• Welcome to BradleyFans.com! Visitors are welcome, but we encourage you to sign up and register as a member. It's free and takes only a few seconds. Just click on the link to Register at the top right of the page, and follow instructions. If you have any problems or questions, click on the link at the bottom right of the page to Contact Us.

Final score: Bradley 79 Illinois State 75

Da Coach said:
Here are video highlights from the PJ Star- https://www.pjstar.com/videos/sports...t/11125530002/

Note especially the last shot of the 1st half just after 2:08 of the video, when ISU guard Malachi Poindexter launches a last second three that misses and then flops to the floor. The official calls a foul and gives him 3 free throws (plus 2 technical foul free throws) to make the halftime score 40-36. It appears the Bradley defender, Ja'Shon Henry, never touched him. Chad Kleine goes wild and says "Oh my God, he wasn't even touched!". It was representative of some of the awful calls throughout the game.
Click to expand...

As for Jashon touching the player, it wasn't even close. From where we sit we had a great angle and it was a good foot between them. Definitely an offensive flop that the refs missed..
I'm really beginning to think the college game has got way to fast for 3 refs. Need to consider 4 refs.
The other thing I saw was refs making calls when they were completely out of position. Called a foul on Henry when there were players between the ref and the play. The ref in front of the play didn't call it, it was the ref in the opposite corner where he couldn't see it.
Also lots of complaining about the rebounding but there were lots of long rebounds also.
They did just enough at the end of the game to pull it out.
 
Dub said:
:mad:

I did go back and rewatch the game. It actually was less ugly on the replay than in person…..did Bradley get beat to the ball on a few rebounds? Yes. But it was UNCANNY how many times the Braves went HARD for a loose ball and it just happened to be bouncing right into the waiting arms of the Redbirds. Typically those things balance out in the course of a game. This time it didn’t.
And we still won. :mrgreen:
Click to expand...

I also want to say i heard a Coach say one time, I dont remember who, that if you can play your worse game of the season and still win that is a plus. Now this was the worse game for Bradley in 2 or 3 seasons so I think that qualifies
 
Bradley3342 said:
I agree basketball nut and he is only a sophomore
Click to expand...

Zek sure looked like that guy at Indiana State. To the point where I didn’t mind seeing him with the ball in Bradley’s last possession of the Belmont game. But then he appeared to force it and turned it over with 28 second to go, so that Bradley didn’t even take a shot.
 
After the loss to Belmont, Coach Wardle talked about mistakes that were made in his postgame interview with Dave Snell. He wasn't specific, but said the players made mistakes, and so did the coaching staff. I believe what he was referring to was that last full possession by Bradley when Zek was the point guard and lost control of the ball when driving into the lane. Zek did play some point guard in the previous game at Indiana State, and he was the hero of that game making a number of critically important plays and baskets down the stretch. But he is not really a point guard, and I think Coach Wardle realized it was a mistake to put Zek and the point on that late possession against Belmont.
Zek is developing into a terrific player, and judging from the Indiana State game, he might become a reliable "closer". I also think Hickman or Deen can become that guy, too, but it might take more time.
 
Da Coach said:
After the loss to Belmont, Coach Wardle talked about mistakes that were made in his postgame interview with Dave Snell. He wasn't specific, but said the players made mistakes, and so did the coaching staff. I believe what he was referring to was that last full possession by Bradley when Zek was the point guard and lost control of the ball when driving into the lane. Zek did play some point guard in the previous game at Indiana State, and he was the hero of that game making a number of critically important plays and baskets down the stretch. But he is not really a point guard, and I think Coach Wardle realized it was a mistake to put Zek and the point on that late possession against Belmont.
Zek is developing into a terrific player, and judging from the Indiana State game, he might become a reliable "closer". I also think Hickman or Deen can become that guy, too, but it might take more time.
Click to expand...

Yes Hickman is still only a Sophomore
 
Tommy said:
Sophomore slump. Hickman is going to be a heck of a player for us in the long run and hopefully can find his shooters touch by post season play.
Click to expand...

I agree. Hickman, Zek, and Davis are all sophomores, and Duke and Pop, thanks to the extra Covid year, are effectively sophomores, too, with 2 more seasons of eligibility. So with Demarion Burch coming next year, the future looks good at the guard position.
Bradley has, IMO, the best frontcourt this season, and hopefully Rienk and Malevy will be back next year, along with Hannah. If the coaches can somehow add another pure shooter, and another big wing, I can see Bradley remaining a contender in the MVC for the next couple years.
 
For whatever reason this years team seems to be more consistently inconsistent. The highs have been really high and the lows have been really low in terms of executing on both ends. When we've gotten really good movement on the defensive end it seems to translate to our offense. When we don't move our feet on defense and don't communicate it affects our offense because we take that attitude on the other end. What is the strength of our team? I would say it's Mast and Leons. The offense should revolve around them and it doesn't. That's as much on our coaching staff as it is on anything else. I would agree that Zek needs to play more. He can be our most dynamic player. I think if he could handle the ball better he would be Wardle's perfect vision of what he wants in a point guard. A guy with size who can drive and finish at the hoop as well as make 3's. At the end of the day a W is a W no matter how we play. Just have to hope we can keep racking the up.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top