jaw drop at least once or twice a game.

Forward Theron Wilson chipped in 12 points, the same total he's had in four of Bradley's six games. His consistent scoring might be trumped in importance by Wilson's rebounding intensity (8 for the game, the same as he's averaging on the season).

The freshmen also continue to show they belong in the Bradley rotation. Guard Eddren McCain had his best game in a Braves' uniform, dishing out four assists to go along with 10 points. Forward Taylor Brown, who will surely see more minutes with the Egolf injury, had a nice performance of seven points and six rebounds.

Other observations:

* - Moving on - In addition to Brown, look for redshirt freshman center Anthony Thompson to be slid into the rotation with Egolf out for at least awhile. Center David Collins needs to show more aggressiveness, otherwise he'll still be planted on the bench even with Egolf going down.

* - Playing hurt - Chicago Cubs radio broadcaster Ron Santo calls pitcher Ted Lilly "The Bulldog" because of his ability to seemingly always get through tough situations. If the Braves have their own "Bulldog," it has to be guard Sam Maniscalco. The sophomore has been playing nearly 30 minutes per game even though he's got a nagging foot problem.

After a torrid week that included travel, four games and his 20th birthday, Maniscalco turned in a flawless eight assist, zero turnover game against ETSU.

* - Root for North Carolina? - This might be a little tough to do if you're a fan of non-BCS conference teams. But, the top-ranked Tar Heels have a date with Michigan State on Wednesday. Hopefully it's a tough game that wears down the Spartans, Bradley's next opponent.

Going up to the Breslin Center isn't an easy task for any team, but especially a Braves' team as ravaged as it is with injuries. Maybe North Carolina's fast paced style can help Bradley keep it close against the Spartans. (But don't count on it.)

Game Three Recap: Missouri-Kansas City vs. Bradley

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Don't expect any more "fun in the sun" for the Bradley Braves after they dropped a dismal game to the lowly Roos of Missouri-Kansas City.

Bradley (1-2) could take positives from the Florida loss, but after a flat performance Monday, this one must be forgotten - and quickly. The Braves face CBE subregional host Florida Gulf Coast on Tuesday, who lost to Richmond 69-58 tonight in game two.

UMKC (2-3) packed into a tight zone for most of the game, daring the once prolific 3-point shooting Braves to make some attempts from the outside. Just like the first two games of the season though, Bradley was dismal from 3-point range, hitting 3 of 17 shots (17.6%). Combine that with a sluggish performance by center David Collins and there is a blueprint for disaster.

Collins had a meager 1 point and 2 rebounds in 12 minutes of action. He had been making strides in his game since last year's postseason, but this game he slid back to his tentative self. Collins should have had a big game against a team whose tallest player was five inches shorter than the Bradley 7-footer.

The Braves were again without talented guard Andrew Warren, who still continues to come back from his foot injury. He's expected to miss the entire tournament.

Sam Maniscalco had been held out of practice due to a series of minor injuries, though coach Jim Les said that none of them were too serious. Maniscalco did come off the bench and led the Braves with 16 points.

All ten Bradley players had at least one turnover, resulting in 23 for the game. With so many newcomers to the team though, this number should go down as the season progresses.

The apathetic performance translated to the defensive side as well, where Bradley allowed UMKC to shoot 56 percent from the floor.

Bradley fans can just hope this is only one a few bumps in the road during a long season. The game against Florida Gulf Coast would be a major confidence booster to a team that looked asleep against UMKC.

Other observations:

* - Why don't more people attend these nonconference tournaments? The listed attendance for the game was 1,205, but the crowd looked barely half of that. Maybe conference fans get spoiled by the crowds for MVC games, but the attendance was sad. Not that a team should need incentive to get up for any game, but it's reasonable to see why this game could translate to a bad performance from an atmosphere perspective.

* - Eggson meter: 12 total minutes all season for forward Will Egolf and center Anthony Thompson - Bradley desperately needs something from these guys. For all of the so-called size the Braves have, small lineups still usually fill out the floor. Maybe both would be a liability for extended periods, but Les needs to give these guys a few more minutes per game.

4. Bradley

Preseason poll: 5th

Bradley has won 20 games each of the last three seasons. If coach Jim Les wants the Braves to make that four in a row, all of his newcomers will need to step up.

Daniel Ruffin and Jeremy Crouch graduated, so the Braves will desperately need leadership and shooting help. Guard Sam Maniscalco (6'0" So.) was forced into point guard duties as Ruffin missed time for varying reasons. Though this scenario hurt Bradley in the short term, Maniscalco earned valuable experience that should give Braves fans confidence in his ability to take over for Ruffin. His shooting ability can be streaky but Maniscalco really excels in slashing to the hoop and getting layups. The better he gets, the better Bradley will play.

Bradley's best all-around player also returns in forward Theron Wilson (6'5" Sr.). This junior college transfer was the last signee for Les going into last season but has proven to be the best of the bunch. Wilson's long, athletic frame gives him the ability to be a tenacious rebounder as well as cutting through the lane and drawing contact on offense. If he has any weakness it is at the free throw line. Wilson only shot 60? percent last season, which is disheartening considering how often he got to the line (??? attempts).

The third returning starter is guard Andrew Warren (6'5" Jr.). The team's best pure scorer, Warren has a solid inside-outside game. The only concern about Warren going into the season is the foot surgery he had for a stress fracture. Bradley hopes to have him back by the beginning of the season, but these types of injuries can often take longer than expected to heal.

Bradley also has two interior players returning in center David Collins (7'0" Sr.) and forward Sam Singh (6'9" Sr.). Collins played very well during the 2008 postseason and will hopefully build on that success. He has a nice shooting touch for such a big guy, but can often play soft around the hoop.

Singh is one of those players that seem to have been around for a decade. This season is Singh's fifth after his Bradley career has been radically shortened by a series of injuries. He doesn't have the biggest skill set on the court, but Singh does provide a big body who can rebound, score close to the basket and knock down free throws.

Coach Jim Les will need to infuse a group of transfers and freshman into the remainder of the lineup and rotation. Considering their experience, expect junior college transfer guards Dodie Dunson (6'3 Jr.) and Chris Roberts (6'4 Jr.) to make the biggest splash.

Dunson is considered to be a tenacious defender and will be the Braves "stopper." Whatever Dunson can provide on the offensive end will just add to his value.

Roberts fits the mold of many "tweeners" that Les likes to recruit. The early comparisons of Roberts go to former Brave Lawrence Wright, who could nearly jump out of the building. The biggest question is how that athleticism translates to actual basketball skills.

Forward/center Will Egolf (6'9 So.) will be expected to be a bigger contributor this season. The Alaskan native has a load of talent but seemed scared by the bright lights of Division I basketball last season. Hopefully with a year under his belt he will be better for the Braves.

Center Anthony "Sticks" Thompson (6'10" R-Fr.) redshirted last season and has put on weight to his slender frame. He was a highly touted recruit out of high school — can he make the adjustment to the next level?

Bradley also has a bunch of other newcomers to the team, all of whom are a bit of an enigma until they're on the floor. Guards Eddren McCain (5'11" Fr.) and Darian Norris (5'11" Fr.) as well as forward Taylor Brown (6'6" Fr.) will likely see minutes this season, but it's too soon to tell who will emerge yet.

The Braves certainly have the talent to finish near the top of the Valley. Les will need to bring this team together as quickly as possible in order for that to happen.

Missouri Valley Conference - Preseason polls

The Missouri Valley Conference released its composite poll for the upcoming men's basketball season Tuesday (10/28). Here's how the conglomeration of sports information directors, media and coaches voted:

School (First Place Votes)	Points
1. Creighton (36)	386
2. Southern Illinois (2)	322
3. Illinois State (1)	309
4. Drake	274
5. Bradley	219
6. UNI	186
7. Indiana State	137
8. Evansville	122
9. Wichita State	105
10. Missouri State	85

For the full press release, check it out here: MVC Press Release

I will publish my rankings in reverse order throughout the next nine days. Do I think there is a team in the Valley that can do what Drake did last year (picked 9th, finished 1st)? What do I consider the different tiers of the conference? (Clearly, some of the teams look much weaker on paper than others.) Tune in starting Monday to see what I think of the MVC teams this season.

Introducing Bradley & MVC Thoughts

Basketball season has arrived. For fans like me, the biggest lull of the sports season is the wait from the end of the Major League Baseball season to when college basketball begins. Some years that gap is smaller than others depending on whether or not your team makes the playoffs.

But even if you're a Phillies fan, there still is going to be a two-week gap until you can start seeing regular season games for your favorite team. Speaking of favorite teams, let me make it clear that I'm a Bradley basketball fan. I follow them closer than any other team in the Missouri Valley Conference (or the country). I'm a proud alum and will always follow the Braves (or whatever nickname the school will inevitably change the name to someday - but that's a discussion for a different day).

All that being said, I'm not a so-called "Kool-Aid" drinker either. I have no affiliation with the university or any newspaper so there will be no agenda (positive or negative) with my writing. My unique perspective combines a strong interest level on the topic while trying to remain as unbiased as possible.