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Final score: SIU 65 Bradley 57
- Thread starter Da Coach
- Start date
patrick_o'brian
Member
This is the consistency point coach keeps talking about. Take out Loyola and Drake. Next game, down 20 at the half to a bad SIU team. No one wants to score and the defense is doing nothing but chasing. No talking at all. If we don’t fix the lack of communication on defense we will lose this game by 30.
Bradley3342
New member
Don’t even know what to say
I understand a bad game on the road. I don’t understand a poor effort for 15 minutes with what we had on the line. Way to try in the second half, but we dug too big of a hole. I can’t believe this team didn’t learn the lesson early in the year that we need to play 40 minutes to win.
Most disappointed I’ve been all year because of the effort in the first half. On to the next one. DO NOT do this against ISU at home after they already embarrassed us once.
Bradley trailed 41-22 at halftime, then fell behind by 25 points early in the 2nd half. But then they made a nice comeback to get within 5 points, 62-57 with 1:28 left. But they couldn't get any closer, and lost at SIU 65-57.
Stats- https://siusalukis.com/sidearmstats/mbball/media
Too many turnovers (17), poor 1st half shooting (34.5%) by Bradley, and hot shooting by SIU allowed them to build a 25 point lead. Just too much to overcome on the road. Bradley is now 15-12 overall, and 9-6 in the MVC. Next game is at home Saturday against Illinois State at 1 pm.
Bradley drops back into 5th place, just a few percentage points behind Drake. Drake plays at home against Evansville tomorrow, while Loyola plays at Valpo.
Standings- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/standings/_/group/18
Stats- https://siusalukis.com/sidearmstats/mbball/media
Too many turnovers (17), poor 1st half shooting (34.5%) by Bradley, and hot shooting by SIU allowed them to build a 25 point lead. Just too much to overcome on the road. Bradley is now 15-12 overall, and 9-6 in the MVC. Next game is at home Saturday against Illinois State at 1 pm.
Bradley drops back into 5th place, just a few percentage points behind Drake. Drake plays at home against Evansville tomorrow, while Loyola plays at Valpo.
Standings- https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/standings/_/group/18
bigjimmy
Active member
To go from beating 2 of the top teams in the Valley to this game is absolute nonsense. We're not a good enough team to take nights off which for the most part is what we did 25-30 minutes of the game. And even at that we had a chance to cut it to a 1 possession game after getting down by 25 but we committed another turnover and we basically ran out of time. 17 turnovers and just 8 assists showed how little offense we had. Not enough movement, missing too many layups, again, and forcing things when you don't have too. On defense just no communication and giving up way too many easy shots. Thought we were past a game like this but with this team apparently not.
I too had another commitment - watched the very beginning - drove to my meeting - pulled out my iPhone and was utterly stun at the score that I saw a few minutes later.
Here is what Wardle stated after the game - quoting the Peoria Journal Star after game report
****
"We celebrated that first timeout, like we won Arch Madness and that bothered me," Bradley coach Brian Wardle said of the 11-0 lead. "That's an immaturity in the group. There's 36 minutes left, and we're on the road against a hungry Southern Illinois team. You don't celebrate like you just won the tournament. And so that's something I had to address, too.
"I had to get on them in practice, push them in practice to get out of their comfort zone and have more urgency. We were prepared, though. We did everything we could as a staff. This is one, the players got to figure this one out. This can't happen. We just thought, 'Oh, we're just going to get back in the game.' It hasn't happened to us in a while. Unfortunate."
*****
I believe Wardle hit it right on the head - "immaturity" - this is NOT a seasoned team - it is a talented team but not a poised - consistent team. This team is not at the same place with 3 regular season games remaining that the 2019, 2020 Bradley teams were heading into the MVC Tournament.
To me - the next "REAL TEST" will be playing " AT " Missouri State. From my standpoint - Right NOW this team is NOT ready for the MVC Tournament.
I look forward to see if a different team shows up at the February 23rd game in Springfield, Missouri.
LittleBrave
Active member
It's happened like 4 times on the road this season. We need to learn from this so it doesn't happen next season.
It's a young team and I get why it happened.
SIU was HUNNNNNGGGGRRRRRYYY tonight for a win - we were not.
We played very tough and with fight in the 2nd half.
Just can't have any letdowns like this from here on out this season.
Let's close out the season with 3 wins before we get to St. Louis and maybe, just maybe, we snag the #3 seed for 1st time in 2 decades!
LittleBrave
Active member
This team has surely come a long way, but the one thing we still lack is mental toughness.
That will come with time - hopefully sooner than later so we can make a run in St. Louis.
As much as I'd like to say we are able, I would be surprised if the Braves won Arch Madness this season.
Loyola, Drake, and Mo. State are more mature and have much much more experience as a group.
Hopefully our talent and focus will be enough to overcome our lack of experience and inconsistency on the road.
That will come with time - hopefully sooner than later so we can make a run in St. Louis.
As much as I'd like to say we are able, I would be surprised if the Braves won Arch Madness this season.
Loyola, Drake, and Mo. State are more mature and have much much more experience as a group.
Hopefully our talent and focus will be enough to overcome our lack of experience and inconsistency on the road.
Cousins Cuts podcast
New member
I feel like the 4/5 game would actually not be bad for us. Play Drake who we have already beat twice so we match up well with. Then most likely play Loyola who we have out played as a whole this year. Went to ot in their place. Who knows in the championship but I like our odds to get there if the bracket shaped up like that. As the 3 we'd play siu who just beat us even tho we're the better team. Don't get me wrong I'd like to be as high as possible but our best chance to win might be the 4 or 5
LittleBrave
Active member
I agree - not terrible to be a 4/5 seed, and let's face it - we won b2b as a 4-seed and a 5-seed.
I don't like how we match up with SIU - I hope we don't play them again.
Also Mo St. I think would beat us in Arch Madness - I think they're the team to beat, thought the Ramblers are everyone's pick to win due to so much experience.
But that's why they play the games!
LittleBrave
Active member
Is it me or do we play either SIU or Drake every year in 1st round of Arch Madness? LOL
Tommy
Well-known member
It does seem that way!
I'm curious, why do you think we don't match up against SIU well? I think we match up against them great - we can field a much faster or a much bigger team on the court against them. If we hadn't stopped playing D altogether in the last game, we would have won that one!
I sure hope Loyola gets ousted quickly at the tournament. I'd like to send them off with their tail between their legs!
It seems that way. So I listed all of Bradley's first round opponents in the MVC Tournament since it moved to St. Louis in 1991.
SIU has been the opening opponent the last 2 years. Drake appears a lot on the recent list (6 of the last 11).
2020-21- SIU
2019-20- SIU
2018-19- Missouri State
2017-18- Drake
2016-17- Drake
2015-16- Loyola
2014-15- Drake
2013-14- Loyola
2012-13- Drake
2011-12- Drake
2010-11- Drake
2009-10- Creighton
2008-09- SIU
2007-08- Creighton
2006-07- UNI
2005-06- Creighton
2004-05- Indiana State
2003-04- Illinois State
2002-03- Wichita State
2001-02- Indiana State
2000-01- UNI
1999-00- Creighton
1998-99- SIU
1997-98- Drake
1996-97- Drake
1995-96- Drake
1994-95- Evansville
1993-94- Wichita State
1992-93- SIU
1991-92- did not qualify
1990-91- Missouri State
LittleBrave
Active member
Thanks a bunch DC! I was going to research earlier, but got tied up with work.
LittleBrave
Active member
Well, maybe we match up well on paper, but the last 2 years, we have had trouble with the mediocre Salukis (and underachieving Redbirds!)
It's a team I thought we'd beat more than lose, but they've taken 3 of the last 5 from us with the same core of players.
Just seems when we play SIU, you really can't tell who is the better team, though the Braves have more talent IMO.
In the past 3 seasons, we've played them 8 times and only 1 of those was a double-digit winning margin (We beat SIU by 19 in 2020 at Carver, though they had a 3-pt halftime lead).
BRADLEY FAN 49
New member
Your first 2 words I believe was the problem in all the games we had a big lead and lost the game. We were out coached each time.
I hate to keep seeing our coach put the blame for these losses on the players, I think at least some of that blame is on the coach.