Game Seven Recap: Bradley @ Michigan State

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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.)

Some Michigan State nostalgia

Even though Bradley lost to Michigan State on December 4, 2007, the game had the feel like no other game I've ever attended at Carver Arena. The entire crowd, even the older folks, stood from nearly start to finish.

Both star point guard Drew Neitzel and head coach Tom Izzo had very complimentary things to say about Bradley's fans after the game. If only it were like that every night at Carver Arena.

Anyway, it's fun to think back to that game and how electric everything was about playing the Spartans. To pay tribute to that, I've compiled another slideshow of pictures. This time unfortunately, the quality leaves something to be desired. But, that's what you get indoors on a little Kodak point-and-shoot from the stands.

Click the photo above to view a slideshow.

(Note: I have only been following Bradley since 2002, so I'm certain there are other games that those "older" folks may remember that rank up there with this game. I've read plenty about the mythical seven overtime game against Cincinnati in 1960. To read more about this game and other Bradley classics, check out the Journal Star's Fieldhouse tribute here: http://www2.pjstar.com/index.php/fieldhouse/archives/bradley_stuns_cincinnati/)

Finding a way to beat the Spartans

For Bradley fans, the optimists will see that Michigan State just got whipped by North Carolina and squeaked by Wichita State (who was picked to finish 9th in the Valley this year). The pessimists can simply reply, "But it's still Michigan State."

The Braves will need a herculean effort to beat the Spartans on their home floor, especially without center Will Egolf and guard Andrew Warren. Michigan State will be out for blood after losing by 35 to the No. 1 team in the country.

How does Bradley stand a chance? Quite a few things need to fall the Braves way, including:

* - Outside shooting - Wichita State hung close with the Spartans, but only hit 7-of-23 from 3-point range (30.4 percent). With an even better shooting team last year, Bradley hit 8-of-25 (32 percent) against Michigan State. Guards Chris Roberts and Dodie Dunson will need to keep knocking down treys if Bradley's going to stay in the game.

* - Rebounding - On the opposite side of the spectrum, this year's team has been rebounding much more effectively than the 2007-08 team. The ugliest aspect of the matchup last season came in this department, where the Spartans clobbered Bradley on the boards, 48-29.

Good news for the Braves: Michigan State center Goran Suton had arthroscopic knee surgery and will miss the next 2-4 weeks. Suton had 11 rebounds against Bradley and fellow big man Drew Naymick (10 rebounds) graduated.

* - Maturity - Good thing most of the players on the Bradley roster didn't play in the game last time the Braves were in East Lansing, Mich. The 82-53 drubbing was one of the worst losses in recent memory.

But, just as all the new players don't have memories, they also haven't had to play in a hostile environment yet. Turnovers have been a problem for Bradley so far, and this game must be the one to correct that. What Bradley lacks in talent must be made up in heart and intelligence.

Home teams seem to have a bigger advantage in college basketball than any other major sport. The Breslin Center certainly fits that mold, with the boisterous Izzone student section. Composure will be critical for the Braves in this environment.

* - New roles - Bradley centers David Collins and Anthony Thompson must grow up really quickly. Neither saw many minutes with how well Egolf had been playing. But everything changed with that one nasty slip to the Carver Arena floor.

Collins may be a veteran, but he plays like a boy at times. His lack of aggressiveness can't be taught, he just has to bring it. Collins showed signs of turning the corner at the end of last season but has since regressed.

He has a nice shooting touch and can be an intimidating force in the lane. Some of his critics say he doesn't have as much talent, but that argument is bogus. Forward/center Sam Singh isn't the most athletically gifted player, but he always gives everything he has on the floor and provides positive results. Collins has a second life after the Egolf injury and needs to remind everyone why he's on the team.

Thompson will finally get his chance to play after redshirting last season and playing sparingly in 2008. He received recognition as a pretty highly touted recruit coming to Bradley, but hasn't really gotten to prove why. There's no reason that he can't be the starting center for years to come, so start showing that now.

If the Braves can get a decent amount of production from the two (maybe 8-10 points & rebounds), that will go a long way to giving Bradley a chance Sunday.

* - Make 'em shoot - Michigan State hasn't shot much better than Bradley this season from 3-point range (35 to 32 percent) or from the field (47 to 44). With all of the attention the Braves must focus on preventing second chance opportunities, maybe dropping into a zone and making Spartans shoot over it will help.

You can bet that coach Jim Les will try it at some point during the game. Changing up defenses was what kept Bradley in the game for so long against Florida. With all of the time he has had to prepare, Les should throw many different looks out there to confuse Michigan State.

***

From a scheduling perspective, Bradley catches the Spartans at the best possible time. The Braves have been able to formulate a game plan for a week, whereas Michigan State only has two days. All of the preparation will help Bradley keep the game fairly close, but the talent level of the Spartans (especially at home) will likely win out in the end.

Final prediction: Michigan State 74 Bradley 64