Bradley men’s basketball ended their pre-season with a tough loss versus Saint Louis at home. The Braves and Billikins played five quarters, and Saint Louis left Peoria with a 118-106 win. Bradley got off to a hot start, leading 12-6 through three minutes of play, but miscommunications on defense, lack of effort on the glass and sloppy offense led to a blowout loss in regulation.
It’s only one exhibition game, so there’s no need to overreact, but there are pieces of the game that could be concerning if it were to continue.
Below, I’ll present five takeaways from the loss.
1. Rome wasn’t built in a day
Head coach Brian Wardle has preached patience with this group all offseason. The Braves are a younger, less-experienced team than last year. There will be growing pains early in the season, especially against the tougher teams in Bradley’s non-conference schedule.
“We had a lot of play busts,” Wardle said. “A lot of guys had brain freezes where they didn’t know where to go and what to do. I think there’s going to be a ton of learning on this film. Film doesn’t lie. I needed some good film to show these guys how we have to be focused and execute and locked in at all times when you’re on the floor.”
2. AJ is an ancillary piece
Senior forward AJ Smith was by far the most impressive player for the Braves on Thursday night. He finished the game with 19 points, three rebounds and six steals. Smith may not fill the box score every night, but in every game, he will do the little things, such as rebounding, screening, and defending the opposing team’s best wing player.
“I love his six steals – he made some threes and finished at the rim,” Wardle said. “AJ, Timo [Timoty Van Der Knaap] and Corey Thomas played with the effort we need. But other than that, the effort level needs to go way up.”
3. Proper preparation prevents poor performance
Head coach Brian Wardle has repeatedly said that Bradley has not been able to practice consistently, and it’s shown up in their results this season. In their first exhibition game against Green Bay, they blew a near 20-point lead and squeaked away with a five-point lead against a team that’s picked to be last in its conference.
“I kind of expected this,” Wardle said about the loss. “We have not been practicing consistently with the effort and the focus that you need to beat a good team like Saint Louis. We haven’t been able to sustain consistent play, and I think that showed today. I have to hold these guys more accountable. I got to get them to play with higher effort and focus for longer periods so that it can carry over to the game.”
4. Can they create connectivity?
Last year’s team had talent and experience, but what was most important was their continuity. That team had been together for years and built strong relationships on and off the court. They knew each other’s tendencies, strengths and weaknesses. It will be important for the current Braves to create a similar connection. In their game against Saint Louis, they were still figuring out how to play together.
“I thought we weren’t very connected out there,” Wardle said. “We had a lot of guys doing their own thing quite a bit and you’ve got to be connected – all in sync, all playing together for each other. That has to continue to get better.”
5. The Bonnies are coming
The Braves’ first official game of the season will be a neutral-site game against St. Bonaventure at the Field of 68’s opening-day tournament. The Bonnies are a team with a lot of size, experience and talent. According to KenPom, they are ranked 122nd in the nation. Bradley has a lot of work to do to prepare for that game.
“I’d be very nervous if we had to play a regular-season game right now,” Wardle said. “We’ve just got to keep practicing. We’re repping the right things. We’re trying. We just need to start seeing some more execution. The staff and I have to figure out some things to help these guys play harder and with more talk and effort.”
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