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Bradley vs. Western Illinois

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doug shank's crossover

New member
Pardon the random thought, but I think it would be wonderful if BU would schedule Western as part of its pre-valley schedule. I see win-win benefits for both programs if this were to happen. From BU's perspective, it would provide a well coached relatively competitive game (as compared with lesser programs BU has played recently in its pre-Valley schedule). It would also provide a revenue perk as Western would out-draw, say Lewis U. etc. We typically draw between 7k and 9k for these types of matches, and Western would probably be a better "gate" than that. From Western's perspective, it would provide Coach Mo a chance to return home to a place that (I think) loves him for what he accomplished here, and give him a presence in a b-ball market that he's actively recruiting. It would probably be a 2 for 1 deal that would be very popular in both venues.....just a thought from my weird little world....
 
Well....

As this has been thrown around before, I will try to answer the same.

As long as Mo is at WIU and Les is at Bradley, IMO, it would be in Les' best interest to only play a Home game vs WIU (though don't shy from a tourney that could potentially match the 2 up).

I don't think arrogantly that Bradley is above playing a H-n-H or 2 for 1 with WIU. I just think, IMO, as long as WIU has Mo and Bradley has Les... don't SCHEDULE a road game at WIU.
 
Recruiting leverage not at stake

Recruiting leverage not at stake

MacabreMob said:
Well....

As this has been thrown around before, I will try to answer the same.

As long as Mo is at WIU and Les is at Bradley, IMO, it would be in Les' best interest to only play a Home game vs WIU (though don't shy from a tourney that could potentially match the 2 up).

I don't think arrogantly that Bradley is above playing a H-n-H or 2 for 1 with WIU. I just think, IMO, as long as WIU has Mo and Bradley has Les... don't SCHEDULE a road game at WIU.
Click to expand...

You make a fair point. Sorry if this is a redundant post as I'm fairly new. From a recruiting standpoint though, I don't think it would be a big risk to do a 2 for 1. BU has (obviously) a much stronger foothold in the Quad Cities-Galesburg-Bloomington B-ball markets to be at risk by playing at WIU.
 
MO was a great coach at Bradley and would be given a long standing ovation if he ever brought a WIU team to Peoria.

With that said, there is no way ever that Bradley needs to get into any sort of 2-1 with any Summit League team. It is not worth it for us or our conference to do something like that.

We can and should schedule at a higher level.
 
Early season schedule

Early season schedule

Have you looked at BU's "tune up" games over the past decade or so? And, lets not forget that a certain Summit team soundly beat BU just a few months ago.
 
doug shank's crossover said:
Have you looked at BU's "tune up" games over the past decade or so? And, lets not forget that a certain Summit team soundly beat BU just a few months ago.
Click to expand...

Well - exactly.

Using your words, WIU should be considered a tune-up. So a "buy-game" only. No road game. No H-n-H and no 2-for-1.

And as for worrying about recruiting... it's all about perception. It doesn't mean squat with recruits BU and WIU are both recruiting... it has an impact on recruits BU and teams like UIUC and Depaul are both recruiting. A loss at WIU doesn't mean we lose a recruit to WIU... a loss at WIU means we lose a recruit to Depaul, UIUC, etc.

Bradley's AD knows enough to think beyond just a road game against an In-State team with a team coached by a guy fired at his school. There's just too much Schadenfreude involved to put yourself in the situation. You'd just have to be an id-e-ot to play WIU on the road while Mo is there with Les as your current coach.

If people lack common sense to understand it... then I am not sure I can help.
 
Went to see WIU and mo Saturday and bring greeting to Bradleyfans.com from coach Mo....at least I think that is what he meant when he said tell everyone I said hi :)

They kept it close against ORU...without WIU's best player...who was out with a bruised knee...

Great seats....thanks Coach!

Will try to get there again this season if I can.....
 
houstontxbrave said:
MO was a great coach at Bradley and would be given a long standing ovation if he ever brought a WIU team to Peoria.

With that said, there is no way ever that Bradley needs to get into any sort of 2-1 with any Summit League team. It is not worth it for us or our conference to do something like that.

We can and should schedule at a higher level.
Click to expand...


Maybe we should schedule some more teams out of the Atlantic Sun and OVC.

Hey Jim Les used to play in the Summit/MidCon, Jim Molinari's NIU squad was a regular season champion in that conference too.

UMKC beat Bradley this year. If Bradley were to play at Oral Roberts, Oakland or North Dakota St. there is a good chance they would not get the W.

I agree, Bradley needs to schedule better. But, according to your line of thinking Bradley should never get a 2-1 deal with Michigan St. because they are above playing scum like us and Illilnois should never have to play Bradley. It works both ways. We look at top program teams that don't want to do home and home with us and we think they are elitists.

Didn't we play Western all through the 90's up to '02?
 
Correction, Cleveland St. didn't join the Summit/Midcon until after Jim's 81-82 season.

J. Les did play Western twice though and once in Macomb.
 
2bradleyfans said:
Maybe we should schedule some more teams out of the Atlantic Sun and OVC.

Hey Jim Les used to play in the Summit/MidCon, Jim Molinari's NIU squad was a regular season champion in that conference too.

UMKC beat Bradley this year. If Bradley were to play at Oral Roberts, Oakland or North Dakota St. there is a good chance they would not get the W.

I agree, Bradley needs to schedule better. But, according to your line of thinking Bradley should never get a 2-1 deal with Michigan St. because they are above playing scum like us and Illilnois should never have to play Bradley. It works both ways. We look at top program teams that don't want to do home and home with us and we think they are elitists.

Didn't we play Western all through the 90's up to '02?
Click to expand...

You and Doug do not get it. I dont care if UMKC beat us this year or not and if anyone else in the Summit could or could not beat us. We do not need to ever schedule a road game with anyone in the Summit, the Atlantic Sun or the OVC EVER.

If we have to play anyone in those conferences it is a buy game at home or if we do play them outside of Peoria it would be on a neutral court.

Bradley does not need to EVER by choice go on the road and play anyone from those conferences on their courts. There is no need for it and there is absolutely no reason for it to ever happen.

And you are right it works both ways but in this instance we hold the cards and make the decisions and the decisions to ever go on the road and play at one of those conferences makes no sense for the Bradley program and in actuality it makes no sense for anyone in the Valley to do it.

MSU playing a 2-1 with Bradley makes a whole lot more sense for MSU to get prepared for their Big Ten schedule by playing at Bradley then it does for Bradley to prepare for their MVC schedule by playing a game in Macomb.

My logic is we are a better program and the days of us going to Macomb for a game should not ever happen again. They can come to Peoria all they want but as for us going there I hope it never happens. Same for SIUE, EIU, NIU.

BTW ya we did go to Macomb once during Mo's tenure and got beat. Bradley also used to play teams like Rollins College, Alaska Anchorage, Beloit etc.. just because we played those programs in the past does that mean we should again now.

Basically Bradley is a better program then it was in the mid 90's in more solid conference and there is no advantage for us to go on the road to play a school from an inferior conference.
 
I can see both sides of this issue.

Western basketball has been wallowing in obscurity for the last two decades. Hope MO can turn it around there. I would like to see WIU play at Carver though even if we don't go there. Also, if MO can get WIU to the point where they are a consitantly 150/better rpi team I think they would be worthy enough for a 2 for 1 deal, but that could be years down the road (if ever).
 
Bradley has zero reason to play at WIU. It doesn't fit any plan or any benefit Bradley would be looking for. WIU as a home cupcake wouldn't be a terrible idea though.

Bradley has bigger fish to fry. Now, if you'll excuse us, we need to go back to insulting and flaming Illinois for not scheduling us a 2 for 1. What cowards. We don't want a 2 for 1 with WIU - Illinois should schedule us a 2 for 1 :twisted:


[/sarcasm]
 
Lewis was an exb. game , Western would not be and they do not draw anymore then a Loyola or Chicago St. I do not see our new coach scheduling a game with our former coach period.
 
I'm torn on the issue, because I don't like it when we have trouble scheduling the "BCS" schools for the very same reason. I don't mind some raod games against better teams in these conferences, and I think we should be willing to play what and where we have to... But WIU is very low on that list, I think. Heheh, if I read through that post it says I don't know what the h*ll I think. :)
 
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