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Bradley hosts their exhibition game Wednesday evening against Saint Ambrose in Peoria. The Braves finished last season 25-10 and 16-4. They actually won the regular season Missouri Valley Conference. They clobbered Drake in their final conference game, and then got clobbered by Drake in the finals of the conference tourney. Bradley then lost their first game in the NIT, 81-62 to Wisconsin. They finished ranked 90th by KenPom and 78th in the NET.

KenPom has Bradley at 99th to start the 2023-2024 season. UAB is 90th. Only Drake (80) and Duquesne (89) are ranked higher than UAB on Bradley’s schedule.

It appears Bradley lost their star 6-9 center, Rienk Mast, to Nebraska. Their 5-8 point guard, Duke Deen, is back for his senior season. He started at Troy but transferred to Bradley last season.

Bradley has a ton of height. They have players at 7-1, 6-10, 6-9, 6-9, 6-9, 6-8, and 6-8.

Bradley Roster

KenPom has it UAB 73 - Bradley 69.

Thanks for the info.

If their bigs are good and the team is fundamental as a whole, I would not be surprised at all for us to get beat. 50/50 shot basically to me basically. I don't think our team has an identity or solid rotations yet. Our size is sorely lacking, with Shaver being a project. This is not a pushover we are playing in our first game.

I expect a team like Bradley to always be pretty fundamentally sound. This game scares the crap out of me as our first game of the season. While it wouldn't be a crippling loss, it's just not a loss you want to have on your resume at the end of the year. The good news is it appears a lot of their bigs that play are going to be built more like ours. They have several good 3 point shooters, but none appear to be elite.

Hopefully we do a good job protecting the ball this game, because if we give it away 15+ times I don't see us winning.

I think that we will need to full court press and run to overcome their size advantage. I don’t believe that we want to play a half court game with them. I would assign Toney and Ortiz to harass their point full court.

Welp, if that’s what their size looks like, we’re doomed. If you don’t have a post game, you’ve gotta have pure shooters. We don’t have either. We have schoolyard slashing guards that we won’t run the offense to benefit. Then we also have point forwards who arent the best of shooters. To make either of those work together would require constant movement and that’s now how we run it.

I'm sure the name doesn't have a lot of sex appeal to the casual fan, but this is the exact kind of game that gets me fired up as a fan of non-high-major basketball. This is a team that made the NIT last year, made the dance in 2019, and would have gone in 2020 if it weren't cancelled.

Getting games against teams in the KenPom top-100 is just awesome, and Bradley has been hovering around there for each of the past few seasons.

2024 - #99
2023 - #90
2022 - #96
2021 - #146
2020 - #107

Just trying to reinforce what others are saying in that this game is going to be close, but also it's exactly what I would hope for when we build our schedule.

This is the best team we've opened with since 2015.
We haven't lost an opener since 2015 (@ Auburn). We had a very close opener in 2019, but that was on the road (@ Troy)
Haven't lost a home opener since 2014 (La-Monroe)

This one makes me nervous, for sure. Hope we pull out the W (I think we will)

(11-01-2023 09:25 AM)UABFAN23 Wrote:  Welp, if that’s what their size looks like, we’re doomed. If you don’t have a post game, you’ve gotta have pure shooters. We don’t have either. We have schoolyard slashing guards that we won’t run the offense to benefit. Then we also have point forwards who arent the best of shooters. To make either of those work together would require constant movement and that’s now how we run it.

To be clear, here is their size:
Atlason- 6'8", 230 Fr from Iceland
Biliew- 6'8", 240 Sr who played in 12 games last year and did nothing
Hannah- 6'9", 205 Sr who played 16 minutes a game and average 6 and 3
Jonovic- 7'1", 260 So who played in 5 games last year and did nothing
Leons- 6'9", 210 Sr who played 30 minutes a game and can shoot anywhere on the court. By far the best player in the front court on paper, but one I feel like our bigs can keep up with.
Linke- 6'9", 240 Sr who played in 17 games and did nothing
Thomas- 6'10", 235 So who played in 29 games. It appears he can shoot from anywhere and he's a decent enough rebounder.

We will get a little more info about this team after their exhibition, but although that size looks rough on paper, when you dig a little deeper it doesn't appear to be a huge concern. Play smart, don't give away possessions and points and we can survive this game. Play our C game, and we are going to take an L.

(11-01-2023 09:28 AM)Auburn_Blazer Wrote:  I'm sure the name doesn't have a lot of sex appeal to the casual fan, but this is the exact kind of game that gets me fired up as a fan of non-high-major basketball. This is a team that made the NIT last year, made the dance in 2019, and would have gone in 2020 if it weren't cancelled.

Getting games against teams in the KenPom top-100 is just awesome, and Bradley has been hovering around there for each of the past few seasons.

2024 - #99
2023 - #90
2022 - #96
2021 - #146
2020 - #107

Just trying to reinforce what others are saying in that this game is going to be close, but also it's exactly what I would hope for when we build our schedule.

For sure. I agree 100%. Very happy we got this game and the drake game on the schedule. We just need to take care of business.

(11-01-2023 11:08 AM)blazers9911 Wrote:  

(11-01-2023 09:25 AM)UABFAN23 Wrote:  Welp, if that’s what their size looks like, we’re doomed. If you don’t have a post game, you’ve gotta have pure shooters. We don’t have either. We have schoolyard slashing guards that we won’t run the offense to benefit. Then we also have point forwards who arent the best of shooters. To make either of those work together would require constant movement and that’s now how we run it.

To be clear, here is their size:
Atlason- 6'8", 230 Fr from Iceland
Biliew- 6'8", 240 Sr who played in 12 games last year and did nothing
Hannah- 6'9", 205 Sr who played 16 minutes a game and average 6 and 3
Jonovic- 7'1", 260 So who played in 5 games last year and did nothing
Leons- 6'9", 210 Sr who played 30 minutes a game and can shoot anywhere on the court. By far the best player in the front court on paper, but one I feel like our bigs can keep up with.
Linke- 6'9", 240 Sr who played in 17 games and did nothing
Thomas- 6'10", 235 So who played in 29 games. It appears he can shoot from anywhere and he's a decent enough rebounder.

We will get a little more info about this team after their exhibition, but although that size looks rough on paper, when you dig a little deeper it doesn't appear to be a huge concern. Play smart, don't give away possessions and points and we can survive this game. Play our C game, and we are going to take an L.

sure, size is scary, but also Beas Hamga exists.

(11-01-2023 11:08 AM)blazers9911 Wrote:  

(11-01-2023 09:25 AM)UABFAN23 Wrote:  Welp, if that’s what their size looks like, we’re doomed. If you don’t have a post game, you’ve gotta have pure shooters. We don’t have either. We have schoolyard slashing guards that we won’t run the offense to benefit. Then we also have point forwards who arent the best of shooters. To make either of those work together would require constant movement and that’s now how we run it.

To be clear, here is their size:
Atlason- 6'8", 230 Fr from Iceland
Biliew- 6'8", 240 Sr who played in 12 games last year and did nothing
Hannah- 6'9", 205 Sr who played 16 minutes a game and average 6 and 3
Jonovic- 7'1", 260 So who played in 5 games last year and did nothing
Leons- 6'9", 210 Sr who played 30 minutes a game and can shoot anywhere on the court. By far the best player in the front court on paper, but one I feel like our bigs can keep up with.
Linke- 6'9", 240 Sr who played in 17 games and did nothing
Thomas- 6'10", 235 So who played in 29 games. It appears he can shoot from anywhere and he's a decent enough rebounder.

We will get a little more info about this team after their exhibition, but although that size looks rough on paper, when you dig a little deeper it doesn't appear to be a huge concern. Play smart, don't give away possessions and points and we can survive this game. Play our C game, and we are going to take an L.

Just to add -

Hannah - on a good day is capable of 10 points, 5 or more rebounds, a couple of assists, and a blocked shot.

Leons - was the MVC Defensive Player of the Year, with 50+ blocks and 50+ steals, in addition to his offensive skills. Second team All-Conference.

Rienk Mast is a huge loss for them. He was their leader last season.

It appears it’s Leons and Deen’s team now.

I haven’t read any of the replies above but let me guess, a certain ‘UABfan with Michael Jordan’s # attached, has already said something along the lines of ‘we’re doomed’ & ‘we’re going to lose because no one on the team can shoot a 3.
Am I correct? Lol

I’ll be in attendance. Can’t say that about others. You lose to a name like Bradley, you are doomed. Remember Toledo? Lol.

We’ve got 4 bracket buster games. Bradley, Maryland, Drake, UNC-Asheville. You lose any of those, you are needing multiple sweeps vs UNT, FAU, or Memphis to get an at-large bid.

If we had a group of 3-4 year guys that we recruited & developed, there wouldn’t be a sense of urgency. Instead, we’ve a 60% new roster with No true point guard or a true big.

Not guaranteed to play Maryland, and Furman is probably the best team we’ll see in noncon. Furman is the only expendable noncon game we have.

(11-01-2023 05:54 PM)UABFAN23 Wrote:  Not guaranteed to play Maryland, and Furman is probably the best team we’ll see in noncon. Furman is the only expendable noncon game we have.

Huh? Clemson and Drake will likely be better than Furman, as will Maryland if we get to play them.

(11-01-2023 06:37 PM)Frank Grimes Wrote:  

(11-01-2023 05:54 PM)UABFAN23 Wrote:  Not guaranteed to play Maryland, and Furman is probably the best team we’ll see in noncon. Furman is the only expendable noncon game we have.

Huh? Clemson and Drake will likely be better than Furman, as will Maryland if we get to play them.

Drake, maybe. Benefitting from a depleted MVC.

Maryland got in last season due to BIG 10 being entitled to 8 bids.
Clemson played a charmin soft schedule, finished 3rd in ACC and still didn’t have resume to qualify for at-large. Brownell remains on hot seat.

Agreed 23.

Admittedly, I’m over-reactionary. Often am wrong. I’ll try to run my mouth less often. No promises.

Anyways, what do y’all think our starting 5 will be?

(11-01-2023 08:07 PM)UABFAN23 Wrote:  Admittedly, I’m over-reactionary. Often am wrong. I’ll try to run my mouth less often. No promises.

Anyways, what do y’all think our starting 5 will be?

Hopefully your starting 5 will be Xanax.

(11-01-2023 08:15 PM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(11-01-2023 08:07 PM)UABFAN23 Wrote:  Admittedly, I’m over-reactionary. Often am wrong. I’ll try to run my mouth less often. No promises.

Anyways, what do y’all think our starting 5 will be?

Hopefully your starting 5 will be Xanax.

I have a fever and the only cure is to make the NCAA tournament.

(11-01-2023 08:27 PM)UABFAN23 Wrote:  

(11-01-2023 08:15 PM)Blazing Saddles Wrote:  

(11-01-2023 08:07 PM)UABFAN23 Wrote:  Admittedly, I’m over-reactionary. Often am wrong. I’ll try to run my mouth less often. No promises.

Anyways, what do y’all think our starting 5 will be?

Hopefully your starting 5 will be Xanax.

I have a fever and the only cure is to make the NCAA tournament.

are you sure that's the ONLY cure? have you tried more cowbell?
just an idea