Bradley Club Basketball started off their practices this week, preparing for their first tournament on November 10th, here at Bradley against Mizzou. The Braves had somewhat of a disappointing season in 2018, and with the addition of some new boys to the team look to rebound into more success this season. The Braves finished 4th in their NCBBA conference last year, but with an entirely new conference this year, their hopes are renewed.
Watching a club practice at Bradley looks a lot like watching a normal evening of pick-up basketball at the Markin Rec Center, except the skill level is clearly a lot higher, and the competition is palpable. For senior guard Nathan Treysman, the team is for fun yes, but he is also here for the competition. “The nice thing about club basketball is it’s for guys who didn’t want to or couldn’t play D1, but still want that competitive college ball environment. It’s D2 or D3 and we still travel to play, so it still feels like a competitive college team” said Treysman.
For some of the guys on the Club basketball team, this isn’t all for the competition. For some like sophomore guard Michael Baylard, this is for the friendship and comradery as well. “Growing up, I met some of my best friends playing basketball. Whether they were on my team or not, I always seemed to get along with guys just playing the game. There’s something about it that brings unity to everyone” said Baylard.
Senior guard Jamal Stevenson echoed that sentiment, saying that this team has been a home for him the last four years. “I’ve been on this team since my freshman year, and I am a senior now. This group of guys have grown up together and really build each other up. I hadn’t played much organized ball before in high school but club basketball has made me love it.”
The Braves last season went 4-8 on the season, including a disappointing 0-6 record at home. It was clear when speaking with the team that this is an area they need to improve on, and that they believe this group of guys, young and old, can be something special.
“Last year I was getting a lot of the rebounds, and since I am a 5 foot 9 inch guard, that isn’t very good. But we have added a lot of height, some height that can shoot, and it will definitely improve our all around game.” said Stevenson.
Last season the Braves had a very young team, that was lacking in height and experience. With a majority of their roster being veteran players, and with the infusion of some young talent that will round out their game nicely, the Braves should absolutely improve their 4-8 record from a year ago. Look for the Braves in the Markin Center the weekend of November 9th and 10th to see if this truly is the team to go all the way.
Video: https://youtu.be/PmFqfKfKSoc