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Final score- Exhibition game- Bradley 79 Illinois Wesleyan 64

Da Coach

Da Coach

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Bradley plays their only public exhibition game Wednesday, Nov. 2, at 7 pm in Carver Arena against Illinois Wesleyan University-
No TV or video stream
Live Stats- https://bradleybraves.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
Radio- WMBD 1470 AM and 100.3 FM- https://www.1470wmbd.com/
BradleyFans Chat Room- https://www.chatzy.com/bradleyfans
Bradley website- https://bradleybraves.com/sports/mens-basketball?path=mbball

Bradley will be without Preseason 1st team All-MVC pick Rienk Mast, who is out for 4-8 weeks with a sprained Medial Collateral Ligament in his right knee.
BU Stats from 2021-22- https://bradleybraves.com/documents/2021/11/9/bradley_stats.pdf

Illinois Wesleyan is a Division III program in Bloomington, Illinois, and they are a member of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW).
Last season they finished 24-6 overall, and 14-2 in the CCIW, finishing as the regular season champion.
https://d3hoops.tv/conf/CCIW/men/2021-22/standings

They won their first 3 games in the D3 NCAA Postseason Tournament, before losing in the Elite 8 to #15 ranked Wabash.
2021-22 results- https://www.iwusports.com/sports/mens-basketball/schedule/2021-22

They were picked to win the CCIW in the 2022-23 preseason poll,-
https://www.iwusports.com/news/2022...-as-cciw-releases-preseason-coaches-poll.aspx

... and they were picked #21 in the national 2022-23 D3 preseason poll
https://www.iwusports.com/news/2022...s-ranked-no-21-in-d3hoops-preseason-poll.aspx

Pregame article from the IWU website (no pregame article on Bradley website)-
https://www.iwusports.com/news/2022...attle-with-bradley-on-tap-for-mens-hoops.aspx

IWU lost 4 starters, their top 4 scorers from last season, 71% of their scoring, and 57% of their rebounding from last year's team.
They return only 1 starter, senior Cody Mitchell, who was their 5th leading scorer last year (8.2 ppg), and second-leading rebounder (6.7 rpg).
Last season's IWU stats- https://www.iwusports.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2021-22?path=mbball
2022-23 IWU roster- https://www.iwusports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster?path=mbball

Bradley has played Illinois Wesleyan 72 times in the past during the regular season. The last time they met was December 1, 1993, in the final men's basketball game ever played in Robertson Memorial Fieldhouse. Bradley won that game 81-63.

Most of the matchups occurred when both schools were members of the old IIAC (Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) from 1908-1937.
Overall, Bradley holds a 38-34 record against IWU. However, since 1937, they have played 22 times and Bradley is 21-1 against IWU with the only loss coming 2/17/1943 at IWU 57-54 in overtime.
Scroll to page 92- https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.si...ents/2016/10/3/Bradley_Basketball_Records.pdf
 
Hey guys, I cover IWU as a fan at this Twitter handle: @iwuhoopscom

As mentioned above, IWU lost 4 starters from last year's Elite 8 team. But the Titans do return enough from the rotation to have been picked to win the CCIW (the 2nd best league in D3) and ranked #21 by D3hoops.com. They have some very talented sophomores that did not play a ton last year as freshmen, but are very highly regarded.

Unfortunately the Titans will be without 2 of their expected starters tonight due to injury:

-Cody Mitchell, 6-7 F
-Harrison Wilmsen, 6-9 F

As well as an expected top post reserve:

-Grant Hardy, 6-8 F

So IWU will be much smaller than usual at the 4 and 5 tonight and nowhere near as athletic.

I think the starters will be:

G - Lucan Heflen, 6-2 Sr
G - Ryan Sroka, 6-5 Jr
G - Nick Roper, 6-7 So
F - Marko Anderson, 6-6 So
F - Evan Schneider, 6-6 Jr

IWU's last 3 D1 exhibition results:

'19-20: Southern IL 76 IWU 48
'18-19: Illinois-Chicago 81 IWU 60
'18-19: U. of Illinois 83 IWU 67

Last D1 win was December 1982 at Arizona.

The Titans are a very talented D3 team. They'll play hard. Should be a good opportunity for both teams tonight.
 
Why does the IWU website say this when they and BU have met 72 times and were members of the same conference until BU hit the big time?

BATTLING BRADLEY: Despite the close proximity between Bloomington and Peoria, the Titans and Braves have only matched up seven times in the history of the institutions during the regular season. The Green and White are still looking for its first victory over the Braves. The most recent matchup was on December 1, 1993, where Bradley came out on top, 81-63.
Click to expand...

https://www.iwusports.com/news/2022/...ens-hoops.aspx
 
Spent a lot of time at the Shirk Center when I went to IWU. Great facility for a D-3 school and the fan turnout used to be awesome.
Not sure who I'll root for....my alma mater, or my Braves...LOL
 
Anyone want to make a prediction? I'll give mine...
Some Bradley teams in past years have had a tendency to struggle with preseason exhibition games, though Brian Wardle's teams not so much. Even Wardle's worst team that finished 5-27 in 2015-16 won two exhibition games easily. However, Geno Ford's last Bradley team in 2014-15 lost an exhibition game to D3 Augustana College 56-58 (11/6/14), and in the 2013-14 season, Bradley barely beat Upper Iowa 85-83 (10/28/13). And Jim Les' shorthanded 2010-11 team lost to Quincy 80-86 (11/6/10).

Wardle's teams at Bradley are 8-0 in exhibition games, and he is 13-0 overall, including his 5 seasons at UW-Green Bay.
Last year, Bradley beat D2 UI-Springfield easily 93-64.

According to Bob Quillman, 6'7" senior starter Cody Mitchell (8.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg last year) is out. He is IWU's only returning starter and only player who returns with a scoring average of more than 5.9 ppg. Also out are projected starting forward 6'9" sophomore Harrison Wilmsen (1.4 ppg, 0.8 rpg last year in limited action), and reserve forward 6'8" junior Grant Hardy (0.5 ppg, 0.7 rpg last year in very limited action). That leaves them with only 1 forward on the roster taller than 6'6", and that is freshman Nathan Boldt (6'10") who does not appear to be a starter.
Among IWU's guards, Lucas Heflen (44.2% from three last year) and Nick Roper (35.3% from three last season) appear to be the best shooters. But I expect the quickness and experience of Bradley guards Duke Deen, Pop Weathers, Zek Montgomery, and Connor Hickman to be able to neutralize them somewhat.
IWU stats from 2021-22- https://www.iwusports.com/sports/men...22?path=mbball

Even with Bradley's top returning scorer and rebounder, Rienk Mast out (11.6 ppg, 8.4 rpg last season), Bradley will still have a huge advantage in size, athleticism, quickness, and experience. So I think this will be a one-sided game from the early minutes, with Bradley reserves getting a lot of playing time, and a final score somewhere around 78-44.
 
Da Coach said:
Anyone want to make a prediction? I'll give mine...
Some Bradley teams in past years have had a tendency to struggle with preseason exhibition games, though Brian Wardle's teams not so much. Even Wardle's worst team that finished 5-27 in 2015-16 won two exhibition games easily. However, Geno Ford's last Bradley team in 2014-15 lost an exhibition game to D3 Augustana College 56-58 (11/6/14), and in the 2013-14 season, Bradley barely beat Upper Iowa 85-83 (10/28/13). And Jim Les' shorthanded 2010-11 team lost to Quincy 80-86 (11/6/10).

Wardle's teams at Bradley are 8-0 in exhibition games, and he is 13-0 overall, including his 5 seasons at UW-Green Bay.
Last year, Bradley beat D2 UI-Springfield easily 93-64.

According to Bob Quillman, 6'7" senior starter Cody Mitchell (8.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg last year) is out. He is IWU's only returning starter and only player who returns with a scoring average of more than 5.9 ppg. Also out are projected starting forward 6'9" sophomore Harrison Wilmsen (1.4 ppg, 0.8 rpg last year in limited action), and reserve forward 6'8" junior Grant Hardy (0.5 ppg, 0.7 rpg last year in very limited action). That leaves them with only 1 forward on the roster taller than 6'6", and that is freshman Nathan Boldt (6'10") who does not appear to be a starter.
Among IWU's guards, Lucas Heflen (44.2% from three last year) and Nick Roper (35.3% from three last season) appear to be the best shooters. But I expect the quickness and experience of Bradley guards Duke Deen, Pop Weathers, Zek Montgomery, and Connor Hickman to be able to neutralize them somewhat.
IWU stats from 2021-22- https://www.iwusports.com/sports/men...22?path=mbball

Even with Bradley's top returning scorer and rebounder, Rienk Mast out (11.6 ppg, 8.4 rpg last season), Bradley will still have a huge advantage in size, athleticism, quickness, and experience. So I think this will be a one-sided game from the early minutes, with Bradley reserves getting a lot of playing time, and a final score somewhere around 78-44.
Click to expand...

With Mitchell and Wilmsen, I think the Titans would be able to compete a lot better. Both have D1 type bodies...both really athletic. So that hurts the effort to keep it respectable.

Most likely the Titans will have a hard time with BU's quickness and athleticism.
 
Bradley stats-
Leons 18
Henry 7
Hickman 9
Deen 7
Weathers 8
Hannah 9
Montgomery 10
Ville 8
Biliew 1
Linke 2
Davis 0
Ekono 0
Hardtke 0
Hennessy 0
 
Box score and stats-
https://bradleybraves.com/sports/men...boxscore/21479

Attendance posted as 3,528 - must have included season ticket sales as the actual attendance appeared to be less than half that number.

Illinois Wesleyan shot better than I expected, especially in the 2nd half when they shot 13 for 24 (54.2%) to keep the game from being a blowout. Bradley shot pretty well overall (32-66, 48.5%), and from three (10-24, 41.7%), but the free throw shooting was not good (5-13, 38.5%). Bradley forced 20 turnovers by IWU, and they had 14 turnovers, many seemed to be due to playing at a faster tempo than in past seasons, and the frequent personnel changes.
Malevy Leons was the Player of the Game with 18 points, 4-5 from three, 4 rebounds, and only 1 turnover in 26 minutes.
Connor Hickman had 9 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists in only 24 minutes. He was terrific and IMO needs to play 30-35 minutes.
Zek Montgomery had 10 points, 6 rebounds, and no turnovers in only 19 minutes.
Darius Hannah had 9 points, 4-5 from the field, and no turnovers in 21 minutes.
Duke Deen had 7 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists in 22 minutes. He was only 1-6 from three, but that will improve.
Solid contributions off the bench for Ja'Shon Henry. Ville Tahvanainen, and Pop Weathers.
The other reserves played limited minutes.

Overall a good start to the season.
 
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