Game day!

[Da Coach]

One more day until the official start of the 2015-2016 college basketball season. Bradley opens with Ball State Friday at 7:00 PM at Carver Arena.

This game thread is all you need to know about the match-up with Ball State-

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=25745

The young Braves need all the fan support they can get. So if anyone is considering going to any Bradley games this year, or if you are looking for something to do on a Friday night, tomorrow is a game you should attend! Bradley needs you, and if you haven't seen the exhibition games, you will find that this team is very talented and fun to watch.

Tickets are available online here-

http://www.ticketmaster.com/bradley-braves-vs-ball-state-university-peoria-illinois-11-13-2015/event/07004F379ECA3D7A?artistid=847595&majorcatid=10004&minorcatid=7&tm_link=artist_msg-0_07004F379ECA3D7A

Or by visiting the Bradley ticket office at the Renaissance Coliseum, or the Civic Center ticket office downtown. Or you can obtain tickets by calling the ticket office at (309) 677-2625.

And don't forget about the Game Day Luncheon Friday. Tickets are still available for that, too.

Wear red and support the Braves!

[Stickboy46]

Shocker Fan here. Super excited for this season. I'll be cheering for you guys to steal a few wins (except from WSU ). Its been a long off-season and I'm ready to get back to consistent basketball!

[lefty]

I have a hard time seeing us winning this game......Ball State by 9

[Da Coach]

I have a hard time seeing us winning this game......Ball State by 9

Ball State has been terrible for the first 2 seasons under Jim Whitford (5-25 in 2013-14 and 7-23 in 2014-15). They are 1-30 in road games in his 2 seasons, with the only road win being a 1 point overtime win at Eastern Michigan last season. Even though I believe they will be improved this year, I don't see that they have improved enough. I think our athleticism and defense will give them a lot of trouble. This is one of the home games I see Bradley winning.

[Da Coach]

Youtube video featuring Coach Wardle-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JegOWHN4v1w&feature=youtu.be

[lefty]

Ball State has been terrible for the first 2 seasons under Jim Whitford (5-25 in 2013-14 and 7-23 in 2014-15). They are 1-30 in road games in his 2 seasons, with the only road win being a 1 point overtime win at Eastern Michigan last season. Even though I believe they will be improved this year, I don't see that they have improved enough. I think our athleticism and defense will give them a lot of trouble. This is one of the home games I see Bradley winning.

I hope you are right.....I certainly don't mean we can't win

[Da Coach]

I hope you are right.....I certainly don't mean we can't win

Well lefty, you could very well be right. You know basketball well. And even Las Vegas has set the line showing Ball State as 1.5 point favorites-

http://www.vegasinsider.com/college-basketball/teams/team-page.cfm/team/bradley

But even though exhibitions don't always mean much, here are some things I saw in the 2 Bradley exhibitions that were encouraging:

The positives I saw that surprised me a bit for a team of almost all freshmen were-
Good athleticism, good defensive effort, decent shooting from outside, and a pretty good inside game, aggressive rebounding by both the bigs and guards, better depth than we've seen in years, good coaching and an effective offense and defense, and players who were not trying to "take over", go "one on one", or do too much. There were no long scoreless stretches in either game, though that might be different against a better team, and in both games Bradley came right out and took control of the games, and maintained the effort and control from start to finish.

And the major deficiencies I saw with Bradley were mostly correctable problems- fouling too much, and turnovers caused by trying to do too much and adjusting to the faster speed of the college game.

As I said, maybe I am being overly optimistic, but I think there are objective signs that this group is already better than a team comprised of 10 freshmen who were all signed real late in the spring signing period should be.

[tornado]

I would have expected our team from last year (2014-15) to have won this game vs. Ball State -
and I am thoroughly convinced that even tho we are all freshmen - we are a better team currently.
Still doesn't prove we will win - as freshmen can be inconsistent and play bad...but I am hopeful for a good game and a win.

[lefty]

I would have expected our team from last year (2014-15) to have won this game vs. Ball State -
and I am thoroughly convinced that even tho we are all freshmen - we are a better team currently.
Still doesn't prove we will win - as freshmen can be inconsistent and play bad...but I am hopeful for a good game and a win.

And that's kind of my stance??¦..freshman kids will be nervous for sure. Will they shake it off and come through?..I hope so. I wouldn't be surprised either really, win or lose.

[PhiAlphaBoy]

I'm with Coach on this one lefty. I think Bradley opens the Wardle era with a HUGE home victory over Ball State.

Bradley 74
Ball State 71

[Da Coach]

Game day! Anyone here going to the Luncheon?

[lefty]

Game day! Anyone here going to the Luncheon?

I will be there

[PTownHawkeye]

Game day! Anyone here going to the Luncheon?

I'm doing the "good parent" thing. On the first day of school I agreed to volunteer in my daughter's kindergarten glass for a special event at noon today. Back in August, I wasn't thinking ahead to the fact that I'd be missing the luncheon. But I made the right decision by not cancelling...and yes, it does sound like I'm still trying to convince myself of that

[lefty]

I'm doing the "good parent" thing. On the first day of school I agreed to volunteer in my daughter's kindergarten glass for a special event at noon today. Back in August, I wasn't thinking ahead to the fact that I'd be missing the luncheon. But I made the right decision by not cancelling...and yes, it does sound like I'm still trying to convince myself of that

Good call....there will be other luncheons. Kindergarten is only one year

[tornado]

take the whole class on an outing!