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July 15th,
2006
By Joel
Welser
Broadcast Basketball
Bradley
Braves
Overall Rank:
#120
Conference
Rank: #7 MVC
2005-06:
22-11, 11-7, 5th (t)
2005-06
postseason: NCAA
 After
sporting an experienced team last year,
Bradley has a little
rebuilding to do. The top four scorers are gone and Coach Jim
Les will need to recapture the magic if the Braves hope to
return to the NCAAs. The Sweet Sixteen is reaping some benefits
in confidence, but the recruiting benefits will take another
year.
Who’s Out:
Patrick O’Bryant left Peoria in search of the NBA. The center
averaged 13.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per contest. Forwards
Marcellus Sommerville and Lawrence Wright averaged over 10
points and five rebounds apiece. Guard Tony Bennett tacked on
10.6 points per game and center Brandyn Heemskerk, who started
three games, has also run out of eligibility.
Who’s In:
Forward Matt
Salley will see plenty of minutes in the paint. Salley averaged
13.2 points and 8.8 rebounds last year at Monroe College in New
York. The 6-7 Charlotte, North Carolina native is a solid
rebounder and can step out and hit the short jumper. His
experience gives him an early leg up in the battle for a
starting role with fellow newcomer Xavier Crawford. Crawford, a
raw 6-9 power forward, has some defensive skills, but needs to
bulk up and work on his offense before he can make a big
impact. Saihou Jassey has the potential to work his way into
the frontcourt. The 6-6 forward is a great athlete, but has not
played a game in two years after being ruled ineligible his
senior season in high school and redshirting last year. Andrew
Warren is a solid shooter with loads of potential, but he may
have trouble finding minutes in a crowded backcourt. The two
guard can be the long range threat that Bradley needs if he can
battle his way up the depth chart this season.
Who to Watch:
All
you need is a quality senior point guard and you have the
potential for a surprising season. Daniel Ruffin averaged 7.7
points and 5.2 assists as a junior last season and will be the
team leader on so many levels. The backcourt has plenty of
other options with Will Franklin, Jeremy Crouch, J.J. Tauai and
Ray Brown all having some experience. Franklin is a great
backup point guard and with a little consistency, Crouch can
become a deep threat. Despite starting 19 games, Tauai averaged
just 1.8 points per game last season. However, he will provide
senior leadership and solid defense and hopefully some scoring
with more opportunities to shoot. Brown showed some promise as
a freshman and will be given the chance to earn more minutes as
a sophomore.
Final
Projection:
The frontcourt
is where we run into problems. After thespian and power forward
Zach Andrews, the options are slim. Newcomers Salley and
Crawford have to contribute or the Braves will have major issues
in the paint. However, this is the guard oriented MVC and a
lack of depth up front is something that MVC teams have
successfully dealt with time and time again. The difference in
this case is the long range shooting. For a team that will
depend on guard play, nobody is a proven threat from behind the
arc.
Projected
Post-season Tournament:
none
Projected
Starting Five:
Daniel Ruffin,
Senior, Guard, 7.7 points per game
J.J. Tauai,
Senior, Guard, 1.8 points per game
Jeremy Crouch,
Junior, Guard, 4.6 points per game
Matt Salley,
Junior, Forward, DNP last season
Zach Andrews,
Senior, Forward, 5.3 points per game
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