Latest news with #CleveInTheEve
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bradley men's basketball adds a left-handed guard from the high school ranks
PEORIA — The Bradley Braves men's basketball team added a freshman guard to the mix Wednesday for the 2025-26 season. Jackson Seastrunk, a 6-foot-4, left-handed combo guard, played in the Houston area at Xavier Academy, alongside Bradley point guard signee Montana Wheeler. Seastrunk announced on Wednesday he committed to Bradley after visiting the school. Advertisement He is expected to formally sign as early as Thursday, and the Braves will likely redshirt him as a freshman given their roster. Bradley is also seeking a developmental player at the center position. Seastrunk posted a 3.5 GPA academically, and was a solid scoring piece that complemented Wheeler. He was named to the Texas High School Association All-State Super-Elite team. He was also a Texas Association of Basketball Coaches All-Region team selection. More: What Bradley's basketball coach said about 3 newcomers from the transfer portal, plus what's next He averaged 17.5 points per game, 4.5 rebounds per game and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 44% from the field and 27% from 3-point range. Advertisement Xavier went 18-3 in the 2024-25 season and 9-0 in the TAPPS 3A District 5. Xavier was ranked No. 11 in the state by MaxPreps. Bradley now has 14 players rostered for the 2025-26 season, including walk-on Gus Rugaard. Xavier Academy (Houston, Texas) combo guard Jackson Seastrunk announced his commitment to the Bradley Braves on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@ Follow him on @icetimecleve. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Left-handed guard from Houston area chooses to play for Bradley in Peoria
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bradley basketball gets a small forward via transfer portal to boost rebounding, defense
PEORIA — Bradley basketball made a move to upgrade their rebounding and defense on Wednesday, getting senior A.J. Smith from the NCAA transfer portal. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Smith projects in a role as a small forward for the Braves, with a strong history built at Southern Indiana and James Madison. He announced his commitment to Bradley on social media Wednesday. Smith played his prep ball at Metro East Lutheran in Edwardsville and earned Illinois all-state honors before opening his college career at University of Southern Indiana, in Evansville. Advertisement In 2023-24, his second season with the Ohio Valley Conference program, Smith started all 31 games and reeled in 273 rebounds (8.8 per game) playing for the 8-24 team on a schedule that included Duke, Michigan State and Saint Louis. He turned in a game-high 13 rebounds and added 11 points in 34 minutes against Duke. He shot 41.3% from the floor and averaged a career-high 13.7 points per game. The business of basketball: Opt outs and Bradley's NIL collective in the NCAA portal era He was 13th in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring and fourth in the conference in rebounding. Smith moved on to James Madison for 2024-25 and started all 32 games for the Dukes in the Sun Belt Conference. He grabbed 200 rebounds (6.2 per game) and shot 42.5% from the field while averaging 7.3 points per game. AJ Smith (21) of Southern Indiana celebrates a dunk with during a game against Anderson University in 2022. Smith went on to play at James Madison and in April 2025 announced his commitment to play at Bradley University. He profiles as similar in style to former Bradley big man Ja'Shon Henry, a strong, physical inside forward who delivered toughness, rebounding and leadership during his five seasons at BU. Advertisement Smith can hit open 3s, gets fouled often (and makes those at 80%), and seems more skilled than Henry was. At James Madison, Smith had four games in which he reached 10 rebounds, and he led the team in rebounding last season. He helped lead the 20-12 Dukes to a four-way tie for first place in the conference. Bradley basketball roster 2025-26: Who has eligibility remaining and where might new faces come from Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@ Follow him on @icetimecleve. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Bradley basketball: BU gets strong, tough small forward from NCAA transfer portal
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bradley sophomore enters NCAA basketball transfer portal
PEORIA — Bradley basketball forward Almar Atlason entered the NCAA transfer portal on Friday, ending his career on the Hilltop. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward from Iceland was an excellent 3-point shooter, but his propensity to get into foul trouble drove him out of the starting lineup as the 2024-25 season progressed. Atlason was named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman Team in 2023-24. The sophomore then opened this season as a starter and shot 38.3% from 3-point range. Advertisement Bradley basketball roster 2025-26: Who has eligibility remaining and where might new faces come from Atlason had four or more fouls in the first four games of the season and fouled out of four games overall during Bradley's 28-9 campaign. Bradley's Almar Atlason (1) goes to the basket against ISU's Chase Walker in the second half of their MVC basketball game Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025 at Carver Arena in Peoria. The Braves defeated their I-74 rivals 61-57. Atlason had a career-high 28 points in an 80-77 home loss to Belmont on Feb. 5, in which he was 6 of 9 from 3-point range and grabbed six rebounds before fouling out. He appeared in 36 games, started 12, and averaged 5.7 points per game with 2.0 rebounds in 18.4 minutes. Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@ Follow him on @icetimecleve. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: NCAA transfer portal: Bradley Braves sophomore forward leaves Braves
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Which Missouri Valley Conference players are in the NCAA transfer portal? Here's the list
The 2025 NCAA transfer portal officially opened for business on Monday, March 24, launching what is college basketball's version of free agency. The Missouri Valley Conference was ranked 11th among 31 conferences scored by metric site in the 2024-25 season. That means the Valley will have plenty of player talent for Power 6 teams to raid — and raid they will as players jump into the growing trend of acquiring agents, pursuing NIL money and looking for higher-profile opportunities. More than 2,000 players used the NCAA transfer portal after the 2023-24 season. Of those, 86 players entered the portal from the MVC. That included 12 of the 16 players voted to the MVC's three all-conference teams. After one day in 2024-25, a total of 732 players are in the portal nationwide, including 29 from the Valley. The Journal Star will track the MVC players to use the portal in the aftermath of the 2024-25 season. A school listed in parentheses after the player's name indicates he chose that as his new team. None. None. Bradley basketball offers: A look at high school recruits with offers from Bradley Jr. PG Tayshawn Comer (All-MVC 2nd Team); Fr. SF Gabriel Pozzato (MVC All-Freshman Team); Sr. PG Tanner Cuff; Soph. C Michael Day; Jr. SG Cameron Haffner. None. None. Soph. PG Tyran Cook; Sr. PF Aaron Gray; Fr. PG Josiah LeGree; Soph. SG Jahni Summers. Fr. SF Jurrell Baldwin; Jr. SG Jalen Hampton; Fr. PG Makhai Valentine; Soph. PG Dez White. 2025 All-MVC awards: Full list of Missouri Valley Conference player awards for the 2024-25 season Jr. SF KyeRon Lindsay; Fr. PF John McCrear. Soph. SG Charlie Miller; Fr. PF Wes Rubin. Soph. SF Kennard Davis Jr. (All-MVC 2nd Team); Soph. PG Sheridan Sharp. Jr. SG Javon Jackson; Sr. SF Ethan Pickett; Jr. SG Josh Reaves. Fr. SG All Wright (MVC All-Freshman Team); Soph. PF Cooper Schwieger (All-MVC 2nd Team); Jr. PG Jefferson De La Cruz Monegro; Jr. SG Devon Ellis; Sr. SG Tyler Schmidt; Fr. SF Lucas Scroggins; Sr. SG Isaiah Stafford. *-Missouri State will leave the MVC after the 2024-25 season and join Conference USA starting July 1, 2025. Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@ Follow him on @icetimecleve. This article originally appeared on Journal Star: NCAA transfer portal: Missouri Valley players transferring for 2025-26
