2017 edition of Always a Brave

[tornado]

From Always a Brave report...

"Former Bradley coach Jim Les (2002-11) was greeted warmly by the players
when he showed up to watch Monday??™s workout. Les, who recruited and
coached the bulk of the team, planned to visit family in Chicago and then go
recruiting for his UC-Davis team."

[Da Coach]

From Always a Brave report...

"Former Bradley coach Jim Les (2002-11) was greeted warmly by the players
when he showed up to watch Monday’s workout. Les, who recruited and
coached the bulk of the team, planned to visit family in Chicago and then go
recruiting for his UC-Davis team."

"Jim Les.....Recruited and coached the bulk of the team" is a bit of an understatement.
Every one of the players with the exception of the one non-Bradley player was recruited and coached by Jim Les.


Here is the Always a Brave roster, and a list of the players recruited and coached by Jim Les-
Tony Bennett
Taylor Brown
David Collins
Jeremy Crouch
Will Franklin
Walt Lemon
Sam Maniscalco
Patrick O'Bryant
Daniel Ruffin
Matt Sally
Marcellus Sommerville
Andrew Warren
Lawrence Wright

Players recruited or coached by some other coach-
Jerome Randle

[tornado]

From Tony Bennett:

"Words Can't Describe How Much I Appreciate This Guy
#JimLes #BradleyBraves #ThanksCoach #TodayWasAGoodDay"

https://twitter.com/TBMr40plus/status/884642577181540353

[tornado]

From JJ Tauai:

"Can't even explain how cool it was to catch up with my college coach last night!!
.
.
.
Summer of 2002 I finished an official visit to Wichita State and was basically
sold on accepting an athletic scholarship from them. My AAU coach talked me
into making 1 more visit to Bradley University that fall before I signed with
WSU. I arrive at Bradley and meet coach Jim Les. My 1st impression was that
he was a winner!! Coach Les had a swagger that I've seen before and I
wanted a part of whatever he had. My 2nd thought was that he low key
looked like Tom Cruise 👀. After my visit I knew 100% that Bradley
University was for me because Coach Les was there. I would have committed
to play for him anywhere. The coolest part is its been 10 years since Iv
graduated from Bradley and Coach Les has since moved on to UC Davis, but
he still makes time to keep in contact with me!"

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10101036609488385&set=a.10100170441520935.1073741827.31402643&type=3&theater

[Da Coach]

By the way, here is a great article about J.J. Tauai from a couple months ago in the Springfield, Missouri newspaper. He is a policeman there.

http://www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2017/04/13/11-years-after-march-madness-run-springfield-cop-still-team-player/99959758/

[Da Coach]

Always a Brave video-

https://twitter.com/thetournament/status/884920257449799681

And ESPN's Joe Lunardi evaluates the Midwest Region. He thinks the Ohio State alumni team (Scarlet & Gray) is so loaded they will breeze through the Regional. He picks the St. Louis University alumni team (Majerus SLU Crew) as the runner-up, and doesn't give the Bradley alumni a second thought-

https://twitter.com/thetournament/status/884848926825873409

Bracket and matchups-

https://www.thetournament.com/news/tbt-2017-regional-schedule

[tornado]

more pics

"Great seeing these former players again -- they positively impacted my life...
#forevergrateful
#memories4ever"

https://twitter.com/CoachJimLes/status/884935164475977729

[Da Coach]

Another report on the Always a Brave team from WMBD

http://www.centralillinoisproud.com/sports/local-sports/always-a-brave-begins-new-journey-in-tbt/762551910

[Dub]

Anyone else notice the score on the scoreboard?

[tornado]

in situational scrimmages - some times the score starts at 20-0 - so who knows...

[Da Coach]

The Ohio State Alumni team (Scarlet & Gray) that is playing this weekend at the Renaissance Coliseum in The Basketball Tournament is the #2 seed in the Midwest Region.

https://www.thetournament.com/bracket

Their team was supposed to include former #1 overall NBA draft pick 7-footer Greg Oden playing with them. However, he is a last minute scratch and will not play.

https://twitter.com/BillLandis25/status/885535110942117891

He will be replaced on their roster by former NBA player Jared Sullinger.
Sullinger was a 1st round draft pick by the Celtics in 2012 and he had a pretty good NBA career until this past season. He signed with the Toronto raptors, then suffered a broken bone in his foot and had surgery before the season. He never recovered very well, spent much of the season in the NBA D-League, and then was traded in February to the Phoenix Suns and immediately waived and released.

[tornado]

Anyone else notice the score on the scoreboard?

in situational scrimmages - some times the score starts at 20-0 - so who knows...

Ahah...we have our answer....

Lawrence Wright got asked about the score on his Facebook and his answer was this:

"That was the third period when we played zone and press. Regular game we won." **

[tornado]

JJ Tauai & Kevin Jones appear to be working out with the team but are not on the TBT roster

[Braves2006]

more pics

"Great seeing these former players again -- they positively impacted my life...
#forevergrateful
#memories4ever"

https://twitter.com/CoachJimLes/status/884935164475977729

Curious....where and when was this pic of Les and the players taken? Awesome picture!

[tornado]

I believe it was taken at a getogether this past week at a home in Peoria of one of the current staff...
as were the photos of Les & Tauai & Les & Bennett above..