There are few better times than March to develop an affinity for a new college basketball team. Whether it’s a Cinderella team that makes a magical run, or a team that you pick to win a few games in your bracket, teams you might not have heard of a month ago can quickly become fan favorites.
Bandwagon fans, let me introduce you to the Bradley Braves.
The No. 11 seed in the Hemisfair Region takes on No. 6 seeded Texas in their first round matchup tonight at 7 p.m. CT.
Are you a student who hasn’t watched a game all season, or a fan who took them to pull off the upset? Worry not, The Scout has you covered with all the information you need to know to sound like a seasoned fan of the Braves.
Unconventional path
Like most teams during the 2020-21 season, Bradley’s path to the NCAA Tournament was far from straightforward. However, things got even more complex in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.
The Braves defeated No. 4 seed Northern Iowa 62-59 in the quarterfinal round on March 12 to set up a semifinal round matchup with No. 21 Missouri State the following day. However, just hours before the game, the MVC announced that the game would not be played due to a positive COVID-19 test within Bradley’s Tier 1 personnel.
After a few hours of confusion, the conference determined that it was safe for the Braves to play. Missouri State didn’t want to risk it, though, and because their tournament resume was strong enough to receive an at-large bid, the team withdrew from the tournament.
As a result, the bracket was reshuffled and the Braves took on Loyola-Chicago and came out with a 14-point victory to advance to the conference title game for the first time in program history.
The next day, Bradley defeated a shorthanded Drake squad 78-70 to clinch the program’s first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.
All in a weekend’s work.
Terrific trio
Bradley is led by three players who score in double figures and all add a different dimension to the offensive attack: senior guard Gabbi Haack, junior guard Lasha Petree and senior forward Nijah White.
Petree was the MVC’s leading scorer, picking up an average of 17.9 PPG. Prior to the season, Petree’s prolific scoring ability was noticed on the national level, as she was named to the Naismith Player of the Year award watchlist.
The Detroit, Michigan native can fill up the bucket – her season high in points is 30, with her career high sitting at 36 – but she can also play lockdown defense with the best of ‘em. The 6-foot guard picked up 54 blocks and 33 steals throughout the regular season.
Haack sits just behind Petree in the team’s scoring ranks, averaging 16.5 PPG. The Elk River, Minnesota native was a steady hand for the Braves all season long, scoring below double figures just five times.
Haack enters the big dance playing arguably the best basketball of her career. Across three MVC tournament games, Haack turned in a torrid 63 points, enough to earn her the tournament’s MVP award.
The 5-foot-10-inch sharpshooter is Bradley’s predominant threat from beyond the arc, shooting 40 percent from long range, and also averages a team leading 6.8 rebounds per game – not too shabby for a guard.
If opponents shut those two down, they then have to worry about White, who chips in an average of 10.3 PPG on 42 percent shooting. Recently, White has transitioned to a bench role, but don’t let that fool you – the 5-foot-11-inch forward has double-double potential. She’s posted five such performances this season, including a 29-point, 10-board outing on Feb. 13 vs UNI.
Sister Strength
What if I told you there was a second Petree on Bradley’s roster?
That’s right, Lasha’s younger sister Mahri, a 5-foot-11-inch sophomore guard, plays big minutes for the Braves. After starting the season as the first player off the bench, the younger Petree sibling has slid into the starting lineup the last few games.
Mahri averages 7.4 PPG along with 3.7 rebounds per contest. She plays a different style than her sister, and as a result, the two play a lot of minutes on the floor at the same time.
Alumna at the helm
Braves head coach Andrea Gorski is a proud alumna of the Bradley basketball program. Gorski – then Andrea McAllister – played on The Hilltop from 1988 through 1992, and she wasn’t just a name on the roster. She got buckets.
Across her four year career, Gorski scored 980 points and was a threat from 3-point range; she’s tied for the school record for made 3-pointers in a game with eight (one of the players she’s tied with is Haack).
She was inducted into the school’s athletics hall of fame in 1996. 20 years later, she was named head coach and curated a program turnaround which has led to an appearance on the game’s biggest stage.
You can watch Gorski and the Braves take on the Longhorns tonight on ESPN2.
