Final score- UIC 93 Bradley 70

[Bradley8792]

Who would think that Almar going 2-3 from three point would be the highlight of the game.

[molar50]

I arrived early and watched the UIC guards practice 3 point shots. It seemed like they made almost all their shots.

[BUfan14]

The most disappointing thing here, even in a bad performance, was terrible effort. The offensive screens were lazy, the guards were even lazier not event rubbing around the offensive screens and instead just walking backwards half-heartedly around the screens, we just stood there a lot on offense, had lazy passes again, and some of our senior's defensive effort and focus was terrible. Then we started even passing up open shots or not taking them with authority. Zek has to stay focused on defense. I'm not sure what was up with Duke tonight, but he looked way off and didn't have his normal energy. Hannah seemed content to stand outside until later in game far too often. Credit to a good team, they took it to us, but why such a lazy effort tonight? Also, why was Duke still in the game with the bench at the end down 20+? What possible good could have come from that? I guess one positive was Almar hitting a couple of nice shots.

I guess on to the next one, but as I've said before, this is not an at-large team and that's not because of high major bias. We are still a very good team, but we have to hope we keep getting better and win arch-madness. We are not good enough to win without putting in an effort. Hopefully this is a late season wake up call, cause we are no longer in first place (Drake holds the tiebreaker). We've also now lost our only two home games to the seeming top 5 teams in the Valley, and really we should be 0-2 against UIC had they not fumbled the game away at UIC. Three of the next five won't be easy either. I hope we play a lot harder this weekend and play to our capabilities.

[Landof10thcoaches]

Sorry, no excuses these young men are now being paid to play the game. If they can not play hard enough put the walk on kids in. I have seen more defense in a pick up game at the YMCA.

[basketball nut]

I arrived early and watched the UIC guards practice 3 point shots. It seemed like they made almost all their shots.

I counted 13 of 15 at one point and both misses were because another ball hit against another ball.
Absolutely no effort. As was said before it's pretty bad when Atlason has the highlight of the game.

[Steve Zalutsky]

Shocked how Bradley lost tonight. However, a letdown game is common in a long season! Memphis has had quite a few this year also! I believe they got whipped at home to a much lesser talented team earlier in the season! The MVC tourney is gonna be tough to win! Looking at the standings now, although being in top 4 gets a first round bye, I think it's important Bradley gets the 1or 2 seed! It just seems to me that the 8th or 7th team in the second round of the tourney will be a better draw! No ream will be a pushover, but I'd rather Bradley avoid,UIC, NIU, Belmont or Murray St. In the second round! To me Bradley would be best as the 2nd seed because there is less pressure! If Drake wins reg.season title so be it!!!! It doesn't mean anything! The Best scenario for the Valley is for Bradley to get the AQ Bid and Drake an at-Large Bid! There are still alot of games to go, but if Bradley wants a top 2 or better seed, the Northern Iowa game is now looking like a MUST Win!

[bradleyfan124]

Here are some positives from that catastrophe. We are still in first place. Good to see Burch back.Good to see Almar getting back

[daveineureka]

Nothing much to say about this game. Was a total letdown by the entire team. Wardle said on his post game that there would be no off day as is usually the case after a game. Back to practice to try and get their mojo back. We have lost two home games this year, so that means the team has to go win where we are not expected to. At Northern Iowa, Drake, and ISU Red. Will not be easy but if Bradley wants to win the conference then those three games are now a must win. Hope they get things turned around after tonight's fiasco.

[Big Mike]

UIC played close to a perfect 1st half hitting 50% on 3 with zero turnovers... Braves had 11 turnovers in the 1st half alone!
Sooo sick of the Bradley player's and the lazy passes....come on!
How many layups did we give up....taken to the woodshed on your home court...

[bigjimmy]

We led 22-9 with 13:24 left in the first half. We proceeded to be outscored 84-48 the rest of the game. Let that one sink in a while. We made 11 of our first 12 shots and lost by 23 at home. INEXCUSABLE. Big credit to UIC for not panicking and boy once they turned it on they were pretty unstoppable. Unfortunately, we helped contribute to that by not closing out on their shooters, doing a poor job getting through their screens and having no ball pressure. Conversley their ball pressure forced too many weak passes causing turnovers and really grinding our offense to a halt. Never took advantage of our inside size. Now we did close their lead to 10 with 8:25 left and we had 4 chances to get it under double digits and if we had I do think we could have made a game of it. We held them scoreless for the next 2:00. Unfortunately we had a turnover, Duke missed 2 3's and Darius missed 2 in close shots. UIC scored the next 7 and the game was over. Just hope the guys learn from this so that it doesn't happen again. I'm sure Brian will be reminding them of this between now and the game at UNI on Sunday.

[LittleBrave]

Seems that every 6th game or so we get humbled and take a punch on the chin outta nowhere.
I'm with y'all - that was hard to watch and the energy was awful. So much to criticize on both ends and on every guy, but I just want to forget what I just saw.

On to UNI - time to dominate the rest of the way

[Bballjunkie]

Very poor effort last night. It was hard to watch , but it's only one game. This team is a good team but not a championship team right now. Wardle has built a very good program but his in game coaching is very poor. He is an in game panicker. Massive unnecessary substitutions. He never lets his players get in the flow of the game with all the crazy substitutions. Basketball is a game of momentum and flow but he kills it with all the substitutions. I've never seen anything like it. When a player makes a mistake out he comes. Sometimes you have to let them settle down and trust them as a coach. Jerking them in and out only causes frustration and confusion. When a players scores 2 times in a row you don't yank him out you get him the damn ball a third and 4th time. This has to change or the program will never elevate to next level. If I was a potential recruit and saw that would be a major red flag to me.

[Tommy]

Very poor effort last night. It was hard to watch , but it's only one game. This team is a good team but not a championship team right now. Wardle has built a very good program but his in game coaching is very poor. He is an in game panicker. Massive unnecessary substitutions. He never lets his players get in the flow of the game with all the crazy substitutions. Basketball is a game of momentum and flow but he kills it with all the substitutions. I've never seen anything like it. When a player makes a mistake out he comes. Sometimes you have to let them settle down and trust them as a coach. Jerking them in and out only causes frustration and confusion. When a players scores 2 times in a row you don't yank him out you get him the damn ball a third and 4th time. This has to change or the program will never elevate to next level. If I was a potential recruit and saw that would be a major red flag to me.

We're 18-4. We beat ISU Blue in double OT, Valpo in OT, and came back to win against UIC at their place on the last shot of the game and BW doesn't make good in-game decisions? My goodness, the way some folks turn on BW after a loss is really mind boggling to me. I guess we'd be undefeated if he were up to your standards?

[Tommy]

Here are some positives from that catastrophe. We are still in first place. Good to see Burch back.Good to see Almar getting back

Good points on Almar and Burch! Unfortunately, we aren't in first place as Drake bumps us out of the spot, but when we go beat them at their place, we'll take it back.

[BleedRed4]

Very poor effort last night. It was hard to watch , but it's only one game. This team is a good team but not a championship team right now. Wardle has built a very good program but his in game coaching is very poor. He is an in game panicker. Massive unnecessary substitutions. He never lets his players get in the flow of the game with all the crazy substitutions. Basketball is a game of momentum and flow but he kills it with all the substitutions. I've never seen anything like it. When a player makes a mistake out he comes. Sometimes you have to let them settle down and trust them as a coach. Jerking them in and out only causes frustration and confusion. When a players scores 2 times in a row you don't yank him out you get him the damn ball a third and 4th time. This has to change or the program will never elevate to next level. If I was a potential recruit and saw that would be a major red flag to me.

Hit the nail on the head with this one. Wardle is a great coach, let’s not forget that but there’s a lot of fans I hear from outside this board and it’s almost verbatim to this post.
Example on the substitutions- we come out of a timeout, Meta entered the game. Within one down and back, Meta is right back out. Almar hits 2 threes- here he comes out of the game…Why?! We gotta be the only team that makes substitutions this fast- like stated above, there is no flow!
Why is our offense so flat? We have no movement on the weak side and if you watch the players they only know of one option on the motion offense. They force silly passes over and over again while the defense is picking these lazy passes either on the hand off/ pass in general.
Jaquan needs more minutes, the kid has a nose for the basket. Strong takes to the basket and if he misses he’s right in there for the rebound. I see why his nickname is “Bully”. While Johnson was sitting the bench for a stretch in the 2nd half, he shoulda been out there. Same thing with Meta- almar played a good amount of the second half- Meta sat the bench and while Almar was out there, we didn’t even run plays to get him open- he made both his 3s in transition. We certainly don’t have him out there for defense/ rebounds.

15 turnovers- 11 in the first half… on top of the substitution debacle, we can’t even even take care of the ball.

Terrible Substitutions- Turnovers- Flat offense = Loss