What Bradley basketball coach said about 4 new players on signing day

PEORIA — All signs pointed to a bigger, more experienced Bradley Braves team for the 2026-27 season on Wednesday.

All signings, too.

The NCAA national signing period opened at mid-week and the Braves re-armed under head coach Brian Wardle, who assessed the incoming haul and detailed what the team still needs and what comes next.

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“I’m looking for guys who aren’t playing for the next contract, they are playing for Bradley and they are playing to win,” Wardle said. “The four players overall we signed today really have the DNA we want in the program. Unselfish mentality and they are about winning.

“We put an emphasis on size, on length, on older, experienced guys. I was looking for guys who have a little bit of a chip on their shoulder, looking to prove something and are ready to be coached and for whom winning is a priority.”

Bradley head coach Brian Wardle urges his team on in the first half of their first-round NIT game Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at Carver Arena in Peoria. The Braves were eliminated by the Dayton Flyers 80-66.

Those guys were point guard Georgi Gerganov, guard Trevon Payton, guard Kyle Grill and forward Noah Williams.

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They all signed on Wednesday, joining a signing class from the fall that already included forward Ben Thornbrue and wing Race Kowalczyk.

Here’s what Wardle had to say about each player in the signing class.

Georgi Gerganov, a point guard from Bulgaria, announced his commitment to the Bradley Braves for the 2026-27 season.

Where he’ll play: Point guard.

An international signing who will be 23 in July. The NCAA will have to determine how much eligibility he has, but it will certainly be multiple years. Academically, he will be a freshman.

The 6-foot-4 point guard from Sliven, Bulgaria, played as a pro in the Bulgarian National Basketball League last season, where he scored 21.3 points per game on 36.6 minutes for BC Botev.

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Wardle: “With Georgi we have a great-sized point guard who is a three-level scoring guy. He has…

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Publish date : 2026-04-16 01:46:00

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