Bradley Braves
Missouri Valley (23-11, 11-7)
After a 13 year absence, Bradley has now made two straight NCAA Tournament appearances. Last season the Braves played well in a first round loss to Michigan State. With an experienced and balanced squad, Coach Brian Wardle will look to pull off the upset in 2020.
Big Wins: 12/31 Drake (80-72), 1/29 Valparaiso (80-69), 2/12 Indiana State (72-61)
Bad Losses: 11/5 at St. Joseph’s (81-86), 11/25 vs Northwestern (51-78), 12/21 at Miami OH (55-71)
Coach: Brian Wardle
Why They Can Surprise:
Bradley’s frontcourt trio of Elijah Childs, Koch Bar and Ja’Shon Henry has led the charge. Childs is the most productive, averaging 14.8 points and 8.6 rebounds. All three are very good on the glass and Childs and Bar will block quite a few shots as well. Bradley does not always have to work through the frontcourt though. Point guard Darrel Brown is the team’s top scorer at 15.5 points per game and he dishes out 4.7 assists as well. Brown does a solid job taking care of the ball and that will be a huge asset in the NCAA Tournament. If Bradley can continue to avoid turnovers and win on the glass, those extra possessions will keep the Braves in the game.
Why They Can Disappoint:
In order to pull off that upset though, the Braves will need to knock down some outside shots. Brown, Nate Kennell and Ville Tahvanainen are all capable shooters, but the team as a whole only makes 6.8 three-pointers per game. The good news is Kennell is one of the most consistent three-point shooters in the country, connecting on 44.7 percent of his 197 three-point attempts. If he can get some help and the opposition is forced to defend some other players on the perimeter, players like Brown and Childs will find it much easier to score in the paint or by attacking the basket.
Probable Starters:
Darrel Brown, Senior, Guard, 15.5 ppg, 4.7 apg
Nate Kennell, Senior, Guard, 12.5 ppg, 2.2 apg, 4.3 rpg
Danya Kingsby, Junior, Guard, 7.2 ppg, 2.1 apg
Koch Bar, Senior, Forward, 6.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.1 bpg
Elijah Childs, Junior, Forward, 14.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 1.4 bpg
Key Role Players:
Ja’Shon Henry, Sophomore, Forward, 9.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg
Ville Tahvanainen, Freshman, Guard, 6.5 ppg, 1.0 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 71.7 (153rd in nation, 3rd in conference)
Scoring Defense: 65.9 (75, 4)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.1 (155, 6)
Field-Goal Defense: 39.4 (21, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.8 (223, 9)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 37.2 (25, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 73.7 (88, 3)
Rebound Margin: 5.1 (40, 3)
Assists Per Game: 13.4 (149, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.8 (56, 2)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
| 2019 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Michigan State |
| 2013 | CIT | First Round win over Green Bay |
| 2013 | CIT | Second Round win over Tulane |
| 2013 | CIT | Quarterfinal loss to Northern Iowa |
| 2009 | CIT | First Round win over Austin Peay |
| 2009 | CIT | Second Round win over Oakland |
| 2009 | CIT | Semifinal win over Pacific |
| 2009 | CIT | Final loss to Old Dominion |
| 2008 | CBI | First Round win over Cincinnati |
| 2008 | CBI | Second Round win over Ohio |
| 2008 | CBI | Semifinal win over Virginia |
| 2008 | CBI | Final loss to Tulsa |
| 2007 | NIT | First Round win over Providence |
| 2007 | NIT | Second Round loss to Mississippi State |
| 2006 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Kansas |
| 2006 | NCAA | Round of 32 win over Pittsburg |
| 2006 | NCAA | Regional Semifinal loss to Memphis |
| 2001 | NIT | First Round loss to Detroit |
*all team stats through 3/8
