"It's crazy how it all worked out. Across the street lived the Devine family. 02 Mar, 2023. Smith after . The regular season's hard. No cause of death was given. * Brian Wardle, Bradley $708,920; Dan Muller, Illinois State $564,000 . G/F 6-6 Eldridge, Iowa (North Scott High), Darnell Brodie, Drake Sr. F 6-10 Newark, N.J. (Newark East Side)/Seton Hall, Zek Montgomery, Bradley So. A lot of people don't know this, but three games ago, before we went over to Southern Illinois, I put '16-4' up in the locker room, and I put the 'MVC Champs 2023' up on the practice gym wall. And how Brian Wardlegot his middle name, Murphy. I love 90's R&B. "So he'd get screwed up when he was learning to write. Missouri Valley Conference:Path is set: Bradley men's basketball gets schedule. "He picked up the guitar a little bit. He'd show up with an old, big camera, watch us play park games.". He was hired in March 2015 [2] to replace Geno Ford, who was fired after the 2014-15 season. I have the best staff, just love 'em and our players. The following is a list of Bradley Braves men's basketball head coaches. G 6-0 Calumet City, Ill. (Bishop Noll)/Siena, Ben Sheppard, Belmont Sr. G 6-6 Atlanta, Ga. (Greater Atlanta Christian), Bowen Born, UNI So. No Braves player had won it outright. But yes, we want to get back. [1] Bradley's current head coach is Brian Wardle. Bradley High School | 2800 Walker Road | Hilliard, OH 43026. I couldn't figure out how a man could swim that long.". I leave that up to the experts to tell me where we're at. The 2022-23 Bradley Braves men's basketball season is off and running. High Point University has fired men's basketball coach G.G. As a senior in 2001, Wardle served as team captain and finished as the second-leading scorer in Conference USA by pumping in 18.8 points per game. We eat at 11, and then I go home and relax and then come here and the best part was driving in. Wardles recruiting efforts at Green Bay resulted in several players of note. "Well, I think we're definitely good enough to go and win games. While in high school Coach Bradley was Alabama All State Sr Year, then while in College he was a 4 year Scholarship Student Athlete for Don Meyer at Lipscomb University (95-99) Tennessean Sportsmanship award for collegiate athletes. Feb 24, 2023. Keep coming out. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve. Because that's the loudest I've ever heard Carver Arena. We just got to keep believing and keep getting better and staying humble and hungry one day at a time. Moline recorded a big victory over Bradley-Bourbonnais 71-39 on Feb. 24 in Illinois boys high school basketball. I had to call time out. F 6-6 Saskatoon (Athol Murray College of Notre Dame), Sardaar Calhoun, Drake Sr. G/F 6-6 Tappahannock, Va. (Blue Ridge)/Texas Tech/, Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Belmont Fr. "Box 1 I wanted to check while being the coach at Bradley, no doubt. ', "It was a lot of fun to get on the train and go downtown with him, go to work with him and all the older guys messing with you all day and learn how to do blue-collar work. Subscribe with this special offer to keep reading, (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). Whitnall vs South Milwaukee Game Highlights - Jan. 31, 2023. We depend on your support to keep telling stories like this one. She has worked primarily with the post players, guiding Alicia Froling to 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, the first player . Born in Clarendon Hills, Illinois, Wardle played for Marquette from 1997-2001, . Analysis: Here are 3 reasons to be even more excited after Bradley's historic basketball victory. Tweets by Amie Bradley. Darius (Hannah) has been huge for us all year. Bradley beat Valpo 80-66 to take the MVC championship. What to watch for Bradley at the MVC tournament, How to watch Bradleyat the MVCtournament TV, tickets, game time, How Bradley Hall of Famer Lindsay Stalzer ended up back playing volleyball in America, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Leons piled up 50 steals and 49 blocks to become just the fourth player in MVC history to record a 40-40 effort in those categories. Then turned to hoops. Smith after . The next day, 'Let's go again.' You're playing a really, really good team. He helped the team to two Big Ten Tournament titles and six postseason appearances. Bradley announced Versace's death in a news release Saturday morning, hours before the Braves finished the regular season with a 79-55 win over Valparaiso at Carver Arena. The announcement was made during the MVC Awards Banquet on March 1, in downtown St. Louis. G 6-6 Louisville, Ky. (St. Louis Christian Academy), *denotes team "captain" as designated by the league's beat writers and media panel. We're going to celebrate tonight and enjoy this tonight and we'll get back at it tomorrow night.". [1], Bradley's current head coach is Brian Wardle. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com, Bradley University's head men's basketball coach Brian Wardle works the sideline on Friday, March 8, 2019, in the second half of a game in theMissouri Valley Conference men's basketball tournament at Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. "I always tell the team, 'No individual accomplishments happen without the team around you.' PEORIA The Bradley Braves rode a soundwave in Carver Arena to a shockwave in their program history Sunday.. The couple has three children daughters Mya and Emery, and son, Davin. The appointment to coach was a promotion for Crouch, who was an assistant coach under Walraven for eight years after he spent two years as the boys basketball coach at Illini Bluffs. Having fun: Top-seeded Bradley mens basketball team gears up for Arch Madness tournament run, Bradley mens basketball team wins showdown for MVC crown, Henry hits milestone as streaking Bradley mens basketball team sets up showdown for MVC season title, Q&A: Edgar discusses strong fall attendance at Peoria Civic Center heading into the holiday season, Sommerville, Les share memories of Bradleys 2005-06 Sweet 16 run ahead of Hall of Fame induction. Just don't say that to Brian Wardle, who says he has a competitive nature much like his mother, Cindy, a feisty proud Irish-Catholicfrom the south side of Chicago, the product of a blue-collar, hard-working family. "You don't know how it's gonna go, and there's gonna be momentum swings and ups and downs. He had a 95-65 record at Green Bay but failed to make the NCAA Tournament.[2]. Beyond that connection is a basketball coach'slife story from a musical family led by a father who played in a traveling band, to a boy helping out in his father's signage business whileeating Italian beef lunches, to a young man riding his bike to area parks to play pickup basketball games. High-majors can sometimes overcome it with depth and players that they have, but you miss a Reink Mast. But Wardle has carried his name and life lessons with him. Better than you dreamed of? That was kind of our claim to fame. [2], He was director of basketball operations at Marquette from 20032005 and an assistant coach at UW-Green Bay from 20052010. "My dad gets things done fast, great quality and price, so we had to use him. The official 2022-23 Men's Basketball Roster for the Bradley University Braves. He played on an elite AAU team, the Illinois Warriors, and went on to Marquette, where he averaged 18.8 points and finished third in scoring all-time for the school. He went on to play collegiately at Marquette, helping the Golden Eagles to a pair of NIT appearances in 1998 and 2000. Bradley University Head Mens Basketball Coach Brian Wardle has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year. "That's probably right," Jones said, chuckling. Full Release (PDF) Brian Wardle (born October 9, 1979) is an American college basketball coach and the current men's basketball coach at Bradley University. He has won nearly 69 percent of his games during his nine years as a Division I head coach, recording seven 20-win seasons. His Braves put together the nation's third-longest active home win streak at 17 games, and head into Arch Madness on a 10-game overall win streak and with the No. Arkansas, Eric Musselman (4th season). "What's in my head right now?," Wardle said. At Lawrence, Bradley was a starter and helped the Vikings to two NCAA tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 berth in 2005-06. "I know they are talented, but I'm even more impressed with the character of the kids here. I wanted something to put on the floor that said 'Stand there.' When (Henry) hit that dunk and Malevy hit that corner 3, I mean felt good that that crowd was energizing us and energizing us defensively, too. Everyone has a hand in it.". It also marked the first time since 1954 and 1955 that the Braves qualified for the NCAA Tournament in consecutive campaigns, while the teams 23 wins were its most since 1993-94. You know, I usually drive in with about an hour 15, hour 20 ahead of time and to see all the fans already there, walking in and celebrating and screaming and yelling outside. It can't be all (3-pointers). Wardle later apologized and the reporter's access to the team was restored. (Manual High)/DePaul, Robbie Avila, Indiana St. C 6-10 Oak Forest, Ill. (Oak Forest High), Michael Duax, UNI G/F 6-6 Dubuque, Iowa (Dubuque Hempstead), Conor Enright, Drake G 6-0 Mundelein, Ill. (Mundelein High), Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Belmont G 6-0 Greeneville, Tenn. (Greeneville High), Cade Tyson, Belmont F 6-7 Monroe, N.C. (Carmel Christian High), Cade Tyson, Belmont F 6-7 Monroe, N.C. (Carmel Christian High), Xavier Johnson, S. Illinois Sr. G 6-1 Germantown, Md. We were able to overcome it, but our defense our rebounding and I thought we had good shot selection, too. So. We approached it as team recruiting, not individual recruiting. When I work out, when I'm in the car, all the time. It's just a really good league. G 6-0 Greeneville, Tenn. (Greeneville High), Chance Moore, Missouri St. Last chance! Bradley associate director of athletic communications Jim Rea recently left as well, for a job outside sports. "It was in me from a very young age, a competitive thing I got from my parents," Wardle said." (AP Photo/Michael Woods), Bradley coach Brian Wardle talks to his team during a time out against Arkansas during an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, in North Little Rock, Ark. Where were you during the court storming? Brian was close to grandpa. 214-768-2886. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. He was always in the driveway. Bradley basketball fans hear Wardle often talk about wanting his teams to be tough and physical. Final. Thanks. The announcement was made during the MVC Awards Banquet on March 1, in downtown St. Louis. Bill Murphy was tall, a very direct man with an endlesswork ethic. The Rock Island native played for Northern Iowa and, after graduation, played pro basketball in Australia and Portugal. Gr. It was the first OCC title in program history and first league title in . (AP Photo/Nati Harnik), Bradley head coach Brian Wardle watches his players in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Memphis Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2019, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Karen Pulfer Focht), Bradley head coach Brian Wardle is seen on the sidelines during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Drake in the semifinal round of the Missouri Valley Conference men's tournament Saturday, March 7, 2020, in St. Louis. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. You might not play for another 30 minutes.". @CoachAmie5. "Man, I mean, we've had we had some big ones in 2020 not 10,000, not sold out though. Following his Bradley career, Versace served as an assistant coach with the NBAs Detroit Pistons before being named head coach of the Indiana Pacers in 1990. Why Bradley's projected starting lineup might surprise you, plus MVC's great expectations, Path is set: Bradley men's basketball gets schedule, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. And for all the newbies that came today, bandwagoners: I love you, too. Bradley lost the game Bravescoach Brian Wardle wanted them, and knew just who to get them from: His father, Jim Wardle. "When we look at the record we have with Reink in the lineup with (Henry) and Zek (Montgomery). (AP Photo/L.G. But they still go in there and they kind of rake that ball out with their hands, and they do a good job of that. I know it means a lot to the city, to the university, to the community. Postseason invitational champion PublishedFebruary 28, 2022 at 12:20 PM CST. Wardle said Jones will be Bradley's defensive coordinator, but will certainly scout and also offer input on the Braves' offense. No cause of death was given. ", More: How to watch Bradleyat the MVCtournament TV, tickets, game time. Two years later, he guided the Braves to wins over Oklahoma and Purdue to win the NIT. "Hated to lose, still does. Yes, we did. Wardle is building his own family now. In his tenure, Bradley has won back-to-back arch madness tournament championships in 2019 and 2020, as well as leading Bradley to their first regular season championship since the 96-97 season, while being the favorites to win 2023's Arch Mandess tournament. High Point University has fired men's basketball coach G.G. It remains to be seen how long Coach Wardle will stay with BU, as his success in . It pushed me to figure things out, keep up with everyone or be in the lead. I'm very grateful, humbled. Arch Madness: What to watch for Bradley at the MVC tournament. "Yeah it is. We were executing, guys knew the gameplan and I just felt good after I woke up this morning around 7 a.m., and that's sleeping in for me, too. "It's really good timing, in a way, that he was available. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh), Bradley head coach Brian Wardle calls in a play during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Drake in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, Friday, March 2, 2018, in St. Louis. "Everyone in the family worked in it. Very handsy team, and we knew that. That's partly from what he learned in the Devine driveway and in the parks around Westmont and Clarendon Hills. (Photo by Matt Riley, UVA Athletics) September 15, 2019. Bradley played basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks under legendary Coach Nolan Richardson, and was a four-time letterman from 1996 to 1999. Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. Working in the sign shop instilled in the coach a type of work ethic and attention to detail that remains today. The Washington Wizards spoiled Quin Snyder's Atlanta coaching debut, getting 37 points from Bradley Beal and 28 from Kyle Kuzma in a 119-116 victory over the Hawks. Visit ESPN for the game videos of the Northern Iowa Panthers vs. Bradley Braves NCAAM basketball game on March 3, 2023 . Moline jumped in . "I'm grateful to be the first. You knew where they would be on what days of the week, all over the western suburbs.". . The Braves have also been very active within the Peoria community and consistently lead the athletic department in volunteer service, totaling more than 5,000 hours of community service under Wardles leadership. But I think getting Reink (Mast) back (from injury) and (Ja'Shon Henry). "I was not very good in basketball for a while, I got cut from teams in fifth grade and sixth grade," Wardle said. In his eight seasons with the Braves, Versace led the team to three regular-season Missouri Valley Conference championships, two Valley titles and NCAA Tournament appearances, and the 1982 National Invitation Tournament crown. We had to be strong with the ball, that was one of the keys to the game offensively downhill and two hands on the ball and be strong. And his dad would play in a band at it. Amie Smith Bradley was promoted to Associate Head Coach prior to the 2019-20 season. 15 Miami, Wardle's final Green Bay squad followed with a 24-9 record in 2014-15 and earned an at-large selection to the NIT after finishing as runner-up in the Horizon League regular season and postseason tournament. Alec Brown was the 50th overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns after the 7-foot-1 center was named the 2014 Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year and finished fifth in school history with 1,678 career points. That 15-0 stretch there that you went on really put the game into your grip. The last decade, it's hard to get fans to arenas in all sports. PEORIA Bradley men's basketball has about 60 Bradley shield logo decals scattered on its practice floor, a sign of the COVID-19 era and social distancing. Adams was a terrific assistant coach, too, and was well-regarded for his contribution to Bradley's recruiting, in particular contacts overseas. [1] As a senior, he averaged 18.8 points per game. Bradley University has extended the contract of men's basketball coach Brian Wardle through the end of the 2022-2023 season, according to an announcement by Bradley Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Chris Reynolds. Tonight and in the days to come we've got work to do. What were your impressions of it? Does Bradley deserve to go? Bradley assistant director of athletic communications Jason Veniskey, who handled men's basketball, baseball, soccer and cross country, is moving on to a sports information role at Mizzou. High Point University has fired men's basketball coach G.G. Bradley University 2023 All Rights Reserved 1501 W. Bradley Avenue Peoria, IL 61625. Summary of Bradley Basketball MVC Awards: Rienk Mast All-MVC First Team, All-Scholar Athlete First Team, Malevy Leons- Defensive MVP, All-Defensive Team, All-MVC Second Team, Most Improved Team, JaShon Henry Sixth-Man of the Year, All-Bench Team, Connor Hickman All-Scholar Athlete Second Team.