Bradley basketball players announce return as 2024-25 roster takes shape

PEORIA — The NCAA transfer portal era has generated a new culture in preparing for the coming basketball season.

Are you in, or are you out?

The Bradley Braves roster for the 2024-25 season continued to take shape on Thursday as forward Christian Davis and guard Demarion Burch declared their intentions to return for another season with Bradley.

"Back at it with my brothers," Davis posted on social media. "It's us."

ROSTER ANALYSIS: Who has eligibility remaining for Bradley basketball in 2024-25

The 6-foot-7 Davis appeared in every game for the Braves (23-12) and made 11 starts. He averaged 7.5 points per game and shot 31.2% from 3-point range. He grabbed 4.7 rebounds per game and had 41 steals, third-most on the team, while playing starter's minutes at 27.2 per outing.

Burch, a slashing, sometimes-acrobatic freshman guard, shot 37.5% from 3 and showed aggressive skill in getting to the rim. In an X.com post on March 28, he wrote "Year two loading…" with a photo of himself in a Bradley uniform.

Zek Montgomery hits the transfer portal

Former Bradley wing Zek Montgomery, meanwhile, left his Rhode Island team Thursday and entered the transfer portal. That sparked speculation he is considering a return to the Braves, from which he transferred one year ago. Montgomery could be a starting-caliber piece for the Braves.

The independent Peoria-based NIL organization, Home of the Brave, reacted to Montgomery's portal entry on social media, posting, "Ready to run it back?"

The return announcements were the latest in a flurry of roster activity this week for Bradley, including:

• Starting point guard Duke Deen announced he was returning for his final season.

• Starting guard Connor Hickman entered the transfer portal.

• Reserve center Kyle Thomas entered the transfer portal.

• Reserve forward Goanar Biliew entered the transfer portal.

• Starter/sixth-man forward Christian Davis announced he was returning.

• Reserve guard Demarion Burch announced he was returning.

Bravely Speaking

Two-time MVC Player of the Year Tucker DeVries, who left Drake earlier this week for the NCAA transfer portal, joined West Virginia on Thursday, as expected. His father, former Drake coach Darian DeVries, left earlier this week to take the coaching job at West Virginia. … Point guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie, who left Belmont for the transfer portal after a season in which he was named to the MVC Most Improved Team, signed Thursday with Maryland.

Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or deminian@pjstar.com. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: NCAA transfer portal: Bradley forward Christian Davis announces return