Report: multiple Bradley players transferring

[Gwright]

I can't reveal my source but here is what happened. Wardle put the players through a workout a couple of days ago and called my source and said "There will be transfers. A lot of these kids are too soft and can't play for me." I asked about Wardle as a coach and I was told "He's a bad ass". He is looking for a specific toughness level which most of these kids don't have. So the handwriting was on the wall.

Good. We needed change. The fact he is coming in and blowing the whole thing up gives me hope for the future. He is going to have total control over the team he has in 2-3 years. I am patient.

[CubbieBear]

Why is everyone leaving just because Wardle took over? Does he have that much of a reputation of being a disciplinarian?

As others mentioned--I think Josh was likely leaving anyway to play for a winner--and I remember ISU going thru much the same when Muller came on board--much stricter & tougher than Jank--so they had some fallout--BUT--when he got HIS guys in place their program has really taken off, I predict that we can do the same with Wardle in a couple years---and it would NEVER have happened with GF

[Big Mike]

I would really like to see Thomas stay.....with the right coaching he has a big upside and could have a decent career here at Bradley!

[tornado]

...here is what happened. Wardle put the players through a workout a couple of days ago and called my source and said "There will be transfers. A lot of these kids are too soft and can't play for me."......

would wonder if this surprises many - it is what quite a few fans right here have been saying for FOUR full years while the experts at the PJS have been hyping up this team as the toughest batch of guys in 3 decades..."Chicago tough" and "Ford tough" - LOL....
....and bragging on how all these juco kids and transfers were tough...
the last remnant of toughness we had walked out the door with Dyricus & Tyshon.

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?p=287328&highlight=toughness#post287328

LOL - just more evidence that our local media hasn't got a clue when it comes to judging what's on the floor right in front of them.

[Buesch N Chips]

The only thing I am concerned about is that the "drill seargent" Bobby Knight type of coach hardly exists anymore. Higher level recruits with an entourage around them telling them how great they are have no need for someone telling them the opposite as a motivational technique.

[Da Coach]

Hope this makes Bradley fans feel slightly better about the 6 players leaving-

Players leaving as of now-
Josh Cunningham
Tramique Sutherland
Xzavier Taylor
Jermaine Morgan
Kendahl Amerson
Nate Wells.

Scholarship players returning-
Ka'Darryl Bell
Anthony Fields
Omari Grier
Warren Jones
Mike Shaw
Donte Thomas

And here are the stats from last year-

http://www.mvc.org/mbb/stats/BRAD.HTM#team.ind

So we really lose only 2 players of significance- leading rebounder Josh Cunningham (who was going to leave no matter who was named coach) who averaged 7.9 ppg, and point guard Tramique Sutherland (who was unexpected, but was not an effective point guard, IMO), who would have been the 2nd leading returning scorer- 11.3 ppg, and 57 assists (2nd on the team).
As of now, Bradley will still return top scorer Warren Jones, and 3 of the 5 top scorers who were going to return.

[basketball nut]

The only thing I am concerned about is that the "drill seargent" Bobby Knight type of coach hardly exists anymore. Higher level recruits with an entourage around them telling them how great they are have no need for someone telling them the opposite as a motivational technique.

All of the better coaches still have that tough "drill Sargent" mentality. Listen to how commentators talk about the final 4 coaches. We know all 4 of these guys are almost brutal in practice. Izzo still makes his players practice in shoulder pads. I could go on about how tough all of the better coaches are. Players that want to get better will respond to that kind of coaching and will continue to get better

[turtle]

all were losers anyway

[Canton BU fan]

Players wanting to leave is not a good thing in itself but this will also speed up the process of improving the program by letting coach get his type of players here sooner.

[Future Walk-On]

the more i dwell on this the happier i am... i am actually annoyed that this many players appear to be staying. drastic times call for drastic measures?

[jtim1152]

Transfer rules

Remind me/us......are the released players required to sit a year or are they immediately eligible, since BU allowed them to jettison their signed commitment?

[CubbieBear]

They have to sit out a year--unless they drop down to a DII or DIII---except for Wells--if he graduates--he can play next year at a DI assuming he enrolls in a masters program that we don't offer (aka Maniscalco)

[capecod]

weighting in from afar

Hope this makes Bradley fans feel slightly better about the 6 players leaving-

Players leaving as of now-
Josh Cunningham
Tramique Sutherland
Xzavier Taylor
Jermaine Morgan
Kendahl Amerson
Nate Wells.

Scholarship players returning-
Ka'Darryl Bell
Anthony Fields
Omari Grier
Warren Jones
Mike Shaw
Donte Thomas

I am personally happy to have any of the players back that chose to stay.
My guess is that at least a few stayed to get their college degrees from Bradley.

It has become a bit of a 'cliche' now-but it really is a 40 year decision, not a 4 year decision. A degree from Bradley really will help these kids in the real (non basketball) world.....of course I'm assuming that the kids are going to school/hitting the books and advancing towards a degree.

The upperclassmen who stayed should be getting close to a degree(hopefully). Or maybe I'm just uninformed....

I applaud Wells for getting his Bradley degree. If he wants to get on with his life(with a BU degree in hand), more power to him. Wells will always be a Bradley alum!

As for the one's leaving(note again-these observations are 'from afar'):

Taylor: really, really needed to sit a year. He wasn't ready to play as a Frosh.
Well, he gets his chance to sit and develop now(re transfer). Taylor's only problem is finding a home. It would be great for him IF he can go somewhere as a package deal with Cunningham...but the colleges that will want Cunningham may not need, want or have room to take the less talented Taylor too.

Of course if Cunningham(or his advisers) insist that it's a package deal...'no Cunningham without Taylor too'...good for Taylor(Cunningham will just cut down on his options a bit).

This may be a very good choice for Taylor IF is allowed to ride Cunningham's 'coattails' to a new school(maybe not the best for Cunningham but he'll do just fine anyway-just a few less options IMO)

Sutherland: I assume this is a straight basketball decision(ie unrelated to advancing towards a college degree). He only has a season left to play.
Again, 'from afar', watching him play I really had no idea what was going on in his mind.

Sutherland had the ball in his hands most of the time. He played out of control, took silly shots and didn't pass the ball well. Of course maybe there was no one to pass to-or at least no one to pass to that could make a shot.

Sutherland's decision appears to be that of a 'soldier of fortune'-looking for a place the run through the remainder of his eligibility...one year left if I am not mistaken(maybe unfair-but that's my take from 'afar'.)

Will Sutherland look for a Division I school where he has to sit a year? Or a lesser class college where he can play right away.....guess I don't really care

I have no idea what to think of Amerson-it may not have worked out at Bradley academically anyway.

That leaves Morgan.
I forgot to look to see how many years of eligibility Morgan has left before beginning to type this....if it's one?(see Sutherland)

Regardless, more power to all of them. Hope it all works out and they won't regret not having that Bradley degree- say 20 years from now

[TampaBrave]

This reminds me so much of Molinari's arrival after Albeck. He showed up in classes where his players were and made them take off their hats, be on time for class, dress appropriately, etc. Not nearly as many defections for him but lots of change. Was a tough couple years but the fruits were much sweeter 2 years later. I expect a tough couple of years before seeing what Wardle can really do and am willing to give him a couple years to resurrect this program.

[Da Coach]

BradleyBraves.com took down their roster page for the 2015-16 season yesterday because of all the players leaving.
They just reposted it, and it confirmes the same 7 players on the 2015-16 roster as we thought would be there-

http://www.bradleybraves.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=3400&SPID=1498&SPSID=19333

2015-2016 roster
Ka'Darryl Bell
Anthony Fields
Omari Grier
Warren Jones
Jackson Kane
Mike Shaw
Donte Thomas