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Final score: Loyola 66 Bradley 50

Our guards aren't good enough, plain and simple. Terry is the most competent guard on the team, and he is playing like he doesn't care right now. Lazy turnovers. Hickman is developing, but is just a freshman. Ville cannot hit wide open threes when it counts and yet he is our "shooter." We need a ball handling point guard and a shooting guard/wing that can shoot from deep.

Also, play Roberts, Leons, Mast, Hickman the entire 20 minutes and take your chances. Tomorrow doesn't matter if you can't win today anyway.

I hope to see the UNI type comeback from a few years ago, but I don't know if this team has that in them. I'm hoping to at least make the final score respectable.
 
It's a matter of PRIDE now....time to reward all the fans that came to St. LOUIS to back you up with some respectable play in the 2nd half.:idea:
 
Well we started ok and then for some reason Brian instantly had to sub in Ville and Ari and they get easy buckets. PLAY your best players the whole time if needed, there is no tomorrow if we lose!
 
Please recruit a couple player's that play with some fire. Someone who gets pissed-off when getting it handed to you. Not one player is picking up their level of play during this beating. We are sooo soft in the paint....:mad:
 
Embarrassing play. Turnovers, poor shot selection, our guards are overmatched. They cannot get the ball inside and either turn it over or take contested shots
 
Finally as sign of life from Robert's on steal and dunk. Glad to see Max in game, see what he has to offer during meaningful game time.
 
A very disappointing game to end the season. Loyola was allowed to be overly physical and we couldn’t have any sustained offense as we allowed them to dictate to us. That’s where there experience of playing in the NCAA tournament really helps them. Hopefully we take the lessons that we received from them and apply it next season.
 
Pitiful. The only positive from this game is that we did hold them to 22 points in the 2nd half.

George, great talking with you today, and sorry you had to see me at my worst at the end of the game. Not my proudest moment. Wish I coulda met Jimmy and Mike and anyone else that was at the game. Maybe next time!

Coach, was looking for you at breakfast but we must have missed each other!

This was a discouraging loss, but we are the youngest team in the Valley and we played the oldest. This will only help us get better for next year. I hope JaShon and Ari both decide to come back. Hate to think this is how it ends for them.
 
I just looked at the stats and see we out rebounded them by 7! But then we shoot 31.4% from the field and 20% from 3’s. Yes, Loyola played good defense, but a lot of those shots were wide open ones. 15 turnovers and Loyola with 11 steals was from some very sloppy ball handling and passing. They just looked star struck for most of this game.

It’ll take me at least a week to get out of this foul mood.
 
Today was not overly surprising considering the overall inconsistent nature of the team this season. While I thought we could win the whole tournament, I would have put it just as likely that we get smoked by LUC/DU/MSU in this opening game, too. While the team matured a ton during the season, I think it's more reasonable to say that they still have a ways to go to mature to their potential. Think about how you felt in November or even December. A winning record, top 5 finish in conference and a lot of overall hope would not have been on many people's minds.

A few thoughts:
  • When you turn the ball over too much, don't leverage your best skill (rebounding) and have a horrible shooting day, you're not going to beat a lot of teams, but especially really good ones.
  • Playing in the tournament is just different than regular season games and it showed. We had chances to turn the tide and then a bad shot or turnover always stifled that chance. It's frustrating but they will come out stronger from it.
  • I do hope most of the team comes back. With many teams having a ton of graduations, we should be ready to take that next step and be in the running for the conference title. The transfer portal is a major thing, especially for Murray State since their team is super young right now, too.
  • I'm never embarrassed to be a Bradley fan. I felt like the team got frustrated because they couldn't hit shots and it got into their heads and the mistakes crept in, even when they got stops. They were always trying and that's a Wardle calling card.
  • I'm hoping Leons can be more assertive next year. He is always noticeable with his athleticism but he seems to defer too much at times. I want more because I really like his game and think he can be a star in the league.
  • We have got to improve our overall 3-point consistency. I don't know if that means existing guys need to develop more or we will see some new additions, but too often we go so ice cold and can't rely on anyone to make a long ball.
  • The team has to work a lot on double teams. Roberts struggled getting so many doubles and finding the open guy, not just today but other games. He's a very good player but that's the next level we need from him.
Today was not fun but I'm as excited as I've been going into the offseason as I have been in awhile.
 
BUBraves2006 said:
Today was not overly surprising considering the overall inconsistent nature of the team this season. While I thought we could win the whole tournament, I would have put it just as likely that we get smoked by LUC/DU/MSU in this opening game, too. While the team matured a ton during the season, I think it's more reasonable to say that they still have a ways to go to mature to their potential. Think about how you felt in November or even December. A winning record, top 5 finish in conference and a lot of overall hope would not have been on many people's minds.

A few thoughts:
  • When you turn the ball over too much, don't leverage your best skill (rebounding) and have a horrible shooting day, you're not going to beat a lot of teams, but especially really good ones.
  • Playing in the tournament is just different than regular season games and it showed. We had chances to turn the tide and then a bad shot or turnover always stifled that chance. It's frustrating but they will come out stronger from it.
  • I do hope most of the team comes back. With many teams having a ton of graduations, we should be ready to take that next step and be in the running for the conference title. The transfer portal is a major thing, especially for Murray State since their team is super young right now, too.
  • I'm never embarrassed to be a Bradley fan. I felt like the team got frustrated because they couldn't hit shots and it got into their heads and the mistakes crept in, even when they got stops. They were always trying and that's a Wardle calling card.
  • I'm hoping Leons can be more assertive next year. He is always noticeable with his athleticism but he seems to defer too much at times. I want more because I really like his game and think he can be a star in the league.
  • We have got to improve our overall 3-point consistency. I don't know if that means existing guys need to develop more or we will see some new additions, but too often we go so ice cold and can't rely on anyone to make a long ball.
  • The team has to work a lot on double teams. Roberts struggled getting so many doubles and finding the open guy, not just today but other games. He's a very good player but that's the next level we need from him.
Today was not fun but I'm as excited as I've been going into the offseason as I have been in awhile.
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Well said BUBraves2006. Agree with all you said. We need to learn from this loss today. I think our biggest need in this offseason is a lights out shooter. Let’s hope we can get one!
 
As much as this one hurts and so frustrating to watch, I am not disappointed in the effort and guys - we are primed to have our run starting next season!

LUC was so experienced and we were not.
We’ll have our time again Braves fans! Believe it!!
 
I think the biggest thing we need to work on for next season is making our 3s. You gotta make a good % to win the Valley - period. Also, getting mentally tougher to not let other teams gain momentum. We are young and No substitute for experience, and we’ll gain that next year.

Mast is a beast - he had a mediocre game and still got a double-double. TR had a great season and think he’ll play smarter next season.

We NEED Ja’shon to return, and I have a feeling he will. We’ll be alright guys…just gotta get thru months ahead until next season.

Too bad we had such a great turnout and didn’t perform as we hoped.
 
Bradley3342 said:
I think our biggest need in this offseason is a lights out shooter. Let’s hope we can get one!
Click to expand...

As nice as that would be, I don’t think that’s what makes or breaks our success. Each guy needs to improve in shooting.

Leons and Ville really lost their outside touch as season winded down, and we needed them. They are capable. Mast should improve from the arc - terrible year for him from 3 and that’s about only weak area for him.

Hickman is a sharp-shooter and maybe that guy who shoots 40% or better from three.

Get Zeke more PT - he could be a star.
 
Beyond the mystic substitution process I again offer my thought as expressed earlier in the year, that is ball movement, or lack of! We are constantly having players standing in the corners watching while the others are in motion. Movement without the ball is lacking and has been all year. This system of offensive doesn’t bode well for us.
 
BLACK CAT said:
Do the Braves have a shot at a CBI or CIT postseason invitation?
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I am pretty sure they will be contacted by the alternate postseason tournaments and asked if they would accept if invited. Any team with a winning record from a decent mid-major league is considered.
 
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