'We didn't have it': Bradley basketball ousted from NIT with second-round loss to Cincinnati

The Bradley Braves couldn't stop the son of a star NFL running back and found themselves sacked from the 2023-24 season Saturday.

The No. 3-seeded Braves fell 74-57 to No. 2 seed Cincinnati in the second round of the National Invitational Tournament at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Cincinnati guard Jizzle James — the son of retired NFLer Edgerrin James — scored a game-high 25 points in his first career start, filling in for injured starter Day Day Thomas.

BOX SCORE: Cincinnati 74, Bradley 57

"Day Day is a great defender," Bradley coach Brian Wardle said. "But I was scared that James was going to play a lot more today, to be honest. And that's because he can get going offensively and be a problem offensively and he did today. He's a dynamic player and he can really score.

"He got going on us."

Bradley got 14 points from guard Connor Hickman, and 16 points and six rebounds from forward Malevy Leons in his final college game.

The Braves earn praise

Cincinnati coach Wes Miller was effusive in his assessment of BU after the game, which saw his second-seeded team head to the quarterfinals against the winner of Sunday's game between No. 1 seed Indiana State and Minnesota.

"You look at where that program was when he (Wardle) got it," Miller said. "It was in a bad place. Now they have sustained success in one of the best mid-major leagues in America.

"I don't know how many postseasons in a row of either NCAA or NIT, but it's year after year and that's extremely rare. I'm really pleased with the win, we beat a really good team and a really good program."

Wardle, flanked on the postgame podium by Hickman and Leons, was asked how he has built and maintained Bradley as one of the top mid-major programs in the nation.

"It all starts with the type of people you have in your program," he said. "What type of character you recruit. I tell my staff, we can miss on talent because it only beats us maybe twice a year, but we can not miss on character because they'll beat you every day.

"And these two guys are just super high-character guys and winners."

Fast start, faster start

The Braves only lead came on a 3-pointer from Duke Deen to open the game. Cincinnati was just too much after that, getting a combined 45 points from guard James and Dan Skillings Jr.

Cincinnati went on an 18-3 run — including a pair of 3s from forward Simas Lukosius — in a seven-minute stretch at the outset while Bradley shot 3-of-14 from the field and fell behind, 21-8.

Hickman brought them back with eight straight points, hitting a 3 at 11:23, then a driving layup 58 seconds later and another 3 at 9:49 to cut the deficit to 21-16.

Hickman drove around 7-foot center Aziz Bandaogo to get to the rim for a layup with 43 seconds left in the half. Then Leons powered down the middle of the paint for a dunk at 2 seconds and the Braves closed out the half down 36-28.

"I liked how we finished the first half, it felt good," Wardle said. "But then the first 5-6 minutes of the second half we looked a step slow. I felt if we could have a good first four or five minutes to start the second half we could be in this game to win it for sure."

Instead, the Braves were on the wrong end of a 15-7 run as Cincinnati's Skillings Jr. blazed out of the second-half gate. He poured in two layups, a free throw, a 3-pointer and a dunk in a span of 3:03 to push out a 50-35 lead.

"Cincy's length and size bothered us at times," Wardle said. "But we're better than that. It's something that's probably going to eat at me all offseason.

"We kept running into screens … we weren't doing what we were supposed to do. They hit 10 3s and we hit 5. It's going to be really hard to win here if that's the case."

Down the stretch

Hickman tried to will Bradley back with a driving layup over 7-foot center Aziz Bandaogo. Then Christian Davis delivered a slick layup driving along the baseline and after a media break Kyle Thomas hit a mid-range jumper to pull the Braves within 62-53.

But James answered with a fast break layup-and 1, then a pull-up jumper, to shove BU back down, 67-53, with four minutes left.

"They were the better team today for sure," Wardle said. "50-50 balls, rebounds, all those big effort plays we lacked a little bit, and that's not the Bradley way, that's not how we played.

"We didn't have it today."

The Braves head home with a 23-12 record and, like all teams in college basketball's new era, brace for the transfer portal next.

They said it

• Bradley coach Brian Wardle: "It's a good group of men I've got in that locker room. We had fun this year, got better, we improved, we grew."

• Wardle on former assistant coach Drew Adams, who helped him build these Braves before leaving for the Cincinnati coaching staff: "Drew Adams is a brother to me, helped me rebuild Bradley."

• Cincinnati freshman guard Jizzle James, who threw down a game-high 25 points in his first career start while his father, ex-NFL running back Edgerrin James, looked on, when asked when he started feeling good about himself and what comes next: "First shot. First shot, yeah. Move on with a big-game mentality, just do what we did today. Never look too far ahead, that's our mentality."

• Bradley forward Malevy Leons, low-key as always after the final game of his college career: "(Tried to) Just play my game like I have all year. Capitalize on what was there."

• Braves guard Connor Hickman, who had 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the first half and 2 points on 1-of-4 shooting in the second half while matched up primarily with Dan Skillings Jr: "I thought I was getting better shots in the first half. Second half, I kind of let his physicality get into me a little bit. I can't really let that take me out of the game."

Bravely Speaking

Bradley shot 32.4% from the field in the first half. The Braves were just 5 of 23 from 3-point range for the game. … Cincinnati was 10 of 28 from 3, including 5 of 13 effort from Simas Lukosius. … The Braves got six points and eight rebounds from Christian Davis. … BU guard Duke Deen was held to five points and shot 1 of 8 from 3-point range. … Connor Hickman had 14 points and grabbed 3 rebounds, while Malevy Leons' final game produced 16 points and 6 rebounds with a steal in 34 minutes. … Leons finished his season with 51 blocks and 54 steals. He ended his magnificent 3-year career at Bradley with 137 blocks and 126 steals. … Bradley got a combined 7 points from starters Duke Deen, Darius Hannah and Almar Atlason, the latter who did not attempt a shot in eight minutes. … BU is now 27-20 all-time in the NIT.

NIT 2024: What to know about National Invitational Tournament schedule, times, TV

Bradley vs Cincinnati highlights from NIT second round

2:55 p.m.: FINAL: Cincinnati 74, Bradley 57

2:42 p.m.: Braves running out of time

Bradley got a jumper from Kyle Thomas to close within 62-53. But Jizzle James answered with a fast break layup-and 1, then a pull-up jumper, to shove BU back down, 67-53, with four minutes left.

James, in his first career start and playing in front of his father, former NFL running back Edgerrin James, has poured in 25 points.

2:35 p.m.: Braves down by 11

Connor Hickman with a driving layup over Bandaogo, then Christian Davis with a slick layup driving along the baseline, send Bradley to the 8-under break down 62-51.

Leons has 16 with 8 rebounds. Hickman has 14. Davis with a nice game, 6 points and 8 rebounds.

2:33 p.m.: The Braves battle on

Christian Davis with a pair of layups and Leons with a flashy layup in between for a little 6-0 run as Bradley cuts deficit to 56-43 with 12 minutes left.

2:18 p.m.: Skillings, Skillings, Skillings

The Braves on the wrong end of a 15-7 run as Cincinnati's Dan Skillings blazes out of the second-half gate. He pours in two layups, a free throw, a 3-pointer and a dunk in a span of 3:03 to push out a 50-35 lead.

1:52 p.m.: By the numbers

Bradley gets 12 from Connor Hickman and nine from Malevy Leons. Christian Davis adds 6 rebounds.

Cincinnati gets 14 from guard Jizzle James in his first start of the season. He is the son of former NFL running back Edgerrin James. Simas Lukosius has 12 on four 3-pointers.

Bradley still in it despite shooting 32.4% in the first half.

1:48 p.m.: HALFTIME

Cincinnati 36, Bradley 28

1:45 p.m.: Braves hang close

Connor Hickman drives around 7-foot center Aziz Bandaogo to get to the rim for a layup with 43 seconds left.

Malevy Leons down the middle of the paint for a dunk at 2 seconds.

The Braves close out the half down 36-28.

1:18 p.m.: Braves shooting cold

Bradley opens 3 of 13 from the floor and slips into a 19-8 deficit with 12:26 left in the first half.

1:08 p.m.: Braves in quick hole

The Braves open the game with a 3 from Duke Deen. But Cincinnati pours in 12 of the next 14 points -- including a pair of 3s from Lukosius -- to build a 12-5 lead at the first media break.

Lukosius has hit 10 of his last 12 3-point attempts at Fifth Third Arena.

1:02 p.m.: Cincy guard is out

Bearcats guard Day Day Thomas had started every game this season before today's tilt. He is out with an ankle injury.

Jizzle James starts in his place and matches up against Duke Deen.

12:55 p.m.: The starters

Bradley opens with guards Connor Hickman and Duke Deen, and forwards Darius Hannah, Malevy Leons and Almar Atlason.

Cincinnati sends out guards Dan Skillings Jr., Jizzle James, John Newman III, forward Simas Lukosius and center Aziz Bandaogo.

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 pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.

What channel is Bradley vs. Cincinnati on today? How to watch, stream live

• Stream: ESPN+

Bradley will tip off vs. Cincinnati on ESPN+

Bradley vs Cincinnati start time, TV info, location

• Start time: 1 p.m. CT

• TV info: ESPN+

• Location: Fifth Third Bank Arena, Cincinnati, Ohio

PREVIEW, PREDICTION: Bradley vs Cincinnati in 2024 NIT second-round game

Bradley vs Cincinnati stats

BRADLEY

• PPG: 74.6

• PPG allowed: 66.9

• FG% .475

• 3PT%: .371

• KenPom ranking: 59

CINCINNATI

• PPG: 74.6

• PPG allowed: 68.0

• FG% .440

• 3PT%: .325

• KenPom ranking: 42

TRANSFER PORTAL: Which Missouri Valley basketball players are in the NCAA transfer portal?

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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Bradley vs. Cincinnati: Recap of NIT second-round basketball game