Emarion Ellis has left the Bradley program, and is "pursuing other opportunities".

[Da Coach]

Breaking... Emarion Ellis has left the Bradley program, and is "pursuing other opportunities".

From Bradley-

[BU freak]

Wardle has officially screwed the pooch. Only 3 scholarship guards now. But let’s keep two kids who will never play! If one of those 3 go down we are done. The portal bites again

[BleedRed4]

I’m sure sitting the bench for two games and watching a walk on play over you probably has something to do with it. I agree with “BU Freak”, Wardle definitely screwed the pooch.
Wouldn’t be surprised if Burch leaves after this year as well. Over the past months we talk about how excited we are for these recruits to come, how good they potentially could be. Wardle has to figure out the sitting these kids on the bench isn’t helping them get better. He rewards kids that have good practices- I kinda agree with this but also some guys perform well under the pressure of the game. Ellis needed alil more time in our program to catch up, he hadn’t played a full season since his senior year. Ellis was my favorite recruit of this past summer and that kid had all the potential to help us out.
Remember a few years back when we had Terry Roberts. Roberts is one of the best recruits Wardle has found since his time here IMO. He did the same extent to Terry, sitting him during games when he should have been on the floor. What happened to him- left for another program and actually excelled at Georgia.
Who’s making a bigger statement? Wardle sitting good players or good players leaving because of Wardles trying to prove a point… I think we are starting to figure out that answer.

[BUfan39]

So selfish on Ellis’s part.

[Da Coach]

Think using that analogy is not reasonable. Both Pettigrew and Ellis were highly regarded prospects. Bradley fans on this forum and elsewhere were extremely pleased with landing both. It didn't work out. Pettigrew didn't want to be coached and Ellis had regressed a ton from before his injury year. I don't blame the coaches. It's a case of bad luck more than anything.

[basketball nut]

I’m sure sitting the bench for two games and watching a walk on play over you probably has something to do with it. I agree with “BU Freak”, Wardle definitely screwed the pooch.

Should we go back to GF days and let players control how they play and how much they play?
I'm sure when coach brought in Pettigrew and Ellis he thought he was getting players that would help. It just happens they don't like a discipline coach that demands certain things out of his players.
Is it the coaching staff that screwed up or is it the players that want to play their way?
I thought, from what I read, we were getting a player that was as good or even better then Zek. It turns out he wasn't and that is the bottom line.
let's go get a victory today.

[BU freak]

Think using that analogy is not reasonable. Both Pettigrew and Ellis were highly regarded prospects. Bradley fans on this forum and elsewhere were extremely pleased with landing both. It didn't work out. Pettigrew didn't want to be coached and Ellis had regressed a ton from before his injury year. I don't blame the coaches. It's a case of bad luck more than anything.

The coaches evaluated these players and not only brought them in but paid NIL money. We are in over our heads in the portal. This is a huge miss on both players. Character evaluation is huge and they blew it. Period. How do you defend holding on to two players who will never see the floor eating up scholarships and NIL money? Great kids but awful roster construction.

[BleedRed4]

Let’s not revisit the GF years, what a nightmare that was. “They don’t like a discipline coach…” for Pettigrew that might of been the case since we heard his team chemistry wasn’t great but for Ellis I don’t agree with that speculation of not liking discipline. I’ve spoke to people who are family with Ellis, he was excited to play here and wanted to be here.
I wish he would have stuck it out here atleast till the end of the year and not leave your team in the middle but I don’t feel though he is solely to blame for leaving.

[BUfan17]

Should we go back to GF days and let players control how they play and how much they play?
I'm sure when coach brought in Pettigrew and Ellis he thought he was getting players that would help. It just happens they don't like a discipline coach that demands certain things out of his players.
Is it the coaching staff that screwed up or is it the players that want to play their way?
I thought, from what I read, we were getting a player that was as good or even better then Zek. It turns out he wasn't and that is the bottom line.
let's go get a victory today.

The college game is a lot different now with the portal. The same coaching tactics that worked before might not be as effective now. Kids aren't afraid to leave programs.

I'm not saying it is for the better, but it is just reality of the college game now. Losing two scholarship players during the season is not good, especially guards.

[Da Coach]

"Holding on to two players "? What are you talking about? You think he should have cut them and pulled their scholarships? It doesn't work that way, especially with a coach with integrity.
As I posted elsewhere Bradley has arguably been the most successful team in the Missouri Valley over the last 5 years. I think I will cut coach Wardle a break on these two players. He knows what he's doing, his system works, and his discipline has proven to be successful.
This team is better off if 2 disgruntled players choose to leave. Addition by subtraction

[BleedRed4]

“BU Freak” - you nailed it!
Some should stop blaming the kids and start hold the coaching staff accountable.
Zek left, did he not like discipline either?
Reink left, Terry left, Jason Kent left to name a few- so does it solely come down on the kids?

[Bradley8792]

"
This team is better off if 2 disgruntled players choose to leave. Addition by subtraction

Agreed. I have to believe Ellis shot himself in the foot. Wasn’t this his third program? That and leaving mid season won’t help him.

[BleedRed4]

Wether Ellis is disgruntled or not.. I’d play him 10 out of 10 times over Cade Hardtke. No offense to Cade, appreciate his time and loyalty but he doesn’t have a scholarship and Ellis did- that must count for something.

[basketball nut]

The coaches evaluated these players and not only brought them in but paid NIL money. We are in over our heads in the portal. This is a huge miss on both players. Character evaluation is huge and they blew it. Period. How do you defend holding on to two players who will never see the floor eating up scholarships and NIL money? Great kids but awful roster construction.

That's easy to say as the old saying goes: Hindsight is always better then foresight. As DC said everyone was happy when we got both of those players but we sure want to blame the coaches now.
In the day and age of portal players it is all about me, not about the program or your teammates. Most transfer for either more money or because they want to be the big name on the team, not to help the "team".

[Big Mike]

I could see this coming for a while now....regardless of the excuses this falls on the staff...something in the recruiting process is failing...period. Bradley is now one starters injury away from a dismal season, there is no depth to this team now and you cannot keep blaming the players all the time. The staff is held accountable in my world!