She’s one of 30 women’s basketball players nominated for the 2020–21 Senior CLASS Award. The national award, chosen by a vote of fans, coaches and media, recognizes excellence in community, classroom, character and competition. Haack is a preseason choice for the All-Missouri Valley Conference team and was a first-team selection the last two years. She’s been on the MVC Scholar-Athlete and All-First-Year teams, selected for the conference’s Good Neighbor and Academic Excellence awards and named a conference player of the week. She’s been a Bradley Scholar-Athlete of the Week several times.
Senior guard Gabi Haack goes up for the shot during a 104-53 victory over Quincy University in December.
“Any type of Hall of Fame is a blessing to be a part of, but to be honored in this way while representing Bradley University — where I loved my teammates and coaches and played for a great fan base — is truly a privilege.” — Hersey Hawkins ’88
Bradley Centurion Hersey Hawkins ’88, a 13-year NBA veteran and now player programs director for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers, is one of eight 2021 inductees to the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He already belongs to the Bradley and Missouri Valley Conference halls of fame.
He was consensus National Player of the Year for the 1987–88 season, a first-team All-American, twice named MVC player of the year and still holds 14 school records.
Aug. 31, 1996, Bradley soccer beat Northeastern Illinois 2-1, It was Jim DeRose’s inaugural game, the first of his 250 career victories. In his 25 years as the Braves’ head coach, DeRose has amassed a résumé of accomplishments.
But this year, the COVID-19 pandemic has moved the soccer season from fall to spring.
Named national Coach of the Year in 2007, DeRose is the second-winningest coach in Missouri Valley Conference soccer history with a 250-191-54 record. He has won seven conference titles to go with seven NCAA tournament appearances. DeRose’s teams have been nationally ranked in eight seasons and the 2017 squad was named Most Improved Team in the Nation.
He’s also responsible for more than 83% of the school’s soccer victories in the program’s 33-year history. When not on the field, DeRose, serves as assistant to the vice president of athletics for special projects.
“Having the opportunity to make Bradley Soccer a name known nationally ... is a testament to the student/athletes who have called Bradley home and the incredible coaches who have been with us,” said DeRose.
When injuries checked the hockey career of Roy Radke ’23, he traded his skates for golf spikes. After being drafted by his hometown NHL team, the Chicago Blackhawks, the finance major played five years of professional hockey in this country and abroad. He spent a semester playing club golf at Arizona State University, then opted for the Bradley squad. “One of the things I like about golf is you use your head so much,” Radke said. “In hockey, everything is so quick you don’t have time to sit and process.”
