Reynolds: Adjusting attitudes, alarms

The Bradley Braves received an early wakeup call Monday morning following their revolting 87-68 loss Sunday at Iowa State.

Denied Bradley gear, the Braves donned their own gym clothes and endured a grueling, two-hour basketball practice at  Haussler Hall. Seven hours later, they were back at it again.

“It was a step in the right direction,” BU coach Jim Les said.

Tuesday will mark another two-workout day. Another early session is planned Wednesday morning before the players are released for Christmas break. They’ll return Saturday and begin preparations in earnest for the Missouri Valley Conference opener Tuesday at Drake.

When asked about his comments Sunday when he referred to “luxuries” being taken away from the Braves, Les didn’t get into specifics.

“Let’s just say I’m trying to get their attention with a number of things,” he said. “We’ll see if it works.

“Unfortunately, we’ve gotten to a point where some have realized that the competitiveness and the depth we had a number of weeks ago is no longer there (because of injuries to Dodie Dunson and Dyricus Simms-Edwards). So there’s almost this ‘Well, I have to play’ mentality. The attention to detail, focus and what we need to do to have success has slipped.

“The greatest motivator always is playing time and the bench. We’re addressing some of the attitudes and we’re opening up playing time to everybody.”

One who benefited Sunday was freshman guard Jake Eastman, who played in his first college game since his redshirt was lifted following Simms-Edwards’ foot injury. Eastman played 16 minutes and was 1-for-8 from the field, for four points. He also had a team-high five rebounds.

The 6-foot-4 Eastman said he wasn’t concerned about the bigger, more-athletic Cyclones who were dismantling his teammates.

“I was just worried about myself, getting the nerves out and shaking the rust off,” he said. “When I’m told to go to the offensive boards, I just go hard on every shot. It’s a good way to get into the game coming off the bench instead of taking a 3 or something.

“Obviously, I’m not the most athletic guy out there. I just try to go in and get position and maybe get a tip.”

Said Les: “I just told Jake to go play hard and compete. What does he do? Get a couple of offensive rebounds in the first couple of possessions he’s in the game. I guess we’ll look to a freshman to create some identity for this team.”

In the coach’s mind, that identity revolves around a strong work ethic and toughness.

“We’re going into our league season,” he said. “It’s going to be a tough league and I need the guys who are going to step up and show me that hard work and concentration night in and night out.”

That’s the big-picture outlook. But nobody is talking about Drake or the Valley much just yet.    

“For now, we’re emphasizing who we are, who we need to be and how we’re approaching the game,” Les said. “We’re emphasizing the pride we need to take when we put the jersey on and living up to the responsibility when we put the jersey on.

“That’s not to be perfect, not to win every game, but to have an approach, an attitude, a work ethic and an enthusiasm that needs to come about from putting on that jersey.”

Valley views: Despite Bradley’s recent woes, the MVC is off to a 70-29 nonconference start, the second-best winning percentage (.707) in 46 years. Nineteen nonleague games remain until the February BracketBuster series. ... Missouri State’s 10-0 start is the first time since 1996-97 the Bears have won their initial 10 games. They are just one of eight teams nationally that haven’t lost. ... The Valley holds a 4-3 edge in the inaugural Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge Series. The final two games are this week — San Diego State at Drake and Wyoming at Northern Iowa. ... Wichita State guard Clevin Hannah is the Valley Player of the Week for his 24-point effort in a victory over No. 16 Texas Tech. Northern Iowa freshman guard Marc Sonnen is the Newcomer of the Week for his 7-for-8 shooting from 3-point range in a victory over North Dakota.

Dave Reynolds is a Journal Star sports reporter. He can be reached at dreynolds@pjstar.com or 686-3210.