Bradley's basketball program began in 1902 in Peoria, Illinois, and the Braves compete in the Missouri Valley Conference. The program enjoyed its golden era in the 1950s, reaching two NCAA Championship games in 1950 and 1954. Bradley has remained a competitive MVC program throughout its history.
The Braves nickname grew out of the Native American imagery used by Bradley's athletic teams in the 1920s, when they were often called the Indians, and was officially adopted in 1937 to give the school a more distinctive identity than the many programs already using the Indians name.
Reaching two NCAA Championship games in 1950 and 1954, with the 1950 team losing a heartbreaker to CCNY in the final.
Bradley's Carver Arena in downtown Peoria seats over 11,000, making it one of the largest home venues in the Missouri Valley Conference relative to the school's enrollment.
The Bradley Braves compete in the MVC and hold an all-time record of 1818–1287 (.586 winning percentage) across 122 recorded seasons dating back to 1902-03. The program has reached 2 Final Fours.
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 21-12 | 13-7 (MVC) | Brian Wardle | |
| 2024-25 | 28-9 | 15-5 (MVC) | Brian Wardle | |
| 2023-24 | 23-12 | 13-7 (MVC) | Brian Wardle | |
| 2022-23 | 25-10 | 16-4 (MVC) | Brian Wardle | |
| 2021-22 | 17-14 | 11-7 (MVC) | Brian Wardle | |
| 2020-21 | 12-16 | 6-12 (MVC) | Brian Wardle | |
| 2019-20 | 23-11 | 11-7 (MVC) | Brian Wardle | |
| 2018-19 | 20-15 | 9-9 (MVC) | Brian Wardle | |
| 2017-18 | 20-13 | 9-9 (MVC) | Brian Wardle | |
| 2016-17 | 13-20 | 7-11 (MVC) | Brian Wardle | |
| 2015-16 | 5-27 | 3-15 (MVC) | Brian Wardle | |
| 2014-15 | 9-24 | 3-15 (MVC) | Geno Ford | |
| 2013-14 | 12-20 | 7-11 (MVC) | Geno Ford | |
| 2012-13 | 18-17 | 7-11 (MVC) | Geno Ford | |
| 2011-12 | 7-25 | 2-16 (MVC) | Geno Ford | |
| 2010-11 | 12-20 | 4-14 (MVC) | Jim Les | |
| 2009-10 | 16-15 | 9-9 (MVC) | Jim Les | |
| 2008-09 | 21-15 | 10-8 (MVC) | Jim Les | |
| 2007-08 | 21-17 | 9-9 (MVC) | Jim Les | |
| 2006-07 | 22-13 | 10-8 (MVC) | Jim Les | |
| 2005-06 | 22-11 | 11-7 (MVC) | Jim Les | |
| 2004-05 | 13-15 | 6-12 (MVC) | Jim Les | |
| 2003-04 | 15-16 | 7-11 (MVC) | Jim Les | |
| 2002-03 | 12-18 | 8-10 (MVC) | Jim Les | |
| 2001-02 | 9-20 | 5-13 (MVC) | Jim Molinari | |
| 2000-01 | 19-12 | 12-6 (MVC) | Jim Molinari | |
| 1999-00 | 14-16 | 10-8 (MVC) | Jim Molinari | |
| 1998-99 | 17-12 | 11-7 (MVC) | Jim Molinari | |
| 1997-98 | 15-14 | 9-9 (MVC) | Jim Molinari | |
| 1996-97 | 17-13 | 12-6 (MVC) | Jim Molinari | |
| 1995-96 | 22-8 | 15-3 (MVC) | Jim Molinari | |
| 1994-95 | 20-10 | 12-6 (MVC) | Jim Molinari | |
| 1993-94 | 23-8 | 14-4 (MVC) | Jim Molinari | |
| 1992-93 | 11-16 | 7-11 (MVC) | Jim Molinari | |
| 1991-92 | 7-23 | 3-15 (MVC) | Jim Molinari | |
| 1990-91 | 8-20 | 6-10 (MVC) | Stan Albeck | |
| 1989-90 | 11-20 | 6-8 (MVC) | Stan Albeck | |
| 1988-89 | 13-14 | 7-7 (MVC) | Stan Albeck | |
| 1987-88 | 26-5 | 12-2 (MVC) | Stan Albeck | AP #11 |
| 1986-87 | 17-12 | 10-4 (MVC) | Stan Albeck | |
| 1985-86 | 32-3 | 16-0 (MVC) | Dick Versace | AP #9 |
| 1984-85 | 17-13 | 9-7 (MVC) | Dick Versace | |
| 1983-84 | 15-13 | 7-9 (MVC) | Dick Versace | |
| 1982-83 | 16-13 | 10-8 (MVC) | Dick Versace | |
| 1981-82 | 26-10 | 13-3 (MVC) | Dick Versace | |
| 1980-81 | 18-9 | 10-6 (MVC) | Dick Versace | |
| 1979-80 | 23-10 | 13-3 (MVC) | Dick Versace | |
| 1978-79 | 9-17 | 3-13 (MVC) | Dick Versace | |
| 1977-78 | 14-14 | 8-8 (MVC) | Joe Stowell | |
| 1976-77 | 9-18 | 4-8 (MVC) | Joe Stowell | |
| 1975-76 | 13-13 | 4-8 (MVC) | Joe Stowell | |
| 1974-75 | 15-11 | 7-7 (MVC) | Joe Stowell | |
| 1973-74 | 20-8 | 9-3 (MVC) | Joe Stowell | |
| 1972-73 | 12-14 | 4-10 (MVC) | Joe Stowell | |
| 1971-72 | 17-9 | 8-6 (MVC) | Joe Stowell | |
| 1970-71 | 13-12 | 6-8 (MVC) | Joe Stowell | |
| 1969-70 | 14-12 | 7-9 (MVC) | Joe Stowell | |
| 1968-69 | 14-12 | 7-9 (MVC) | Joe Stowell | |
| 1967-68 | 19-9 | 12-4 (MVC) | Joe Stowell | AP #10 |
| 1966-67 | 17-9 | 6-8 (MVC) | Joe Stowell | AP #10 |
| 1965-66 | 20-6 | 9-5 (MVC) | Joe Stowell | AP #3 |
| 1964-65 | 18-9 | 9-5 (MVC) | Chuck Orsborn | AP #14 |
| 1963-64 | 23-6 | 7-5 (MVC) | Chuck Orsborn | |
| 1962-63 | 17-9 | 6-6 (MVC) | Chuck Orsborn | |
| 1961-62 | 21-7 | 10-2 (MVC) | Chuck Orsborn | AP #5 |
| 1960-61 | 21-5 | 9-3 (MVC) | Chuck Orsborn | AP #2 |
| 1959-60 | 27-2 | 12-2 (MVC) | Chuck Orsborn | AP #2 |
| 1958-59 | 25-4 | 12-2 (MVC) | Chuck Orsborn | AP #4 |
| 1957-58 | 20-7 | 12-2 (MVC) | Chuck Orsborn | AP #4 |
| 1956-57 | 22-7 | 9-5 (MVC) | Chuck Orsborn | AP #5 |
| 1955-56 | 13-13 | 3-9 (MVC) | Bob Vanatta | |
| 1954-55 | 9-20 | Ind | Bob Vanatta | |
| 1953-54 | 19-13 | Ind | Forddy Anderson | AP #7 |
| 1952-53 | 15-12 | Ind | Forddy Anderson | |
| 1951-52 | 17-12 | Ind | Forddy Anderson | |
| 1950-51 | 32-6 | 11-3 (MVC) | Forddy Anderson | AP #1 |
| 1949-50 | 32-5 | 11-1 (MVC) | Forddy Anderson | AP #1 |
| 1948-49 | 27-8 | 6-4 (MVC) | Forddy Anderson | AP #7 |
| 1947-48 | 28-3 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1946-47 | 25-7 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1945-46 | 11-12 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1942-43 | 8-11 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1941-42 | 15-5 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1940-41 | 16-4 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1939-40 | 14-6 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1938-39 | 19-3 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1937-38 | 18-2 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1936-37 | 15-4 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1935-36 | 6-10 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1934-35 | 1-13 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1933-34 | 3-14 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1932-33 | 8-5 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1931-32 | 7-10 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1930-31 | 10-9 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1929-30 | 13-4 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1928-29 | 8-8 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1927-28 | 14-5 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1926-27 | 7-8 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1925-26 | 15-4 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1924-25 | 11-10 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1923-24 | 11-10 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1922-23 | 14-5 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1921-22 | 12-6 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1920-21 | 7-9 | Ind | Alfred Robertson | |
| 1919-20 | 5-10 | Ind | Bill Allen,Fred Brown | |
| 1918-19 | 6-9 | Ind | Harold Olsen | |
| 1917-18 | 6-8 | Ind | Fred Brown | |
| 1916-17 | 10-6 | Ind | Fred Brown | |
| 1915-16 | 8-10 | Ind | Fred Brown | |
| 1914-15 | 13-5 | Ind | Fred Brown | |
| 1913-14 | 10-10 | Ind | Fred Brown | |
| 1912-13 | 14-4 | Ind | Fred Brown | |
| 1911-12 | 11-6 | Ind | Fred Brown | |
| 1910-11 | 10-3 | Ind | Fred Brown | |
| 1909-10 | 6-7 | Ind | Fred Brown | |
| 1908-09 | 6-7 | Ind | ||
| 1907-08 | 9-5 | Ind | ||
| 1906-07 | 7-6 | Ind | ||
| 1905-06 | 4-5 | Ind | ||
| 1904-05 | 5-4 | Ind | ||
| 1903-04 | 0-4 | Ind | ||
| 1902-03 | 5-2 | Ind |
Belmont Bruins · Drake Bulldogs · Evansville Purple Aces · Illinois State Redbirds · Indiana State Sycamores · Murray State Racers · Northern Iowa Panthers · Southern Illinois Salukis · UIC Flames · Valparaiso Beacons
All Division I programs · Historical rankings · Championship journeys · Hoopsipedia home
| Rank | Team | Conference | All-Time Wins |
|---|
Top 100 by all-time D1 wins. Verified against the NCAA record book — and tiered so you can argue properly.
| # | COACH | RECORD | WIN % | SCHOOL(S) | YEARS | BEST SEASON / LEGACY |
|---|