Saint Patrick High School junior Sam Maniscalco gave an oral commitment to play basketball on a scholarship at Bradley University beginning in 2007-08. Maniscalco led the Shamrocks to a 22-6 record and their fourth straight IHSA Regional Championship this past season. The Ramblers of Loyola Academy eliminated the Shamrocks for the second-straight year. Maniscalco averaged better than 21 points and three assists per contest, while shooting better than 50% from the field and 45% from three-point range. Maniscalco paced the East Suburban Catholic Conference in scoring, averaging 19.7 points per game, and he was named First Team All-Conference and selected to the ESCC All-Defensive Team following the season.

Maniscalco said that Bradley felt right for him, “my dad had his input, but he left the final decision to me. I talked to Coach Les, and their style of basketball fits me well. They play an up tempo game that fits my game. I’m from a basketball family, and Bradley’s a basketball school, and since Peoria is just over two hours away, my family can still see me play.” Sam Maniscalco will be a second-generation Bradley Brave. Sam’s father Carl Maniscalco played basketball for two seasons at Bradley for coach Dick Versace. Carl, a graduate of Gordon Tech. played in 36 games for the Braves during the 1978-79 and 1979-80 seasons, averaging just over nine points and five assists per game. Carl was a member of the team that went 23-10, including a perfect 16-0 at home, won the Missouri Valley Conference Championship, and earned the Braves’ first NCAA Tournament bid in 25 years in 1979-80.

The Bradley basketball program is enjoying a renaissance under Head Coach Jim Les. The Braves, a #13 seed in the Oakland Regional of the NCAA Tournament, upset Kansas and Pittsburgh to reach the “Sweet 16” for the first time since 1955. The Braves’ Marcellus Sommerville is featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated this week, while sophomore center Patrick O’Bryant is being mentioned as a potential NBA lottery pick. The Braves’ tournament run comes as no surprise to Maniscalco, “I knew they would be successful. Knowing that I am verbally committed to a team in the ‘Sweet 16’ is really exciting.”

Maniscalco chose Bradley over Wisconsin-Green Bay, Southern Illinois, DePaul, Northern Illinois, Northern Iowa, Northwestern and Loyola. Northern Illinois was the only other scholarship offer he had received so far.

Bradley Head Coach Jim Les is familiar with the quality of basketball played in the E.S.C.C. Les starred at Notre Dame of Niles before going on to a fine career at Bradley himself. Les was one of only four athletes inducted into the brand new East Suburban Catholic Conference Hall of Fame on March 9, 2006. Les joined Mike Alstott (Joliet Catholic), Isiah Thomas (St. Joseph), and Jeff Zgonina (Carmel) along with 12 coaches and administrators in the ESCC Hall of Fame’s inaugural class.