Bradley Braves Eye MVC Title with Experienced Roster

Bradley Braves aim for an MVC title with key returners Duke Deen, Darius Hannah, and new transfers. Could this be their year for another NCAA Tournament run?

Oct 08, 2024

The Bradley Braves have enjoyed success in the Missouri Valley for the past seven seasons. They’ve finished with 20+ wins five out of those seven seasons, including an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2019. Last season looked like it could have ended with another bid, however, some inconsistencies led to a third place finish. The Braves started off 6-0, then dropped five straight. They snapped the streak, winning ten games in a row, then finishing 6-5 in conference. Ultimately, they were defeated by the eventual Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Champions the Drake Bulldogs 72-67 at Arch Madness.

It is no secret the the Missouri Valley is wide open this year. Many teams like Indiana State were dismantled in the portal and there have been numerous coaching changes throughout the conference. The Bradley Braves however are returning some key pieces, despite losing their top scorer Connor Hickman. Duke Deen and Darius Hannah are both returning and head coach Brian Wardle has assembled a strong roster with minimal turnover. The Braves were picked as the preseason favorites on the Missouri Valley Conference’s media day.

In an open Missouri Valley, it could be the Bradley Braves’ season to return back to the NCAA tournament for the third time since 2006. Let’s check out who Coach Wardle has on his roster this season.

Let’s recap who the Braves have returning on their roster:

Duke Deen (Senior)
- 13.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists
Darius Hannah (Senior)
- 11.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.2 blocks
Cade Hardtke (Senior)
- 0.6 points, 0.5 rebounds
Christian Davis (Senior)
- 7.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.2 steals
Connor Linke (Senior)
- 1.5 points, 2.1 rebounds
Goanar Biliew (Senior)
- 0.6 rebounds
Ahmet Jonovic (Junior)
- 3.6 points, 2 rebounds
Demarion Burch (Sophomore)
- 4.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists
Almar Atlason (Sophomore)
- 4.6 points, 1.7 rebounds, 0.7 assists

The Braves added the following players from the transfer portal:

Connor Dillon (Senior) - Winona State
- 21.6 points, 2.9 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 1 steal
Zek Montgomery (Senior) - Rhode Island
- 9.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists
Corey Thomas (Junior) - Cowley College
- 12.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.8 blocks

The Braves added the following player as incoming Freshman:

Jaquan Johnson
Timoty van der Knaap

The Braves lost the following players:

Connor Hickman (Senior) - Cincinnati
- 14.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals
Kyle Thomas (Junior) - SIUE
- 2.1 points, 0.9 rebounds
Emarion Ellis (Junior) - Nicholls
- 2.5 points, 1.9 rebounds (transferred mid-season)
Malevy Leons (Ineligible)
- 13.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.5 blocks

Many teams that we’ve covered so far have lost half or the majority of their rosters to the transfer portal, but the Bradley Braves lost just four players. Connor Hickman is a star that’s headed to Cincinnati and Malevy Leons has run out of eligible years after spending the last three in Peoria. Kyle Thomas is headed to an excellent SIUE team looking for more playing time and Emarion Ellis transferred mid-season for the Braves last year.

The turnover is limited and they are returning a veteran heavy team with eight seniors and two juniors. Looking at their additions, Braves fans should be familiar with Zek Montgomery. The incoming senior spent his first two seasons with Bradley, but transfers to Rhode Island last season. Now, he’s returned and he brings a strong 43% shooting. His 3pt shooting dipped a bit last season to 31.5%, however, he shot 42.2% the season prior with the Braves. At 6’6, he can rack up the rebounds. Last season he grabbed 11 against Wagner, nine against Yale, and eight against New Hampshire. He had a monster 30 point performance against George Washington during conference play. The Braves are going to be excited to have Montgomery back, plus he was just named to the preseason Missouri Valley Conference Second Team.

Corey Thomas is a 6’10 junior out of the JUCO Crowley College. Thomas is a monster on the boards. Last season, he averaged 10.1 rebounds per game. He also averaged nearly two blocks per game, while still dishing out 1.9 assists per game and racking up 12.2 points per game. Thomas was highly sought after as he had offers from Radford, Tennessee Tech, Kansas City, UMBC, New Mexico State, Chattanooga, Texas A&M - Corpus Christi, and St. Bonaventure before signing on with Bradley. The Braves are getting a monster on the glass who will slide into their rotation perfectly.

Flipping on size here, Connor Dillon is a scoring machine from Winona State. Last season, he averaged 21.6 points per game on 48.1% shooting and 39% from beyond the arch. The season prior, he averaged 18.7 points on 41.7% and 30% from 3pt. He’s only gotten better over four seasons with the Warriors that went 21-10 on the season. He had two games with 40 or more points and six games with 30 or more. At 6’2, he’ll be a perfect combo guard with Duke Deen that can help fill the void that Hickman left behind.

Duke Deen and Darius Hannah are the most crucial returning pieces for the Braves. Both players were named to the preseason Missouri Valley Conference First Team. While Deen is undersized at 5’8, he makes up for it with his sharpshooting abilities. Last season, he averaged a career high 13.9 points on 43.7% shooting overall and 38.1% from 3pt. He also racked up 3.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. Deen had two 30+ point games against Missouri State and Indiana State. The Missouri State performance was magical as Deen shot 13-17 overall and 9-12 from beyond the arc. Deen is as craft of a guard as it gets, so adding Connor Dillon as a weapon beside him, this Braves team will be an offensive weapon.

Darius Hannah helped the Braves lock it down in the paint last season. At 6’9, he averaged 1.2 blocks and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 61.2% from the floor for 11.5 points a game. He’s a prolific rebounder as he averaged 6.3 a game last season and racked up seven or more rebounds in 19 games. Teaming up with Corey Thomas is going to let Coach Wardle have a brick wall in the paint preventing other teams from driving to the basket.

Christian Davis has an opportunity to slide into the starting rotation coming off a strong junior season. At 6’7, he slots in as a wing with a strong offensive ability. He shot 40.2% overall and 31.2% from 3pt last season on 7.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Last season, he started in 11 games, but you could imagine a lineup of Deen, Dillon, Davis, Hannah, and Thomas which is an impressive starting five on paper.

Demarion Burch, Almar Atlason, and Ahmet Jonovic are all going to be playing key roles on this deep Bradley team as well. Burch is coming off a strong freshman campaign where he averaged 4.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists on 44.1% shooting overall and 37.5% shooting from beyond the arc. He had some strong games including a 13 points performance against Evansville on 5-5 shooting. Look for the incoming sophomore to take another step forward to build off a great start to his career.

Almar Atlason also had a strong freshman campaign where he was named to the All-Freshman team in the Missouri Valley while averaging 4.6 points, 1.7 rebounds on 40.8% shooting overall and 41% from 3pt. The 6’8 forward from Iceland has a tremendous shooting ability which with his height allows him to stretch defenders. His best game of the season came against Tarleton State where he dropped 18 points on 6-7 shooting from 3pt. Atlason started in 19 games as a freshman, so don’t be surprised if he starts in a fair share his sophomore season as well.

Ahmet Jonovic is a 7’1 sophomore who provides excellent depth down low. Last season, he averaged 3.6 points and two rebounds per game on 47.1% shooting across 25 games. His playing time evaporated towards the end of the season in conference play, however, he still had some productive games including a 15 point, six rebound, and three assist performance against Valparaiso. Jonovic won’t break the starting five this season, but he’ll provide some crucial size off the bench.

Connor Linke, Cade Hardtke, and Goanar Biliew all provide more depth at their respective positions. Linke is entering his 5th year in Peoria where he has played in 54 games thus far. At 6’9, he provides emergency depth, but last season he made the most of his opportunities. He entered the rotation starting on February 21st and in his first three games he averaged two points and 5.6 rebounds. He’s a veteran leader in the locker room and can step up when needed.

Cade Hardtke appeared in 21 games, but averaged just 0.6 points and 0.5 rebounds in 4 minutes per game. Similarly, Goanar Biliew appeared in just five games, failing to score in any appearance. Both players should expect to see similar roles on a team that is just as deep as their were last season.

The two incoming freshman might have a hard time breaking the rotation immediately as the Braves are going to have their eyes set on a Missouri Valley Conference Championship, however, both players have some intriguing upside. JaQuan Johnson is listed as 5’11 and held offers from Kennesaw State, SIUE, and Grambling State. Johnson averaged 27.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, six assists, and four steals during his junior season at Milwaukee Pius XI Catholic High School. Despite being a bit undersized, Johnson can absolutely light up the floor. Look for Wardle to develop Johnson as a replacement from Duke Deen who is in his final season of eligibility.

Timoty van der Knaap is a bit of an underrated pickup. The 6’9 forward played for Bertam Tortona in the U20 league where he averaged 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and one assist per game. Bradley was his only offer, but his size and ability to knock shots down raises his potential ceiling. He probably won’t break the rotation in his first season, so he could be redshirt to allow him to develop in Bradley’s system.

Preseason Expectations

This is a dangerous Bradley Braves team who’s ceiling is winning the Missouri Valley Conference and returning to the NCAA Tournament. There’s a lot of unknowns with what the Missouri Valley will look like this season, however, Bradley is returning some top tier talent while filling their departures with some key pieces to ensure that Braves are gearing up for a run.

Offensively, the Braves have a plethora of options. Leading the way will be Duke Deen with Connor Dillon not far behind at guard. Duke Deen is an elite sharpshooter, while Dillon will most likely retract a bit transferring up to Division I, but regardless will still be an impressive weapon. Atlason shot 41% from beyond the arc, making him a crucial piece to the offensive puzzle. Down low, they’ll be able to dish it out to Darius Hannah and Corey Thomas. Having Zek Montgomery rejoin the team provides another shooter in the lineup, who in his previous stint shot over 40%. Christian Davis has great size and can help stretch the floor as well. Everywhere you look with this roster, there are scorers, regardless of whether they are 5’8 or 6’10.

Defensively, Darius Hannah and Corey Thomas are going to lock down the paint. We hit quite a bit of Thomas’ strong rebounding and shot blocking abilities. Hannah can also alter shots as the senior had three or more blocks in six games last season, while averaging 1.3 steals. From the guards, Duke Deen and Connor Dillon both racked up two or more steals in seven games. Last season, the Braves ranked 50th in opponents points per game last season, however, they did lose Missouri Valley Defensive Player of the Year Malevy Leons. Despite this loss, Bradley is still aiming towards being a stout defensive team.

Looking at their schedule, the Braves will most likely have to win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament to earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Myrtle Beach Invitation is full of fun mid-major teams, with Middle Tennessee, Ohio, Portland, Princeton, South Florida, Texas State, and Wright State, which is a great opportunity for Bradley. There’s some other strong teams, such as, San Francisco, Santa Clara, and Washington State, however, it won’t be good enough to earn at at-large bid. However, this is easily a 20+ win season, potentially even 23-25 if everything comes together as expected.

The Bradley Braves are my preseason favorites to win the Missouri Valley Conference. They are deep and have a ton of experience among their players. Their pickups in the portal were perfect to fill the holes of Leons and Hickman. There’s sharpshooters, shot blockers, monster rebounds, and crafty guards, which is a perfect storm for a team that can make a deep run this season. Bradley Braves fans should be ecstatic about what could be their next NCAA Tournament team this season.

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