3. #14 Malevy Lyons, 6’9″, 210 lbs., 5th-Year, F, Jmudien, Netherlands
13.7 pts, 7.1 rebs, 48.9 FG%, 33.3 3-PT FG%, 77.7 FT%, 51 blk, 53 stl, 34.5 mpg
Lyons is Bradley’s defensive leader. He was named the 2022-23 Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year becoming the first player in the conference’s history to block and 50 shots and collect 50 steals while being the only player in the NCAA with those numbers plus 200 rebounds. He has six games this season with 10 or more rebounds including 30 rebounds over his last three games. Lyons is also a great shot blocker with 11 games blocking multiple shots including a season-high six on February 28th against Southern Illinois. Lyons has 16 blocks over his last five games. Lyons also has 17 games with multiple steals including five games with multiple blocks and steals. The leader in minutes per game on the team, Lyons only has four games where he has played less than 30 minutes.
4. #35 Darius Hannah, 6’9″, 205 lbs., Sr., F, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
11.8 pts, 6.4 rebs, 62.6 FG%, 1-7 3-PT FG, 64.8 FT%, 63 ast.-67 TO, 42 blk, 46 stl, 26 mpg
Hannah is in his first full season as a starter ad has increased his scoring average by a half point over his last five games. Hannah is an efficient scorer inside, only needing 10 shots in a game nine times in 34 games. He also only has five games where he has shot under 50 percent. Six times this season Hannah has three or more blocks in a game and 14 times he has multiple steals. Five times Hannah has had games with multiple blocks and steals. Hannah is a player who can do it all and a player the Bearcats will have to keep an eye on Saturday afternoon.
5. #5 Christian Davis, 6’7″, 200 lbs., R-Jr., G/F, Denver, Colorado
7.5 pts, 4.6 rebs, 40.1 FG%, 31.9 3-PT FG%, 84.3 FT%, 40 stl, 27.1 mpg
Davis has come a long way this season, increasing his scoring average from 1.9 to 7.5. He hasn’t had a double-digit point game since January 31st, but he has had three games with multiple steals and thee games with multiple three-point makes in that stretch. In addition, he has four games with five or more rebounds since January 31st. Davis is a player who can impact the game in more ways than scoring.
6. #1 Almar Atlason, 6’8″, 230 lbs., Fr., F, Iceland
4.8 pts, 1.8 rebs, 40.8 FG%, 41% 3-PT FG, 62.5 FT%, 19.8 mpg
Atlason has five double-digit point games this season, his first at Bradley after playing one season at Sunrise Christian Academy in Wichita, Kansas. Originally from Iceland, Atlason made quite the impact for his native country at the European Championships when he was 18 years old, averaging 17.9 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
Keys to the Game
1. Rebound Missed Shots: This was my first key to the San Francisco game. The Bearcats can’t give Bradley any extra shots. Teams that can shoot well will take advantage of second chances. When shots go up, every Bearcats player should be crashing the boards on defense.
2. Be Aggressive: The Bearcats can turn Bradley over in this game. Four players have above 50 turnovers on the season on the Braves, so the Bearcats can create some offense with their defense if needed. Even if Day Day Thomas is out Saturday afternoon, Jizzle James can pick up for Thomas and add to his role of already being a player who plays hard on defense. And don’t forget about John Newman and his veteran defense.
3. Play 40 (or 45, or however many) Minutes: Even though the Bearcats had hot and cold stretches against San Francisco, it illustrated how both teams in every game are going to go on runs. What the Bearcats did against San Francisco is play 45 minutes. They kept punching back, and they threw the knockout punch when Lukosius hit the game-winning three-point shot. If they can play 40, or 45, or however many minutes against Bradley, then they will have a chance to win the game.
