"There is probably not a guy in the country making bigger shots with shot clock expiring than him," Crean said. "It makes it infectious for everybody else.
"He has great strength. He can get to lane. He is outstanding in the pick and roll. He's very good defensively. He plays at a high energy pace. We have not been on the floor with him yet, but he looks to be one of best guards we have seen all year. He is as good as any we have faced.. We have great guards in this league (Big East), but Ramel does not take a backseat to anyone."
What makes Bradley play even more impressive is that defenses have been able to focus on stopping him and senior teammate Joe Crawford most of the season and certainly after Patrick Patterson went out for the season with a stress fracture.
"I think teams are trying to not allow me to get the ball back after a pass. But my teammates have done a great job of getting open, knocking down shots and getting to the glass," Bradley said.
"I think anytime you work earn, you earn more freedom from your coach. He is allowing us to play that way, which helps me. Coach (Billy Gillispie) has instilled that confidence in us to make plays happen, and I like to do that."
The Southeastern Conference coaches named Bradley to the first team as well as the all-defensive team. Media members put Bradley on the all-SEC second team.
"He is still underestimated by people now," Alabama guard Ronald Steele, who played against Bradley three years before he missed this season with a knee injury. "He is one of the better guards in the league. You can talk about a lot of things guys do, but he carries the team and is the glue to that team and has been the last couple of years. Or I think he is.
"He is a competitor. You can see it on his face how bad he wants to win. I knew once Patterson went down it would be a blow, but I knew Ramel Bradley would carry that team and they would still be dangerous. His will to win just kind of carries a team and goes out to the rest of the team. I was not surprised by what he has done at all."
See Wednesday's The Advocate-Messenger for more on Bradley and his importance to UK.
