The way we need to stop opposing players from driving all the way to the basket is by drawing some charging fouls. That is the no. 1 thing that has been missing for quite some time. Hickman last year drew a few of those which makes a player think twice about just putting his head down and going hard to the basket. I know the rule has changed yet in the games I have watched it appears the officials still call it the same way most of the time.
By the way CONGRATULATIONS BRAVES FOR WINNING another TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP.
Yes, I agree... It seems our guards avoid trying to draw charges. Maybe they are coached to avoid them so they don't get personal fouls. I understand that thinking, since the NCAA has issued directives to officials to favor the offensive players in such block/charge situations.
Another thought is to play more zone defense. Coach Wardle shifts to a zone a couple times a game, but only for one or two possessions. It seemed very effective against Wright State and Middle Tennessee. So I'd like to see us play more zone. It should be more effective against drives into the lane.
And, one other thing related to the BRAVES "WINNING another TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP":
In case anyone might still not appreciate the success that Coach Wardle's teams have had in recent years, here are some facts I have posted before.....
In the last 6 seasons, here are the only teams to win any titles in the MVC-
Loyola- One regular season co-championship (2019), one outright championship (2021), and 2 MVC Tournament titles (2021, 2022)
Bradley- 1 regular season championship (2023) and 2 MVC Tournament titles (2019, 2020)
UNI- 2 regular season championships (2020, 2022), and no tournament titles
Drake- 1 regular season co-championship (2019), and 2 MVC Tournament titles (2023, 2024)
Indiana State- One regular season championship (2024), and no tournament titles
SIU, Missouri State, Illinois State, Belmont, Murray State, UIC, Evansville, and Valparaiso- NONE
So Bradley has more outright titles in the last 6 seasons than any other current MVC team.
In addition to the conference titles, Bradley has had unprecedented success in winning in-season tournaments under Coach Wardle.
Note that prior to Coach Wardle,
Bradley had not won an in-season tournament away from Peoria since 1966 when Joe Stowell's 1966-67 team won the Sugar Bowl Tournament in December of 1966 with MVP Al Smith, and Bradley HOF'er Joe Allen. Bradley had gone 52 years without winning an in-season tournament away from Peoria.
And now Bradley has 4 in the last 7 years.
Nov. 2018- Bradley went undefeated and beat SMU and Penn State to win the 2018 Cancun Challenge
Dec. 2022- Bradley went undefeated and beat Sam Houston and UTEP to win the Sun Bowl Invitational on UTEP's home court
Nov. 2023- Bradley went undefeated and beat Tarleton, Tulane, and UTEP to win the SoCal Challenge
Nov. 2024- Bradley went undefeated and beat Texas State, Wright State, and Middle Tennessee State to win the Myrtle Beach Invitational
No other MVC program has come close to the in-season tournament success in recent years that Bradley has had.
And, not to make excuses, but this staff has accomplished all this in a stretch that included some setbacks that could have sunk a team for years.
In 2020-21, Bradley was coming off back-to-back MVC Tournament Championships and was picked high in the 2020-21.preseason poll. It was not only the Covid year, but it also included the events at Missouri State late in the season that caused things to spiral downhill and become the only losing season that Coach Wardle has had in the last 8 seasons.
That was followed by the unexpected departure of multiple key players at the end of the season, including 3 of Bradley's top 4 scorers that year- Elijah Childs, Terry Nolan, and Sean East. But Coach Wardle's 2021-22 team recovered, and managed to replace the talent with one of the best recruiting classes in decades- Terry Roberts, Malevy Leons, Connor Hickman, Zek Montgomery, Mikey Howell, and Maxime Ekono,
And, thanks to the transfer portal and NIL, Bradley has lost their top scorer for the last 4 seasons (Childs, Roberts, Mast, Hickman), something that has not happened to any other MVC team. There were other starters with eligibility remaining who left, too (Montgomery, Kent, Tahvanainen, etc.).
