Develop and Succeed

MVC Top Seeds Do Both

(St. Louis, MO) – Belmont and Bradley are the top two seeds heading into this year’s Missouri Valley Conference basketball tournament. These two programs have the rare ability to develop and succeed at the same time.

Develop means ‘to make fuller, bigger, better, etc.‘ – Webster’s New World Dictionary.

Head coaches Casey Alexander (Belmont) and Brian Wardle (Bradley) have built sustainable success through the establishing of standards and through player development.

During all seven seasons at Belmont, Alexander’s teams have won twenty or more games. Dating back to his time at Lipscomb, Alexander’s twenty-win season streak sits at ten. The Bruin program has turned the trick for sixteen straight seasons.

Wardle’s Bradley squads have climbed that twenty-win ladder seven times in eleven seasons and in four-in-a-row. He accomplished that feat twice at Green Bay before coming to Peoria, Illinois.

While Belmont’s blue-print has always included recruiting freshmen, often red-shirting them and developing both their skills and athleticism, this is particularly unique in 2026.

Valley fans have watched Wardle’s teams bring in players and watch them grow into stars. His ability to help his teams improve during the season is one of the true strengths of the Bradley program.

Bruins Develop and Succeed

While the Bruins (26-5, 16-4) have maintained their twenty-win per season streak, Alexander admits he and Belmont had to adjust to the more physical and talented Missouri Valley Conference. During his three seasons coaching in the Ohio Valley Conference, the Bruins won .802 of their games and never lost more than eight games in a season.

The transition to the MVC wasn’t as easy as the Bruins’ next three seasons were still very good, winning .642 of their games, they weren’t winning conference championships and never lost fewer than eleven games.

But Alexander was committed to develop and succeed. The former Rick Byrd assistant, of course recruits the portal, but he continues to recruit players that fit the Belmont system and red-shirt players when needed or preferable.

This season looks more Belmont-like, in terms of its team success. Alexander knows there is work to do, but he is pleased with how his team has performed, heading to St. Louis, but knows there is work to be done.

 

Even the transfers seem to fit the system and improve with time.

MVC ‘Player of the Year’ candidate Tyler Lundblade is the obvious head-liner on this year’s team. Alexander’s star is significantly better this year compared to last season, when he led the nation in three-point percentage. He’s been able to develop and succeed.

Alexander enjoys the way his young roster has grown and matured. Five of Belmont’s top of the rotation players are freshmen or sophomores. Jack Smiley is a ‘true’ freshman and Bez Jenkins and Eoin Dillon are ‘red-shirt rookies’. Drew Scharnowski and Sam Orme are red-shirt sophomores.

 

This young squad could be very good, for a long time.

Bradley’s Constant Improvement

The Braves (20-11, 13-7) are shockingly young and old, all at the same time. Four seniors play key roles on this year’s team, but sophomores and freshmen are impossible to overlook.

Wardle says this season has been enjoyable, but the work to build this team into a successful unit has been an unpredictable journey. He says seeing growth is enjoyable.

 

‘Player of the Year’ candidate Jaquan Johnson is the Valley’s second leading scorer (16.9 ppg), leads the league in steals and is fifth in assists. The (not) 5’11 Johnson is the unquestioned leader of this team.

Wardle says the development of his seniors has been a key ingredient to recent success. Longer term players Ahmet Jonovic and Corey Thomas had to grow into much bigger roles than ever before. Outstanding grad-transfer Alex Huibregste needed to learn how to defend the way Wardle demands. James Madison transfer A.J. Smith has improved all season.

Wardle says the growth of his seniors and improvement of his young players has made this a season to develop and succeed.

 

He knew Johnson had a chance to be very good, but could he be like a ‘franchise quarterback’? The flashes he saw during Johnson’s rookie year gave him confidence. Wardle says that Johnson has ‘learned to live it, not just love it’.

 

Top Arch Madness Seeds

Neither of these teams were picked to win the regular season title. Illinois State was the clear favorite and most people saw Northern Iowa as the next, most likely candidate. But here they are.

Casey Alexander and Brian Wardle develop and succeed. How will they fare during the three days of Arch Madnes? That’s the magic of college basketball. We don’t know.

The Redbirds, Murray State and Illinois Chicago, and all look dangerous as top five seeds. Even Thursday participants Southern Illinois and Valparaiso are playing their best basketball and Northern Iowa is always a threat.

All eleven Valley teams are looking for ways to develop and succeed.

Do Good