The Bradley men’s basketball team returns a number of standout players to go with key additions as it looks to again contend for the Missouri Valley Conference title and NCAA Tournament bid.
The youngest team in the Valley one year ago, the Braves return nine letterwinners from a roster that peaked at the end of the season and finished with an 11-7 conference record – tied for its most wins against league foes during the last 21 campaigns.
Highlighting the returnees is junior forward Rienk Mast. A third-team all-conference selection last season (one of just two underclassmen to receive the honor), Mast became just the fourth Brave in 70 seasons as a member of the Valley to lead the league in rebounding with 8.4 boards per game. He also picked up his offensive game during the second half of the season – averaging 14.8 points on 52.1 percent shooting during the year’s final 17 games.
Joining Mast in one of the most talented frontcourts in the league is graduate student Ja’Shon Henry and senior Malevy Leons. A preseason all-conference selection last year, Henry appeared in only 11 minutes during the season’s final 21 contests due to injuries. The fifth-year player was averaging 11.2 points and 5.1 rebounds per game during the season’s first 10 contests. Leons also had a strong debut season for BU with 9.9 points and 5.9 boards per game.
The returners anchoring the backcourt are senior Ville Tahvanainen and sophomores Connor Hickman and Zek Montgomery. Tahvanainen battled through a foot injury that required surgery in the postseason, averaging 7.1 points and leading BU with 47 made 3-pointers in 2021-22. Both Hickman and Montgomery showed flashes during their true rookie campaigns. An MVC All-Freshman Team honoree, Hickman was second among MVC rookies with 6.8 points, 34 made 3-pointers and 35 assists, while Montgomery tallied 44 points in the season’s final nine contests after totaling 34 in the first 22 games.
Two newcomers will look to carry the Braves from the point guard position, needing to replace first-team honoree Terry Roberts. Duke Deen joins BU after earning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year honors last season, posting 9.0 points and 3.2 assists per game at Troy. Additionally, James “Pop” Weathers joins BU after finishing as the only player at the junior college level to average 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals in 2021-22.
The Braves will be tested right from the start as a challenging non-conference schedule includes up to five games against teams that have qualified in at least one of the last two NCAA Tournaments, highlighted by marquee contests versus Arkansas and Auburn.