PEORIA, IL – Bradley Basketball set the bar high, so to speak, with the first addition to its 2015-16 recruiting class. First-year Braves head coach Brian Wardle announced Wednesday that 6-foot-10 center Koch Bar (Abyei, South Sudan/Arlington Country Day School, FL) has returned his signed National Letter of Intent to attend Bradley University and play basketball for the Braves during the 2016-17 season.
Bar has been in the United States for three years and played last season at West Oaks Academy in Orlando, FL, where he averaged 14 points, nine rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game for the academy's high school team. Bar also was a 2-year starter for the Indiana Elite AAU team the last two summers.
“Koch is a high-character young man that will fit perfectly into the locker room and on campus,” said Wardle. “I love the fact that Koch has been well-coached and has competed at the highest level in high school and on the AAU circuit. He is a very good defender, shot blocker and rebounder right now with an offensive game that continues to improve. He has the work ethic and passion that we want in this program. My staff and I are very excited to have the opportunity to help him develop on and off the floor.”
After helping West Oaks to a 32-5 record and the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association championship last season, Bar has followed head coach Shaun Wiseman from West Oaks to Arlington Country Day School in Jacksonville, FL for his senior season. Bar's ACD team is scheduled to appear in the Peoria area this winter by participating in the 10th annual Coventry Health Tournament of Champions Nov. 24-28 at Washington Community High School.
“There is no doubt Koch is a great talent on the floor, but Bradley is really getting a tremendous young man,” said Wiseman. “He had a great year last season and he continues to get better every day. He is committed to being a great student, a great basketball player and a great teammate.”
The youngest team in the nation with 10 freshmen among its 12-man active roster, Bradley has three scholarships available for the 2015-16 recruiting class.
After a pair of impressive exhibition victories, Bradley officially will tipoff its 112th men's basketball season Friday when the Braves host Ball State in the regular-season opener, a 7 p.m. start at Carver Arena.
