1st round NIT- Final score: Dayton 80 Bradley 66

[egib52]

I thought the 9-0 run to end the 1st half was essentially the backbreaker. Going into the locker room down 8-0 or less is a substantially different feeling than 17.

I saw an interview with Frank Martin I thought was interesting. He basically said that the whole metric system is rigged. Before anyone plays a game, every team is assigned a number, and the P4 gets the higher numbers, and midmajors are in the triple digits. Since the P4 only play themselves and low majors, their numbers never really fluctuate much and stay inflated. So the inverse happens to the midmajors. So I would assume part of our conference ranking is the same premise. However, the other issue is that the other conferences are watered down because of expansion. For instance the American Conference is much different than it was 5-10 years ago. Three years ago they had UCF, Cincinnati and Houston who are all in the Big 12 now.

 

[tomahawk chop]

Our best player has not been good in these last 3 games when it mattered the most plus if you saw how Dayton ran their offense it was with a lot of passing and screening which allowed for open shots. We pretty much did what we did all season and mostly set high ball screens and dribbled way too much with little passing. You make it easy for other teams to guard you when you just dribble more, move less and pass less. Bradleys offensive sets need to be changed period.

 

[egib52]

Our best player has not been good in these last 3 games when it mattered the most plus if you saw how Dayton ran their offense it was with a lot of passing and screening which allowed for open shots. We pretty much did what we did all season and mostly set high ball screens and dribbled way too much with little passing. You make it easy for other teams to guard you when you just dribble more, move less and pass less. Bradleys offensive sets need to be changed period.

Agreed, unfortunately it looked like our offense was geared towards getting our 5'9" going downhill into the lane, and having our big hopefully available for a catch in traffic.

I thought there was a stretch in the 2nd half where we were doing a good job running action for Alex to get him open, but it was too little too late.

I think our offense is predicated on quick actions (high ball screen, or iverson cuts), and not many actual offensive sets.

 

[Bballjunkie]

So I didn't see Bully's family at the game, which was odd.
Burch didn't even sit with the team on the bench? How bad was he hurt in practice? Something is off. A lot felt OFF last night at the game even before tipoff.

There is a lot off with this whole situation. Something is not right and it's been kept under wraps. There are too many things that don't make sense. We are the craziest substituting team in the country. I've never seen anything like it . Hard to watch.

 

[Bradley8792]

How do you end up with such piss poor officiating for a post season tournament game?

 

[Dubl R 1]

Our best player has not been good in these last 3 games when it mattered the most plus if you saw how Dayton ran their offense it was with a lot of passing and screening which allowed for open shots. We pretty much did what we did all season and mostly set high ball screens and dribbled way too much with little passing. You make it easy for other teams to guard you when you just dribble more, move less and pass less. Bradleys offensive sets need to be changed period.

We didn't have the personnel to run the kind of offense they ran...our bigs (Meta, Corey, Kai, and even AJ and Timo) just aren't capable of that kind of movement, ball handling, decision making and finishing that it takes to do that. Even the 7 foot center they had was pretty fluid and a decent ball hander..the spin moves and drives to the bucket he made....none of our bigs are even capable of doing that.

 

[LittleBrave]

Our best player has not been good in these last 3 games when it mattered the most plus if you saw how Dayton ran their offense it was with a lot of passing and screening which allowed for open shots. We pretty much did what we did all season and mostly set high ball screens and dribbled way too much with little passing. You make it easy for other teams to guard you when you just dribble more, move less and pass less. Bradleys offensive sets need to be changed period.

Spot-on analysis TomaH. I absolutely have hated our offensive sets this year and not sure who came up with it and why Wardle thought it was a good idea, even after seeing how much of a struggle it was for most of the season. Get the bigs down low where they belong instead of standing cluelessly for 5 seconds, waiting to hand the ball off. They can occasionally set screens on top. Move the ball from side to side, in and out, instead of staying on the left side or right side on each possession. Very few times do BU shooters catch and shoot like they have in recent seasons. Just make it easier on yourself and get more high % shots!

When Bully looks bad, the whole team looks bad. When Bully looks good, it blinds us fans of our how average the "team" is.

 

[egib52]

We didn't have the personnel to run the kind of offense they ran...our bigs (Meta, Corey, Kai, and even AJ and Timo) just aren't capable of that kind of movement, ball handling, decision making and finishing that it takes to do that. Even the 7 foot center they had was pretty fluid and a decent ball hander..the spin moves and drives to the bucket he made....none of our bigs are even capable of doing that.

I think Timo is capable, but you have to be ok with playing with a smaller lineup.

 

[Dubl R 1]

I think Timo is capable, but you have to be ok with playing with a smaller lineup.

Hes ok at driving the bucket, but even then he gets a head of steam a lot of times and then just stops....I wish he'd realize how big and long he is and just attack the front of the rim...elevate to dunk it and just see what happens...he gets in there then many times makes himself smaller. AJ does that as well...gets the advantage or step on the guy then doesn't know hot to use his body effectively.

But Timo still is not a good decision maker yet...isn't a good passer...doesn't play all that well in motion.

Posting up and straight drives to the bucket is where he has been effective.

But ur right of all the guys I listed he is the most capable

 

[CarolinaBrave]

The MVC is #9 and has been top-10 3 years in a row.

The MVC’s metrics have been better - by quite a bit actually - than in Loyola’s final 4 years in the league where it didn’t rank in the top-10 any of those 4 years.

It’s some fans’ perception the league has been “gutted” because of their bias against the portal and NIL. But that perception doesn’t come close to what the objective, non-biased numbers say.

I would argue the distance from the top 4 to 9th has gotten a lot more since 4 years ago with NIL/portal.

 

[bubraves82]

How do you end up with such piss poor officiating for a post season tournament game?

When you get beat down like that, officiating doesn't matter.

 

[Dubl R 1]

When you get beat down like that, officiating doesn't matter.

no but the officiating was bad enough that it absolutely could have mattered....the point is how do you get a crew that awful for an NIT game?

 

[carter]

After the pathetic performance from everyone except Alex last night did anyone listen to the post game show?Sounds like Coach is going to start recruiting today and I wonder if there may be some surprise exits from the team.

 

[daveineureka]

Hope everyone stays, but would not be surprised if we get a few to leave. Kudos to Wardle on hitting the recruiting trail after a disappointing loss. No looking back, but eyes to the future in trying to build a championship team.

 

[tomahawk chop]

The only way he can build a championship team is to have a lot more money committed . Look what Valpo has coming back because the ex CEO of Cat gave them 1 million dollars. Money is very important as far as bringing in good players.

 

[carter]

Yes to mid majors!! Go Highpoint!!

 

[Bradley8792]

no but the officiating was bad enough that it absolutely could have mattered....the point is how do you get a crew that awful for an NIT game?

That was my point. And considering the difference in free throws shot between teams, maybe the score would have been a little closer in which case it would have been motivation to get a run going. Probably not likely, but who knows.

 

[BUBraves2006]

86th and final story of the season ... been a lot of words, but thanks for reading!

https://bubraves2006.substack.com/p/every-season-ends-it-never-gets-easier

 

[LittleBrave]

86th and final story of the season ... been a lot of words, but thanks for reading!

https://bubraves2006.substack.com/p/every-season-ends-it-never-gets-easier

THANK YOU BUB06 for all your hard work throughout the season! I know at LEAST a handful of guys on here try to read your posts regularly, including myself. As you probably know, one of the top highlights this season for me was meeting you and Dub in St. Lou, cheering our lungs out, sweating bullets together, and holding back internal "tears" after our run was over.
I know it doesn't seem like "work" for you, which is why you do this. You DO have a way with words intertwined with your heavy knowledge and insight of the intricasies of hoops, and I can appreciate that a ton.

Having you here makes looking fw to the next season even more exciting, along with so many great and devoted BU fans on this site!
There really is nothing that compares to being a Bradley Braves fan, and my enthusiasm (and anxiety) far exceeds that of any other sports team, and that's likely true for many on here!

PLEASE let me, or others on this site, know when you plan to drive 1,400 miles to a Braves game in P-town, and we'll do our best to watch Bradley hoops live with ya! You know I'll drive 3.5 hours from Chicago!

Hey - we are Braves 4 Life (may have started out as Demons, but we grew wings - LOL)
Good to know that (and probably only true of 1 Valley team) Bradley basketball season is YEAR ROUND!!!

Cheers to a good (but bizarre) season with higher hopes ahead!

 

[bradleyfan124]

THANK YOU BUB06 for all your hard work throughout the season! I know at LEAST a handful of guys on here try to read your posts regularly, including myself. As you probably know, one of the top highlights this season for me was meeting you and Dub in St. Lou, cheering our lungs out, sweating bullets together, and holding back internal "tears" after our run was over.
I know it doesn't seem like "work" for you, which is why you do this. You DO have a way with words intertwined with your heavy knowledge and insight of the intricasies of hoops, and I can appreciate that a ton.

Having you here makes looking fw to the next season even more exciting, along with so many great and devoted BU fans on this site!
There really is nothing that compares to being a Bradley Braves fan, and my enthusiasm (and anxiety) far exceeds that of any other sports team, and that's likely true for many on here!

PLEASE let me, or others on this site, know when you plan to drive 1,400 miles to a Braves game in P-town, and we'll do our best to watch Bradley hoops live with ya! You know I'll drive 3.5 hours from Chicago!

Hey - we are Braves 4 Life (may have started out as Demons, but we grew wings - LOL)
Good to know that (and probably only true of 1 Valley team) Bradley basketball season is YEAR ROUND!!!

Cheers to a good (but bizarre) season with higher hopes ahead!

I think it is more than a handful.
I enjoy reading them