There’s a rumor going around Bradley’s campus. Hushed whispers, stolen words, messages left encoded on walls in every academic building: Bradley University has a women’s basketball team. And they might be good. Really good.
Last year, apparently under the cover of night, the Women’s basketball team won 20 games, went 10-8 in the conference and won 12 out of their 15 games at home. They only lost 10 games in the entirety of the season. They finished 5th in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), the best finish in close to a decade. They’re returning three players who scored more than 12.5 points, which just so happens to be the first time in University history. They’re earning the respect of their peers, too. In the MVC pre-season poll, they were predicted to finish fourth in the conference, according to the coaches and other sports medias and directors affiliated with the MVC. That’s the highest they’ve been picked in that poll since the 1991-1992 preseason.
It’s not just the outside voices that think the team might be good. Inside the building, there’s a growing confidence that they’ve got something special on their hands. In a recent interview, recently promoted Assistant Head Coach Paul Fessler said that the team has “high expectations, …(we want) to be in contention for the MVC title.” He said that there was “no complacency” after winning 20 games last season, that it “feels great, but I want to continue it.”
The season officially starts November 8th against Oakland, but to kick off the season, there was a Red-White scrimmage on the 15th. It served as a primer, aiming to start off the hype for the season early. While the aim was there, the results were less than enthusiastic.
Around 400 people showed up to watch the scrimmage. That wouldn’t be so bad in and of itself, but as I asked around in the crowd, the consensus for those who went to women’s game was this: “This crowd is bigger than a normal game.”
Going around in the stands during the scrimmage, I asked two spectators to offer their thoughts on the team. Larry Larson said, “We go to most of the women’s games. There’s a lot of potential; the games are entertaining. They’re young. They play a good brand of basketball.”
Joey Wright agreed, and when I asked why they think there’s not a large crowd, his answer was succinct: “There’s not enough publicity.”
Joey makes a good point. Nobody is talking about the women’s basketball team on campus. There’s the occasional poster, but it’s on the same wall as that one poster that’s trying to sell you on a pyramid scheme, and that’s where the coverage really ends. No events, no announcements, no nothing.
That’s the big flaw with team. Bradley isn’t known for it’s school spirit, and the lethargy is palpable. In classes, it’s not rare to see more 3rd party college shirts than Bradley attire. The homecoming celebration this year didn’t feature either basketball team. There’s nothing telling the student body that this is a good team, and that they are right down the street from the dorms.
It’s the biggest secret on Main street; the ladies who reside in the Renaissance Coliseum might be the ones holding on to the MVC trophy when it’s all said and done. This is a talented group of individuals, with just enough achievement to be considered weathered, while not enough to be considered decorated. They want wins, but they also want fans.
In the interview with Coach Fessler, he made it known how much he wants Bradley to pay attention to the team. The coach said that he hopes more people will come to the games, and take part in what could be a winning season. He thinks they’re poised for something big, and he wants the community to be a part of it too.