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Bradley schedule- BU to play Eastern Tennessee and SEMO

I agree here, this isn't helping with anything. This just hurts in so meny ways( our rating and it sure can't help our recruiting, for a couple).
T, as for home revenue, we should fill the stands with this one. RIGHT! Not sure people won't compare the cost of gas to get to Carver, verus the cost of a ticket to see this joke.
The last couple weeks we were pointing fingers and having fun at some other schools schedules (Iowa for one). Well all I can say is, it has come back to bite us in the a__!!!!
I agree with chitown fanatic, hold the Whip Cream please!
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Nothing like grossly exaggerating things to make your point! Eastern Tennessee is not a joke. Their RPI last year was 145, which is respectable, and they are likely to be better this year.
And, yes, they play in the A-Sun, which was rated 29th last year, but they were one of the best teams in the conference. They are definitely not a cupcake, and there are schools in the MVC that try to schedule just cupcakes.

Bradley lost several very good opponents on this year's schedule, through no fault of their own. The Alaska tournament would have given BU a great chance to play Austin Peay (last year's RPI 84) or Stanford (RPI 14). And Iowa State pulled out, too. So maybe the critics here can tell Bradley where to call for last-minute high-RPI opponents that are just sitting around waiting for mid-majors to call and ask for a late game to be scheduled!

Just to point out what has been cited here a few times before, Bradley's non-conference schedules over the past several seasons have been among the best in the MVC. So rather than criticize the scheduling, I think Bradley deserves congratulations for trying to upgrade the schedule. Let's wait for the full schedule before we shoot from the hip and take rips at the teams on the schedule.
 
BU is doing the best they can. They got shafted with the TOTW collapsing, and are trying their best to find respectable teams to fill out the schedule. Scheduling at BU is hard enough, but when a tournament like this falls apart this late, it's even tougher.
 
Da Coach said:
They (Eastern Tennessee) play in the A-Sun, which was rated 29th last year, but they were one of the best teams in the conference.
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Maybe Bradley shoulda scheduled someone from the middle of the pack of the 30th rated conference instead... like Tennessee St.

LOL!!!
 
I think it's a given that we have to accept that we're probably not going to get a "quality" opponent given the limited time frame for the schedule-makers to to work with, as well as the fact that to fill our schedule out, it requires another school with a hole in their schedule so it works.

I'm sure there's one of you statheads out there that might be able to find out some "quality" opponents that are still looking to fill a schedule, so we might be able to actually have a fact to back up our *****ing! Of course, I'm sure the athletic dept. would love to know that too!
 
tornado said:
so are you implying our scheduling guys have fallen asleep at the wheel or don't know what their doing?
I think they are doing the best they can. ISU played SEMO last year in Normal, and SIU's home game last year vs. NIU was the same strength. All schools have some weak spots, but BU's SOS has been among the Valley leaders for several years.
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Here you go again trying to take this another direction. You know that I am not implying that. I know and agree about BU's SOS beening among the Valley leaders the past several years and thats a credit to those scheduling guys and JL. Maybe thats why the pain is so bad. But thats not easing the pain and what doe's that have to do with this year. We're building for this year and the future, not living on the past!
The Alaska tournament and Iowa State drops have hurt bad and I know BU is scrambling here to put a good schedule togather.
I made statements in my post about your commit about scheduling for revenue thing and about making fun of other schools weak schedule's. I also point out there are down sides from scheduling of weak opponents Not about BU's scheduling guys, so please don't go there!
This is just one opponent (game), so I am hoping the guys will pull off some
games down the road. I'm sure they will.
NO WHIP CREAM on this opponent! Please!
 
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As I said before, BU is doing the best they can under the circumstances. If we go out and finally win a conference title, all this SOS jargon will affect will be our seeding in the NCAA's. Even then it might not matter, as the BCS boys always get preferential treatment anyways.
 
Da Coach said:
Nothing like grossly exaggerating things to make your point! Eastern Tennessee is not a joke. Their RPI last year was 145, which is respectable, and they are likely to be better this year.
And, yes, they play in the A-Sun, which was rated 29th last year, but they were one of the best teams in the conference. They are definitely not a cupcake, and there are schools in the MVC that try to schedule just cupcakes.

Bradley lost several very good opponents on this year's schedule, through no fault of their own. The Alaska tournament would have given BU a great chance to play Austin Peay (last year's RPI 84) or Stanford (RPI 14). And Iowa State pulled out, too. So maybe the critics here can tell Bradley where to call for last-minute high-RPI opponents that are just sitting around waiting for mid-majors to call and ask for a late game to be scheduled!

Just to point out what has been cited here a few times before, Bradley's non-conference schedules over the past several seasons have been among the best in the MVC. So rather than criticize the scheduling, I think Bradley deserves congratulations for trying to upgrade the schedule. Let's wait for the full schedule before we shoot from the hip and take rips at the teams on the schedule.
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Did I mention ANYTHING about Eastern Tennessee in my post or anywhere about them being cupcakes. Please, don't make untrue statements about me saying this and that.
 
Good points OOB. . .one really weak game can make a big difference, not just for your team, but also your league. In 2006, the MVC ended at #6 in the CRPI. We were #2, until Indiana State lost to IPFW, and overnight the league dropped from #2 to #5. After the disappointing BB performance by the league it dropped to #6 where it finished.

The key to the RPI is good teams from good leagues. Obviously the bad teams from bad leagues have to play somebody. . .but you must not lose those games.

The SEMO game is not bad in my opinion given the quality of their non-con. I thought last year was a one-year deal, but it may have been a multi-year, I just don't remember offhand.
 
BradleyBrave said:
As I said before, BU is doing the best they can under the circumstances. If we go out and finally win a conference title, all this SOS jargon will affect will be our seeding in the NCAA's. Even then it might not matter, as the BCS boys always get preferential treatment anyways.
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Your right, and I believe I am on record as saying.
BU WILL WIN THE MV THIS YEAR!!
 
If worse comes to worst, we could always attempt to schedule Maguire University (like Air Force did once) out of Chicago.
 
Obviously, Bradley's schedule isn't complete, but here's how I see the known opponents ranking nationally this season (all my opinion based on where they finished last year and what they are losing/adding):

10 @Michigan St
60 Butler
80 UIC
170 @UW Milwaukee
180 ETSU
270 SEMO

If a couple more top 100 type teams are added (with one preferably a top 50), that's not a bad schedule at all. The SEMO game certainly hurts the RPI, but the others aren't that bad.

Bradley has a good chance to go 5-1 in those games, so I think Les can afford to add a couple other tough games without risking a subpar nonconference record. The road game at Michigan State will do wonders for the RPI, win or lose, as MSU should be really good this year, and the home games against Butler and UIC offer realistic opportunities for wins against the top 100. I'll reserve total judgment until the full schedule is released.
 
Is this a Bradley team that can thrive off of a tough non-conference schedule if the athletic department puts one together?

Just my opinion, but there are a lot of unknowns on this roster and a bunch of cupcakes at the beginning might not be the worst thing. After Maniscalco, Wilson & Warren, there isn't too much returning experience. This might take some time to gel.
 
The committee doesn't care about us gelling as a team, that's what practice and exhibitions are for. I don't see why we can't go on the road and be bought by one of the big boys(kansas , Duke, etc.) to offset these weak home games, or form a Peoria Classic with other teams whose exempts have been cancelled. Does that mean they'd still come to our gym? Yes. But it also would be an exempt tourney where the teams could get 3 or 4 more games on their schedule, instead of being stuck with only 9 non-cons. And we know that 20-10 still looks a lot better than 18-9
 
Getting drilled on the road doesn't do you any good, regardless of the opponent's rpi. Of course the committee doesn't care when a team gels, they just see the embarassing loss in November.

Last year, BU had some experienced guards going into the season opener and didn't put up much of a fight in a non-hostile enviroment. Just my opinion, but you put a few cupcakes in there before going to UIC and the result might have been different. BU was playing a lot better ball just a few weeks later.

I love the attitude of playing anybody/anywhere/anytime when you have the right team.
 
chitown fanatic said:
The committee doesn't care about us gelling as a team, that's what practice and exhibitions are for. I don't see why we can't go on the road and be bought by one of the big boys(kansas , Duke, etc.) to offset these weak home games, or form a Peoria Classic with other teams whose exempts have been cancelled. Does that mean they'd still come to our gym? Yes. But it also would be an exempt tourney where the teams could get 3 or 4 more games on their schedule, instead of being stuck with only 9 non-cons. And we know that 20-10 still looks a lot better than 18-9
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The collective "we" does not "know that 20-10 still looks better than 18-9." In essence they are the same. A 20-win season now with expanded schedules is next to mediocre.
 
it's boogie time said:
Getting drilled on the road doesn't do you any good, regardless of the opponent's rpi. Of course the committee doesn't care when a team gels, they just see the embarassing loss in November.

Last year, BU had some experienced guards going into the season opener and didn't put up much of a fight in a non-hostile enviroment. Just my opinion, but you put a few cupcakes in there before going to UIC and the result might have been different. BU was playing a lot better ball just a few weeks later.

I love the attitude of playing anybody/anywhere/anytime when you have the right team.
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I would hope we would want to play the best competition available. Anybody, anywhere, anytime.
 
Beninator said:
Exactly.... John Calipari used that approach at UMASS... That philosophy will benefit the program for the long run.
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Beninator and squirrel, you are so right. Playing cubcakes won't help when the time comes to play the cookie monsters at home or on the road. We don't have to go out and get killed everynight by the best in the country. But play good quality competition that will give your team a challenge and allow them to stride to get better. This also keeps your name form becoming a cupcake eater. If you win great and if you lose you learn from your mistakes and move on. Eating cupcakes and watching the bench play the second half doe's nothing for the team. A win playing cupcakes is meanness but a bad night, with a lost to one, will be with you the rest of the season.

Play the best competition available. Anybody, Anywhere, Anytime.
 
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