PEORIA, Ill. - The Bradley men's basketball program received a signed National Letter of Intent from Ka'Darryl Bell (Chicago, Ill./Oak Park-River Forest High School) Wednesday and the point guard will join the Braves for the 2012-13 season.

"Ka'Darryl will be a great addition to our basketball program," said first-year Braves head coach Geno Ford.  "He is a skilled player and a tremendous young man.  He will represent Bradley University in a first-class manner and I am excited about his future at Bradley."

Bell averaged 15 points per game as a junior in 2010-11 at Oak Park-River Forest High School, earning all-league honors in the West Suburban Silver Conference.  Rated among the top prospects in Illinois, the 6-foot-1, 180-pound guard also enjoyed a strong summer playing for the Full Package Athletics Elite club program this past summer.

"In order to have a winning program, you need to have quality guard play," said Ford.  "Adding Ka'Darryl gives us versatility.  He adds more quickness, more leadership and will help us push the tempo.  Defensively, he will compliment the guys that we currently have on our roster."

Bradley will open its 108th men's basketball season Sunday when the Braves host UMKC in a 4 p.m. game at Carver Arena.  The game against the Kangaroos is part of the Chicago Invitational Challenge, which will continue Nov. 22 at home against Wofford, before moving to the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill., where the Braves will take on Wisconsin (Nov. 25) and either BYU or Nevada (Nov. 26).