Last season, freshmen Demarion Burch and Almar Atlason proved to be essential components of the Braves team. This year, head coach Brian Wardle brought in three freshmen who could have a similar impact. This week, sports contributors Umar Syed and Mark Wagner two freshmen who could be the most impactful this season.
Jaquan Johnson
By Umar Syed
Jaquan Johnson is the one to watch out of all the freshmen Bradley recruited. The 5-foot-11-inch point guard from Wisconsin is a scoring machine. In his junior year, Johnson averaged 27.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, six assists and four steals. Johnson can help Duke Deen and the other upperclassmen by coming off the bench.
In his senior year at the regional finals, Johnson scored 49 points and added nine rebounds, five assists and seven steals. Braves fans, if you want to see a pure point guard whose style of play will remind you of future hall-of-fame point guard Chris Paul and the legendary UTEP point guard Bobby Joe Hill, watch out for Johnson. You will not be disappointed.
Timoty van der Knaap
By Mark Wagner
Bradley men’s basketball has recruited great international players in the past, and freshman Timoty van der Knaap is next in line. The 6-foot-8-inch Italian has already made a name for himself on the big stage representing his country in FIBA tournaments. In 2023, he competed in the U18 EuroBasket, averaging 4.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. However, he has been more proficient playing in his country’s U20 Development League, where he averaged 12 points and 3.7 rebounds per game.
With his ability to play shooting guard and small forward, van der Knaap can be a valuable addition to head coach Brian Wardle’s rotation. If he can live up to his potential, then other Missouri Valley Conference teams may want to watch out because the Braves will have found their next star forward.
