I had no problem being alone, basketball was my outlet for a lot of things.". Wardle left Hinsdale Central as the school's all-time leader in scoring and rebounding. I've always said there are two types of coaches, those who are humbled and those who are about to be.". G/F 6-7 Waukee, Iowa (Waukee High), Duke Deen, Bradley Jr. G 5-8 Shreveport, La. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Bradley basketball has a MVC's top coach and defensive player, Here are 3 reasons to be even more excited after Bradley's historic basketball victory, Bradley beats Drake to win the MVC men's basketball championship, Bradley basketball has a MVC's top coach and defensive player. All . As for recruiting overseas, Drew's connections and relationships are my connections and relationships too. You're playing a really, really good team. He is the only player in Horizon League history to accumulate 2,000 points, 500 assists and 400 rebounds (467) and would eventually play for the Indiana Pacers during his professional career. LOUIS, Mo. Dick Versace, one of the most successful men's basketball coaches at Bradley University, died Friday at the age of 81. "They are taking on more responsibility with this new role," Wardle said. Pekin basketball: Five former Dragons players are on coaching staff 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. Two years later, he guided the Braves to wins over Oklahoma and Purdue to win the NIT. 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. He'd show up with an old, big camera, watch us play park games.". I'll always say that, so we got our hands full.". "That was my goal, because my parents told me if I wanted to go to college, I'd have to work my way through it," Wardle said. Pick your ball up and hurry up.' 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. Whoever we face. He was selected by the Boston Celtics in the first round (23rd pick overall) of the 1981 NBA draft.Born in Havre de Grace, Maryland, Bradley was a 6'5" shooting guard from the University of Wyoming.He played in three National Basketball Association (NBA) seasons, from 1981 to 1984, with the Celtics . 'What more can you ask for?' Peoria High's veteran coach is just He played soccer first. Born in Clarendon Hills, Illinois, Wardle played for Marquette from 1997-2001, . You know what Arch Madness is. That's what we're built on, and it's helped us have a lot of success in February, March. Promotions and Red Sea Email Sign Up 50/50 Raffle PNC Bank Achiever of the Game Molly Maid Game Day Crew Voice of the Braves Coaches Show Yearbook Bradley All-Access Live Events . Men's Basketball Coaches - Bradley University Athletics Because it is a numbers game.". Individual success has also become common under Wardles leadership and was most recently highlighted with the 2022 Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year and the programs first All-Valley First Team selection in 11 seasons. 2023 www.pjstar.com. Talk about that crowd today? To qualify for the Hall of Fame a coach must have coached Varsity/College Head Basketball for 20 years or more and/or accumulated 300 or more victories. "I had stopped playing baseball, stopped playing football, was really focused on basketball. After college, Wardle played in the NBA Developmental League and the Continental Basketball Association. We'd go up to Wisconsin and he'd get up in the morning and swim the length of Kangaroo Lake, where we stayed, all the way to the other side and back. Check out this great listen on Audible.com. All the way up the sidelines and then two rows behind the baselines.". Arch Madness: What to watch for Bradley at the MVC tournament. Conference tournament champion. I just thought it would be easier to do social distancing in practice. [1], Bradley's current head coach is Brian Wardle. Mansfield Senior's Bradley, Shelby's Schwemley earn second team OPSWA Keep coming out. And you got to be able to defend and rebound. Photo by Christian Gooden, cgooden@post-dispatch.com, Bradley head coach Brian Wardle talks to his team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Loyola on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2016, in Chicago. Bradley Braves Athletics. Prior to being at North Dakota's helm, Jones was an assistant coach under Steve Alford at Iowa. The Assistant AD for Marketing and Fan Experience serves to increase the awareness of the athletics department on-campus and within the greater Upstate region through various marketing initiatives, branding efforts, game day promotions, and corporate . What's your take on that? It was a passion. Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. . Three drives by the Atlanta star in the final 2 1/2 minutes were . Moline unleashed a high-powered offensive show to knock off Bradley-Bourbonnais 71-39 Friday in Illinois boys basketball action on Feb. 24. And I think that was huge. The Braves defeated Northern Iowa 57-54. Not content with a one-year run, Wardle and the Braves repeated as Missouri Valley Conference Champions in 2020 with an 80-66 victory against Valparaiso. FIGHTERS: Klein Oak in Regional Semis. (2000) Coach Bradley has worked as an gym clinician for the past 20 years in over 12 . Missouri Valley Conference:Path is set: Bradley men's basketball gets schedule. 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. Subscribe with this special offer to keep reading, (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). I'm practice swinging, taking too long to hit my ball, and my grandfather was a very blunt guy, very direct guy. We're going to celebrate tonight and enjoy this tonight and we'll get back at it tomorrow night.". The announcement was made during the MVC Awards Banquet on March 1, in downtown St. Louis. Bradley University Men's Basketball Coach Brian Wardle about the team's Missouri Valley Conference title victory against Drake yesterday at Carver Arena. F 6-7 Monroe, N.C. (Carmel Christian High), Courvoisier McCauley, IndSt. Location: Peoria, Illinois Seasons: 119 (1902-03 to 2022-23) Record: 1743-1251 .582 W-L% Conferences: MVC and Ind. They've worked really hard. Sr. G 6-6 Chesterfield, Va. (Lloyd C. Bird)/Lincoln Memorial, Lance Jones, S. Illinois Sr. G 6-1 Evanston, Ill. (Evanston Township), Rob Perry, Murray State Jr. G 6-4 Orlando, Fla. (Oak Ridge High)/Stetson. Bradley Women's Basketball (3-10) heads on the road to face Southern Illinois (5-6) and Missouri State (7-4). Tweets by Amie Bradley. I tried to soak up the whole day, honestly, and the players. Is there extra motivation to get back to the tournament because you won the bid in 2020, but you missed out because it got canceled? Alabama's Nate Oats walks back 'unfortunate remarks' on Brandon Miller Men's Basketball - Bradley University Athletics "Yeah, believe me. He's been in the signage business for 45 years. Rienk Mast was named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference first team, while Leons earned second-team honors and also earned a spot on the Valley's All-Defensive Team. (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. High Point University has fired men's basketball coach G.G. (AP Photo/Michael Woods). : https:// bubrav.es/3IcpjtV . championships, the final two when he became the first Black head coach in a major American sports league, died on Sunday. Arkansas, Eric Musselman (4th season). The last decade, it's hard to get fans to arenas in all sports. There are now over 150 coaches in the BCAM Hall of Fame. Latest Topics. "I believe in this team, and I like this team against anybody. F 6-7 State College, Pa. (State College)/Princeton, Cade Tyson, Belmont Fr. Mike Bargen and Jimmie Foster have anchored Wardle's coaching staff, and both are deserving of the promotions they received Wednesday. Indeed, the coach has it framed. He went on to play collegiately at Marquette, helping the Golden Eagles to a pair of NIT appearances in 1998 and 2000. And I never played sports, only a little bit in high school. {{start_at_rate}} {{format_dollars}} {{start_price}} {{format_cents}} {{term}}, {{promotional_format_dollars}}{{promotional_price}}{{promotional_format_cents}} {{term}}. The official 2022-23 Men's Basketball Roster for the Bradley University Braves . The team's schedule is listed below with date, day of week, location, opponent and time, according to bradleybraves.com. I have the best staff, just love 'em and our players. Jeanette Bradley: Athletics Business Manager Amanda Brooks: Athletics Accountant Taylor Patterson: Business Office Graduate Assistant . The honor is presented to the leagues top reserve player. His parents never had to tell him to go practice. Login 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. In his first seven seasons on the BU sideline, Wardle has built Bradley into a perennial Missouri Valley Conference contender, capped by winning back-to-back championships in 2019 and 2020. Coaches: Bradley, Brian Wardle (8th season). "We backed a member of the New Vaudeville Band with its song, Winchester Cathedral (a 1966 song by the British band that went to No. Bradley High School | 2800 Walker Road | Hilliard, OH 43026. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson), Bradley head coach Brian Wardle talks to his team during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Missouri Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020, in Columbia, Mo. Dick Versace, one of the most successful mens basketball coaches at Bradley University, died Friday at the age of 81. Moline opened with a 23-10 advantage over Bradley-Bourbonnais through the first . Division regular season champion You have permission to edit this collection. 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. "That's something he'll always remember, it's a memory our team will remember. Kenny Strawbridge, UE Sr. G 6-6 Rockford, Ill. (Rockford Lutheran)/Alabama St. Garrett Sturtz, Drake Gr. "I'm grateful to be the first. While building for success on the floor, Wardle has also made academic success and community involvement pillars of the Bradley program. We're gonna celebrate tonight and tomorrow we'll get back to work.". The Celtics announced Wednesday morning that head coach Brad Stevens is transitioning from his head-coaching position to becoming the franchise's new head of basketball operations, replacing . "I was kind of uncoordinated, couldn't really dribble the ball real well. "It was awesome. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Everyone has a hand in it.". Wardle is the first Bradley coach win league honors since Jim Molinari in 1996. It's well-coached, preparation's tremendous, everyone guards you. As Wardle searched for ways to help his team deal with the COVID era, the coach turned to what he knows. It's a heck of a journey from a team that was 2-7 at one point on the road. Smart basketball is huge this time of year. Spartanburg, SC . Bradley head coach Brian Wardle, left, talks with Elijah Childs following an NCAA college basketball game against Northern Iowa in the championship of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament . We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. The school's boys basketball program has 14 . A 2006 graduate of Division III Lawrence University in Wisconsin, Bradley played for Hillsdale College head coach John Tharp during the coach's tenure with the Vikings prior to coming to Hillsdale in 2007-08. Bradley did not field basketball teams for the 194344 and 194445 seasons. His most successful season at Bradley came in 1985-86, when the Braves cracked the Top 10 in the AP poll, finished with a 32-3 record and a perfect 16-0 mark in the MVC, and defeated No. Bradley University head men's basketball coach Brian Wardle has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year during the MVC Awards Banquet on Wednesday, March 1, in downtown St. Louis. Then turned to hoops. I don't think it was my calling. Dick Versace: Ex- Bradley, NBA coach stood by his players and by Everything coach Brian Wardle said after Bradley's big win over Drake Feb. 27, 2023. Bradley basketball: Christian Davis a rising talent for the BU Braves Wardle was asked to keep wearing a red pair of shoes his wife had bought him. I would play as hard as I possibly could so we wouldn't lose. And his dad would play in a band at it. And he knew all about Murphy's Sign Studio because he worked in there as a boy. Born in Clarendon Hills, Illinois, Wardle played for Marquette from 19972001, ending his career as the third-leading scorer in school history. I had to call time out. As I got older, I got better every year.". "My strength is player development and game-planning," Jones said. PEORIA The Bradley Braves filled their vacant assistant coach position with former Illinois State associate head coach Brian Jones on Wednesday afternoon. "As a head coach in college basketball, you don't sleep great usually in January and February. Bradley basketball pulled in a Missouri Valley awards haul. Here's what "Now it's all digital. Bradley has continued to thrive under Wardles leadership since the championship runs. High Point University has fired men's basketball coach G.G. "When we look at the record we have with Reink in the lineup with (Henry) and Zek (Montgomery). Brian Wardle (born October 9, 1979) is an American college basketball coach and the current men's basketball coach at Bradley University. Wardle also remembers, at age 13,how playing golf with his father and grandfatherforever changed him. (Troy), Drew Friberg, Belmont Gr. We've gotten to the NCAA Tournament. Do you guys feel like you could beat anybody in college basketball right now? He knew everything that was going on.". [1] Bradley's current head coach is Brian Wardle. "I was not very good in basketball for a while, I got cut from teams in fifth grade and sixth grade," Wardle said. As you know with typesetting, all the symbols on the blocks are backwards. I love the size and physicality on the roster, too.". The purpose was to honor those coaches who had been successful for many years. Oh, and it definitely helped my golf game. After graduating from Marquette in 2001 with a bachelors degree in communication studies, Wardle played professionally for two seasons in the NBA Development League and Continental Basketball Association, before beginning his coaching career as Director of Operations at Marquette from 2003-05. G 6-5 Cedar Falls, Iowa (Cedar Falls High), *Ja'Shon Henry, Bradley Gr. Bill Murphy was tall, a very direct man with an endlesswork ethic. Darius (Hannah) has been huge for us all year. 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. 02 Mar 2023 01:46:19 Brown left the team partway through the 191920 season; Allen coached the last six games of the season. Bradley played two seeded Michigan State on March 21, 2019. And I think this group has done that.". Leons and wing Zek Montgomery were named to the MVC Most Improved Team on Tuesday, joined by Tytan Anderson (Northern Iowa), Darnell Brodie (Drake) and Ben Krikke (Valparaiso). A 6-foot guard from Chicago Marshall High School, Keifer Sykes was the two-time Horizon League Player of the Year and can be found all over the Green Bay record books, finishing second on the schools all-time scoring list with 2,096 career points and third with 526 assists. "I've been coaching for 27 years and that was the first time I've ever been on a staff that was let go," Jones said. Bradley Braves Men's Basketball Coaches | College Basketball at Sports Visit ESPN for the box score of the Northern Iowa Panthers vs. Bradley Braves NCAAM basketball game on March 3, 2023 . "Guitar? No cause of death was given. "I could not be more excited about the future of Bradley Women's . Jones brings coaching experience from the Missouri Valley Conference, Big Ten and Big Sky to the BU staff, filling the void created when longtime assistant coach Drew Adams left earlier this month for Cincinnati. All rights reserved. ST. LOUIS, Mo. 1 seed and outright regular-season champion for the first time since 1996. The next day, 'Let's go again.' Brian Wardle (born October 9, 1979) is an American college basketball coach and the current men's basketball coach at Bradley University. PEORIA The Bradley Braves opened the Missouri Valley Conference awards season with a couple of honors on Tuesday, then turned it into a trophy haul on Wednesday. . Channel: Basketball Fan Talk & Other Sports. This biographical article relating to a United States basketball coach is a stub. And for all the newbies that came today, bandwagoners: I love you, too. The Braves have added the 2019 MVC Sixth Man of the Year and one All-Defensive Team recipient in Wardles seven seasons on campus. Wardle said Jones will be Bradley's defensive coordinator, but will certainly scout and also offer input on the Braves' offense. 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 was 88. "Yeah. "I don't care what anyone says: That's the identity of our program. "He was a big swimmer. 52-49 (W) Bradley vs. Lafayette County. "I know they are talented, but I'm even more impressed with the character of the kids here. "Let's see, 7 a.m., what'd I do? "I went over and got a glass of water. Bradley 52. Our goal was to hold them to six 3s or less, and they had five. "He picked up the guitar a little bit. When I work out, when I'm in the car, all the time. @BradleyBraves. 20 UNLV in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual champion Louisville. Goal's to get back to that NCAA Tournament and hopefully put ourselves in a position to win some games it's one day at a time, one game at a time. Visit ESPN for the team statistics of the Northern Iowa Panthers vs. Bradley Braves NCAAM basketball game on March 3, 2023 . F 6-6 Saskatoon (Athol Murray College of Notre Dame), *Tytan Anderson, UNI So. St. Louis, Mo. 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. I mean they're good at choking down in the post and just diving into the ball hand lanes. Whitnall High School (Greenfield, WI) Varsity Basketball You guys are playing your best right now. On 1/4, the Bradley varsity basketball team won their home conference game against Lafayette County (Stamps, AR) by a score of 52-49. We stayed in the middle better, and all those things are gonna be huge going into Arch Madness.". Ultimately that's our goal. If you don't win this tournament? The 2014 Horizon League Coach of the Year, Wardle led the Phoenix to a 24-7 mark in 2013-14, including a 14-2 league record to claim the regular-season conference title and an automatic bid to the NIT. He sketched out this little sign when he was really young: "Born to compete." And here you are today. Bill didn't have any sons, so we gave his name to Brian as a middle name, to carry it on.". Chris Bradley joined Ensworth in 2009 as an Assistant Athletic Director and became the Head Wrestling Coach in 2011. To replace Noonan, Georgetown hired Bradley Adams as both head football coach and athletic director on Jan. 17. "I would wait 45 minutes, an hour, to get an opportunity. Assistant AD for Marketing and Fan Experience . Bradley student-athletes have received MVC Scholar-Athletes accolades 21 times during his seven years on campus. Bradley assistant coach Jimmie Foster was on Jones' staff when he was head coach at North Dakota.When Drew Adams moved on earlier this month, Foster reached out to Jones. Barone grew up on Bradley basketball as his father, the late Tony Barone Sr., was an assistant coach with the Braves from 1978-85. Bradley Beal scored a season-high 37 points, 12 in the fourth quarter, to help the short-handed Washington Wizards overtake host Atlanta 119-116 and ruin the debut of new Hawks head coach Quin Snyder. My favorite was Al's Beef downtown.". 0. They have children Davin, 8, Emery, 11 and Mya, 14. 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. 'Part of history':Catching up with Bradley's last Missouri Valley basketball champion. "I would bring an old cassette player with batteries in it, play music at the park while I played on the court alone. So. 2022-23 Men's Basketball Coaching Staff. Then they started to have kids, and it was time to settle down. Watch this highlight video of the Whitnall (Greenfield, WI) basketball team in its game Whitnall vs South Milwaukee Game Highlights - Jan. 31, 2023 on Jan 31, 2023. Where were you during the court storming? Smith after . We approached it as team recruiting, not individual recruiting. Meet Our Coaches | Ensworth G 6-5 Indianapolis, Ind. ", 'I love this fricken team! Bradley associate director of athletic communications Jim Rea recently left as well, for a job outside sports. This is the first conference tournament championship for Bradley since 1988, and the first trip to the NCAA Tournament for Bradley since 2006. Patterson), Bradley coach Brian Wardle talks to his team as they play against Arkansas during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, in North Little Rock, Ark. The MVC Coach of the Year for 2023 is Bradley's Brian Wardle. You might not play for another 30 minutes.". Very similar to my father in a lot of ways. Better than you dreamed of? "I always tell the team, 'No individual accomplishments happen without the team around you.' I thought Ja'Shon (Henry's) defense on (Roman) Penn and Malevy (Leons') defense on (Tucker) DeVries. High-majors can sometimes overcome it with depth and players that they have, but you miss a Reink Mast. Across the street lived the Devine family. That was one of the hardest things to go through as a coach, when that happened to that group, but we'll see. Coffee. Phone. I mean, our league's really good. Now, we'd like to get back and win some games. "Hated to lose, still does. 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. After the 2009-2010 season, Wardle was named head coach at UW-Green Bay. After attending Bradley University and playing on the basketball team from 1947-50, he returned as an assistant coach in 1956 and became Bradley's ninth head coach in 1965. Prior to Bradley's NCAA Tournament game against Michigan State, Wardle was involved in a controversy that gained national attention. Jones was associate head coach at ISU the last three seasons . At Lawrence, Bradley was a starter and helped the Vikings to two NCAA tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 berth in 2005-06. Northern Iowa vs. Bradley - Men's College Basketball Game Videos They hadlittle asphalt stone court with two wooded backboards like a mini full court off their garage. It remains to be seen how long Coach Wardle will stay with BU, as his success in . "We've known Brian Jones for a while," Wardle said. He played basketball at the YMCA, where the young players wore color-coded wristbands so they knew who to guard on the other team. His wife, Lecia, was born in Wisconsin but grew up in Sarasota, Fla. 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 . Versace leaves behind two adult children. "What's in my head right now?," Wardle said. Jim played bass guitar. I mean, it's much different but I don't know. "So they hit the ball. Charles Bradley (basketball) - Wikipedia Where Missouri State football, basketball head coach contracts rank "I don't get Coach of the Year, Rienk first team All-Conference, Malevy Defensive Player of the Year, Zek Most Improved team, Ja'Shon Sixth Man, all the guys, all the honors, none of that happens if we don't all work together," Wardle said.