Final score: Santa Clara 84 Bradley 74

[tomahawk chop]

You cannot have 2 starters and a backup big score 5 points in 59 combined minutes while another reserve scores 11 points in 19 minutes. We are in trouble as far as are front line goes because we give up too many easy layups to go along with offensive rebounds. We are missing an inside player that can defend, rebound and score consistently. This next recruiting cycle they had better find some bigs that are more athletic and stronger in order to compete against better competition.

[Ogre]

where ya located Ogre (btw, I like your screen name)
I got family that I visit often near the end of the Brown Line (Kedzie & Lawrence) and also the near west 'burbs

Central and Milwaukee, that’s the main intersection. Bradley got pushed around in the first half in my eyes. Missed the second half

[bradleyfan124]

Disappointing loss! It is time to move on. Lets win the next 3 games

[Bradley8792]

Have we ever won the first game back after the break they take for finals? Seems like too long to be off.

[Tommy]

We outplayed them in the 2nd half, but the 1st was abysmal. I mark it up to the long break, but that’s no excuse and we need to figure out how not to have those huge letdowns.

[Southside]

Get down big in the 1st half. Fight like hell in the 2nd half but run out of gas.

Its becoming a pattern the last few years.

Need to start putting together 40 minutes against quality opponents.

[daveineureka]

Do not have any doubt that Wardle will have them playing more to their potential as the season unfolds. But to the point of needing athletic bigs for next year is of paramount importance. Maybe Latham Somerville will have a change of heart like Zeke did. You can only hope.

[BUfan14]

You cannot have 2 starters and a backup big score 5 points in 59 combined minutes while another reserve scores 11 points in 19 minutes. We are in trouble as far as are front line goes because we give up too many easy layups to go along with offensive rebounds. We are missing an inside player that can defend, rebound and score consistently. This next recruiting cycle they had better find some bigs that are more athletic and stronger in order to compete against better competition.

I know people get mad when it is mentioned, and I've pointed it out many times before, but this is why punting away two scholarships was a mistake in my eyes. Hannah wants to play the 4 spot, and Almar is really a stretch 4 in an ideal world. I like Thomas, but he is still developing. Even Meta's most ardent supporters I don't think would call him starting caliber, even as he has improved somewhat this year. We really needed to land a starting caliber 5 and didn't. So teams that are both athletic and physical down low will cause us problems. It is what we are stuck with at this point, and this team is still good, but I will never understand the final roster decisions. We are finally a great shooting team as I have wanted for a while, but as the old adage goes "live by the three, die by the three." When we have off nights shooting we will struggle too.

What we can hope for at this point is Almar to keep improving his strength and possibly Hannah to play down low again a little more. It is going to be fascinating to see how Valley play goes. We should still be contention for a league title, and anything less will be disappointing in a down league.

[egib52]

I know people get mad when it is mentioned, and I've pointed it out many times before, but this is why punting away two scholarships was a mistake in my eyes. Hannah wants to play the 4 spot, and Almar is really a stretch 4 in an ideal world. I like Thomas, but he is still developing. Even Meta's most ardent supporters I don't think would call him starting caliber, even as he has improved somewhat this year. We really needed to land a starting caliber 5 and didn't. So teams that are both athletic and physical down low will cause us problems. It is what we are stuck with at this point, and this team is still good, but I will never understand the final roster decisions. We are finally a great shooting team as I have wanted for a while, but as the old adage goes "live by the three, die by the three." When we have off nights shooting we will struggle too.

What we can hope for at this point is Almar to keep improving his strength and possibly Hannah to play down low again a little more. It is going to be fascinating to see how Valley play goes. We should still be contention for a league title, and anything less will be disappointing in a down league.

I am extremely frustrated to keep losing games like this. Wednesday definitely concerns me, but the plus is that we are at home and I truly believe our guys play much better at home. All of that being said, I highly doubt we punted on the scholarships. In today's college basketball, it is totally different than it used to be. Not only do you have to have playing time available, you have to have have NIL money available. It is isn't like talented players are just sitting out, they are going to places that give them the most money. This team needs either a back to the basket player or a strong wing that can consistently score within 10 feet. Our guards are short, and our bigs aren't great at getting to the rim with post moves.

[BUfan14]

I am extremely frustrated to keep losing games like this. Wednesday definitely concerns me, but the plus is that we are at home and I truly believe our guys play much better at home. All of that being said, I highly doubt we punted on the scholarships. In today's college basketball, it is totally different than it used to be. Not only do you have to have playing time available, you have to have have NIL money available. It is isn't like talented players are just sitting out, they are going to places that give them the most money. This team needs either a back to the basket player or a strong wing that can consistently score within 10 feet. Our guards are short, and our bigs aren't great at getting to the rim with post moves.

I find it hard to believe we couldn’t have found anyone but Biliew and Linke/Hardtke (Dave said it was Hardtke that got the final scholarship, but I know that’s still been debated if true). Certainly we had minutes at the 5 and tournament aspirations to promise as well as supposedly top NIL money for the Valley. I know recruiting is hard, but if Santa Clara has athletic big guys, why can’t we?

Speaking of Linke, I wonder why we don’t try him in these matchup problems. He is strong and did well for himself last year as a role player. He’s certainly a team player. On defense it might help when we are struggling down low.

[Tommy]

I find it hard to believe we couldn’t have found anyone but Biliew and Linke/Hardtke (Dave said it was Hardtke that got the final scholarship, but I know that’s still been debated if true). Certainly we had minutes at the 5 and tournament aspirations to promise as well as supposedly top NIL money for the Valley. I know recruiting is hard, but if Santa Clara has athletic big guys, why can’t we?

Speaking of Linke, I wonder why we don’t try him in these matchup problems. He is strong and did well for himself last year as a role player. He’s certainly a team player. On defense it might help when we are struggling down low.

I'm glad we have a coach that builds real relationships with the players and rewards them for their hard work over the years. Seems like BW has run a pretty darn successful program to date, so I'd like to think he knows what he's doing. I doubt very much that we had the NIL money and the interest to pick up a stellar 5 or we would have done it, and honestly, the 5's we have are pretty darn good for a mid-major, and especially in the Valley (Hannah, Atlason, Meta, Thomas). I think a lot of teams would love to have that many options at the 5.

Agree with your point on Linke. He showed the ability to block out and rebound well at the end of last year. I'd like to see him get some minutes when the rest of our guys don't seem to be showing up.

Still marking up our 2 losses to PST and the longer travel, but the SF game should tell us if it's really about not being able to handle size. If we lose in Carver to SF, that would only add to that trend. That being said, we played both Washington State and Santa Clara well for 1 half, just need to learn how to do it for 2.

[egib52]

I find it hard to believe we couldn’t have found anyone but Biliew and Linke/Hardtke (Dave said it was Hardtke that got the final scholarship, but I know that’s still been debated if true). Certainly we had minutes at the 5 and tournament aspirations to promise as well as supposedly top NIL money for the Valley. I know recruiting is hard, but if Santa Clara has athletic big guys, why can’t we?

Speaking of Linke, I wonder why we don’t try him in these matchup problems. He is strong and did well for himself last year as a role player. He’s certainly a team player. On defense it might help when we are struggling down low.

You aren't factoring in NIL. How much money did HOTB have to give hypothetical 5 that went elsewhere. Plus, I think that BW values Meta pretty significantly. I tend to be on the lower end with him, but if BW thinks he is going to be a strong player in the future, he probably is trying to preserve that relationship.

[Da Coach]

I find it hard to believe we couldn’t have found anyone but Biliew and Linke/Hardtke (Dave said it was Hardtke that got the final scholarship, but I know that’s still been debated if true). Certainly we had minutes at the 5 and tournament aspirations to promise as well as supposedly top NIL money for the Valley. I know recruiting is hard, but if Santa Clara has athletic big guys, why can’t we?...

Santa Clara does not have any "athletic big guys". They did have a couple athletic guards that hurt Bradley, but the only big man who scored any points was Christoph Tilly, their 7' center from Germany who had 21 points. He was a big body, but not really athletic. He got his points because he had a nice shooting touch and from a few putbacks. Corey Thomas did a pretty good job defending him, which is why he played 19 minutes, the most he's played in any game. But the other Bradley players had trouble defending him because of his size, and for some reason, Darius had probably the worst game he's had in the last couple seasons. Corey also had a career-high 11 points. I think we'll see more of Corey going forward, as Almar is not really a "5" and tends to pick up fouls too easily when he defends inside.