It’s almost taboo at this point to review the Bradley men’s basketball team’s offseason. Yes, they introduced a new coaching staff, led by head coach Brian Wardle, and of course it also saw a massive turnover in the roster. Nearly half of the team ditched the program after the introduction of the new staff, which made room for a roster that holds nine freshmen.
What isn’t talked about is what remained the same. The new-look Braves truly have only a few constants. One of the few is the only current player who has been with the program for four years and is the only senior on the roster: Ka’Darryl Bell.
“It’s a good feeling [to be here],” Bell said. “I’m not the type to move around when situations get hard.”
Bell said when faced with a decision to either leave or stay, it all came down to one thing: winning at Bradley.
“I haven’t had a winning season here,” the senior point guard said. “I haven’t established myself as a winner yet, and I didn’t want to go out without leaving a good legacy here.”
The transition in coaching was a tough one for Bell, but not in a bad way. He said that former coach Geno Ford was “more of a players’ coach,” while Wardle “doesn’t care whether you like him or not, he just wants to make you a better player.”
“[Wardle is] a hard coach to play for because he’s not a laid-back guy,” Bell said. “It’s been a different feel, most definitely. I would say the transition has been tough, but in a good way.”
Bell said that the whole team has bought in to the new identity of the program, where Wardle emphasizes defense and rebounding above all else. Bell has also bought into his role on the team, which is to be the senior mentor and floor general to all the young players.
“It’s been a good experience, and it’s definitely a learning experience because not only do I have to be the point guard but I also have to be the most vocal guy on the team,” Bell, who admitted he isn’t a very vocal person, said. “I have to direct more and learn to say certain things to certain guys to know how I can get the most out of them.”
Being a leader on the floor has been a challenge, but Bell’s role has been facilitated by the newcomers’ desire to learn and become better players.
“The crazy part about it is that they don’t even seem like freshmen,” Bell said. “When they take it in, if I’m yelling at them or nagging them, they take it in, say, ‘All right,’ and they just do it, or at least try to. They’ve made it easy for me because they’re mature in the way they take criticism.”
He said he’s found enjoyment in the leadership role. It’s a role that is novel to him, but Wardle believes he’s taken it in stride.
“He’s the one guy on our team with a lot of playing experience, and that’s experience that we’re going to need,” Wardle said. “That leadership and the experience is going to help us this year, and it already has.”
Bell has no personal goals for the season. All he wants to do is win.
“I’m not selfish; I don’t worry about my points, I don’t worry about me having a good game,” Bell said. “I just want us to go out and play hard and leave it out on the line. I felt like last year we didn’t have five guys playing hard every game. There were three, maybe two. I want to see a team go out collectively as a whole play as hard as we can.”
This season will be a rebuilding process for the Braves. There is no sugarcoating that. But with Bell leading the team, Bell may be able to lay the foundation for a winning program for years to come.
“I’m still learning to be more vocal every day,” Bell said. “It’s fun because it’s a challenge; I’m not a loud guy but I’m going to do what it takes to get the most out of my team and help them get better too.”
