Bradley University Athletics

Four Sign NLI to Join Bradley Basketball

Men's Basketball 11/14/2018 1:06:00 PM

The Bradley men's basketball program welcomed four players to the team during the first day of the early signing period on Wednesday with Stephan Gabriel (Irvington, N.J.), JaMir Price (Rock Island, Ill.), Ville Tahvanainen (Helsinki, Finland) and Antonio Thomas (Memphis, Tenn.) all signing National Letters of Intent.

"With a lot of talented players graduating in the next two years and for our program to sustain success, it was very important for our Class of 2019 to recruit playmakers," said Bradley head coach Brian Wardle. "We wanted players that not only make plays for themselves and score but also for others. They are all high-decision makers and have a good feel for the game. We're very excited about the four newcomers and the skill sets we are bringing in."

A 6-foot-7 guard/forward from Irvington, New Jersey, Gabriel is averaging 18 points, eight rebounds and four assists during his senior season. Gabriel was also named to the All-Tournament Team at the Grind Session World Championship – one of the nation's premiere high school basketball showcase leagues in the country.

"Steph is a player that can score inside and out," Wardle said. "He is very powerful and an explosive player but what I love about his game the most is his ability to make plays and pass the ball."

A 6-foot-2 guard from Rock Island, Illinois, Price averaged 14.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.1 assists during his junior season at Rock Island High School. He received honorable mention to the IBCA All-State Team following the 2017-18 campaign, while also collecting all-conference and all-metro accolades. He also helped lead the Rocks to a regional title as a junior and a conference championship as a sophomore.

"JaMir is a great playmaker off the dribble," Wardle said. "He has a high basketball IQ and feel for the game and can do a lot of things to help your team win."

One of the top recruits in Europe, Tahvanainen finished as the second-leading scorer at this summer's FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. The 6-foot-4 guard from Finland averaged 22.3 points in six games during the tournament, while shooting 44.7 percent from the field and 46.2 percent from 3-point range. Also named an All-Star at the 2018 Nordic Championship, Tahvanainen currently plays for HBA-Märsky, where he ranks sixth in the Finnish 1st Division A with 19.5 points and fourth in assists at 4.5.

"Ville is a tremendous scorer," Wardle said. "He has a great feel for the game, can shoot from anywhere on the floor, has a quick release and is an aggressive scorer."

Thomas rounds out the early signees for the Braves as the 6-foot-1 point guard joins the Bradley program from Memphis. He helped lead the Ridgeway High School Roadrunners to the finals of the district championship and was named to the All-Tournament Team following the team's run. Overall, Thomas averaged 14 points, six assists and four rebounds during his junior campaign.

"Antonio Thomas brings that Memphis toughness and is a pure point guard that leads and wins," Wardle said. "He is a very good passer and defensive player."

The four join a Bradley program that is one of four schools nationally to improve its win total by at least five games over each the last two seasons. The Braves are 2-0 during the 2018-19 campaign and are back in action tonight, hosting Jacksonville State at 7 p.m.

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