Bradley men’s basketball has been struggling the past few years to maintain a winning record, but it is not the only men’s basketball team the university has to cheer for.
And as it turns out, Bradley’s other team has consistently posted winning numbers.
Men’s club basketball traveled April 11 to the national competition in Raleigh, N.C. after placing in the top two teams in the regional Midwest tournament and posting a winning season.
“This is the second time in five years that [men’s] club basketball has competed on a national level in the tournament,” said junior and team member Andrew Johnson.
The marketing major said the club team competes year-round and hosts tryouts the first month of each school year. Following tryouts, the varsity club team builds a roster of 12 to 15 members.
“We’ve got our roster of 13 this year, but we keep a JV team of younger guys on hand, too,” Johnson said.
All of the varsity members played basketball in high school and were looking to continue that drive into college, Johnson said.
“Honestly, it gives you that competitive spirit back again,” Johnson said. “We are a self-coached team, and I think that it works because we all work hard and get along really well.”
Assistant Director of Campus Recreation Nick Kramer said he agreed.
“A lot of them are former high school athletes that want to continue to fill their desire to compete, and this is the perfect outlet for them,” he said. “They still have that willingness and drive to do the best that they can.”
This year in the Regional Basketball Championships at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. Feb. 14 to 16, Bradley’s team took home second place in the men’s division of 13 teams after losing 53 – 54 to Central Michigan University in the championship.
The Men’s All-Tournament Team, a selection of five of the top players in the regional tournament, featured Bradley members Johnson and MVP award recipient senior Kyle Ganson.
The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association National Championship Series took place in North Carolina April 11 to 13. Bradley won its first game April 11 by forfeit.
They advanced to game two April 12 and played University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, falling just short with a score of 49 – 54.
Their final game in the playoff round April 12 versus Cal Poly posted a 55-34 loss.
Kramer said the club team is very competitive.
“The basketball club has a lot of really good players,” he said. “Their talent and ability to work as a team has helped them to succeed at the tournaments they go to.”
He also said that, although he meets with the club president to discuss tournaments and plan practices, the team goes out of its way to get better.
“Even if it is not a designated practice, they are still getting the chance to play ball almost every day for several hours at a time,” Kramer said.
And with approximately 270 students currently participating in club sports, Kramer said the club programs are working really hard, especially the basketball team.
“I just want to congratulate our men’s basketball club on their recent successes,” he said. “[All of Bradley’s club teams] have what it takes to make their clubs the best, and they are on the right path to do so.”
