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Bradley Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for Braves

By Jason Burgess

ST. LOUIS, MO - MARCH 10: Members of the Bradley Braves celebrate after beating the Northern Iowa Panthers in the final game of MVC Basketball Tournament at the Enterprise Center on March 10, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Bradley Braves beat the Northern Iowa Panthers 57-54 to win the MVC Championship. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO - MARCH 10: Members of the Bradley Braves celebrate after beating the Northern Iowa Panthers in the final game of MVC Basketball Tournament at the Enterprise Center on March 10, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri. The Bradley Braves beat the Northern Iowa Panthers 57-54 to win the MVC Championship. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /
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ST. LOUIS, MO – MARCH 10: Head coach Brian Wardle of the Bradley Braves reacts to an official’s call against the Northern Iowa Panthers during the final game of the MVC Basketball Tournament at the Enterprise Center on March 10, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO – MARCH 10: Head coach Brian Wardle of the Bradley Braves reacts to an official’s call against the Northern Iowa Panthers during the final game of the MVC Basketball Tournament at the Enterprise Center on March 10, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /

Can Bradley repeat the title run?

Bradley begins the year with a game at Saint Joseph’s on Nov. 5 and then they don’t hit the road again just before Thanksgiving. Before then they host IUPUI, UIC, Norfolk State, and Radford before they head to Florida for a tournament where they face Northwestern and then a game with either Pittsburgh or Kansas State the day before Thanksgiving.

December begins with a trip to Memphis for a key non-conference game, which is followed by a three-game homestand with North Carolina A&T, Maryville and Georgia Southern. Their non-conference schedule finishes up with a pair of games against Mid-American Conference teams in Miami-OH and Toledo.

Bradley was able to sneak up on some league opponents after their slow start in MVC play, but they won’t be able to do that in 2019. Like can be the case with a lot of mid-major teams, they will be heavily reliant on their starting five, but their success may come down to what kind of production, both on offense and defense they get from their bench.

Next. Toughest non-conference schedules for 2019-20. dark

The defense will keep Bradley as one of the main players in the Missouri Valley, but if there is something that keeps the Braves from having this upcoming campaign as successful as their 2018-19 season was, it will again be an offense that struggles at times.