Following a lackluster start to their action against Division I opponents, Bradley traveled to St. Petersburg to take part in the Showdown in St. Pete.
Facing two opponents in Coppin State and George Mason, the Braves ground out two hard-fought victories, defeating the Eagles 56-54 and the Patriots 62-61.
Highlighted by multiple game winners, a late comeback and stout defensive efforts, Bradley returns from their trip to Florida with confidence and momentum as they continue their non-conference slate.
Below are five takeaways from the crucial two wins at the invite.
Defense wins games
Entering the season, Braves head coach Brian Wardle knew they were going to need to be a strong defensive team this season if they wanted to win games.
The team lost each of their top six scorers over the offseason, which has shown in their lack of offensive production early in the season.
What hasn’t wavered is their defense, as they held George Mason to a season-low 61 points and kept Coppin State from being able to build any kind of scoring momentum.
Bradley now ranks 57th in defensive efficiency, allowing 90.5 points per 100 possessions according to TeamRankings.com.
“We’ve established that identity since summer and fall,” Wardle said. “We have good size and length for positional size. But I think we can still improve on the defensive end and be more disciplined and communicate and listen better.”
One area the Braves will look to improve in is defensive rebounds. They were dominated on the glass by the Patriots, and even though they won the rebound battle against the Eagles, they still conceded 14 offensive rebounds that allowed Coppin State to keep the game close with second chance scoring.
“The defensive rebounding is big, we’ve got to improve that and it’s a concern right now,” Wardle said. “But [our defense] kept us in the game and I give my guys a lot of credit. They have kept guarding, kept their heads even when the ball’s not going in or we’re turning it over, and we don’t have much rhythm on the other end.”
“We’ve stayed pretty sound and pretty disciplined on the defensive end and tough, and so it’s in us.”
Physicality keeps improving
Speaking to the media following their loss to Pacific on Nov. 7, senior guard Trevon Payton preached that the team needed to be more physical.
After two tough wins against physical opponents, Payton assessed the improvement the team has made over the past three games.
“Man, a big improvement after the Pacific game,” Payton said. “We still feel like we can be better in it, but we definitely showed signs of being more physical.”
Wardle agreed with his senior on seeing the improvement while also recognizing there’s much room to improve.
“We’ve played some really physical teams, we’ve played three teams that are top 125 out of Division One teams,” Wardle said. “Still, we’re not there, but we’re going to keep working at it and just proud of them for the outcome of this game.”
The team knows that success in the Missouri Valley Conference will depend on them being a physical side. While they aren’t at the level they want to be yet, they have about a month to make the necessary adjustments before Valley play begins.
“Physicality, talk, effort, multiple efforts has got to be there every game,” Wardle said. “That’s what our program is about and it’s going to take a little time.”
Scorers emerge
It’s no secret that Bradley’s offense has struggled in the early part of the season. Their prior two games against Pacific and Davidson saw them put up historically poor numbers in the Brian Wardle era.
While their two offensive performances against Coppin State and George Mason weren’t the most inspiring, they did see a few players begin to emerge as scoring threats.
Payton has been the Braves most consistent scorer, notching double-digit point totals in each of the first five games while knocking down crucial shots in the two games in St. Petersburg.
“We need him to be aggressive and shoot,” Wardle said. “We’re going to need him to be aggressive and be our consistent three point threat. I have him playing out of position a little bit with Dietrich out, playing some point, but he’s getting used to it and getting the hang of it.”
Sophomore forward Xander Alarie stepped up in a big way for Bradley as well. He hit the game winning shot in both games, with the one against the Patriots falling with just 2.2 seconds to play to cap off a season-high 17 point performance.
“The play was drawn up for me to get in the post and make reads on the spaces,” Alarie said. “It was a little hectic, they poked the ball away a little bit and I just had to stay poised and take that last shot.”
Wardle praised the two and recognized the ability they’ve showcased in practice is translating to games.
“[Payton and Alarie] are two guys that have shown it in practice, shown it throughout the summer and fall and even in the exhibition games that our fans haven’t seen,” Wardle said. “You’re going to see them get better and better.”
Timoty needs time
One of the players that was expected to play a key role for the Braves this year is junior forward Timoty van der Knapp.
As one of the only returners, van der Knapp seemed poised to lock down a starting role, but a foot injury sidelined him for the first two games as well as the exhibitions, and in the three games since he’s returned his performances have been shaky.
Given he was out of practice for six weeks, though, that isn’t a surprise to the team.
“Timo’s coming along,” Wardle said. “He’s getting his timing and his rhythm back. He’s healthy enough to be on the court, but you could tell he’s not full speed yet.”
While van der Knapp is still trying to return to full health, he’s been able to impact the game in areas other than scoring. He grabbed six rebounds against the Eagles, and then made a crucial steal and rebounds late against the Patriots to give Bradley a chance to go down and win the game.
“I give him a lot of credit for getting out there and battling and being there for his team,” Wardle said. “Even though he’s not full speed and full quickness yet, he will get there. We just got to keep giving him proper rest so that he can keep feeling healthy and strong and get on the floor for us because we need him and he’ll only get better.”
Battle tested Braves
Injuries have plagued Bradley early in the season, with another coming on the trip as their starting center Josh Ibukunoluwa was ruled out an hour ahead of the matchup against Coppin State.
But through all the injuries that have plagued the side, both Wardle and the players have continuously preached the same mentality.
Next man up.
“I love the heart our team plays with even struggling with injuries,” Alarie said. “But you know, it’s next man up, and everyone on our team can hoop. I think this gave us a big confidence boost and I think moving forward, we’re going to be able to win games.”
The Braves saw contributions all over their lineup as they grinded out one possession wins against both the Eagles and Patriots. Against George Mason, Bradley trailed by eight points with six minutes left, but rallied back to come away with by far their biggest win of the season.
“This locker room’s been working really hard, trying to get better,” Wardle said. “We’ve dealt with a lot of adversity so far this year, and to come out and beat a really good George Mason team is huge.”
Wardle praised key plays from van der Knapp, Jackson Seastrunk and Noah Williams that helped get the team over the line against the Patriots.
“Everybody played, and everybody’s got to contribute right now with the injuries that we have and the guys that we have out,” Wardle said. “We’ve got to get better, and we’re going to get better. But this is a toughness win and a resilient win. I’m proud of them.”
The players know that this win not only will help them build confidence through the rest of the non-conference slate, but a win against a side like George Mason shows that they can compete with strong mid-major programs such as those they will face once MVC action begins.
“Great way for us to fight back,” Payton said. “We had a lot of adversity we had to fight through. Me and Xander were out most of the first half, and our guys stayed the course and kept fighting. Our bench is so versatile and deep, I feel like going to the Valley is going to be good for us.”
The Braves will look to build on these wins as they return home to Carver Arena on Wednesday to take on Purdue-Fort Wayne.
