Bradley basketball at Indiana State: What to watch for

Bradley’s Elijah Childs (10) shoots over Loyola’s Tom Welch in the second half Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021 at Carver Arena in Peoria.

PEORIA — The Bradley men’s basketball team had a lot to wrap its collective mind around Friday.

A double-overtime loss to Valparaiso the night before.

A four-game losing streak in Missouri Valley Conference play.

How to leave Valpo behind them and find a second wind mentally and physically for a weekend road trip to Indiana State.

The 2020-21 pandemic-forced schedule has no mercy.

“When it rains it pours, and it’s pouring on us right now,” Bradley coach Brian Wardle said. “So it’s very important we learn how to dance in the rain.”

They’ve seen this before. In the 2018-19 season, Bradley opened the Missouri Valley Conference schedule with five straight losses. The Braves hung in, turned it around, and won the Valley title at Arch Madness.