Bradley blows out Evansville 83-63

83	63

Bradley completely dominated Evansville this afternoon and won by 20 points on road. The Braves got contributions from up and down the roster during this impressive performance.

Expect a full recap tomorrow on bradleybasketball.blogspot.com.

Egolf's late baskets lead Braves to 67-65 victory

65	67

Fans have been watching a reoccurring plot at home all season: Bradley plays a really solid first half but lets the lead slip away in the second 20 minutes. Luckily for players, coaches and fans, this game finished with a better ending as Bradley found a way to secure a big home victory against Drake, 67-65.

Sophomore center Will Egolf grabbed an offensive rebound and tossed in a fall away shot attempt that broke a 65-65 tie with 1.8 seconds left in the game. "I saw the rim for about a second," Egolf said during the post game radio show.

And though he didn't have a huge stat line (eight points, five rebounds), Egolf was a critical component in the Bradley (11-11, 6-6 MVC) victory.

With the Braves leading 63-62, head coach Jim Les called a timeout with 59.6 seconds remaining. Bradley would eventually get a shot for junior guard Sam Maniscalco, who had been the carrying the Braves the last eight minutes of the game. Maniscalco missed a 3-pointer from the top to the key but Egolf used his long, athletic reach to tip in the miss and extend the lead to three.

Drake's Josh Young slashed to the basket on the next possession and found an open Adam Templeton for a 3-pointer to tie the game with 16 seconds to go. Maniscalco tried a long shot from just inside the arc but it rattled out again. But Egolf was in the right place again and threw in what most would call a "lucky" shot to win it.

Strangely enough, even though Drake (11-13, 6-6 MVC) had three timeouts remaining and 1.8 seconds left, the Bulldogs elected not to call a timeout and missed a long heave at the buzzer.

Even though Maniscalco missed those two late opportunities, he was a true leader on the court the entire game, pacing all scorers with 21 points. One of his favorite offensive moves, the turnaround jump shot after driving into the lane, was really on display. He finished the game playing 38 minutes, making 9-of-14 from the field with three rebounds, six assists and three turnovers.

But it wasn't just Maniscalco's offense that was so critical to the Braves' victory. After Ryan Wedel lit up Bradley for 15 points in the first half, Maniscalco was switched over to guarding Wedel for the majority of the second half. The result: Wedel had zero points and didn't look like the same player.

To cap it all off, Maniscalco became the first Brave since Phillip Gilbert to reach the 1,000 point club in his junior year.

His play was a big reason why, even though Bradley shot 55 percent in the first half, only led by seven points going into the break. When Wedel disappeared from the Drake offense, there was Josh Young. One of better players in the conference during the past three seasons, Young's combination of shooting and slashing to the goal caught the Bulldogs up in the game.

Bradley had an opportunity extend a seven point lead on five separate possessions with the score 54-47 and just under 12 minutes remaining. Young took charge, nailing two 3-pointers and scoring 12 of Drake's next 14 points.

The Braves seemed to have a "bend, don't break" style the entire second half, never pulling away but also never letting Drake take the lead either.

Freshman guard Dyricus Simms-Edwards turned in another dynamite performance off of the bench, logging seven points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and one turnover in 17 minutes. His energy always seems to resonate throughout the whole team whenever he's out on the court - something a box score simply can't tell you.

Senior guard Chris Roberts appeared to gain some confidence after a few shaky performances as of late. He had nine points (3-of-3 from beyond the arc) and could have had more if it weren't for him missing four easy layups. For as explosive of a player as he can be, it's truly baffling how much Roberts struggles to finish near the basket. Give him credit though, he hit a couple big shots when Bradley really needed them and hopefully will build on a good game.

The tenacity from sophomore forward Taylor Brown was back as he nearly had another double-double (14 points, eight rebounds). Even though he's still developing, it's hard to argue that Brown has the talent to be a force in this league for the next two seasons.

With so many positives, like 6th year senior center Sam Singh grabbing nine rebounds off the bench, the only downside had to be the game from junior guard Andrew Warren. His shooting touch has been really shaky, making less than 50 percent of his shots in the last seven games (21-of-60). A lack of confidence has appeared to affect his decision making too, with four questionable turnovers tonight.

Even in Warren's case, who has been a focal point of opposing team's defensive game planning, he managed to come up with a couple important steals. He has such a likable demeanor off the court that it'd be tough not to root for him to snap out of this funk.

Importance of this game

Looking at this game from a bigger perspective, Bradley now holds the tiebreaker over Drake, which could be critical for seeding purposes in the conference tournament. This was the only game in the Valley tonight but tomorrow could create an even more muddled mess.

With Illinois State on the road (where it really struggles) and Missouri State playing at the suddenly vulnerable SIU Arena, the night could end with a five-way tie for fourth place at 6-6. Bradley would be just a game out of third place while also being in danger of being part of the play-in round.

Look for a post sometime after tomorrow's games that publishes my first edition of the tiebreakers for the MVC standings.

Don't be the first

The Braves have until Saturday to prepare for a game at winless Evansville. Though the Purple Aces (6-15, 0-11 MVC) are short on experience and talent, no games are ever a gimme in the Valley. They have given multiple MVC teams a good game at home (lost to Southern Illinois 65-57, to Drake 72-65 and to Indiana State 63-56).

Bradley must get this game if it hopes to rise above the murky middle of the conference sludge.

Bradley wins its third straight, beats Evansville 74-64

64	74

In a season that has had so many unexpected results, Bradley delivered what fans would have hoped: an easy win against the last place team in the league.

All five starters for the Braves (10-9, 5-4 MVC) finished in double figures. Junior guard Sam Maniscalco delivered another great performance, leading the Bradley attack with 19 points, making 7-of-10 from the field. Evansville's Ryan Colt, leading candidate for Freshman of the Year in the Missouri Valley Conference, was held to 12 points on 5-of-15 shooting.

The game surely wasn't perfect - Bradley committed 13 turnovers and many were unforced. But even as the Braves hit some rough patches where they couldn't score, the team defense responded by slowing down Evansville (6-13, 0-9 MVC) from making any sort of a comeback.

After the Purple Aces led 6-5 early in the game, Bradley went on a 19-4 run and opened up a 14-point lead. From that point forward, Evansville never got closer than eight points again.

Maybe after giving away so many leads earlier in the season, the Braves have finally learned to not let up and play a full 40 minutes of basketball. At least in the past couple weeks, it seems as if they've really turned the corner.

And what isn't a coincidence is that as Bradley continues to succeed, so does sophomore center Will Egolf. He has shown flashes of brilliance before his injury last season and slowly had been rounding into form as this season has progressed.

Egolf had 11 points, eight rebounds and four blocks against the Purple Aces. During the Bradley winning streak, he has put up an impressive stat line of 13.3 PPG, 7.7 RPG and 2.3 BPG.

His skill set was really evident in this game as he influenced many shots on defense while showing off his smooth outside jump shot and post moves on offense. For a guy who played on the perimeter in high school, Egolf seems to know how good he can be by having a well-rounded skill set, especially against slower, less athletic big men in the Valley.

Settling into roles has been something that the majority of the team has needed to understand. Freshman guards Jake Eastman and Dyricus Simms-Edwards only had four points in the game, but provided energy and tenacity off of the bench, like any good team needs.

Sophomore forward Taylor Brown struggled with foul trouble the whole game, but still managed to contribute 10 points and eight rebounds. And junior guard Andrew Warren had a quiet 17 (if that's really all that possible), scoring in bursts when the Braves needed baskets.

Shortened bench

Sophomore guard Eddren McCain hurt his hand in practice and was in street clothes for the game. According to head coach Jim Les, McCain wanted to play but the team decided it was best for him to sit this one out. His status for next game was uncertain.

Continuing to build

With losses by Illinois State and Wichita State this afternoon, Bradley has really put itself into a position where it can compete for the top few spots in the conference. For now, the Braves have moved into a tie for third place in the Valley and will have a chance to separate from the pack coming up in the next few games.

The next for Bradley is Creighton, who has had a really rocky season by its standards. The Bluejays having a losing record (9-10) and have struggled to stay afloat at 4-4 in conference play. Yet because of head coach Dana Altman and past history, nobody can ever really count this team out of the race.

This will be first game of the season I'll be able to attend at Carver Arena this season. I'm looking forward to catching a game in person after having to watch so many on the Internet/TV.

Game Twenty-Nine Recap: Bradley @ Evansville

49	56

Individual games can be a microcosm of a season.

Wednesday night felt like just that as the up-and-down Braves fell on the road to Evansville (17-11, 8-9) by a score of 56-49. Bradley (16-13, 9-8) didn't play well and again showed its vulnerability when the team shoots poorly overall and takes too many 3-point shots.

The Braves made 6-of-24 from behind the arc, only 25 percent. Bradley hasn't shot that many threes in any conference game this season, and it was the most since the dismal performance at Milwaukee on Dec. 20 (6-of-27, 22 percent).

Compare the results in wins versus losses and the discrepancy is even more evident. In nine conference wins, Bradley has made 51-of-130 attempts from the 3-point line, good for 39 percent. In the eight losses, the Braves have not only shot a much lower percentage (30 percent) but they've also taken 15 more shots (145) in one less game. This team simply can't keep trying long range shots at the rate of previous teams.

As for this particular game, Evansville showed the emotion expected on senior night. After a dunk by Bradley center David Collins, the Purple Aces went on 8-2 run to pull ahead 17-7. Most of the half was pretty sloppy overall and Evansville maintained its 10-point lead going into halftime at 30-20.

The Braves never could put together enough scores in a row to close the lead within four points until late in the second half. Often this was attributable to lax defensive possessions. Though the overall defensive effort looked good on paper (Evansville shot only 40 percent from the floor), too many times the Braves were beaten off the dribble or were too slow to rotate. This led to numerous layups and free throw opportunities by the Purple Aces.

The game may have been more one-sided if Evansville had hit more than 15-of-24 free throws (62.5 percent). And at this point, it almost goes without saying that a Jim Les-coached team would give 100 percent effort. That certainly wasn't in question tonight, but without a go-to scorer, Bradley couldn't make enough shots to win.

Collins needs to be singled out for Bradley. He led the Braves in scoring for the first time this season with 10 points. Anyone who knows this team should understand though, that if Collins is the high-point man, Bradley is probably going to lose the game.

That shouldn't take away from Collins' game. He showed a tenacity that fans have rarely seen from him in road games this season. Collins grabbed 10 rebounds and was credited with five blocks (though it surely looked like 6 or 7 when watching).

Another thing to like about Collins tonight is that he generally made good decisions with the ball. When he had man-to-man coverage, he took the ball to the basket aggressively. But when Evansville doubled down on him, Collins found the open man — helping contribute to his four assists.

Nobody else really stepped up for Bradley. Guard Sam Maniscalco and forward Theron Wilson have generally been the guys to do it, but they finished with just nine and six points respectively.

The Braves were also at a disadvantage as guard Dodie Dunson played the whole game with a heavily wrapped right hand. The injury greatly affected his ability to make any offensive contribution, therefore putting more pressure on Maniscalco and Wilson.

Jason Holsinger had a great game for Evansville on his senior night. The sharpshooting guard led all scorers with 19 points.

Next game:

As noted in my post about the MVC standings, Bradley needs to forget about this loss quickly. The Braves will likely finish 4th in conference, but they need some momentum going into the conference tournament in St. Louis.

Drake comes to Peoria for the final game of the regular season after a heartbreaking home loss to Southern Illinois tonight. Bradley definitely appears to be the better team, but that doesn't mean much in the Valley this year. The Braves put up a terrible performance Feb. 7 in Des Moines, falling to the Bulldogs 68-54.

A win secures the 4th seed in the conference tournament. But it's hard to guess who Bradley will play until all games are complete.

Next game: Drake @ Bradley, Sat. 2/28, 7:05 p.m.

In case you missed it ...

Semester exams aren't just an annoyance for students. They also keep teams off the floor for many days, making fans a bit restless.

The wait for Bradley's next game (at UW-Milwaukee, Sat.) has seemed like about a month. So for those who've been hibernating, here's the news from the Valley since Sunday's matinee:

Award-winner

Guard Sam Maniscalco received the Country Financial Bradley Scholar-Athlete of the Week award on Wednesday. The Bradley sophomore won the award for the first time in his career.

He's the first men's basketball player to have the honor since April 2, 2008. Jeremy Crouch won it that day for the eighth and final time in his career.

Maniscalco will need to have some more big games, but he could end up having as successful of a Bradley career as Crouch did on and off of the court.

Read the press release from Bradley University: here

On the mend

Forward Sam Singh had surgery on his broken nose after getting whacked in the face against Southeast Missouri State. His status for Saturday sounded uncertain at the time of the report, but don't count on Singh against UW-Milwaukee.

As expected, no progress has been shown from guard Andrew Warren. Even though his original foot fracture looks healed, another smaller break may have occurred in his foot now.

Considering how important he will be to Bradley in the coming season(s), watch for him to get a medical redshirt soon. The Braves won't want to take chances with one of their best players and Warren, who has always shown a great love for the game, wouldn't likely want to waste a year of eligibility.

Read the full story by Dave Reynolds of the Journal Star: here

Recruit in limbo

The Braves still await a decision by the NCAA on forward John Wilkins, who was hoping to transfer to Bradley at the semester.

The situation is difficult because Wilkins played a few games with a professional team in Belgium. So, even if Wilkins is allowed to play at Bradley, he'll have to sit for five games as an NCAA punishment.

If I had to place a bet right now, I'd feel pretty safe putting it on the side that he isn't in a Bradley uniform this season, maybe ever.

A few more details in the Journal Star story: here

Playing the best

Even in a loss, Evansville continues to impress. The Purple Aces (7-2) lost by 18 points at No. 1 North Carolina (10-0) tonight but managed to play the unbeaten Tar Heels even for the first 10 minutes of the game.

Sure the best team in the nation pulled away and won fairly easily, but this is also a group that beat Michigan State in Detroit by 35 points. The Tar Heels have appeared invincible so far.

The bigger story must be that Evansville competed so well in extremely challenging circumstances. Little argument can be made that the Purple Aces should be competitive again in conference play. But are they contenders along with Creighton and Illinois State?

Once MVC games begin, the intensity level gets ratcheted up and familiarity sets in. Teams don't radically change their styles on a season by season basis, so every team in the Valley comes in with a built-in advantage against one another.

This doesn't bode well for Evansville, as their talent level doesn't match up to some of the top teams in the Valley. But, with their experience against some good non-conference opponents, the Purple Aces could finish in the upper half of the MVC. Like most of the conference, Evansville is just as puzzling as the next. Only time will tell how it will stacks up against the other nine.

Birds keep flapping

Speaking of puzzles, Illinois State continued its perfect season (10-0) by bullying another weak opponent. This time though, the weakling almost got in the final blow.

The Redbirds won at Central Michigan (3-6) by three points, 72-69. Not a single opponent that Illinois State has played this season has a winning record against Div. I opponents.

The UIC Flames (7-2) head to Normal on Saturday, giving the Redbirds a chance to finally knock off a good opponent. This game will give fans across the Valley a chance to see how good Illinois State can be going into conference play.

Countdown

Only 10 more days until conference games begin!

9. Evansville

Preseason poll: 8th

Why pick a team that returns all five starters for 9th place in the conference? Well, those starters finished 3-15 in the Valley last year. This collection of players isn't the Fab Five of Michigan in 1992-93. The crop of players coming back has some talent, but doesn't really scare many opponents.

Jason Holsinger (5'11" Sr.) starts the engine for the Purple Aces with his dynamic 3-point shooting ability. One of his best performances of the season in 2008 was against Bradley in Peoria. Holsinger dropped in 23 points including 6-of-7 from 3-point range. He also shoots very well from the free-throw line (85.3% career). Holsinger does make his share of mistakes at the point as he has the distinction of the MVC conference player with the highest returning turnover ratio per game (2.9). His skill set translates more to a shooting guard, but that'd be a major disadvantage for a guy who is under six feet tall.

The other big time performer for Evansville is Shy Ely (6'4" Sr.). He averaged 14.4 points (3rd best of returning players in the MVC) and 5.1 rebounds per game. Ely plays that tweener role of a shorter player whose best game is in the lane. Ely not only shoots a high percentage from the line (77.6%), but also knows how to get there (4.9 attempts per game). He knocked in all 18 FT attempts he took during a 60-56 home victory over Creighton on Feb. 13.

The problem isn't with either of those players, though. The rest of the Evansville team raises plenty of question marks. The biggest might be All-Freshman honoree Pieter van Tongeren (6'11" So.), who averaged 5.7 PPG and 4.1 RPG. He performed inconsistently, especially during the conference season. While he did have six double-digit scoring games, van Tongeren also scored two points or less in 11 games. If he makes strides this season, Evansville could be greatly improved.

Evansville, like many teams in the Valley, comes loaded with small forwards/shooting guards who can light up a scoreboard on a given night. Kavon Lacey (6'0" So.), Nate Garner (6'5" Sr.) and Darin Granger (6'2" Jr.) all have had their share of big games.

Evansville not only was last in the MVC in scoring (59.5 PPG) but also had the worst FG percentage allowed (.454 PCT). This combination doesn't bode well for a team that doesn't have any major recruits coming in this season (though 6'4" Fr. Kaylon Williams will likely see a lot of action as a back up to Holsinger).

If all of the returning players contribute more consistently, Evansville may have a shot at 6th or 7th in the Valley. But, if their recent track record continues, 9th seems to be a pretty fair placement for the Purple Aces.