Anthony Fields receives his release- will transfer

[Da Coach]

Confirming rumors that we've heard for the past week, tonight Anthony Fields received his official release and signed it.
Fields will be graduating from Bradley, and plans to attend grad school.

Because of his knee injury, it's not clear whether he'll consider transferring and continuing his basketball career elsewhere. As a 5th year graduate-transfer, he would be eligible and would have 1 year left to play if he did transfer.

Good luck Anthony!

[Da Coach]

The departure of Anthony Fields leaves only these 5 players returning from last season-
Ka'Darryl Bell
Donte Thomas
Warren Jones
Jackson Kane (walkon)
Mike Shaw

The list of players leaving with eligibility remaining now has grown to 8:
Nate Wells (graduating)
Omari Grier (graduating)
Anthony Fields (graduating)
Tramique Sutherland
Josh Cunningham
Jermaine Morgan
Kendahl Amerson
Xzavier Taylor

New incoming freshman (5):
Ronnie Suggs
Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye
Joel Okafor
Antoine Pittman
Davante Cooper

There are still 4 available scholarships

[Big Mike]

Good Luck to Anthony.....too bad things just never worked out @ Bradley!

[AZ BU Fan]

The departure of Anthony Fields leaves only these 5 players returning from last season-
Ka'Darryl Bell
Donte Thomas
Warren Jones
Jackson Kane (walkon)
Mike Shaw

New incoming freshman (5):
Ronnie Suggs
Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye
Joel Okafor
Antoine Pittman
Davante Cooper

There are still 4 available scholarships

Makes the rotation easier, and, insures lots of playing time!

Good start by Coach Wardle...

[Buesch N Chips]

This is starting to be a bit concerning. Not that Fields is a "difference maker" by a long shot, but I've never seen this kind of voluntary defection before. Is Wardle running these guys off intentionally?

[Da Coach]

I hear that is not the case. Wardle offered all the players the opportunity to stay, but laid out his plans for how he runs the team, and it was substantially different than the players were used to.
These latest defections (Grier, Fields) are not the ones that we should be surprised by. They actually were the most likely ones because of the 5th year grad aspect, and Fields' knee injury.
Cunningham and Taylor also were not surprising because they have 3 and 2 years left.
The surprising ones were the early, quick decisions by Sutherland, Morgan, and Amerson.

[ollienanyes]

This is starting to be a bit concerning. Not that Fields is a "difference maker" by a long shot, but I've never seen this kind of voluntary defection before. Is Wardle running these guys off intentionally?

Actually, I am encouraged by this. Next season's W/L record probably won't be pretty, but I expect good things from his third season.

[tornado]

..
The surprising ones were the early, quick decisions by Sutherland, Morgan, and Amerson.

these three came immediately after they were put through a workout and told what was expected of them by the new coaching staff...
draw your own conclusions....

[Chico]

these three came immediately after they were put through a workout and told what was expected of them by the new coaching staff...
draw your own conclusions....

Looks like they were going to have to work a little harder. Didn't like that.

[Da Coach]

Dave Reynolds now tweeting about Anthony Fields receiving his release and planning on transferring-

https://twitter.com/DaveReynolds2/status/595647787099922432

[Da Coach]

Article from Dave Reynolds-

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20150505/SPORTS/150509537/11130/SPORTS

[tornado]

pretty amazing how much turnover has happened in the last couple months...
President, AD, multiple other high admin personnel including Provost...
plus head basketball coach and all his assistants and now eight returning players....
...that's massive turnover -

[Braves2006]

pretty amazing how much turnover has happened in the last couple months...
President, AD, multiple other high admin personnel including Provost...
plus head basketball coach and all his assistants and now eight returning players....
...that's massive turnover -

And yet... I have a good feeling and great peace about where this program is heading...

[pfcmsh]

Better Coaching, Better Talent

Actually, I am encouraged by this. Next season's W/L record probably won't be pretty, but I expect good things from his third season.

You might be exactly right. Maybe I am too hopeful and too optimistic. I think it is safe to say that, even though our team now are younger and playing together for the first year, our talent level is still better. I think Coach Wardle could have gotten more out of last years talent. So, if the talent is better and the coaching is better, couldn't we win more than the 9 games we won last year?

[Da Coach]

Last year's schedule was more friendly than this coming year is looking. So unless we hear of some winnable home games, it could be tough to reach 9 or 10 wins.
There are already 3 road games and 3 neutral court games on the pre-conference schedule-

Mon. Nov. 16 at Arizona
Thurs. Nov. 19-Sun. Nov. 22- 3 games in the Charleston Classic (other teams G. Mason, LBSU, OK. State, Ole Miss, Seton Hall, Towson, Virginia)
Tues. Dec. 8 at UT-Arlington
Sun. Dec. 20 at Boise State

There is still a Las Vegas tournament that had been mentioned, but the latest word was that Bradley was going to get out of that.

With such a young team, I don't know which, if any, of those games we could count on a win. We should have 6 or 7 home games that have not been announced yet, so hopefully we'll see some winnable games at home.