From the beach to the backcourt, this Bradley basketball player excels

Dave Eminian, Journal Star

February 12, 2022 at 6:25 AM·5 min read

Bradley's Mikey Howell looks for a teammate to pass to in the first half Sunday, Jan. 30, 2022 at Carver Arena in Peoria. The Braves defeated the Indiana State Sycamores 67-52.

PEORIA — Mikey Howell loves to hang 10 on the beach.

But on the basketball court, the amateur surfer hung 12 on Loyola this week to help the Bradley men's basketball team knock off the first-place Ramblers.

The graduate student and point guard is part of a deep Bradley bench, and his importance came into focus last week when starting point guard Terry Roberts injured an ankle and wound up in a walking boot.

Howell stepped up big time with 12 points and four rebounds in 28 minutes against Loyola. He'll be ready again Saturday to help a Braves team keep riding a wave that has included six wins in the last seven games.

"I was that guy at UC San Diego that couldn't be replaced, there was no one behind me," said Howell, who finished at San Diego as the school's all-time assists leader with 502. "I've been in the gym every day here, making sure I'm prepared to be in that role if I'm needed. It felt good to help the team against Loyola. I came out shooting with confidence."

Bradley basketball: How Bradley basketball seized the moment and took out first-place Loyola

More basketball coverage: Missouri Valley Conference standings

Bradley coach Brian Wardle was excited last summer when Howell entered the NCAA transfer portal. BU won a recruiting battle with Texas A&M, Montana State, Northern Kentucky, Idaho and BYU.

Bradley could offer him something staying at UC San Diego could not.

"A chance to play in postseason," Howell said. "UC San Diego moved from NCAA Div.-II up to Div.-I, and with that came a mandated exclusion from March Madness. That runs through next year. I was out of time.

"This season is all I had left, and I wanted to be someplace where I could be in the postseason. I looked at Bradley, getting to the tournament twice like they did, and I wanted that experience."

Bradley's Mikey Howell passes to teammate Connor Linke in the first half Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022 at Carver Arena. The Braves defeated the Loyola Ramblers 68-61.

The Braves wanted Howell. Both sides are happy with the outcome.

"His character is very high," Wardle said. "It took some time to evolve, but he understands his role. We didn't have a player like Mikey, so he's important to us.

"He gets better every day, and I wish I could have had him two or three years here."

Go deeper: Why Mikey Howell chose Peoria over Texas A&M, BYU and more

It started in Columbus, Ohio

Howell was born in Columbus, Ohio, and lived there until he was 8, growing up in a sports-loving family with three brothers and two sisters. His father, Mike, played basketball at Dominican University. His brother, Jamal, is a linebacker right now with Toledo. Another brother, Chris, is a 6-foot-7 point guard with St. Mary's (Calif.).

"There's no way he can take me on the court," grinned the 6-foot-3 Howell, of his brother, Chris. "He's bigger, 30 pounds heavier, but I still got him."

Howell started bouncing a basketball when he was 2. When the family moved to San Diego a few years later, the game had already taken hold.

'It's definitely big': Why this is such an important week for Bradley basketball

"I just love the game, from the moment I started playing it," Howell said. "It just clicks for me."

He studied the way Chris Paul plays, and that is his dream matchup for a one-on-one.

"He's the ultimate competitor," Howell said. "He knows how to win. So if I could face an NBA player, I think I'd pick him."

And something else: In California, he started to surf.

"I have a white board with blue waves on it," Howell said. "I only started surfing a couple years ago. But I love the challenge of balance on the board and all that. It's so much fun. I'm definitely a beach guy."

For the next few weeks, though, he's a basketball guy. This is Howell's last run.

"It really hasn't hit me yet that this is it for me," Howell said. "I know time is running out on my college career. I want to pursue pro basketball. It's the next step for me."

Bradley teammates, from left to right, Mikey Howell, Terry Roberts, Rienk Mast and Malevy Leons rest during a break in the action against Evansville on Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022 at Carver Arena. The Braves defeated the Purple Aces 79-47.

How to watch or listen, and what to know about Drake at Bradley

When: 7 p.m. Saturday

Where: Carver Arena, Peoria

Watch: ESPN3

Listen: WMBD 1470-AM, 100.3-FM

Live updates: Throughout the game at pjstar.com.

Records: Bradley 14-11 (8-5), 5th in MVC. Drake 17-8 (8-4), 4th in MVC.

KenPom ranking: Bradley No. 85. Drake No. 93.

NET ranking: Bradley No. 95. Drake No. 99.

Head coaches: Bradley, Brian Wardle. Drake, Darian DeVries.

All-time series: Bradley, 91-68. In 2021-22: Bradley W 83-71.

Bradley: FG 45.0%. 3-point FG 35.2%. Top players: Guard Terry Roberts 15.2 ppg, 4.5 apg (first in MVC), 5.2 rpg; Rienk Mast 11.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg (first in MVC); Malevy Leons 10.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 40.2% from 3, team-best 30 blocks; Ja'Shon Henry 10.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg.

Drake: FG 45.3%. 3-point FG 35.6%. Freshman guard Tucker DeVries, the coach's son, team-best 13.4 ppg, 35.4% from 3; Garrett Sturtz 11.2 ppg, 7.6 rpg; guard Roman Penn 10.6 ppg, 3.6 apg.

Bradley point guard Terry Roberts was in a walking boot on Friday at the team's practice in Carver Arena. He is a game-time decision for Saturday's game against Drake.

Bravely Speaking

Bradley point guard Terry Roberts had his left ankle in a walking boot Friday and did not practice. He is again a game-time decision against Drake. ... The Braves are the hottest team in the Valley with six wins in their last seven games. That 6-1 mark is the best in the Valley since Jan. 18. ... Drake guard Roman Penn became the school's all-time leader in assists with 389, off a six-assist effort in a 66-62 loss to Missouri State on Wednesday. ... Drake forward ShanQuan "Tank" Hemphill did not play in the first meeting against Bradley in January, but is available for the rematch. ... A Bradley victory would jump the Braves over Drake and into fourth in the MVC race. ... Drake features the oldest roster in the conference at an average of 22.02 years old, and a starting lineup that checks in at 23.18 years old. Bradley is the youngest team in the Valley in terms of average age (20.78) and average starting age (20.76).

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. Reach him at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Bradley basketball's Mikey Howell has excelled in his reserve role

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It started in Columbus, Ohio

How to watch or listen, and what to know about Drake at Bradley

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