Photos from the Wichita State game

I've uploaded the pictures I took at last night's game. Enjoy.

Click the photo above to view a slideshow.

Game Twenty-One Recap: Wichita State @ Bradley

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Bradley (13-8, 7-3) took care of business again against another bad Valley team. Even though Wichita State (9-12, 3-7) kept the game close for awhile, at no point did it feel like the Braves were in danger of losing. Beating the cellar dwellers at home is a necessity for any contender for a conference title. But the chances of actually taking that title may very well be decided in the next two games (at Illinois State, vs. Northern Iowa).

The statistics don't lie. Bradley did just about everything better than Wichita State (FG %, 3PT %, rebounding, points in the paint, fast break points, bench points, etc.). If it weren't for some careless turnovers, which still can be expected with how young this team is, Bradley would have won by 20 or more.

Give head coach Jim Les credit. He's had this team well exceed any fans' hopes coming into conference play considering the injuries to Andrew Warren and Will Egolf. Sure the team has lapses (see: the first three minutes when the Shockers led 6-0), but an overall commitment to team basketball has really allowed this team to thrive.

He's also doing a better job of spacing out the minutes. All nine guys who were in the regular rotation played at least 17 minutes. These splits will help the team grow for the rest of this season, be much more ready for next year and also allow everyone to be a bit fresher as the grind of conference play continues.

Bradley hung not one, but two lengthy scoring droughts on Wichita State (zero points for six minutes in the first half, two points for five and a half minutes in the second). The second of these proved to be the most pivotal sequence of the game.

The Braves led 36-34 with just under 15 minutes to go when a steal by guard Sam Maniscalco ignited the run. The play ended in guard Chris Roberts going to the line and missing both free throws. But senior leader Theron Wilson grabbed a pivotal rebound and scored to put Bradley up four.

The next five possessions included four scores: a 3-pointer by guard Dodie Dunson, a great Sam-to-Sam assist (Maniscalco to Sam Singh), a transition hoop by guard Eddren McCain and another 3-pointer, this one by Maniscalco (who had been having a really tough game from the floor). Bradley also had three steals in that stretch and suddenly the lead was up to 48-36.

The Shockers had one last run in them, cutting the score to 53-44 on a J.T. Durley layup with 5:40 left. But the Braves quickly answered on the next possession with another huge 3-pointer from Dunson. Wilson iced the game by taking a charge and then throwing down a huge tip slam dunk at 4:12.

Dunson, who finished with 18 points and seven rebounds, had another impressive game. Wilson's 11 points and six rebounds also helped in securing the win. But others may have had almost as important of an influence on the outcome.

Maniscalco needs to be recognized, as he had an awful game shooting (2-12 from the floor) but didn't let it affect the rest of his performance. His four assists and no turnovers were especially important because McCain had one of his worst games in awhile. Not only was the Bradley freshman making more inexperienced turnovers, but he also was playing the game too fast and didn't help the Braves get in sync early. Maniscalco helped settle down the team and show more leadership even though he hasn't been starting lately.

Freshmen Taylor Brown and Darian Norris continue to earn more minutes with their athleticism and work ethic. They also make their share of mistakes, but this can be expected at their age. Unless Bradley gets a junior college forward, nothing should stop Brown from having a good chance at being a starter next year.

Next game:

The last two wins have certainly helped to build some confidence going into two of the biggest games of the season. First up: Illinois State. Not only will the Redbirds be out for revenge in round two of the War on 74, but a disappointing loss at Northern Iowa tonight will have the 'Birds extra angry. Instead of moving one game out of first place, now Illinois State could possibly fall into fourth or fifth place in the Valley.

Even though Bradley beat ISU once, don't expect this game to be any easier — not that records matter in the rivalry. These games are generally close, especially at Redbird Arena. And for once, the ISU fans will actually fill the arena, so expect about the usual hostile environment (especially with all the profanity thrown around inside).

The next two will prove how much of a contender Bradley can really be. A split should be a reasonable expectation, but who knows how far the overachieving Braves can go?

Bradley at Illinois State, 3:05 p.m., Sat. 1/31

Game Thirteen Recap: Bradley @ Wichita State

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Showing resiliency on the road is a must in the Missouri Valley Conference.

A rebound basket by forward/center Sam Singh broke a tie at 58 with 0.9 seconds left in the game. Bradley (8-5, 2-0) prevented a shot attempt from Wichita State (6-7, 0-2) in the final moments, securing the narrow victory.

This game had an edge to it, including numerous hard fouls and aggressive rebounding. But instead of being pushed around, the Braves stood tall against a scrappy Shocker team.

Talented Wichita State big man Garrett Stutz got the Shockers going early, scoring three easy baskets in paint and Wichita State led 11-4 after four and a half minutes of action.

Bradley responded quickly by going on an 11-0 run for nearly seven minutes. Five different Braves scored during the surge which included a thundering dunk by forward Theron Wilson.

A highlight film tip slam by guard Chris Roberts was sandwiched in the middle of another big run by the visitors, as Bradley extended its lead to 32-20 with 4:07 left in the first half.

The Braves' maintained a lead of nine points after Wilson hit a long two-pointer with 8:23 to play, 50-41. But, the Shockers just kept pushing.

Wichita State guard Graham Hatch sunk a 3-pointer (which was called a two on the floor, but was later corrected properly by video review) to make the score 50-46 with 7:36 left in the game.

Guard Sam Maniscalco would be the victim of two calls that could have cost the Braves down the stretch. First, he was called for a foul on a three point shot by guard Toure' Murry when he made no contact with the shooter (Murry hit two of three free throw attempts). Then, Maniscalco made a smooth drive down the lane and was fouled on a layup attempt that was good. Maniscalco clearly was in the act of shooting but the play was whistled to be on the floor.

All frustrations aside, a perfect assist by guard Eddren McCain to Theron Wilson still gave Bradley a 58-53 lead with 1:48 to go.

Wichita State would complete its comeback after a poor turnover by Singh and a transition 3-pointer by Murry with 26 seconds left.

The final play was drawn up for Maniscalco, who again did not get a foul call on his drive to the hoop. But, just as soon as his shot bounced off the rim, Singh put the second opportunity back in the basket and Bradley led 60-58.

The drama didn't end there, as the Shockers inbounds play looked to drawn a foul from center David Collins. The 7-footer was trying to guard in the pass, and as a result, ran over a Wichita State player who was trying to set a screen.

No call was made though, and after one pass was tipped out of bounds and another was thrown out of bounds directly, Bradley secured the victory.

The Braves had three players in double figures: Wilson (18), McCain (11) and Singh (10). Throw out the stats though, as this contest came down to a team effort to notch another conference win.

Some observations:

* - This was definitely the most entertaining game of the season, one that both teams did not want to lose. Head coach Jim Les deserves a lot of credit for getting his team to play better and better on the road with each new season. When he first started on the Hilltop, Les' teams were painful to watch away from Carver Arena. But at least for one Valley game, the team looked poised and confident in a hostile environment.

* - Another aspect to give Les credit should be his assessment of the current roster. Finally the Braves are getting away from their "chuck it anywhere, even from the ocean" mentality. The team simply isn't a great perimeter squad and instead of just sticking to the system, Bradley has started to take the ball into the paint more, which is definitely a team strength.

Wilson, Maniscalco and McCain are all great at getting to the basket and drawing contact. The Braves showed that they have the talent to keep this formula working, even against zone defenses (which the Shockers applied for much of the game).

* - If this team is going to continue to be successful, it must keep its commitment to rebounding. Bradley held a 31-26 advantage on the glass against the MVC's best rebounding team, statistically. What Bradley lacks in shooting ability can be made up with athleticism and a commitment to sticking to fundamentals.

* - Singh had another great game, showing his range by making jump shots from the free throw line. Maybe the broken nose knocked him into another gear, as he looks poised to be a major contributor for the rest of the season.

* - Bradley only played eight guys against Wichita State, which has worked okay for the past two games. But, will this come back to haunt the Braves as the long conference season goes on? Both guard Darian Norris and center Anthony Thompson did not play in this game. If Bradley is to make it through the rugged conference slate, these two will likely need to make a bit of a contribution.

Next game:

Bradley heads to another road site that hasn't treated the team well in awhile. Coach Les will be looking for his first win in Springfield, Mo. after falling in his first six tries. An improved Missouri State team won't be a pushover, even though it has lost its first two MVC games. The Bears dealt Arkansas (10-1) its only loss of the season Nov. 22.

One advantage the Braves may have will be not playing at Hammons Student Center. Not has Bradley not won there in the Les era, but they've often played some of their worst basketball of the season there.

Now the Bears play at the new JQH Arena, which holds roughly 2,000 more fans than Hammons Student Center (11,000 total). Maybe the Braves can break from this poor stretch in Missouri and grab another big road victory.

(Please note the reason for such a late post — Due to other commitments, I wasn't able to watch this game live. But, once it was archived on BUBraves.TV, I've now seen the game in its entirety.)

10. Wichita State

Preseason poll: 9th

Pull a name from a hat and that's about as scientific as you can be about the "play-in" teams in the Missouri Valley Conference this season. Between Evansville, Indiana State, Missouri State and Wichita State, the bottom of the Valley is filled with question marks this season. If the players gel at Wichita State, then the Shockers could move up to 7th or 8th in the conference. But, I see Wichita State in the cellar of the MVC.

Other than talent, the most important attribute that good teams have when conference play comes around: experience. Every school brings in highly touted recruits that it expects to perform at the highest level. And as teams try to mature throughout non-conference play, young teams can have success. But once you hit Valley play, the intensity level gets turned up to a much higher level.

The Shockers simply don't have the seasoning or talent to be all that successful this season. Wichita State lost four of five starters from a poor 2007-2008 team. Coach Gregg Marshall has only had one season coaching in the Valley and his team will likely be led by a unseasoned JUCO transfer at point guard, Clevin Hannah (5'11" Jr.). Reports say he's looked good running the offense so far, but can any Shocker fans feel confident with Hannah, fellow JUCO transfer guard
Reggie Chamberlain (6'0" So.) or newcomer Toure' Murry (6'4" Fr.)? With the smaller lineups in the MVC, teams can often survive conference play without big trees down low. But, without solid and confident guards, teams flounder. This is the kind of situation I see for the Shockers.

Wichita State does have a few promising players on the team this year. Much of the team's hope will fall upon guard/forward A.J. Hawkins (6'5" Jr.), who is now eligible after transfering from St. Bonaventure. After averaging double figures (12.2 PPG) for another Division I school, it's reasonable to expect that Hawkins will be able to provide some leadership. Hawkins will team up with interior players forwards Ramon Clemente (6'6" Sr.) and J.T. Durley (6'7" So.) to present a formidable starting lineup.

To further complicate the Shockers problems, players like Hawkins, Clemente, Durley and sophomore forward Aaron Ellis all have had a history of either injuries or medical conditions. If any one of the big three breaks down, the chances of a successful season get even slimmer for the Shockers.

Wichita State was a disappointing team last season and there's not many reasons to believe that they're poised to make great leaps in 2008-2009.