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10 questions surrounding the team this year

Da Coach said:
We all know how some people feel about JLs tenure.
I know people who think Bradley should win the MVC every year, and think anything less is a disgrace.
But regardless what anyone wants for BU, my initial post was just stating facts as I see and hear them: Jim Les is as safe right now at Bradley as any D1 coach in America. There is absolutlely 0% chance of him getting fired this year or next year, barring some scandal (which isn't going to happen). People can have their opinions about what they would do if they could call the shots, but JL is secure at BU.
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I don't disagree with you at all DC. I think JL is fine for a long time actually.

Is there a line besides a scandal or a few losing seasons strung together that would put him on the hotseat?
 
I surrender...

Having read all the posts supporting Jim Les as the best coach in Bradley, as well as MVC, history, and, being the most snakebit with the worst facilities anywhere, I'll start a fund to errect his statue outside the new BU practice facility on campus:)

Its a darn good thing BU wasn't able to wrestle Bruce Webber or Dana Altman away from their jobs in the Valley when the BU post was open!

NO MORE POSTS FROM ME RE JL fOR TWO MORE YEARS and we can revisit the subject....I hope for the rest of BU nation I will be eating crow, and not asking why two more years with no top tier Valley record, no conference titles, no MVC tournament wins, no NCAA/NIT, no players/recruits recognized by the Valley coaches/media make JL the only person in America for the job.

Go get em Braves in 2009!

Hope to meet some of the posters in Vegas at Thanksgiving where you can pummel me!

PS - I am not a BU grad or a native Illinoisan...I adopted BU during my career in Peora in the 90's and 2000's...Love the university and the MBB program and hope it can continue to get better with, or without, JL! I do hope JL can meet the high expectations/goals he set for himself as coach at BU...
 
AZ BU Fan I for one appreciate your candor! I know that I see the program through rose color glasses, drink the cool-aid through a fire hose and to makes things worse I was a student during those JL/Big MW/HH glory years so I tend to be a bit more loyal to him. I'm about loyalty and JL has been nothing but loyal to the school and bb program and that to me means so much more then winning. I do not know about the others but I bet they also tend to lean that way. Until he falls on his face I'd be the last guy to say we should let him go. I like Jim Molinari and thought he got axed to quickly. He also is a stand up guy!
 
Thanks SFP...I know a lot of people feel the same way about BU and JL and I have no problem with that!

I guess I just like to stir the pot a bit and hope BU fans don't get too complacent with the incumbent or settle for anything less than replacing Creighton, SIU and UNI as the marquee programs in the conference, regardless how popular a coach is....

Heck, if that is the issue, we should see if Coach Stowell would come out of retirement;)

I was in Peoria for a very small bit of the early 80's BU excitement and understand the tremendous support/interest/loyalty/passion BU gets from its fans, it is truly unique in sports.
 
Coachdude--every team deals with injuries. Good coaches understand some type of injury will happen so they prepare. I'm not a guy who likes that excuse.[/QUOTE]

No excuses used or needed...I just plain don't want anyone hurt ........
 
SFP said:
AZ BU Fan I for one appreciate your candor! I know that I see the program through rose color glasses, drink the cool-aid through a fire hose and to makes things worse I was a student during those JL/Big MW/HH glory years so I tend to be a bit more loyal to him. I'm about loyalty and JL has been nothing but loyal to the school and bb program and that to me means so much more then winning. I do not know about the others but I bet they also tend to lean that way. Until he falls on his face I'd be the last guy to say we should let him go. I like Jim Molinari and thought he got axed to quickly. He also is a stand up guy!
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I agree with evrything you just said SFP:)
 
I want to be real here! JL has done a lot of good here in his 7 years! He's run a good clean program and has/is brought in some really good kids/players. Grades are up as is the graduation rate. Fan interest is high! He's done a lot to get Bradley's name out there. The season attendance, the sweet 16 run and the past two years post season play (maybe not what we all want) have brought in a lot of money that is supporting many things including being used for the new fieldhouse!
As for his win/lost record, not bad but a lot of room to get better!
All BU fans want to win and win every game! Thats just the nature of the beast in us! If you don't feel that way then I ? your true will to win! It's like my golf game, I want a 69 every time out but stand a better chance of getting one at night;-) In reality BU fans know we can't win every game, be the MVC champ and in the big dance every year! But it is time we move up and get the drink that so many BU fans taste for! When the call goes out by some fans (as it has on here) for Jimmy to make this happen and ? his status does not mean they are just being fanned. They have the right to express their opinions as long as it is in a civil matter with true facts!
The reality to all this is, it is past time to have a regular season 20 game winner, be nationally ranked, win a MVC championship and go dancing again:!:
I know Jimmy wants this and I think this maybe the year:!:
Win Baby, Just Win:!:
 
basketball nut said:
So sorry but then I didnt look up the answer to my question-just trying to remember off the top of my head. My point is it just doesn't happen very often but some of our fans think we should be there every year and if we are not then we were not successful.
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No worries bball nut. ;)

I was only trying to help you (and readers) out by mentioning Xavier and clarifying the Final4 info. :D
 
AZ BU Fan said:
Thanks SFP...I know a lot of people feel the same way about BU and JL and I have no problem with that!

I guess I just like to stir the pot a bit and hope BU fans don't get too complacent with the incumbent or settle for anything less than replacing Creighton, SIU and UNI as the marquee programs in the conference, regardless how popular a coach is....

Heck, if that is the issue, we should see if Coach Stowell would come out of retirement;)

I was in Peoria for a very small bit of the early 80's BU excitement and understand the tremendous support/interest/loyalty/passion BU gets from its fans, it is truly unique in sports.
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Heaven forbid we don't go back. Let JS stay retired. The early 80's was the era when Dick Versace was bringing BU basketball back from oblivion.
 
Good thing John Wooden or Coach K didn't start out here as this group would have ran them way out of town by now. Am I saying JL will become either one? One never knows just ask UCLA and Duke, they didn't give up after 7 years and ended up w/ 2 of the all time best.
 
basketball nut said:
Good thing John Wooden or Coach K didn't start out here as this group would have ran them way out of town by now. Am I saying JL will become either one? One never knows just ask UCLA and Duke, they didn't give up after 7 years and ended up w/ 2 of the all time best.
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I know some are going to say he has had enough time and unfortunately we are in a society that is developing an overwhelming sense of entitlement for immediate gratification and right now. ;-)
 
basketball nut said:
Good thing John Wooden or Coach K didn't start out here as this group would have ran them way out of town by now. Am I saying JL will become either one? One never knows just ask UCLA and Duke, they didn't give up after 7 years and ended up w/ 2 of the all time best.
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John Wooden had 3 NCAA Tournaments in his first 7 years at UCLA, and had a national runner up at the NAIA level before that. So there was an absolute track record of success.

Coach K at Duke went to their 4th consecutive NCAA in his 7th year there and have only missed one NCAA since, without him.
 
Coach K's record in his first 8 seasons of coaching (5 at Army and 3 at Duke)-
1975-76 Army 11-14
1976-77 Army 20-8
1977-78 Army 19-9 NIT 1st round loss
1978-79 Army 14-11
1979-80 Army 9-17
1980-81 Duke 17-13 NIT quarterfinals
1981-82 Duke 10-17
1982-83 Duke 11-17
Record- 8 yrs 111-106

Not exactly Hall of Fame numbers at that point in his coaching career.
Maybe if he was at Bradley and went 9-17 in year 5, and failed to make the NCAA or to even win a single postseason game, he some fans would have wanted him gone. Instead, someone who knew better could see his qualies as a coach, and hired him at Duke. It took 4 years to turn Duke around, but he's been pretty good since then.
BTW- Jim Les' record after 7 seasons is 126-105.
Before anyone has a stroke and accuses me of comparing Jim Les to Mike Krzyzewski as a coach, I am not. I am merely comparing records, and JL's is better than MK's. If we used the same criteria some people use to evaluate Jim Les, Coach K would have been canned before he got the Duke job, and he's probably be unknown and coaching at some high school somewhere.
 
For the record, I felt BU may want to consider someone else as coach if, after 9 years on the job, there aren't any top MVC finishes/ championships, no Conference Tournament Titles, and no other NIT/NCAA appearances.

Not after this coming season, but after the 2010-11 season...

I would think 9 years on the job doesn't represent instant gratification,
giving up on a guy too soon, etc.
 
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