Castleton legend seeks one more year

If you’ve gone to a Castleton men’s basketball game in the past four years, you have seen statistically one of the best basketball players to ever play at Castleton – and he’s hoping you’ll see him again next year.In the 2005-2006 season, senior captain Bryan Bradley led the Spartan to the
4th seed in the North Atlantic Conference with 460 points on the season. He was also
first in the conference in steals, third in the conference in three-point percentage and was an honorable mention for the NAC.

Bradley, originally from Middlebury, Vt., has played four seasons with the Spartans. But you might not have seen the end of his hoop days at Castleton because he is currently fighting to retain his freshman year where he only appeared in seven games.

Bradley says that because he was not an impact player and did not play a full season that he should be allowed to have one season back.

The NCAA, however, has very strict guidelines when allowing a player to have a year back. Bradley is very aware of that fact and has started preparing for a tryout to play Overseas as a back-up plan.

Officials from the NCAA did not return a phone call seeking a comment on Bradley’s request.

Known as “B” by his teammates, Bradley drained 70 three pointers this year, the most of any season that he has ever played in.

“I was very confident coming into the season . I had been here three years and I knew exactly what coach Shipley was going to expect,” Bradley said.

Despite his efforts, the Spartans lost in the first round of NAC tournament to Elms College, a team that went on to win the championship and qualify for the NCAA division III national tournament.

Bradley says his favorite memory of Castleton basketball is making the NCAA
tournament his sophomore year, even though they lost to Plymouth State College.

“It was crazy, I can’t even describe it,” Bradley told teammates this season in the locker room before a game at Lesley University.

Trish Moore a Castleton basketball fan and professor at Franklin Pierce College, who attended 25 of 26 games in the 2005-2006 season said Bradley was the heart and soul of the Spartans offense this year.

“Whenever we needed a big shot, especially a three, Bryan was always there to save the day,” said Moore.

Moore also added that is so easy to cheer for a young man like Bradley because of his personality on and off the court.

Bradley has defined the phrase, “sticking with it.” After only scoring 12 points in his first season he came back to average 15 points per game. Head coach Ted Shipley said

Bradley could have been an impact player a lot sooner if he had spent more time in the weight room. Shipley feels that this should be a message to his current players how vital physical strength is.

The Spartans will have a huge hole to fill if Bradley does not return to the team for the 2006-2007 season. With seven months till the Spartans hit the court again, fans will sit and pray for the return of their superstar Bryan Bradley.

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