I mean you got to have a little luck on your side always but you guys stay healthy. You could just see some of our veterans found their stride down the stretch here and Hick, I thought he was tremendous today. We traveled with one of the guys who sang that, and we backed him when he sang it. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Every Italian beef place in Chicago you can think of, I've been there. I try to stay in the moment and zone everything out, to be honest. Bradley is the No. I felt confident. Indeed, the coach has it framed. His wife, Lecia, was born in Wisconsin but grew up in Sarasota, Fla. A Nashville native, Chris began his tenure as a teacher and coach in private education in 1997. . 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 . We were able to overcome it, but our defense our rebounding and I thought we had good shot selection, too. "I could not be more excited about the future of Bradley Women's . Gus Bradley also is back Take us with you from breakfast or whatever through the day. Bill Murphy was tall, a very direct man with an endlesswork ethic. As a senior in 2001, Wardle served as team captain and finished as the second-leading scorer in Conference USA by pumping in 18.8 points per game. "So they hit the ball. "Man, I mean, we've had we had some big ones in 2020 not 10,000, not sold out though. ST. LOUIS, Mo. "We've known Brian Jones for a while," Wardle said. Subscribe with this special offer to keep reading, (renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax). There was a problem saving your notification. I'm practice swinging, taking too long to hit my ball, and my grandfather was a very blunt guy, very direct guy. Jones was associate head coach at ISU the last three seasons, where he specialized as offensive coordinator and helped the Redbirds to top 3 spots in scoring offense in the Valley the last two years. It's just a really good league. "Yeah, you know, I think they went up 41-40. Do you guys feel like you could beat anybody in college basketball right now? But hey, I can still play. Coaches: Bradley, Brian Wardle (8th season). He posted a 73-87 record over parts of three seasons with the Pacers. Ja'Shon at the end with that monster dunk had so much emotion What what's your take about that moment? They are turning heads in H-TOWN. Amie Smith Bradley was promoted to Associate Head Coach prior to the 2019-20 season. Jones was associate head coach at ISU the last three seasons . 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 . @BradleyBraves. Fact by fact, story by story. He'd see her every time he came into town. 2023 www.pjstar.com. And what is his scouting report on Bradley? On 1/4, the Bradley varsity basketball team won their home conference game against Lafayette County (Stamps, AR) by a score of 52-49. 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. Bradley basketball fans hear Wardle often talk about wanting his teams to be tough and physical. Colleges came calling the summer after his sophomore year, and Wardle's goal of becoming a Division I basketball player seemedlikely. Brian and his sister, Amy, both played collegiately. Former Bradley University basketball coach Dick Versace, who went on to coach in the NBA, died Feb. 25 in Chicago, which he made his home most of his adult life. But I think getting Reink (Mast) back (from injury) and (Ja'Shon Henry). I had never played golf before," Wardle said. I had no problem being alone, basketball was my outlet for a lot of things.". When it was all said and done, Wardles first two recruiting classes at BU graduated as champions as Bradley won back-to-back conference titles for the first time in school history. I just thought it would be easier to do social distancing in practice. 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. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Wardle was in second grade when he made that as part of a homework assignment when students were asked to write down three words to describe themselves. But all we can do is win games.". 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. Congratulations Coach Wardle, and the entire staff. Bradley student-athletes have received MVC Scholar-Athletes accolades 21 times during his seven years on campus. "You're right. But I don't know. Channel: Basketball Fan Talk & Other Sports. Wardle said Jones will be Bradley's defensive coordinator, but will certainly scout and also offer input on the Braves' offense. We couldn't let them get 3s. PEORIA Former Bradley athletic director and Thornridge basketball coach Ron Ferguson died July 8 at a Peoria senior care facility at age 89. ", More: How Bradley Hall of Famer Lindsay Stalzer ended up back playing volleyball in America. To see the players celebrate, they deserve it. I don't take long. We did a good job of taking good shots all game.". 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. Pick your ball up and hurry up.' "Hasn't been done in a long time here. ", 'I love this fricken team! Bradley University Men's Basketball Coach Brian Wardle about the team's Missouri Valley Conference title victory against Drake yesterday at Carver Arena. 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. So. You have to have a third and fourth option, which we do. 'Part of history':Catching up with Bradley's last Missouri Valley basketball champion. We approached it as team recruiting, not individual recruiting. 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. The official Men's Basketball Coach List for the Bradley University Braves Skip To Main Content . "We were in the NCAA field in 2020, no doubt, we were with that championship. After taking on NCAA Tournament teams Marquette, Wisconsin and Virginia during the 2011-12 season, Green Bay knocked off Big East champion Marquette during the 2012-13 campaign and eventual ACC champion Virginia during the 2013-14 season to go along with the 2014 victory at Miami. But a loss would just burn in me forever. "My strength is player development and game-planning," Jones said. Because that's the loudest I've ever heard Carver Arena. It's a heck of a journey from a team that was 2-7 at one point on the road. Jones worked for Alford at Missouri State, where he was an administrative assistant for a Bears team in 1998-99 that advanced to the Sweet 16. The Braves won the regular-season Missouri Valley Conference championship for the first time in 27 years with a 73-61 win over Drake before a sellout crowd of 10,458. "Hated to lose, still does. He met Brian Wardle's mom, Cindy, on a show stop in Chicago. Session I - First Round 7 vs 10, 6 vs 11. He's an experienced, good coach. Highlighted by a 68-55 win at then No. 0:49. Dick Versace, one of the most successful mens basketball coaches at Bradley University, died Friday at the age of 81. Is that the biggest thing you guys have going for you down there? Bradley University 2023 All Rights Reserved 1501 W. Bradley Avenue Peoria, IL 61625. 1:14. Wardle is the first Bradley coach win league honors since Jim Molinari in 1996. 0. The BCAM Hall of Fame inducted the first members in 1985. And I think this group has done that.". Having reestablished Bradley men's basketball as a championship-level program, Brian Wardle is in his eighth year as head coach of the Braves. Oh, and it definitely helped my golf game. The team has such versatility, which is nice, and it has veteran guys coming back. We need you next year.". 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. "I was able to prepare against Bradley, scout, do all that, so I come in here feeling like I know this team pretty well.". 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 . "Standup, high-character guy. Then definitely after COVID, so to see everyone come out this month of February when we've been in first place and definitely show up today. [3] Upon his hiring, Wardle became the youngest head coach in NCAA Division I basketball. They ended up traveling all over the country, everywhere, says Wardle, but Alaska and Hawaii. The 2022-23 Bradley Braves men's basketball season is off and running. High Point University has fired men's basketball coach G.G. Here are 3 reasons to be even more excited after Bradley's historic basketball victory Feb. 27, 2023. I mean, it's much different but I don't know. "Box 1 I wanted to check while being the coach at Bradley, no doubt. (Manual High)/DePaul, Robbie Avila, Indiana St. C 6-10 Oak Forest, Ill. (Oak Forest High), Michael Duax, UNI G/F 6-6 Dubuque, Iowa (Dubuque Hempstead), Conor Enright, Drake G 6-0 Mundelein, Ill. (Mundelein High), Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Belmont G 6-0 Greeneville, Tenn. (Greeneville High), Cade Tyson, Belmont F 6-7 Monroe, N.C. (Carmel Christian High), Cade Tyson, Belmont F 6-7 Monroe, N.C. (Carmel Christian High), Xavier Johnson, S. Illinois Sr. G 6-1 Germantown, Md. Login Biography. Basketball did not come easy to Brian Wardle. And winning wasn't like this gratifying feeling at all. He knew everything that was going on.". "I was very impressed with the whole program," Jones said. After the 2009-2010 season, Wardle was named head coach at UW-Green Bay. Arch Madness: What to watch for Bradley at the MVC tournament. As expected, he was named MVC Sixth Man of the Year on Wednesday night. That was kind of our claim to fame. The announcement was made during the MVC Awards Banquet on March 1, in downtown St. Louis. 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. He was previously the Wisconsin-Green Bay basketball coach. I had to pick up my ball and just keep up, keep up. Still has it, I think, in his office.". "I've done this a long time, and expanding to doing other things is great, the more I can learn the better for me. 1 seed and outright regular-season champion for the first time since 1996. We were executing, guys knew the gameplan and I just felt good after I woke up this morning around 7 a.m., and that's sleeping in for me, too. He was an assistant coach at Green Bay from 2005-10, before being named Phoenix head coach April 15, 2010. "I put the lettering away from the typesetting, took the trash out, mopped the floors," said Brian Wardle, 41. We've pushed them and challenged them, and they've challenged back and brought intensity back and it's just it's a family in that locker room, and it's a connected group and usually that's what it takes to win championships, honestly. You take the COVID year out, we've got a lot of success in February, March. We eat at 11, and then I go home and relax and then come here and the best part was driving in. (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. My favorite. "He liked to golf. PEORIA The Bradley Braves rode a soundwave in Carver Arena to a shockwave in their program history Sunday.. On he went to a coaching career, as an assistant at Marquette and Green Bay, then head coach at Green Bay and now at Bradley. The Braves and Ramblers split their two regular-season matchups, with Bradley dropping a 78-71 overtime decision on Jan. 8 in Chicago and claiming a 68-61 victory on Feb. 9 at Carver Arena. Bradley associate director of athletic communications Jim Rea recently left as well, for a job outside sports. You might not play for another 30 minutes.". Bradley University Head Mens Basketball Coach Brian Wardle has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year. All . "I grew up in Las Vegas, a musical family, my parents all my siblings," Jimsaid. Bradley is the No. I mean they're good at choking down in the post and just diving into the ball hand lanes. They are guys who have helped build this program to sustained success and been a huge part of it. As you know with typesetting, all the symbols on the blocks are backwards. "In the summer, my dad would get me up in the morning and say, 'I need your help today. Having fun: Top-seeded Bradley mens basketball team gears up for Arch Madness tournament run, Bradley mens basketball team wins showdown for MVC crown, Henry hits milestone as streaking Bradley mens basketball team sets up showdown for MVC season title, Q&A: Edgar discusses strong fall attendance at Peoria Civic Center heading into the holiday season, Sommerville, Les share memories of Bradleys 2005-06 Sweet 16 run ahead of Hall of Fame induction. That's partly from what he learned in the Devine driveway and in the parks around Westmont and Clarendon Hills. 03-01-2023 . All the way up the sidelines and then two rows behind the baselines.". Tweets by Amie Bradley. Braves head coach Brian Wardle also elevated longtime assistants Mike Bargen and Jimmie Foster to associate head coach positions. STA00221PO23 . G 6-5 Titusville, Fla. (Astronaut High), Donovan Clay, Missouri St. Sr. G/F 6-8 Alton, Ill. (Alton High)/Valparaiso, Malevy Leons, Bradley Sr. F 6-9 IJmuiden, Netherlands (Mineral Area College), Courvoisier McCauley, IndSt. www.uscupstate.edu . We've won Arch Madnesses back to back, we've checked those boxes. Provided. He had to come put the typeset blocks away. It's really hard to score and I love competing in it, because it's a challenge every day. . "Guitar? Because he saw it that way while putting away the typesetter blocks. In 2015, he left to take the coaching job at Bradley, which posted a 9-24 record the season before his arrival . Smith after . Gr. ", Bradley basketball:Why Bradley's projected starting lineup might surprise you, plus MVC's great expectations. "Yeah it is. 1 in the U.S. and won a Grammy). While building for success on the floor, Wardle has also made academic success and community involvement pillars of the Bradley program. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. It's a huge, huge factor, and I couldn't be prouder of our guys. After college, Wardle played in the NBA Developmental League and the Continental Basketball Association. I'll reflect on this award in April some time.". Men's Basketball at Session I - First Round 7 vs 10, 6 vs 11 March 2, 2023 6:00 PM. Working in the sign shop instilled in the coach a type of work ethic and attention to detail that remains today. Brian Wardle: A look at the Bradley University basketball head coach. G 6-3 Newton, Iowa (Newton), Tucker DeVries, Drake So. Whitnall vs South Milwaukee Game Highlights - Jan. 31, 2023. Wardle still remembers his time toiling in the familyshop. It was a passion. The following is a list of Bradley Braves men's basketball head coaches. "Well, I think we're definitely good enough to go and win games. Wardles recruiting efforts at Green Bay resulted in several players of note. I know it means a lot to the city, to the university, to the community. We're going to celebrate tonight and enjoy this tonight and we'll get back at it tomorrow night.". Coach Wardle reflects on the milestone and history-making game including his thoughts on. "But I thought transition D was a huge key for us, getting back matching up. He also saw all the signs, early on, that pointed to the man and the coach Brian Wardle is today. Just don't say that to Brian Wardle, who says he has a competitive nature much like his mother, Cindy, a feisty proud Irish-Catholicfrom the south side of Chicago, the product of a blue-collar, hard-working family. We're all driven to bring a championship to Peoria, and we were able to get that regular-season (one) here now. "I remember so many little things with him like that. If you watched us, I thought we were locked into DeVries and (D.J.) He is the seventh Bradley coach to win the honor. Get the list of all Bradley Braves's Coaches and More About College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. championships, the final two when he became the first Black head coach in a major American sports league, died on Sunday. "That was a scary game," Bradley head coach . Additionally, the Braves have led the league in academic honorees in each of the last four seasons with their 15 total selections four more than any other team in the conference. 1 seed and outright regular-season champion for the first time since 1996. At Lawrence, Bradley was a starter and helped the Vikings to two NCAA tournament appearances, including a Sweet 16 berth in 2005-06. Getting ready for who we might play. Moline recorded a big victory over Bradley-Bourbonnais 71-39 on Feb. 24 in Illinois boys high school basketball. Mike Bargen and Jimmie Foster have anchored Wardle's coaching staff, and both are deserving of the promotions they received Wednesday. Most of the discussion on BradleyFans.com is about basketball and specifically, Bradley basketball, so click on the top Forum titled Basketball Fan Talk. ", Technology, trust and an 11-hour flight:How Bradley landed a unique 7-foot-1 recruit. "I believe in this team, and I like this team against anybody. ATLANTA -- Returning to the . I've sat in that banquet and seen a lot of great coaches get it. [3] Tenure. The following is a list of Bradley Braves men's basketball head coaches. Bradley has also led all schools during Wardles tenure with seven All-Freshman Team honorees and with four forwards named to the leagues Most Improved Team. All rights reserved. There are now over 150 coaches in the BCAM Hall of Fame. "Let's see, 7 a.m., what'd I do? Spartanburg, SC . I had to call time out. Bradley did not field basketball teams for the 194344 and 194445 seasons. "He was such a good man, he supported me a lot when I was younger. I got a lot of respect for (Drake coach) Darren (DeVries) and his program. "I had three brothers and we all played in my dad's band. "But he was a no-nonsense guy, competitive, worked really hard. Talk about that crowd today? "Drew is an excellent recruiter, and he deserved a chance to go to Cincinnati," Wardle said. The Braves added their second regular-season tournament crown under his watch (and just the sixth in school history) with the 2021 Sun Bowl Invitational title. It's experience wins and the big talk was that Drake, they have a lot of experience in the starting lineup, but one look at the box score: 16 points from the bench for you and Drake had two. Bradley High School | 2800 Walker Road | Hilliard, OH 43026. Prior to Bradley's NCAA Tournament game against Michigan State, Wardle was involved in a controversy that gained national attention. Brian was close to grandpa. Brian Barone played two seasons at Marquette . Women's Basketball Hitting the Road for SIU and Missouri State - Bradley University Athletics. Bradley is the No. They were based in Las Vegas, and had an agent who booked them for lounge shows in Vegas and Reno. Dressed in his red blazer, Bradley coach Brian Wardle sat down in the Carver Arena press room on Sunday and basked in the glow of a Missouri Valley Conference championship victory . [1] Bradley's current head coach is Brian Wardle. Phone. I don't think anyone walked out of that meeting not believing in it. Bradley will open play in the MVC Tournament against defending champion Loyola at 2:30 p.m. Friday. And how Brian Wardlegot his middle name, Murphy. All rights reserved. 7:48 p.m.: Referee showed up in Bradley huddle during timeout and called a T on coach Brian Wardle when they asked him to leave. "Then we'd go to Prospect Park, I was always the youngest kid at the court in seventh, eighth grade. In his second season at Bradley, Versace became the first coach in Valley history to win the conference title after finishing in last place the season before. Wardle was 6-foot as a freshman in high school at Hinsdale Central, a late-bloomer on the court. I did try to play," Brian Wardle said, laughing. "That's something he'll always remember, it's a memory our team will remember. You better pull your own weight and keep up. We have five 20-win teams in the league. The purpose was to honor those coaches who had been successful for many years. When you have that as a coach, you know, you have a chance and I just believe that we were going to win this thing and win three in a row to end it and they did, too. All the hugs on the court and everything like that, you thought about it but now that you've experienced it? G 6-5 Indianapolis, Ind. Is your case there if you need it? The Washington Wizards spoiled Quin Snyder's Atlanta coaching debut, getting 37 points from Bradley Beal and 28 from Kyle Kuzma in a 119-116 victory over the Hawks. If we were healthy, I think we would have. I love having Murphy in my name.". They married, and she spent two years traveling with him. Here's everything Wardle said in his news conference after Bradley's 73-61 victory over Drake in Peoria: Champions: Bradley beats Drake to win the MVC men's basketball championship. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com, Bradley coach Brian Wardle slows his team as they play against Southern Illinois in the second half of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center on Friday, March 6, 2020. I'm a fast player now. 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. The Bradley Basketball "Movement" will continue for at least five more years. The MVC Coach of the Year for 2023 is Bradley's Brian Wardle. 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. Bradley Women's Basketball (3-10) heads on the road to face Southern Illinois (5-6) and Missouri State (7-4). Usually guys with that experience are not available in September. The Braves have also been very active within the Peoria community and consistently lead the athletic department in volunteer service, totaling more than 5,000 hours of community service under Wardles leadership. "When we look at the record we have with Reink in the lineup with (Henry) and Zek (Montgomery). That hurt. Dressed in his red blazer, Bradley coach Brian Wardle sat down in the Carver Arena press room on Sunday and basked in the glow of a Missouri Valley Conference championship victory. Your support truly makes a difference. The early-season crown wouldnt be the last trophy the Braves lifted that campaign as Wardle helped BU win its first Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title in 31 years, overcoming an 18-point second-half deficit for the largest comeback in title game history as Bradley reach the top of the podium for the first time since 1988. Bravescoach Brian Wardle wanted them, and knew just who to get them from: His father, Jim Wardle. "It was awesome. Overall, Bradley has featured 10 all-conference performers during the last five seasons leading the league with three selections during the 2019-20 campaign. * Private institution that did not list how much it paid its women's basketball coach in its Tax Form 990 . I'm a very competitive person. Jones took over as interim head coach last season at ISU after Dan Muller resigned. The official 2022-23 Men's Basketball Roster for the Bradley University Braves . When he needed those 6-inch by 6-inch vinyl adhesive removable signs for the BU floor, he turned to his father. "Young players are such visual learners. 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. It remains to be seen how long Coach Wardle will stay with BU, as his success in . Bradley 52. They have children Davin, 8, Emery, 11 and Mya, 14. I said we're gonna win these next three games starting with Southern we're gonna win it because we're gonna be connected and we're gonna execute and play with all-out effort and play together. "These reflect on the team, on all of us. People aren't coming out to watch games live as much anymore, and there's multiple factors for that, there's not just one, there's multiple. The Ramblers (22-7, 13-5) slipped from first to fourth after dropping their final game to Northern Iowa. The Braves have had 14 coaches in their 118-season history. PEORIA Bradley men's basketball has about 60 Bradley shield logo decals scattered on its practice floor, a sign of the COVID-19 era and social distancing. And his dad would play in a band at it. "I was kind of uncoordinated, couldn't really dribble the ball real well. G 6-6 Louisville, Ky. (St. Louis Christian Academy), *denotes team "captain" as designated by the league's beat writers and media panel. Featuring the nations youngest team in his first season on campus and the youngest in the conference each of his first three years, Wardle quickly improved BUs fortunes increasing by eight wins in 2016-17 and seven victories in 2017-18, while earning the schools first 20-win campaign in nine years to cap the early success. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. He finished his basketball career as an executive with the Vancouver/Memphis Grizzlies. After three seasons reconstructing the Bradley roster, it all paid off in Wardles fourth and fifth years at the helm. (2000) Coach Bradley has worked as an gym clinician for the past 20 years in over 12 . Brian helped out. Why Bradley's projected starting lineup might surprise you, plus MVC's great expectations, Path is set: Bradley men's basketball gets schedule, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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. The enigmatic team flopped down the stretch in Snyder's Atlanta coaching debut, losing 119-116 to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night. "He picked up the guitar a little bit. Bradley is the No. Smith after . "Everyone in the family worked in it. The appointment to coach was a promotion for Crouch, who was an assistant coach under Walraven for eight years after he spent two years as the boys basketball coach at Illini Bluffs. 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. They've worked really hard. Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He has a recruiting network from so many years of experience in the game, and we needed those connections with (Drew Adams') departure. I mean there are a lot of factors to win this time of year, and depth is always big. I listen to old-school hip-hop, kind of from my basketball roots, and my wife likes country so I listen to that, too. "I don't care what anyone says: That's the identity of our program. UNI claimed the top seed and will face either Illinois State or Indiana State in Fridays first game, with the winner advancing to face the Bradley-Loyola winner.