Nick Bradford is a name that most die hard Kansas fans will remember, while the general Kansas fan may have a hard time recalling the former Jayhawk small forward. Just to help jar people’s memories, TheShiver.com will rehash some of Bradfords career highlights and get you up to speed with what he is doing now.
Nick was a deceptive athlete with great length for his position, but he had a few things that limited his effectiveness. His first two years on campus were spent playing behind Paul Pierce at the small forward position. Bradford was a part of perhaps the two most dominant KU teams of the 1990’s, but quite a few fans may not remember him due to limited minutes. Bradford is also somewhat anonymous because the teams he did take a leadership role on didn’t have great regular seasons or advance deep into the NCAA tournament. He was one of the bridge players between the Raef Lafrentz/Scott Pollard/Jacque Vaughn era and the Kirk Hinrich/Nick Collison/Drew Gooden era. He came into his own in the one year inbetween these two era’s, averaging 9.2 points with 6 boards and over 2 steals per game, and nearly helped lead KU to a victory over top seed Kentucky in the NCAA tournament.
Nick Bradford is now playing professionally in Iceland and took a few minutes out of his day to answer some question with TheShiver.com writer President Camacho. He was kind enough to answer some tough questions about his currents status, his thoughts on KU, his thoughts on Roy WIlliams, and the most important question, who was he cheering for in the final four.
Camacho: What have you been doing since you left the University of Kansas?
Nick Bradford: Well, since I left KU, I have just been playing ball. I started out my first two years in the ABA in Kansas City with Kevin Pritchard, winning a title there and I have been in Europe since then. I played in Iceland for two years, then three in France and actually just came back to Iceland and finished the last two months of this season.
Camacho: How do you like playing in Europe?
Nick Bradford: Europe is great, I love being able to travel the world and see so many different countries and things that people only read about in books or see on TV. I have seen alot of great things, for example, the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben in London, Natural Springs of Iceland, the Swiss Alps and the great city of Venice.
Camacho: How would you describe your time at KU?
Nick Bradford: I would describe my time at KU as the best four years of my life, no question. It was filled with great experiences and great friendships. I wouldn’t trade that time for anything else in the world.
Camacho: Do you keep in touch with Coach Williams?
Nick Bradford: Yes, I keep in touch with Coach Williams and the whole staff, Coach Holliday, guys I played with – Jerod Haase and C.B. McGrath. I go out to Carolina every summer and workout at their camp. Its like family out there, everyone from Carolina treats me as if I went to school there. Its great, plus my strength coach and academic advisor from KU are there, which makes it nice as well.
Camacho: Do you still talk to a lot of the guys you played with at KU?
Nick Bradford: Of course I talk to alot of guys that I played with. Just within the last 6months, I have spoken with or emailed with C.B. McGrath, Jerod Haase, Billy Thomas, Terry Nooner, Kirk Hinrich, Nick Collison, Jeff Boshee, Lester Earl, Jacque Vaughn, and Drew Gooden. I love those guys and we have strong bonds and friendships.
Camacho: How do you feel that Coach Williams and KU prepared you for basketball at the next level?
Nick Bradford: Not only did Coach Williams and the KU staff prepare me for basketball at the next level, but they prepared me for life. They were great teachers and I love all the values and things that they taught me. It’s just a great staff and that is why they will continue to get great kids with great families behind them.
Camacho: Do you try to keep in contact with staff at KU?
Nick Bradford: Of course I keep in contact with guys at KU. Not only do I play with all of the current guys in the summer to keep myself in shape, but I play with the staff as well. I love Coach Self and always keep in touch with Brett Ballard and Danny Manning through email or phone throughout my season while I am in Europe.
Camacho: What was it like being on a rebuilding team, after the great teams you were on in 1997 and 1998?
Nick Bradford: I definitely wouldn’t call any of my teams rebuilding teams. Yes, we were not as good as the teams that I played for my first two years, but we super talented teams in my junior and senior years. It was great stepping into my leadership role in my junior year. I played behind Paul Pierce my first two years and I thought that it was great being the leader. We won the Big XII tourney that year and showed everyone how good we were, then it took a couple overtimes from Kentucky to finally knock us out of the NCAA tournament. My senior year I was still a leader, but my points took a dip because we had three great freshmen come in and my role reversed a bit. I was more of a playmaker, leading our team in assists for almost the entire year. I feel lucky and honored to have helped those young guys in their first years, I feel that it helped Drew Gooden, Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison do some of the great things that they did later in their careers. I hope that they feel the same, they knew what to expect when the leadership role came their way and they thrived and took Kansas to great levels. I feel privileged to have played with and led those guys my last year.
Camacho:How often do you get to watch the Jayhawks play?
Nick Bradford: I watch KU pretty often, I have my cable TV on my computer, so I watch them as if I were at home. It’s a beautiful thing.
Camacho: How would you compare Coach Self’s and Coach Williams’ coaching styles?
Nick Bradford: I think that Coach Self’s and Coach Williams’ styles are different, but definitely both are successful. I feel Coach Williams has more of a college-level offense that allows his big guys to excel. Coach Self runs more of a pro-type offense that allows his guards to excel. They both stress extreme defensive pressure, which is why they are two of the best coaches in the game.
Camacho: How would you describe your relationship with the current staff and players?
Nick Bradford: I definitely love coming back and playing in the alumni games at Coach Self’s camp. I have great relationships with the current Jayhawks and its always fun to run up and down with those guys.
Camacho: Did you watch the Final Four this last season?
Nick Bradford: Yes, I watched the Final Four games last year. We are about 7 hours ahead in Europe, so I had to go late into the night to watch games, but it was definitely worth it.
Camacho: How did it make you feel seeing KU cut down the nets in San Antonio?
Nick Bradford: It was pure joy to see them cut down the nets. It made it extra special for me because I have relationships with those guys as well. Mario and Darnell were on my summer league team in Kansas City before the last year and it was great to get to know those guys. It’s good for me because I see all the guys in summer, because I’m around Lawrence and Kansas City all summer, so I play and hangout with those guys even though I am a bit older, that KU bond is special.
Camacho: So, who were you cheering for when KU played Carolina?
Nick Bradford: No question, I was cheering for KU. I am a Jayhawk for life and that will never change. There will never be a time that I cheer against KU, but I cheer for North Carolina as well only if they are not playing my boys. I love the institution and will always be with KU, no doubt.
Camacho: How is European basketball different from playing in college?
Nick Bradford: European basketball is just different. Its professional so its not the same as college. I feel that the overall play is much better than the Developmental League. You get a feel for what games are like if you watch any of the Olympics, that is the style that Europe plays at. Compared to the NBA, there is no comparison to that, that is why its the NBA, the worlds greatest athletes, but I think that as far as the next level below that, no question the top leagues in Europe are the next best thing.
Camacho: Do you see yourself getting into coaching?
Nick Bradford: I am definitely looking to start coaching on the college level when I am done playing. I have some great contacts at KU and at North Carolina and hopefully I will be able to take advantage and pursue that career, but I would like to play for about 4 or 5 more years if the good Lord is willing.
Camacho: Who is the greatest player that you have had the chance to play with?
Nick Bradford: No question, Paul is the greatest player I played with. I lived with him and I was his practice dummy everyday for two years and it was so tough guarding him. I feel so much better now cause he kills everyone in the NBA exactly how he used to do me; so it doesn’t make me feel as bad. He is such a great competitor.
Camacho: Who is the best player you played against in college?
Nick Bradford: The best player I played against in college was either Mike Bibby or Tyson Wheeler, or perhaps Cuttino Mobley, they were all so quick and hard to stay in front of. An impossible task.
