In last season’s Arch Madness championship game, senior Luqman Lundy, who transferred to Bradley for his final two seasons of collegiate basketball, was a perfect 5-5 from the field for 11 points and led all rebounders with eight.
As he awaits the next step in his basketball career he’s back around the men’s basketball team during this year’s postseason run. He spoke to The Scout before the matchup with Drake.
Q: You’re down in St. Louis and been around the team. What has it been like being back around the team?
LL: It’s weird, I was just here literally a year ago. Even just coming in through the regular entranceway where, like, the fans go is surreal to me. Just sitting in the stands and watching everyone knowing that was a few years ago is surreal.
Q: Are you doing anything with the team? You came down on the bus and have been at practice. Are you more of a fan right now or helping the team?
LL: The people who know me know I can’t really stay away from the game and anything like that. I’ve been helping on the scout team, practice you know, I’m there helping rebound. I shoot with some guys still in the morning like I did last year, so I’m still here with the team, but you know, obviously, I can’t suit up. But anything they need me to do I’m willing to do it.
Q: Who is your favorite new player to watch on the team?
LL: Out of the new guys–that’s actually a great question–I really like Ville. I like how fearless he is, how he comes in and just hits. Just like it was yesterday [verus Southern Illinois], he just came in and knocked down some really big shots for the team. He looked comfortable out there. I like Ville, but all the newcomers are great additions to the team and helping to build the program to what it can be in the future.
Q: Is there a next Luqman? You stepped up last year. Is there a guy you think that could be you this year?
LL: What I told really everybody, is that the reason we won last year wasn’t because of me but because all the ‘role players’ stepped up. Nate played huge in the Loyola game in the semifinal on Saturday and then I did my thing on Sunday. It’s not just one role player who knows, yesterday it was Ville, today it could be [Danya Kingsby]. Sunday nobody knows, so everyone has to be ready to step up and perform when the number’s called.
To answer your question I don’t know, but I’m confident that someone is going to step up and handle business.
Q: The Valley tournament has been crazy this year with Bradley now the highest seed. What has it been like for you watching all these upsets happen?
LL: It just goes to show, I was telling my father this yesterday actually, that Arch Madness is like to me, right under the Big East tournament as the best conference tournament in the nation because literally anything can happen. And what makes this so special is that nobody really gets an automatic bid from this tournament, so if you lose you’re pretty much done. As the excitement of the one and two seed yesterday it has been great to watch as a fan obviously.
Q: How is the team feeling? What did the team do this morning [before the semifinal]?
LL: It was just go over the scout, go over the game plan, and the team was feeling pretty good … Everybody was well rested and just ready to go. The energy is high and I feel like today is going to be a great day for Bradley.
