Final: Drake 72 Bradley 67

[LittleBrave]

Just some takeaways as I just arrived back home from STL:
9) Can we get DB more involved in-game? The guy is going to be a heckuva coach.

I would LOVE for my 10-yr-old son to someday be coached by DB Jr, if not DB himself!

[LittleBrave]

I hope the Braves keep playing because A) This team is fun to watch, B) The guys should get that taste of how great a group this is, and maybe helps DH and Duke return. It seems this group is extremely tight and it would be AWESOME to see them all back (minus Mal)

[Stevezall]

Just finished watching a Super Final MVC Championship Game! Lots of praise to both great teams! Was so fun to watch. However, if I was Indiana State fan, I'd be heartbroken if they don't get a bid to the NCAA tourney! Bradley was mentioned at least a few times in the game from 1) Referring to the Drake game yesterday and in Reference to twice saying Jason Kent was a Bradley Transfer!!!! So we got some name recognition during today's Game! However, you have to think that losing Jason Kent to Indiana State has turned out to be a huge loss for BU! However, our real loss in the end was not bringing in enough good players like It seems Drake Did! They revamped the whole team again this year and won the tournament. Yes we kept some very good players, but suffered as we know losing 2 decent portal players that I believe hurt our depth.All you can hope from year to year and of course there is some luck, that the players you recruit whether high school or portal mesh well with this year's players to form a great team! Drake did it this year so they move on to the NCAA tourney!!!! But next year, Maybe Bradley can do what Drake has done! We are close, but we need alot more really good depth players and a 5 star wouldn't hurt either!!!!!!

[Stevezall]

And of course, we did lose Reink and Zek as coach wardle mentioned in his remarks last night after the Drake Game!

[bradleyfan124]

Just finished watching a Super Final MVC Championship Game! Lots of praise to both great teams! Was so fun to watch. However, if I was Indiana State fan, I'd be heartbroken if they don't get a bid to the NCAA tourney! Bradley was mentioned at least a few times in the game from 1) Referring to the Drake game yesterday and in Reference to twice saying Jason Kent was a Bradley Transfer!!!! So we got some name recognition during today's Game! However, you have to think that losing Jason Kent to Indiana State has turned out to be a huge loss for BU! However, our real loss in the end was not bringing in enough good players like It seems Drake Did! They revamped the whole team again this year and won the tournament. Yes we kept some very good players, but suffered as we know losing 2 decent portal players that I believe hurt our depth.All you can hope from year to year and of course there is some luck, that the players you recruit whether high school or portal mesh well with this year's players to form a great team! Drake did it this year so they move on to the NCAA tourney!!!! But next year, Maybe Bradley can do what Drake has done! We are close, but we need alot more really good depth players and a 5 star wouldn't hurt either!!!!!!

I think Indiana State deserves to be in the NCAA. They were the regular season champs, net int he 20's and took Drake to the wire. But you listen to the announcers after the game and hear there BS bias. They dont think Indiana state will be in the tournament. Dont have Quad wins... the Quad teams wont play the mid-majors for fear of getting beat. It just infuriates me.

[Da Coach]

If you take Tucker DeVries off that Drake team, they are a middle of the pack MVC team.

[Stevezall]

Yes I Agree, the 5 star Tucker really makes a difference in a mid-Major league! The question is coach Wardle doesn't have a son like tucker!!! So how do we go out and get a 5 star?

[Stevezall]

Just read Connor Hickman made Arch Madness team. Of course Tucker takes the top honor at Arch Madness.

[Stevezall]

Was just pulling up MVC press conferences from 2018-19 season and 2019-2020. I was so involved in my work at the time that I missed the Incredible 2 years Bradley had repeating as MVC Tournament Champions! Only regret I see is that Bradley could have done some damage in the 2020 tourney before it was canceled. They had E.Childs and D.Brown back with more experience from previous year!!! But so so sad it didn't happen! It's the same disappointment that I pray Indiana State doesn't feel next week! Bradley was not robbed of a possible great run by the NCAA committee, but Covid. However, by reminiscing and viewing these 5 year old press releases I learned alot about those 2 years....I'll post again.

[Stevezall]

The 2 years saw Bradley had 5 academic excellent athletes in 2019 and Brian took pride talking about this saying its great that we have these special academic athletes at our great school Bradley! He discusses how mid-Major schools have to work harder at recruiting and scheduling so as to compete with power 5 schools during the season and for NCAA at large tourney bids! Elijah Childs and Nate Kendall come to mind as well as D. Brown! Nate hit 3 pointers at a 43 or 44% clip! E.Childs won MVP in 2019 tourney and D Brown won it in 2020! And 4 sure those 2 years the Valley wasn't as strong as this year, but at the same time it gave literally the top 6 teams a realistic shot at winning. And Bradley took advantage of this!!!! I read except for Drake at around100 or below Net, all the other valley teams were between like 120 to 200's..
We are fortunate that Bradley took advantage of this! I also read they beat loyola 3 times during those years which is noteworthy because loyola Chicago made the final 4 in the 2018 tourney! Well I could go on with history and Bradley's great Hoops Tradition but part of it was before I was born. I hope now in my later years, Bradley will once again get into the NCAA tournament! I know coach Wardle will always have a competitive team that's fun to watch! But I'm a bit Greedy after seeing FAU make the final 4 last year....I want MORE of that kind of stuff for Bradley!!! And all the more better if you Excell in the Classroom!!! That of course would be Connor Hickman this year!!!!

[bradleyfan124]

I just re-watched the game. We need to recruit a strong inside center, one that can post up or develop one. Linke doesn't cut it. He constantly got out muscled or slow to react. I think Thomas shows signs he could be the guy next year. The jury is still out on Jonovic

[Stevezall]

Justthinking....coach Wardle Played at Marquette! He states its so hard to build a good non conference schedule! He said in previous press conferences that many schools don't even call him back to schedule like a 2 for 1! ( meaning you play 2 on the road, but get 1 home game! Before Brian we were able to get Michigan and Michigan State in a I believe 2 for 1 deal!!!! C,mon Coach Wardle: CALL MARQUETTE! They respect you having played their and set up at the very least a 2 for 1 or even better how about a 2 for 2 so Bradley fans have a chance to see a perennial high Mid-major top 25 team come to Carver!!!!! Am I just dreaming this or can it happen in the future!!!

[Stevezall]

Just saw you can watch an entire game in 1985 when I believe Bradley last played Marquette! They won in Milwaukee by 2 points! Marquette had 2 chances to tie after first Jim les made one free throw and again after Bradley missed another free throw! It appears Marquette made a good run late in that game! Hersey Hawkins played for Bradley and Dick Versace was the coach!!!! They said after the game, Bradley had one 6 in a row and maybe now would garner national Attention!!! I guess those were truly the last of the real golden days for Bradley! They probably haven't been as solid as they were when they had Hawkins and coach Versace! Of course even before then Bradley was a top performing Major team especially in the 50's! Wish I was born to witness all those NIT Wins and NCAA appearances! However, I was a student when they beat Purdue in 1982 which was I believe there last major Championship! Fun to reminisce!!!!! Wish Bradley now could be a top mid-Major like Marquette!!!! I like to dream Big!

[tomahawk chop]

Yes I Agree, the 5 star Tucker really makes a difference in a mid-Major league! The question is coach Wardle doesn't have a son like tucker!!! So how do we go out and get a 5 star?

In this day and age we have zero chance at getting a 5 star recruit. The NIL money it would take is just not there for a small school. We need to go after the 3 star recruits plus turn 2 star players into 3 star players.You pretty much answered your own question in that Drake got Tucker only because of his father, if his dad leaves for a better job after this season then Tucker will go with him. They lose Tucker and Drake will not be the same team plus they may even end up losing a few more players.

[egib52]

In this day and age we have zero chance at getting a 5 star recruit. The NIL money it would take is just not there for a small school. We need to go after the 3 star recruits plus turn 2 star players into 3 star players.You pretty much answered your own question in that Drake got Tucker only because of his father, if his dad leaves for a better job after this season then Tucker will go with him. They lose Tucker and Drake will not be the same team plus they may even end up losing a few more players.

Unless Stevezall is a multi-millionaire and wants to pony up some NIL lol