| Bradley Braves men's basketball | |||||||||||||
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| University | Bradley University | ||||||||||||
| Head coach | Brian Wardle (10th season) | ||||||||||||
| Conference | Missouri Valley | ||||||||||||
| Location | Peoria, Illinois | ||||||||||||
| Arena | Carver Arena (capacity: 11,442) | ||||||||||||
| Nickname | Bradley Braves | ||||||||||||
| Colors | Red and white[1] | ||||||||||||
| Uniforms | |||||||||||||
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| NCAA tournament runner-up | |||||||||||||
| 1950,1954 | |||||||||||||
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| Conference tournament champions | |||||||||||||
| 1980, 1988, 2019, 2020 | |||||||||||||
| Conference regular-season champions | |||||||||||||
| 1950, 1962, 1980, 1982, 1986, 1988, 1996, 2023 | |||||||||||||
| NIT champions | |||||||||||||
| 1957, 1960, 1964, 1982 | |||||||||||||
TheBradley Braves men's basketball team representsBradley University, located inPeoria, Illinois, inNCAADivision Ibasketball competition. They compete as a member of theMissouri Valley Conference. The Braves are currently coached byBrian Wardle and play their home games atCarver Arena.
Bradley has appeared in nineNCAA tournaments, including two Final Fours and national championship games in1950 and1954.[2] They last appeared in the NCAA tournament in2019 (they qualified for the2020 tournament which was cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic), and last reached the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in2006. The Braves have also appeared in theNational Invitation Tournament 23 times with an all-time NIT record of 27–20 and have won four NIT championships (1957,1960,1964, and1982), second only toSt. John's in appearances (30) and titles (5). Until the introduction of theVegas 16 tournament in 2016, the program was invited to the initial offering of every national postseason tournament.
The Braves began playing basketball in 1902, starting out as independent.
One of their earliest coaches wasHarold Olsen, who in 1959 was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a contributor for his 24 years guiding theOhio State Buckeyes to multiple Final Fours, spearheading efforts to create the NCAA tournament, helping initiate the 10-second rule and coaching the Chicago Staggs to the finals of the first BAA (later renamedNBA) playoffs.
Alfred J. Robertson was named coach of the Braves football and basketball teams in 1920. Robertson coached both teams until 1948. He is Bradley's all-time winningest coach with 316 wins over 26 seasons. Robertson died in 1948.
In 1938, Bradley went 18–2 and was one of six teams invited to the inaugural NIT, where they lost 53–40 to eventual national champion Temple.
In 1939, Bradley went 19–3, and received invitations to both the inaugural NCAA Tournament and the second NIT. Bradley turned down the upstart NCAA Tournament and Oregon, which the Braves had defeated, took their bid, and went on to become the inaugural NCAA champion. Bradley lost in the NIT semifinal to Long Island, 36–32.
After a hiatus during World War II, the Braves qualified for the 1947 NIT, losing in the quarterfinals to West Virginia, 69–60.
Following Robertson's death, the school hiredForrest "Forddy" Anderson fromDrake. Also in 1948, the school joined theMissouri Valley Conference for the first time.
In 1950, the Braves went 32–5 and won the MVC, earning a bid to theNCAA tournament. The Braves advanced to the National Championship game and lost 71–68 againstCCNY, which accomplished perhaps the greatest feat in basketball history, winning the National Invitation and the NCAA tournaments in the same season.[3]
However, in 1951, apoint-shaving scandal rocked CCNY specifically,New York, and college basketball as a whole.[3] The scandal affected Bradley as Bradley players Gene Melchiorre, Bill Mann, Bud Grover, Aaron Preece, and Jim Kelly admitted to taking bribes from gamblers to hold down scores against St. Joseph's in Philadelphia in 1951 and against Oregon State in Chicago.[3] Melchiorre, Mann, and George Chianakos pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, but avoided jail time. The others were not charged.[3]
In 1952, the Braves went 32–6 and lost to Syracuse 76–75 in the final of the National Campus Basketball Tournament, which was held in response to the point-shaving scandals centered around New York.[4] After the season, the Braves left the Missouri Valley Conference and became independent again.
In 1954, though only going 19–13, the Braves again advanced to theNCAA tournament's championship game, this time falling short toLa Salle, 92–76.
Anderson was hired away from Peoria to coachMichigan State after the season, where he would become the first coach in NCAA history to lead two schools to the Final Four.
Bob Vanatta coached the Braves for two seasons after Anderson departed, and led Bradley to the NCAA tournament Elite Eight in 1955 as an independent, where they lost toColorado, 93–81. They returned to the MVC in 1955. Vanatta would go on to coach theMemphis Tigers.
Chuck Orsborn, a Bradley alum and basketball player in the 1930s, took over in 1956 after being an assistant from 1947 to 1956. In 1957, his first year as head coach, the Braves won the NIT championship overMemphis State, the school's first NIT title. The school returned to theNIT in 1958 and to theNIT championship game in 1959, losing to St. John's. In 1960, the Braves won their secondNIT championship, defeatingProvidence in the title game. The Braves were led by Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, 2-time Consensus first-team All-American, future NBA champion and 7 time NBA All StarChet Walker.
In Orsborn's first six seasons, the Braves finished ranked in the top-20 in the final AP Poll, including finishing in the top six each year between 1959 and 1962. However, conference rivalCincinnati was in the midst of a run that ended in five straight Final Four appearances, including two national championships. In the days before at-large bids in the NCAA tournament, Bradley was left outside the tournament field all six seasons and never reached the NCAA tournament in nine seasons under Orsborn.
However, the Braves did win a share of their second MVC crown in 1962, sharing that title with eventual NCAA Champion Cincinnati, but lost in theNIT's first round. A return to theNIT in 1964 resulted in the Braves' third NIT championship in eight years. After another trip to theNIT in 1965, Orsborn took the position of Bradley's director of athletics and served in that function until 1978.[5]
From 1956 to 1965, he compiled a record of 194–56 (.774). During this nine-year span as head coach, the Braves also earned sixAssociated Press top 20 finishes, Orsborn was named MVC coach of the year in 1960 and 1962.[5] Orsborn also has the distinction of recording his first 100 victories in 120 games, which is sixth on the all-time list for college coaches.[6]
The Braves again turned to a Bradley alum as Joe Stowell, who was an assistant coach under Orsborn, became Bradley's ninth head coach in 1965.[7] In his 13 years as head coach, the Braves made only two postseason appearances: the1968 NIT and the1974 National Commissioners Invitational tournament. He was fired as head coach in 1978.[8] Stowell finished with 197 wins, the second most in Brave history.
Bradley hiredDick Versace fromJackson Community College in 1978. As an assistant atMichigan State University, Versace was heavily involved in the recruitment ofMagic Johnson. Versace led Bradley to the MVC regular season and tournament championships in 1980, losing toTexas A&M in the NCAA tournament, 55–53. He won the regular season MVC championship again in 1982, but was snubbed by the NCAA selection committee, and the team won the NIT championship, defeatingPurdue 67–58 atMadison Square Garden.
In the 1985–86 season, he was named National College Coach of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers' Association as the Braves went 32–3 and were ranked as high as #7 in the nation during the season, capturing the MVC title before falling to eventual national championLouisville in the NCAA tournament second round. His back court players included future NBA All StarHersey Hawkins and future NBAer and Bradley Head CoachJim Les. After this season, Versace left for the NBA where he became head coach of theIndiana Pacers and eventually President and General Manager of theMemphis Grizzlies.
Bradley alumnus and formerChicago Bulls head coachStan Albeck was hired to lead the Braves in 1986. In 1988, Albeck led the Braves to the MVC regular season and tournament titles behind National Player of the Year and national scoring leaderHersey Hawkins, and finished #11 in the final Associated Press Poll before losing to Auburn in the NCAA tournament, 90–86. After leaving Bradley in 1991, Albeck became an assistant for theNew Jersey Nets,Atlanta Hawks andToronto Raptors of theNBA.
Bradley turned toNorthern Illinois University head coachJim Molinari to lead the Braves in 1991. After NIT appearances in 1994 and 1995 the Braves, led by future NBA first round draft pickAnthony Parker, captured the MVC championship in 1996 and advanced to the NCAA tournament where they were defeated byStanford, 66–58. Molinari led the Braves to NIT appearances again in 1997, 1999 and 2001.
Bradley turned to another alum,Jim Les, to take over for Molinari. Les was a senior on the 1986 Braves squad that went 32–3 before losing in the second round of the NCAA tournament. However, the Braves failed to finish above .500 in Les's first three years as head coach.
In 2006, the Braves won their final five games of the season to finish in a tie for fifth place in MVC play. The Braves surprised in theMVC tournament, reaching the championship game before losing toSouthern Illinois. The Braves received an at-large bid to theNCAA tournament as a No. 13 seed, their first trip to the Tournament since1996. In the Tournament, the Braves upset No. 4-rankedKansas in the first round[9] and upset No. 5-rankedPittsburgh to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1955.[10] In the Sweet Sixteen, the No. 1-seededMemphis defeated the Braves.[11] After the season ended, Bradley's star centerPatrick O'Bryant declared for the NBA draft where he was drafted 9th overall.[12]
Each of Les's next three Brave teams appeared in postseason play, losing in the second round of the2007 NIT, and finishing as runners-up in the2008 College Basketball Invitational and2009 CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
After a disappointing 2010 and a 20-loss 2011, the Braves fired Les.[13]
Kent State head coachGeno Ford was hired to replace Les.[14] Ford's teams struggled under his leadership, failing to win more than seven games in conference play and finishing in last place in his first and final years at Bradley. The Braves did receive an invite to theCollege Basketball Invitational in2013, where they advanced to the quarterfinals. In hisfinal year, the Braves finished 9–24, 3–15 in MVC play. After the season, Ford was fired.[15] He finished with a four-year record of 46–86 at Bradley.
Ford's tenure at Bradley was most notable for a lawsuit filed by Kent State, his former employer, seeking payment on a buyout clause in his contract.[16] Ford was found liable for $1.2 million.[16] Kent State continued actions against Bradley for "tortious interference with Kent State’s contractual relationship" with Ford, but Kent State dropped the case in 2013.[17]
Following Geno Ford's firing, the school hiredGreen Bay head coachBrian Wardle.[18] In Wardle'sfirst year, the Braves continued their struggles, finishing the season 5–24 and in last place in theMVC. Wardle would have over 10 freshmen and only Donte Thomas was an active player who stayed from the Geno Ford era. In 2017, with Junior Donte Thomas as their best player, the2017 Braves team improved to a 13–20 record and finished in a tie for sixth place inMVC play. In 2018 the Braves finished 20–13 while going 9–9 in the conference. They defeated Drake in the first round of the MVC tournament. Bradley then played #1 seededLoyola-Chicago, the eventual standoutFinal Four team. Bradley failed to score down the stretch and lost a close game.
In 2019 Wardle led the Braves to theCancun Challenge championship overPenn State. After this the Braves slumped and went 0–5 in conference play. The Braves regrouped and finished 5th in MVC play at 9–9. They beat Missouri State and upset Loyola-Chicago. Bradley looked to capture their first MVC tournament title since 1988. They playedUNI, the 6 seed, and were down by 18 points in the second half. Bradley rallied and cut the deficit to 6 with a 12–0 point run. The Braves went on to win the game. They enteredMarch Madness for the first time since 2006 but lost toMichigan State 76–65 in the opening round. It was Coach Wardle's first NCAA tournament appearance with the Braves.
Wardle led the Braves to another improved season in 2019–20. Bradley finished with an overall record of 23–11 and 11–7 inMissouri Valley Conference play. Bradley won the MVC tournament title for the second year in a row. Due toCOVID-19, theNCAA tournament was cancelled leaving the Braves without a postseason appearance.
The Braves have appeared in nineNCAA Tournaments and have advanced to two final fours and two national championship games. Their combined record is 11–9. They qualified for the 2020 NCAA Tournament, which was subsequently cancelled.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game | UCLA Baylor CCNY | W 73–59 W 68–66 L 68–71 | |
| 1954 | First round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game | Oklahoma City Colorado Oklahoma A&M USC La Salle | W 61–55 W 76–64 W 71–57 W 74–72 L 76–92 | |
| 1955 | First round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | Oklahoma City SMU Colorado | W 69–65 W 81–79 L 81–93 | |
| 1980 | #11 | First round | #6Texas A&M | L 53–55 |
| 1986 | #7 | First round Second round | #10UTEP #2Louisville | W 83–65 L 68–82 |
| 1988 | #9 | First round | #8Auburn | L 86–90 |
| 1996 | #8 | First round | #9Stanford | L 58–66 |
| 2006 | #13 | First round Second round Sweet Sixteen | #4Kansas #5Pittsburgh #1Memphis | W 77–73 W 72–66 L 64–80 |
| 2019 | #15 | First round | #2Michigan State | L 65–76 |
The Braves have appeared in 24National Invitation Tournaments and are four-time champions (1957, 1960, 1964, and 1982). Their combined record is 28–21.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | Quarterfinals | Temple | L 40–53 |
| 1939 | Semifinals | Long Island | L 32–36 |
| 1947 | Quarterfinals | West Virginia | L 60–69 |
| 1949 | First round Quarterfinals Semifinals Third-place game | NYU Western Kentucky Loyola (IL) Bowling Green | W 78–66 W 82–72 L 61–69 L 77–82 |
| 1950 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship Game | Syracuse St. John's CCNY | W 78–66 W 83–65 L 61–69 |
| 1957 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship Game | Xavier Temple Memphis State | W 116–81 W 94–66 W 84–83 |
| 1958 | Quarterfinals | Xavier | L 62–72 |
| 1959 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship Game | Butler NYU St. John's | W 83–77 W 59–57 L 71–76 |
| 1960 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship Game | Dayton St. Bonaventure Providence | W 78–64 W 82–71 W 88–72 |
| 1962 | Quarterfinals | Duquesne | L 85–88 |
| 1964 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship Game | St. Joseph's Army New Mexico | W 83–81 W 67–52 W 86–54 |
| 1965 | First round | NYU | L 70–71 |
| 1968 | Sweet Sixteen | Long Island | L 77–80 |
| 1982 | First round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four Championship Game | American Syracuse Tulane Oklahoma Purdue | W 76–65 W 95–81 W 77–61 W 84–68 W 67–58 |
| 1985 | First round | Marquette | L 68–77 |
| 1994 | First round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | Murray State Old Dominion Siena | W 66–58 W 79–75 L 62–75 |
| 1995 | First round Sweet Sixteen | Eastern Michigan Canisius | W 86–85 L 53–55 |
| 1997 | First round Sweet Sixteen | Drexel Connecticut | W 66–53 L 47–63 |
| 1999 | First round | Butler | L 50–51 |
| 2001 | First round | Detroit-Mercy | L 49–68 |
| 2007 | First round Sweet Sixteen | Providence Mississippi St. | W 90–78 L 72–101 |
| 2023 | First round | Wisconsin | L 62–81 |
| 2024 | First round Sweet Sixteen | Loyola (IL) Cincinnati | W 74–62 L 57–74 |
| 2025 | First round Second round Quarterfinals | North Alabama George Mason Chattanooga | W 71–62 W 75–67 L 65–67 |
The Braves have participated in oneCollege Basketball Invitational in 2008 where they advanced to the 3–game series final. Their combined record is 4–2.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | First round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals Game 1 Finals Game 2 Finals Game 3 | Cincinnati Ohio Virginia Tulsa Tulsa Tulsa | W 70–67 W 79–73 W 96–85 L 68–73 W 83–74 L 64–70 |
The Braves have participated in twoCollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournaments (CIT). In 2009 where they advanced to the championship game. Their combined record is 5–2.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | First round Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship | Austin Peay Oakland Pacific Old Dominion | W 81–74 W 76–75 W 59–46 L 62–66 |
| 2013 | First round Second round Quarterfinals | Green Bay Tulane Northern Iowa | W 75–69 W 77–72 L 77–90 |
Bradley participated in the 1974National Commissioners Invitational Tournament where they advanced to the semifinals. Their record is 1–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | First round Semifinals | Kansas State Southern California | W 68–64 L 73–76 |
The Braves appeared in, and hosted, the only National Campus Basketball Tournament. Their record is 2–1.[19]
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals | Western Kentucky Wyoming Syracuse | W 75–71 W 77–63 L 75–76 |
TheI-74 Rivalry (also known as The War on I-74) is an annual rivalry game betweenIllinois State andBradley University, which are located less than 40 miles apart onInterstate 74.[20]
Seven Braves have had their numbers retired byBradley University:[21]
| Bradley Braves retired numbers | ||||
| No. | Player | Position | Career | Year retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | J. J. Anderson | SF | 1978–1982 | 1999 |
| 15 | Paul Unruh | F /C | 1946–1950 | 1991 |
| 31 | Joe Allen | C | 1965–1968 | 1994 |
| Chet Walker | SF /PF | 1959–1962 | 1976 | |
| 33 | Bob Carney | SG | 1951–1954 | 1994 |
| Hersey Hawkins | SG | 1984–1988 | 1988 | |
| 45 | Roger Phegley | SG /SF | 1974–1978 | 1990 |
The Bradley athletic department celebrated 100 years of Braves basketball in the2003–04 season. Fans were given the opportunity to select the greatest players from each of seven specific timelines, resulting in a total of 60 players. Throughout the2002–03 season, those 60 players were honored at selected games. Fans were given the opportunity to help select the 15 greatest players in the program's history, creating the team of the century. The team was honored during a ceremony at thePeoria Civic Center on November 21, 2003. In addition to the “Team of the Century,” Braves fans also selected a “Game of the Century” by voting games through a 16-entry, tournament format. Ultimately, Bradley's January 16, 1960 win over #1Cincinnati atRobertson Fieldhouse was selected.
| No. | Player | Pos. | Career | Height | Hometown | National Player of the Year | All-American | MVC Player of the Year | MVC All Conference | Retired Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Joe Allen[22] | C | 1965–68 | 6–6 | Chicago, IL |  Y | Y | Y | ||
| 11 | Mitchell Anderson[23] | F | 1979–82 | 6–8 | Chicago, IL | Y | Y | Y | ||
| 33 | Bob Carney[24] | G | 1951–54 | 6–1 | Aurora, IL | Y | Y | Y | ||
| 33 | Hersey Hawkins[25] | G | 1984–88 | 6–3 | Chicago, IL | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| 15 | Jim Les | G | 1983–86 | 5–11 | Niles, IL | Y | Y | |||
| 12 | Anthony Manuel | G | 1985–89 | 5–11 | Chicago, IL | Y | Y | |||
| 21 | Bobby Joe Mason[26] | G/F | 1956–60 | 6–2 | Centralia, IL | Y | Y | |||
| 23 | Gene Melchiorre[27] | F | 1947–51 | 5–8 | Highland Park, IL | Y | Y | |||
| 24 | Anthony Parker[28] | G | 1993–97 | 6–5 | Naperville, IL | Y | Y | Y | ||
| 45 | Roger Phegley[29] | G | 1975–78 | 6–7 | East Peoria, IL | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| 32 | Al Smith | G | 1966–68 1970–71 | 6–0 | Peoria, IL | Y | ||||
| 12,31 | Levern Tart | G/F | 1961–64 | 6–2 | West Palm Beach, FL | Y | Y | |||
| 35 | David Thirdkill[30] | F | 1979–82 | 6–7 | St. Louis, MO | Y | ||||
| 15 | Paul Unruh[31] | C | 1946–50 | 6–4 | Toulon, IL | Y | Y | Y | ||
| 31 | Chet Walker[32] | F/C | 1959–62 | 6–6 | Benton Harbor, MI | Y | Y | Y |
