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Final score: Bradley 79 Valparaiso 55

Da Coach

Da Coach

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Staff member
Next game: Valparaiso (13-16, 6-11, 3-7 in road games) at Bradley (16-13, 10-7, 11-2 in home games), Saturday, Feb. 26, 7:00 pm

Game is on ESPN3- https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/eventCalendarId/401367421
Live stats- https://bradleybraves.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
Chat room- www.chatzy.com/bradleyfans

Valpo schedule/results- http://www.valpoathletics.com/mbasketball/schedule/
Stats- https://cdn.streamlinehosting.net/v...A-A45B-BE0D83CCD64B/MBBSeasonStats_022322.pdf

Bradley is 8-5 all time against Valparaiso. They played 3 times prior to Valpo joining the MVC, with Bradley going 2-1, winning twice at Robertson Memorial Fieldhouse, and losing the only time they played at Valparaiso. They have split the 2 regular season games each year since Valparaiso entered the MVC in 2017, going 4-4 these last 4 seasons. In 2018, 2019, and 2020, Bradley won at home, but lost at Valpo. However, last season, with the unique Covid schedule, Bradley played both games at Valparaiso, and managed a split the 2 games. Their win last year on Feb. 10, 2021 was the first time Bradley has ever won in Valparaiso. Bradley also beat Valpo in the 2020 MVC Tournament Championship game.
https://bradleybraves.com/news/2021/...iso-76-52.aspx

Bradley beat Valparaiso on January 26 in Valparaiso 71-56-
Recap- https://bradleybraves.com/news/2022...nds-winning-streak-runs-past-valpo-71-56.aspx
Box score- https://bradleybraves.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2021-22/valparaiso/boxscore/21093

Game notes from Valparaiso- https://cdn.streamlinehosting.net/v...-BE0D83CCD64B/ValpoMBBGameNotes_022622_BU.pdf
Preview- http://www.valpoathletics.com/mbask...basketball-to-close-regular-season-in-peoria/

Valpo point guard Trevor Anderson is out for the season with a back injury. He aggravated the injury in the game against Bradley on January 26, in which he started, but played just 14 minutes and was scoreless. He did not play again after that game, and a couple days later it was announced he would miss the rest of the season.
Two other Valpo regulars have missed games recently- Thomas Kithier missed 4 games in early February with a back injury, then returned for 2 games and re-aggravated the injury, and now has missed their last 3 games. Freshman Preston Ruedinger, who became their starting point guard when Anderson went out, sprained his ankle in their Feb. 19 game, and has missed their last 2 games.

Bradley stats- https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sit...1/pdf/cume.pdf
MVC stats- http://www.mvc.org/mbb/stats/confstat.htm

MVC standings- https://mvc-sports.com/standings.aspx?path=mbball
 
I'd like to see Coach Wardle rest Terry Roberts in this game. Terry probably wouldn't go for it, but in recent games he seems either worn down or perhaps slowed down by the ankle injury. There just doesn't seem to be the fire evident earlier in the season, and we'll need him healthy and rested for (hopefully) three games on successive days in St. Louis.

And I'd love to see Ari Boya have a big game if this is his last one in front of the home crowd.
 
Completely agree with making Roberts sit this game. He has lost some of his explosiveness with the ankle injury. Give it as much rest as possible before the tourney starts.
 
BUSongwriter said:
....
And I'd love to see Ari Boya have a big game if this is his last one in front of the home crowd.
Click to expand...

One thought about Ari Boya....
Ari is a senior and I assume he is eligible to graduate after this year, but he would be able to return for another year of competition next season. The choice is up to Ari and to Coach Wardle. We'd all love to see our coaches sign another recruit who will be able to come in and be an immediate contributor. But if that doesn't happen, I wouldn't mind seeing Ari return for one more season. His development as a Division I center has been slow, but I think he has improved a little every year, and he's overcome serious injury issues to become a valuable backup for this year's team.
And, of course, I would really like to see Ja'Shon Henry come back next year if he is fully healthy.

So regardless what happens with these two guys, I hope everyone can attend Saturday night's game to honor Bradley's 3 seniors- Mikey Howell, Ja'Shon Henry, and Ari Boya. They deserve the fans' respect and gratitude.

One other note about Saturday's game that was announced by the Bradley Braves Club-
This Saturday, February 26, 2022 Braves Club Members are invited to attend a pregame party. The party will take place in Exhibition Hall C at Carver Arena beginning at 5:00pm. Admission is free to Braves Club Members with your membership card.
A non-Braves Club member may pay $10 at the door to attend.

The announcement didn't specify, but there has usually been food and drinks available at these types of pre-game parties in the past, thus the reason for the charge to non-members. There will probably be further info in the upcoming Bradley pregame article.
 
I’ve been pretty hard on Ari with some things he does and doesn’t do on the court but I respect the heck out of how hard he plays and with what he’s overcome. With his home life situation I would be surprised he comes back. The question with JaShon is his concussions. Once someone starts getting them it seems they get them easier. The doctors will have as much say about them JaShon.
 
I agree with resting Terry given that we’re locked into 5th place although I get the impression he doesn’t want to sit. Hopefully he takes it easy in practices the 6 days leading up to STL.
 
Da Coach said:
One other note about Saturday's game that was announced by the Bradley Braves Club-
This Saturday, February 26, 2022 Braves Club Members are invited to attend a pregame party. The party will take place in Exhibition Hall C at Carver Arena beginning at 5:00pm. Admission is free to Braves Club Members with your membership card.
A non-Braves Club member may pay $10 at the door to attend.

The announcement didn't specify, but there has usually been food and drinks available at these types of pre-game parties in the past, thus the reason for the charge to non-members. There will probably be further info in the upcoming Bradley pregame article.
Click to expand...
pregame-party.png

thumbnail
 
They have also mentioned Riley Burger, is he graduating? I thought he was a junior, but he could be graduating early. Planning on moving on after this year I assume then?
 
Article from BradleyBraves.com-
https://bradleybraves.com/news/2022/2/25/mens-basketball-bradley-hosts-valparaiso-on-senior-day.aspx

SENIOR DAY
• Prior to Saturday's game, Bradley will honor its four players earning their degrees during a Senior Day ceremony.
• Ari Boya, Riley Burger, Ja'Shon Henry and Mikey Howell will all be honored at the game.
• The four players have combined to appear in 209 games with 1,151 points, 761 rebounds, 168 assists and 123 blocks.

Riley Burger apparently has accumulated enough credits that he is on track to graduate this year, which is why he is being honored on Senior Night.
He enrolled at Bradley early, in June of 2019, and has attended summer sessions each of the years he's been at Bradley.
 
Here is a podcast of an interview yesterday that the WMBD morning guys had with Coach Wardle-
https://omny.fm/shows/greg-dan-show...und=353535&background=ffffff&highlight=1a1a1a

He named Ari Boya, Ja'Shon Henry, Mikey Howell, and Riley Burger as the 4 who will be honored because they are all receiving degrees this year, though they may not all be true seniors.

He noted that Mikey Howell is a graduate student. And he said that Riley Burger has been with the team for 4 years. But that was a misstatement. Riley graduated from high school in 2019, and joined the Bradley basketball team in June of 2019 as a walk-on. So he's been with the team for just 3 years, but with summer classes each of the past 3 summers, he's been able to accumulate enough credits to graduate this year.

It would be nice to see Ari, Mikey, and Riley get the start tonight. Coach Wardle has done that in the past, even with players who never were starters (former walkon Pete Hanley got the start in the final home game of 2018-19). The game tonight really has very little meaning, since both Bradley and Valparaiso are locked into the #5 and #7 seeds. And it would be nice to see Ja'Shon be in uniform, even if he's not ready to play.
 
Tweet from Bradley Basketball with a great video of Riley Burger-
https://twitter.com/bradleyumbb/stat...62930829160449

Riley didn't get a lot of playing time in his 3-year career, but he will go down as one of only a small handful of Bradley team members who have 2 MVC Championship rings.
Good luck in your future Riley!


Tweet with video of Mikey Howell-
https://twitter.com/bradleyumbb/stat...51428592136204

Tweet with video of all 4 "seniors"-
https://twitter.com/bradleyumbb/stat...53213405659136

And a video with Ari Boya-
https://twitter.com/bradleyumbb/status/1497674077695188997
 
Well that's how senior night is supposed to go. Good night for the Braves. Did anyone notice Connor Linke.....don't remember seeing him on bench or in game?:-o
 
Very enjoyable game to watch. The crowd showed their appreciation for the seniors before the game and at the end when they were taken out of the game. And nice to see Riley Burger get a basket.

Rienk Mast with another double-double- 22 points and 11 rebounds
Connor Hickman with a terrific game- 14 points on 5-6 shooting, and 4-5 from three. He is becoming deadly from the corner
Ari Boya had 13 points, one shy of his career high, and 5 rebounds
Terry Roberts with just 4 pints, but 7 assists and 6 rebounds
Only 8 turnovers for the game, and just 3 in the 2nd half
Rebounds- BU 38 (13 offensive) - VU 27

Attendance- 5,660

Box score-
https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.si...uments/2022/2/26/Bradley_79_Valparaiso_55.pdf
 
It’s amazing when we limit the turnovers our offense is pretty good. Our defense also improves because teams have less run outs. Control the turnovers and we have a shot. Our half court defense is tremendous.

Hard to believe we might only have one game left already, this season flew by!

Everything we could have asked for as fans happened tonight. Very classy of Matt Lottich to allow Henry in the game there at the end. That was a great moment along with Burger’s basket. Great game Ari! Hickman is close to becoming that shooter I want so bad at least from the corner, but he has a nice all around game too. Glad to see he has officially broken out of the freshman wall. Mast was great tonight too. Good to see Kent back. Nice to see Ekono hit a shot. Roberts played under control tonight and seemed to have more bounce than the last few games, maybe he is getting better from his injury.
 
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