By Alex Riley
Special to SMUMustangs.com
 
DALLAS – No matter where she is, Reagan Bradley is in school.

Yes, the four walls of an SMU classroom are where the student portion of student-athlete takes place, but even when she's not jotting down notes in a 101-level course, the first-year women's basketball player still has a lot to learn.

"It's been exciting just knowing that each game is a learning experience," Bradley said. "I'm getting better each game. I'm learning something from every game. And that's the big thing."

Bradley has learned a lot in her first few months in Dallas. She's learned better time management being on her own. She's learned new skills on the basketball court. She's learned how to take care of herself during the grind of a college basketball season.

For the Arkansas native, the experience has been eye-opening. And for those watching her play, they've learned not to take their eyes off this rookie.
 
FAST RISER
Ronald Rogers' first experience with Bradley happened when she was in eighth-grade. At Little Rock Christian Academy, Rogers encountered a middle school aged student capable of seeing the floor in a way seasoned veterans often struggle to. She played smart and unselfish.

It's why she spent no time on the junior varsity team.

"We decided to move her up as a ninth-grader and the journey began," Rogers said. "We put a lot on her plate as a freshman. Her leadership qualities were there, but she had to gain the respect of the older kids. She gained their respect because every day she would out work them."

Bradley was tireless. She put teammates first, valuing the great pass over the good shot. It's why she left Little Rock Christian Academy as the program's all-time assist leader, but also managed to score the most points in school history.

As a senior, the Rams went 29-2, winning a state title. She earned all-state accolades, was selected as the state tournament MVP and named the girls basketball Player of the Year by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

The accomplishments and records were noteworthy, but it was how she played that drew SMU coach Travis Mays in for a look.

"She knew how to play the game the right way," Mays said. "Every time you saw her, she paid a lot of attention to the details of the game. And it didn't matter whether she was passing the ball to a big time scorer or not, she would always make the right basketball play."

Mays noted that Bradley was constantly encouraging teammates. Her mentality was always pass first. Her body language never wavered, even in moments when the Rams were struggling. 

All that made Bradley someone Mays wanted to offer.

"When she decided to go to SMU, we knew she was going to be special and make an immediate impact," Rogers said. "When she was going through the recruiting process, there were some universities that questioned how she played. Our response to that was that's their lost. We always told her don't change how you play. Someone will appreciate how you play and you will make an impact."
 
STEPPING UP
Surrounded by players who had already gone through the routine of summer workouts, Bradley's first months at SMU began with some nerves. After four years of being a team's star, she was now a new face trying to figure out where she belonged.

Her focus was simple – show your new teammates who you are and earn a spot among the starters. From the start, that was the plan, and nothing was going to change it.

"Coming here, I knew I was going to have to work hard for that position," Bradley said. "I knew once I worked for it, there was nothing that anybody else could do to make me lose it. It would be on me to keep it. That just makes me work harder every day."

What happened over June and July set the tone. Bradley hit the weight room, worked to develop chemistry with her new teammates and committed herself to expanding her game.
At the end of the summer, Mays asked the Mustangs who had worked the hardest over the two-month span. The answer was unanimous.

"They all gave Reagan the respect that was deserved," May said. "They understood her work ethic. I think she proved and earned their respect with how she came to work every day. That's why it was easy for her to just blend right now in."

That work behind the scenes has led to a year worth watching. Bradley is tied with Karen Blair for the ninth-most assists in a single-season at SMU (127). She can moved into seventh-place with four more assists in Friday's AAC Tournament matchup against Memphis.

Bradley is second in the American Athletic Conference at 4.5 assists per game (her 127 total assists is the league's best). She's also top 30 among the AAC in scoring, earning her a spot on the AAC All-Freshman Team.

Those are numbers Bradley smiles about.

"I definitely pride my assists over everything. Assists and turnovers are my two major things that I take pride in," she said. "Growing up, I've always been a pass-first point guard, which is something that I've kind of had to learn to balance being a scoring point guard, but I take huge pride in my assists."
 
MORE TO PROVE
Mays has taken a slightly different approach to Bradley compared to other freshmen. Normally, he would be more hands-on with, helping them understand his vision as they adjust to life in college. For Bradley, he's gone mostly hands-off, but he's given her the most opportunities to learn.

A high school game in Arkansas last 32 minutes. As of right now, Bradley is ninth in the AAC and first among SMU players, averaging 34.1 minutes per game. She's started all 28 contests so far.

Each time out, she does something to remind you that she's just a freshman. And then, she stuns you with a play that makes question whether she really is just a freshman.
"It says a lot about how good Reagan wants to be," Mays said of her work ethic and dedication. "The way that somebody comes and works every, single day, it's usually the character and the vision of the dreams that they have for the legacy that they want to leave."

And there's potential for a heck of a legacy.

SMU has no seniors on the roster, meaning all 11 players have the chance to return next year. It's a college sports rarity that Bradley calls a "huge advantage" for the Mustangs over their conference opponents.

"I think that just allows us to have another year under our belts of connecting, learning how to work with each other, learning how to play for each other," Bradley said.
And personally, there's still a lot for Bradley to learn. This offseason, she plans to focus on her offense. Now that she's seen what college defenses look like, she plans to make the necessary adjustments to become a three-level scorer. But don't worry, her passion for assists isn't going away.

The goal is to grow as a player. To expand the knowledge. To learn. It's a game, but it's also an educational experience. And for Bradley, school is always in session.

"(Since arriving,) I just consistently came in and did my job and tried to apply everything that the coaches asked," Bradley said. "Day-by-day, my skill set was getting better because I was continuing to apply things. Each day I was adding something to my game, another layer. I wanted them to know I'm not going to waiver."