Dropping the Anchor - Villanova basketball star Michael Bradley - Brief Article

BY NOW, KENTUCKY COACH Tubby Smith has probably stopped kicking himself for letting 6'10" center Michael Bradley transfer after the 1998-99 season. After all, when a team is loaded top-to-bottom with McDonald's All-Americans, why fret over losing a Quarter Pounder when a Big Mac is ready to step in?

UK's loss has most definitely been Villanova's gain. "He's just a natural," Wildcats coach Steve Lappas says of Bradley. "He's a great passer. If he were a point guard, he'd be a great player because he just has an unbelievable feel for the game?

After an early-season loss to Villanova, Temple coach John Chaney referred to Bradley as a "point-center." "He's a playmaker inside," Chaney marveled. "Everything they did flowed through him. He has great hands and is a great passer. Villanova can go a long way if they keep the ball in his hands."

Lappas' motion offense is the perfect vehicle for Bradley to show off his versatility, which was restricted at Kentucky. Smith's system had Bradley anchored in the paint, which didn't allow him to roam, display his mid-rage jump shot, and capitalize on his passing ability.

"I didn't feel like it was the right situation for me, or the right place," says Bradley. "I figured I had two years left to play, so I might as well go to a place where I can enjoy myself and become the best player I can be."

Through Villanova's first 13 games, Bradley averaged 22.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.8 blocks, shooting 38.9% from the floor.

NBA scouts are starting to flock to Villanova to take notes on Bradley: A big man who can shoot, rebound, and pass would be hard for many NBA teams to pass up.

"That's always a worry," Lappas says about Bradley entering the NBA draft. "I'm Worried but I'm not worried. We went through that with [former Villanova lottery picks] Kerry Kitties, who stayed, and Tim Thomas, who left. That's part of life. We just have to go play and let the chips fall."

COPYRIGHT 2001 Century Publishing
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group