Bradley was initially slated to compete in the NIT without two of its three best college basketball players because Darius Hannah and Zek Montgomery chose to opt-out of the postseason. However, the team’s second-leading scorer has since changed his mind.
Hannah is back in but Montgomery is still out.
Bradley finished in second place behind Drake in the Missouri Valley Conference standings during the 2024-25 college basketball season. The Braves also finished second behind the Bulldogs during the conference tournament. They ultimately missed out on the NCAA Tournament at 26-9 as a result.
Hannah, a forward, averaged 12.6 points on 58.1% shooting and a team-high 5.9 rebounds per game. Montgomery, a guard, averaged 12.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Bradley would not have been the same without them. And it initially seemed as though the Braves were going to find that out the hard way during the NIT.
Both Hannah and Montgomery initially decided to opt out of the postseason. Their decision was announced on Sunday.
They (Darius and Zek) have decided they are not going to play in the NIT.
— Head coach Brian Wardle
It was believed that both players chose not to play in pursuit of their professional careers. Neither guy gave an explanation. The extremely passionate fanbase in Peoria was disappointed. Their team had a real chance to be crowned as the No. 69-ranked team in college basketball if the roster was in tact.
Although I am all for players’ rights and will always respect the decision that is best for the athlete, I too was surprised that Zek Montgomery and Darius Hannah initially bailed on Bradley. Especially without a formal declaration as to why. It was an emotional firestorm on social media.
Things have since changed. Montgomery’s status has not flipped as of this writing but Hanna reversed course. He will join the Braves on their quest to win the NIT.
The Second-Team All-MVC selection explained that he wanted to make sure that he was healthy before he committed to at least one more game this season.
I just want to say, I’ve always been all-in. I didn’t know if I could compete at a high level. I was dealing with a few aches and pains I wanted to get checked out. I’m a competitor. I’m going to compete with my brothers to the end. It means something that I finish this off the right way.
— Darius Hannah
Maybe that is true. Maybe it was the peer pressure. Either way, head coach Brian Wardle very quickly released any resentment he might’ve held.
It’s part of college coaching. I’m happy Darius is going to join us Wednesday night and compete in the NIT. We got to get ready. I’m happy Darius is joining us.
— Brian Wardle
The fanbase did the same. But only for Hannah. Bradley fans are still disappointed by Montgomery’s continued absence from the program. They just want to know why!