Anybody searching for reasons for the Bradley Braves’ drastic turn of fortunes in the last three games need not look too far. Or too high.
While the vastly improved defense has been a team-wide event in the Braves’ 2-1 resurgence in which they’ve gone from allowing 85 points a game to 54, the individual who deserves the most credit for the turnaround is probably 6-foot junior point guard Sam Maniscalco.
While Maniscalco has been one of the team’s leaders since his freshman year, his improved health of late has energized his game on both ends.
In the last six games, Maniscalco has averaged 17 points while shooting 56 percent from the field and 42 percent from 3-point range.
“Sammy’s a huge reason why we’ve been on this run,” said teammate Sam Singh. “He’s a leader on the floor and when he picks it up, the team picks it up. Taylor (Brown) and Drew (Warren) are getting so much attention from other teams. Sammy has seen an opportunity and capitalized.”
The opportunity began earlier this season in a doctor’s office. Specifically in the office of one of Bradley’s team physicians, orthopedic specialist Dr. James Maxey.
The BU medical team has been diligently trying to bring Maniscalco some relief to his troublesome feet and ankles the last two seasons. A series of seemingly sprained ankles and bruised feet became chronically painful, but X-rays didn’t reveal any major injury.
“He never had any swelling like a normal ankle injury,” said BU athletic trainer Marcus Ohnemus. “Then Dr. Maxey recognized it as a problem with the range of motion in the subtalar joint in the ankle. We started addressing it with whirlpool, range of motion and strengthening exercises and he’s gotten significantly better. It’s a long, slow process, but he’s turned the corner now.”
Maniscalco has not missed a single contest in his 92-game Bradley career and has been among the team leaders in minutes each season.
“He’s probably the toughest kid I know,” Singh said. “You have to chain him to the bench to keep him from practicing. I see all the treatment he does every day before practice, after practice. But Sammy doesn’t ever let it affect him.”
Said Ohnemus: “His (pain tolerance) is really high. But he’s pretty good now about being honest with me. I don’t have to guess like I did his first couple of years.”
Ask Maniscalco about the ongoing battle with his lower extremities and he minimizes the subject.
“I just have sore, weak ankles; that’s just the way it is,” he said. “It’s nothing drastic. Just some soreness that 90 percent of Division I basketball players go through. You certainly don’t make excuses for it.”
It’s obvious by his improved mobility on the court that the current treatment is working.
“We’re finding a consistent treatment that’s stabilizing my ankles,” he said. “I wouldn’t point the finger to that helping my production. I’m just trying to be aggressive, be myself and set a tone for these guys with my energy and enthusiasm.”
Said BU coach Jim Les: “When Sammy is healthy and has a bounce in his step, it’s infectious for our basketball team. He’s close to 100 percent now.”
It has made a huge difference to the Braves.
“I haven’t really been doing anything different, just trying to be aggressive, be myself and set a tone for these guys with my energy and enthusiasm,” he said. “When we guard and hold teams in the 50s, we know what we have to do. All the ups and downs we’ve been through contributes to it as well. Seeing where we can get to when we do that, the sky’s the limit.”
The Chicago native doesn’t want to break any cardinal rules about looking too far ahead. But he acknowledged the Braves’ preseason goals were to win the Missouri Valley Conference championship and reach the NCAA tournament.
“But in order to win the Valley, we have to win Saturday against Evansville and Wednesday against Creighton,” he said. “It’s one game at a time, one practice at a time. We’re taking the right steps in (turning the corner). There’s a lot of basketball to be played. We’re seeing flashes of what we can be and what we want to be come March. We’re certainly not a finished product.”
But the team’s prospects are much, much brighter than they were two weeks ago when the team was reeling from a 19-point loss at Missouri State.
They can start by thanking their captain. And their medical staff.
Mike Williams update: Anyone wishing to send cards to former Brave Mike Williams, who’s recovering from gunshot wounds, can write to him at Shepherd Center, Room 535A, 2020 Peachtree Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30309-1465.
Dave Reynolds can be reached at 686-3210 or dreynolds@pjstar.com.
