Findlay Prep product Bradley flourishes early on with ‘Horns

Avery Bradley didn't expect college basketball to be this easy, especially at a high-powered program such as Texas.

But the former Findlay Prep standout, who led the Pilots to the high school national championship in April, has excelled in his first season with the sixth-ranked Longhorns, who a week ago sat atop the Top 25.

"I knew I was going to have to work hard," Bradley said. "My mom told me long ago that you can learn something every day.

"It was definitely what I thought it would be. It's a much faster game. Everything happens so quick."

Still, Bradley has flourished. The 6-foot-2-inch guard is Texas' second-leading scorer, averaging 12.4 points a game. He's second in assists (49) and third in steals (28) and has made 42 percent of his 3-point attempts.

The only glaring blemish on his game has been free-throw shooting. Bradley is hitting just 49 percent (23-for-49) from the line.

"I'm working on it," he said, noting he spends a good portion of his free time in the gym at the foul line. "I've got to get a lot better there."

Bradley, a native of Tacoma, Wash., dreams of one day playing in the NBA but realizes his skills must improve.

"When you make a timetable, you take away from the team," he said. "I love playing college basketball. I love going to school. Austin is an amazing city. I'm very happy."

So is Longhorns coach Rick Barnes. He knew Bradley was special after visiting Findlay Prep and watching him in practice.

"He was such a hard worker," Barnes said. "He had such a great attitude. You could see he was a kid who wasn't satisfied; he wanted to get better every day."

Bradley's determination to succeed is illustrated in a story told by Findlay coach Mike Peck.

"We were getting ready to play for the national championship," Peck said. "The day before we left for (Washington) D.C., we had Jerome Williams, the former NBA player, bring some guys over to our gym to scrimmage with us.

"It's getting pretty intense. Avery comes down and dunks. They push the ball the other way, and Jerome is about to shoot a jumper. Out of nowhere comes Avery and he swats it. I watched that play and right there I was convinced he was going to lead us to the championship. He was that special a player."

Bradley remembers the moment. "To me, defense is just as important as offense," he said.

Along with being talented, Bradley possesses the right kind of mindset to make a smooth transition to the college level, Barnes said.

"We did have high expectations for Avery because we knew he was a special player," Barnes said. "Like most freshmen, he's up and down. But the coaches at Findlay Prep did a great job. He's always asking questions about how he can get better. He defers to his coaches and his teammates and he's listening to the older guys. He didn't come in expecting to be treated like a prima donna."

Bradley said he wasn't expecting special treatment.

"I believe you earn everything you get," he said. "I knew people had high expectations for me. But I have high expectations for myself, and the only way I'm going to meet those expectations is by listening to the right people, working hard and getting better every day. That's what I've been trying to do since I got (to Texas)."

Bradley has had to make adjustments. He can't physically dominate in college the way he did in high school. He's also learning to pace himself off the court by getting rest and eating properly.

"I'm trying to learn to take care of my body," he said. "Every game is hard. It's so much more physical than what I was used to. Even things like travel. We were on the road a lot at Findlay Prep. But this is different.

"You have to learn how to get your rest."

One thing remains the same for Bradley: He rarely finds himself on the short end of the scoreboard. Findlay Prep went 33-0 last year. Texas is 18-2 entering today's game against Baylor.

Bradley hopes the Longhorns can keep rolling into April and earn a spot in the Final Four at Indianapolis.

"It would be a dream come true," he said. "As a kid, you watch the Final Four on TV and you think about what it would be like. I just hope we get that chance."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.