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daveineureka

Member
I believe Wednesday is when the NLI starts. Let's hope our two freshman who gave their verbal commitment return their signed letters of intent. Believe we have three more scholarships to fill. Let's get players who have more than one year of eligibility as it will be a big rebuild after the season if we do not. Trust the coaching staff is acutely aware of this fact. Only mid April, but want the season to start now. "Go Braves"!!!!!
 
In Dave Eminian's article today about Corey Thomas, Dave said-
What comes next for Bradley?
Bradley has a scholarship — and maybe two — to burn yet. Wardle says the Braves are looking for a guard or forward in the open scholarship.
"We're looking for a younger player, probably a high school kid," Wardle said. "I love all the pieces we have."

That seems to confirm what we have been suspecting, that the Connor Linke scholarship is also possibly in play for another recruit.
​Note that Eminian reports-
Wardle says the Braves are looking for a guard or forward in the open scholarship.
"We're looking for a younger player, probably a high school kid," Wardle said. "I love all the pieces we have."
​
 
Yes, get a younger player who may not be much of a factor this season. I think we pretty much have all that we need with this new JUCO recruit...as long as the guys sign their NLI Wed.

Do you guys think Meta will be a decent backup for CT? I think he'll work hard in the offseason much like DH...don't think the ceiling is as high for him, but could play 5-7 min. though as long as DH and CT stay healthy, not sure we'd need him aside from those guys getting into foul trouble.
At the very least, Meta would be a good guy for practice.
 
Guys who likely play 5-10 min:
M. Jonavic
J. Johnson

Guys who should be logging 15-25 min. this next season:
A. Atlason
D. Burch
C. Dillon
T. Van Der Knapp (??)
C. Thomas (??)

Guys logging 25-30 min. this next season:
​C. Davis
Z. Montgomery

Guys logging 30+ min. this next season:
Duke
D. Hannah​

** Wardle generally likes to play 7-8, so I think we enough for that, and V.D. Knapp is kind of a mystery right now as to how he'll be used.
 
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I like Jonovich's chances to excel this coming year. He'll have another full year of coaching and there is currently nobody in the Valley that's even close to his size. That's got to work to our favor somehow and I'm curious to see how BW uses him.
 
Tommy said:
I like Jonovich's chances to excel this coming year. He'll have another full year of coaching and there is currently nobody in the Valley that's even close to his size. That's got to work to our favor somehow and I'm curious to see how BW uses him.
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Yeah I think so too Tommy. We've seen guys (Hannah & Lundy only saw 5 mpg one season) who played very little and became significant contributors (16 mpg / 18 mpg) the next season, and Meta could make the same jump. I just think we have a lot of talent that minutes may be hard to come by for him unless someone gets injured or goes into a funk.
 
LittleBrave said:
Yeah I think so too Tommy. We've seen guys (Hannah & Lundy only saw 5 mpg one season) who played very little and became significant contributors the next season, and Meta could make the same jump.
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That's exactly where my mind goes when everyone starts wanting to give up on these guys. There is always hope if BW sees fit to keep them on the roster, and let's be honest, if you get Meta fired up, he's just fun to watch. A dunk, a good pass, the crowd gets behind him and he kicks it up a level.
 
LittleBrave said:
Guys who likely play 5-10 min:
M. Jonavic
J. Johnson

Guys who should be logging 15-25 min. this next season:
A. Atlason
D. Burch
C. Dillon
T. Van Der Knapp (??)
C. Thomas (??)

Guys logging 25-30 min. this next season:
​C. Davis
Z. Montgomery

Guys logging 30+ min. this next season:
Duke
D. Hannah​

** Wardle generally likes to play 7-8, so I think we enough for that, and V.D. Knapp is kind of a mystery right now as to how he'll be used.
Click to expand...

You have 11 guys playing and Thomas is not a question mark. Coach generally goes with 8 or 9 players during the season so all these guys will not be playing all of these minutes.
I am guessing Deen, Dillon, Zek, Hannah and Thomas to be starters. Burch, Davis, Atlason and Johnson off the bench and possibly starting on occasion because of matchups. Jonavic is a huge question mark in that it depends on him making a lot of progress this summer. Thing is we have a good problem on our hands because we appear to have a very talented team.
 
Dubl R 1 said:
I’d still like another experienced combo guard.
Click to expand...

Me, too, and I think that's what the coaches want. Here are the 5 guards on the roster for 2024-25 as of now-
Duke Deen
Zek Montgomery
Demarion Burch
Connor Dillon
Jaquan Johnson

We are fortunate to have Duke returning at point guard, but overall, that is not an extensive amount of D1 experience. We have to hope there aren't any injury problems, especially to Duke.
In addition to Duke's experience, Burch has some experience from his freshman season, and Zek, though he didn't play at BU last year, should fit in quickly. But it seems that one more experienced combo guard/wing would give Bradley a deep and nicely balanced roster with 6 guards and 6 forwards/wings (7 if Linke returns).

However, Coach Wardle said in the article Dave Eminian posted yesterday-
"We're looking for a younger player, probably a high school kid," Wardle said. "I love all the pieces we have."

If he is going to land another freshman, he should be someone who is ready to step in right away and be able to contribute.
 
Dubl R 1 said:
I’d still like another experienced combo guard.
Click to expand...

Another big man and either a combo guard or talented wing would still be a really nice addition to the roster imo. I like Davis but I'd love to see a really strong 3 again in the likes of Theron Wilson, Taylor Brown, etc.
 
Stryker said:
Another big man and either a combo guard or talented wing would still be a really nice addition to the roster imo. I like Davis but I'd love to see a really strong 3 again in the likes of Theron Wilson, Taylor Brown, etc.
Click to expand...

I really think Wardle believes we have a pretty complete team now - getting a freshman for the future or a big man in case of injury (or if Meta doesn't improve) I think would be smart. Wardle usually doesn't play more than 8, and we now have 8 or 9 who are good enough to play 15+ minutes, and then 2 or 3 (Van Der Knapp, Johnson, Meta) who will be fighting just for 5-10 mpg.

Is Collin Dillon really good enough to be a starter? Not that it means much on Wardle's teams. I just thought he'd be like a Ville kinda guy with a little more quickness.
 
How about this Red-White scrimmage match-up?

Duke, Demarion, Darius, Dillon, Davis (Team D-Force)
Johnson, Zek, Thomas, Atlason, Van Der Knapp
 
How about this that I just found: Bradley Basketball was Ranked # 1 in the country in the final AP poll in 1950!!!! I realize it's decades ago, but it's a part of great Bradley sports history in our Basketball program!!! Of Course times have changed, However Other once no name small SCHOOLS like Gonzaga have figured out a way to continue to compete with much Larger well Known schools! Bradley has the resources I believe in NIL in Peoria to compete for the very top players! However, it appears Coach Wardle wants nothing of this grueling competition and prefers to find undervalued players ( AKA Indiana State, FAU) to compete for a real possibility at a final 4 ( FAU. SDST, LOYOLA CH). It can be done as an Underdog and it's really fun to follow and root for the DOG!!! However, to be a Connecticut, that highest level to win a Championship I believe can't happen at the Mid-Major level! But that's OK because I believe reaching the final 4 is just as satisfying if your a mid-Major/ Underdog!!!! GO BRAVES!
 
I love your enthusiasm, Stevezall, but I regret having to disappoint you by saying Bradley does not have the NIL resources to go after the very top players, nor to recruit against Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, and SEC schools. Those schools have recruiting budgets many times Bradley's and NIL funds even far greater than Bradley's. There are some of the head coaches at Power 6 conferences whose salaries alone exceed Bradley's entire athletic department budget and NIL capability. Bradley will never regain that lofty basketball status they had in the early 1950's, but with great coaches, and the undervalued players Bradley can attract, the Braves have proven they can put a team together that can compete with some pretty good programs.
 
LittleBrave said:
I really think Wardle believes we have a pretty complete team now - getting a freshman for the future or a big man in case of injury (or if Meta doesn't improve) I think would be smart. Wardle usually doesn't play more than 8, and we now have 8 or 9 who are good enough to play 15+ minutes, and then 2 or 3 (Van Der Knapp, Johnson, Meta) who will be fighting just for 5-10 mpg.

Is Collin Dillon really good enough to be a starter? Not that it means much on Wardle's teams. I just thought he'd be like a Ville kinda guy with a little more quickness.
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yeah there are questions for me there as well. I think we will be down overall at a bit inside losing Malevy, and that puts more pressure on the guards having to be good. I think we have good enough guards, but great? idk, and we will need some decent minutes from Dillon. Time will tell.
 
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