Darrell Davis: Bye, bye, Bradley

March Madness was going to be fun this year.

There was a team featuring a player from Saskatchewan. Ja’Shon Henry, a 6-foot-6 Saskatoon product who also went to Athol Murray College of Notre Dame, was playing for the Bradley University Braves. Bradley placed fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference, but won its conference playoffs to clinch a berth in the NCAA men’s basketball playoffs.

When Henry called the Green Zone to talk about his high school days and his university team, he was an endearing interview, somebody easy to cheer for. So it was easy to sit down Thursday and watch his 15th-seeded squad play second-seeded Michigan State, a perennial powerhouse.

Bradley’s campus is in Peoria, Illinois. It has a lineup stocked with players from around the world. The Braves led at halftime and held a one-point advantage late in the game before the Spartans took over. Henry ultimately played 12 minutes and scored two points in a 76-65 loss. One loss eliminates a team. Without Bradley, without a Saskatchewan connection, March Madness will continue with one less person interested.