How Bradley matches up with one of oldest rosters in college basketball
PEORIA — Bradley will have to overcome a big intangible — age and experience — when it faces Drake on Wednesday.
The Bulldogs' players are among the oldest in the nation, as noted by the ESPN broadcast team covering Drake's 60-59 win at Southern Illinois on Monday night.
The Bulldogs have seven seniors and a graduate student on the roster. The team includes three 24-year-old players.
Tremell Murphy, their 6-foot-6 forward, is 25 years old.
"When I was 25, I was married to my wife, Lecia," Bradley coach Brian Wardle said. "And most of my players were in seventh grade, and Tremell Murphy was graduating high school."
Drake features the oldest roster in the conference at an average of 22.02 years old, and a starting lineup that checks in at 23.18 years old. Bradley is the youngest team in the Valley in terms of average age (20.78) and average starting age (20.76).
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It doesn't get easier for Bradley
Wardle didn't like the body language his team showed in the second half of the ISU game Sunday as its 20-point lead melted down. The Braves didn't have a lot of time to get over it, either.
"We showed them the film, and we addressed it," Wardle said. "We had a great practice Tuesday. We are a family, and we've moved on."
The moving part was on the road to Drake on Tuesday afternoon. What to do about facing a powerful foe on the road?
"(Drake guard) Roman Penn, off ball screens, he has to be contained," Wardle said. "Transition defense is going to be huge. And we have to defend the 3-point line.
"Our Achilles heel all season has been limiting turnovers and fouls and stopping 3s. You can't always do much about the 3s, but we're working hard on the other things."
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How to watch or listen, and what to know about Bradley at Drake
When: 7 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Knapp Center, Des Moines, Iowa
Watch: ESPN+.
Listen: WMBD 1470-AM, 100.3-FM
Records: Bradley 8-10 (2-4), 7th in MVC. Drake 13-5 (4-1), 3rd in MVC.
KenPom ranking: Bradley No. 121. Drake No. 95.
NET ranking: Bradley No. 128. Drake No. 98.
Head coaches: Bradley, Brian Wardle. Drake, Darian DeVries.
All-time series: Bradley, 90-68. BU split 80-71 (L) and 67-61 (W) in 2020-21.
Bradley: FG 44%. 3-point FG 34.7%. Top players: Guard Terry Roberts 15.8 ppg, 4.3 apg; Ja'Shon Henry 10.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg; Malevy Leons 10.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 42.9% from 3, team-best 23 blocks; Rienk Mast 10.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg.
Drake: FG 46.2%. 3-point FG 38.6%. Freshman wing Tucker DeVries 13.2 ppg; guard Garrett Sturtz 10.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 23 steals; guard Roman Penn 10.1 ppg, 3.8 apg; forward ShanQuan Hemphill 9.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg.
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Bravely Speaking
Bradley guard Terry Roberts was named Missouri Valley Newcomer of the Week on Monday. He averaged 20.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in games against Evansville and Illinois State. It's the third time he's won it this season -- the first player in the Valley to do so, and the first BU player to triple-up on the award since Marcellus Sommerville in 2003-04. ... Drake is 10-0 at home this season. ... Drake forward ShanQuan Hemphill missed the last two games with a foot injury but could play against Bradley. ... BU forward Rienk Mast continues to rise, with 18.3 points in his last four games on 49.1% shooting from the field and 42.1% from 3. ... Mast leads the Valley and is 73rd nationally with 8.2 rebounds per game.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. Reach him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Bradley vs. Drake basketball: Missouri Valley Conference game preview
