It’s never been this bad.
Not when Bradley fielded the nation’s youngest team. Or when 30-point losses to Wichita State and first-round exits in the Missouri Valley Conference tournaments were commonplace.
Not when Braves fans were unsure whether the young coach coming over from Green Bay, a former college star in his own right, could turn the Valley’s laughingstock into a formidable foe once more.
Bradley’s offense hasn’t struggled this much since Brian Wardle’s first season at the helm, when the Braves ranked dead last in the nation in offensive effiency at 81 points per 100 possessions. After their 62-45 defeat to Davidson, Wardle’s bunch ranks 353rd in the country, scoring 75.4 points per 100 possessions, according to College Basketball Analytics.
Their net rating against Division I opponents —which tracks points won or lost per 100 possessions—is -21.8, ranks in the first percentile nationally, and, if it holds, would be the worst mark of Wardle’s tenure.
Struggles may have been more acceptable when he first traveled up the hilltop. He’s searching for answers now.
“Obviously, our offense is really struggling right now,” Wardle said. “We tweaked some things after our last game. We played a little more five-out and more motion. That’s what the players felt more comfortable with.”
“I’m willing to adjust,” he continued. “Obviously, it’s going to take a little time, so we’re going to have some growing pains with it, but we’ve got to find some guys that can make some shots and string together some buckets for us, so that we can take some pressure off our defense.”
Bradley’s defense has kept them in games early in the season, and Tuesday night was no different. The Braves held their opponents to 37.3% from the field and 28.6% from three.
Wardle threw different looks at the Wildcats to slow their offensive rhythm. Hard hedges on ball screens, double teams on post-ups and a 2-2-1 full-court press in the second half. Bradley’s defense was generally active and engaged throughout the game, as it has been all season.
Over three games, the Braves have allowed just 94 points per 100 possessions, which ranks 85th in the nation.
But the crimson and white couldn’t capitalize on stout first-shot defense with efficient offense. They executed few sets and often set improper screens and made sloppy passes.
They settled for tough shots and didn’t take open looks with confidence. The box score read 31.5% from the field and a staggering 25 from three. Bradley turned the ball over 18 times, which led to 22 Wildcat points.
Wardle cited a lack of experience amongst the group and adapting to larger roles as possible reasons for Bradley’s struggles.
“We’re trying to create shots for them and manufacture them at certain times, but we’re also trying to let them free flow and play,” Wardle said. “We got a ton of new people. Everyone’s trying to take a step up in ther role. It’s a lot of pressure, and it’s a big adjustment for a lot of these guys. They weren’t the number one or two guys last year. A lot of them were the 3rd, 4th, 5th, or 6th guys on their team.”
He paused briefly.
“Who’s going to be our number one and two? I don’t know yet.”
Fortunately for Bradley, it’s only game three, and they still have a ton of time to turn things around. Wardle says it may take this month and the rest of non-conference play for the Braves to get in sync, but he and his players are optimistic that things will fall in place.
“It’s a long season,” junior forward Josh Ibukunolowa said. “It’s definitely a little adjustment, but at the end of the day, with basketball players, we’ve been playing our whole lives. Just gonna keep working, stay in the gym, and it’ll come for sure.”
At least part of Bradley’s offensive struggles, as they look to establish hierarchy, is health. Preseason projected starting point guard Georgi Gerganov is out for the season with a knee injury, and his backcourt running mate, sophomore Dietrich Richardson, has been out since Friday with a foot injury and will be reevaluated next week.
But Wardle won’t use those losses as a crutch.
“We miss his playmaking,” Wardle said about Richardson’s absence. “We miss his paint ability and his ability to get to the rim. But you know, that’s part of the season. Next man up. There are no excuses. We are not gonna fall victim to our consequences at all. We need to rise above it and figure this out, and it’s going to be a good challenge for my staff and me.”
Wardle says he’s looking for more communication, drive, intensity and physicality to turn the tide. The Braves’ lack thereof compounded their offensive issues Tuesday night. Bradley allowed 12 offensive rebounds, which led to 15 second-chance points.
“We just gotta play hard,” Ibukunolowa said. “It’s a mentality thing at the end of the day. Size doesn’t equal rebounds. Everyone’s gonna want it. If everyone tries their hardest, we’d get more rebounds. When we get tired, we definitely get a little softer.”
The Braves aren’t exactly in new territory. Bradley started the season 1-3 last season before winning nine of their next ten en route to another 20-win season. This team’s makeup is different; Wardle admits there’s no superstar on the roster, but his teams have historically improved as the year goes on.
With the injuries to key players, lack of experience playing at the Division I level, much less playing together on a team, it’ll be an uphill battle for the Braves.
“We’re going to have to find ways to compete and win some of these games,” Wardle said. “I think we have it in the locker room. We’re just not clicking right now, and that’s my job to get them clicking on both sides of the ball and playing with a little more confidence. That comes from within.”
“I’ll always say, ‘you guys have it in you.’ You’ve got to get yourself confident, believe in yourself, and make these plays because there were plays out there to be made, and we didn’t make them.”
