Reynolds: Playing small may suit Bradley better

Hide captionPEORIA — So where does Bradley go from here?

In theory, the Braves’ first five games were the least challenging part of the Valley schedule since all five opponents were ranked below BU in the preseason poll and three of the matchups were at home.

Of course, none of that matters now in the wildly unpredictable league race. Nobody thought Bradley would begin 0-5 while shooting .346 from the field and average 54.6 points.

Southern Illinois coach Barry Hinson, Bradley’s next opponent Sunday in Carbondale, offers this assessment of early league play in general and the Braves in particular.

“We were 2-3 last year (after five games) and finished second,” he said. “The worst thing you can…