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BU at a Crossroads

Buesch N Chips said:
The drama-meter is pretty high in this post, but I'm sure a lot of fans agree with you, especially the loquacious ones around here today. Your statement-as-fact that at full strength we would still be mediocre is a bit of a stretch, considering it is pure speculation on your part. I have no problem addressing concerns and issues, but let's stay with fact. I agree that tough decisions need to be made, but I am going to give them the season to see where they go from here. If they continue to crumble, then let the chips fall.

What I don't understand is why people continue to be surprised when we struggle. Didn't we all see this coming?

Another thing I don't understand, SM has bad ankles, everyone knows that, and we apparently had no plan B at point guard. Why?
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I agree Buesch, it would take more than TB and SM to bring this program back to the mediocrity of the past 6 or 7 years.
 
BradleyJD said:
I really debated on posting about BU and the state of the program. In fact, I have stayed away completely from posting for quite a while because I did not want to dwell on the negatives.

I found it interesting reading Dave's article in the paper today, which basically showed his own struggle with reporting and discussing the negative state of things at Bradley.

My thoughts, for what they are worth:

I have a really difficult time watching the product that Bradley is putting on the floor.

I do not know how I could be any more of a "Bradley" guy. I grew with a parent who worked at Bradley. I am one of 7 children who attended Bradley. I worked at Bradley before I was in college, while I was in college, and even after I graduated from college. I've gone to 95% of the home games since I was old enough to remember them. I have gone to the Valley tournament almost every year it's been in St. Louis. I even went several times before it was in St. Louis.

That said, I am absolutely, 100%, concerned about where this program is headed. To me, we are beyond the crossroad and headed downhill, without breaks.

I realize we have had injuries. I know we didn't have the best facilities for many years. I realize that being a smaller, private school with "limited" resources plays some part in limiting our capabilities.

However, I also believe in accountability. I believe that, at some point, you have to WIN games. I believe there has to be considerable, noticeable, concrete signs of improvement and development.

I have struggled to find any signs of growth. Any signs of hope.

Where is the development of players? Why do we seemingly have no offense? Why do Bradley players not know how to set screens? Seriously, watch BU's screens for an entire game...they never set a quality screen to open a teammate.

To me, we are way past the crossroads. This is closer to an end-game, IMO.

I wish and hope that I am wrong, but it's not looking good.
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Agree 100%. Great post JD. It's funny because anyone who expressed similar concerns when signs started pointing to this were branded 'haters' with 'an agenda'. The 'agenda' is Bradley winning, plain and simple. It's all any of us want.
 
BUFAN said:
I agree Buesch, it would take more than TB and SM to bring this program back to the mediocrity of the past 6 or 7 years.
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I don't agree. A healthy Sammy would make a huge difference in running the offense and creating better shots for everyone. By playing DD out of position at point guard we negate his strongest attributes, and he becomes a non-scorer.
And if we had TB, that makes a big difference in rebounding (he was our best rebounder), as well as inside scoring (what we lack the most).
We are talking about 2 preseason All-MVC players. I think if we added their close to 30 ppg and 10 rpg this team is a contender for the MVC.
 
Da Coach said:
I don't agree. A healthy Sammy would make a huge difference in running the offense and creating better shots for everyone. By playing DD out of position at point guard we negate his strongest attributes, and he becomes a non-scorer.
And if we had TB, that makes a big difference in rebounding (he was our best rebounder), as well as inside scoring (what we lack the most).
We are talking about 2 preseason All-MVC players. I think if we added their close to 30 ppg and 10 rpg this team is a contender for the MVC.
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If you are right and I hope you are we will be a contender next year.
 
Da Coach said:
I don't agree. A healthy Sammy would make a huge difference in running the offense and creating better shots for everyone. By playing DD out of position at point guard we negate his strongest attributes, and he becomes a non-scorer.
And if we had TB, that makes a big difference in rebounding (he was our best rebounder), as well as inside scoring (what we lack the most).
We are talking about 2 preseason All-MVC players. I think if we added their close to 30 ppg and 10 rpg this team is a contender for the MVC.
Click to expand...

Perhaps a contender for the 2:30 game in St. Louis.
 
Da Coach said:
I don't agree. A healthy Sammy would make a huge difference in running the offense and creating better shots for everyone. By playing DD out of position at point guard we negate his strongest attributes, and he becomes a non-scorer.
And if we had TB, that makes a big difference in rebounding (he was our best rebounder), as well as inside scoring (what we lack the most).
We are talking about 2 preseason All-MVC players. I think if we added their close to 30 ppg and 10 rpg this team is a contender for the MVC.
Click to expand...

I just don't see us being better than WSU or MSU with those guys. ("contender" status) Maybe certain individuals have improved since last year (AW and....and...), but the team chemistry hasn't. True that Sammy is the catalyst to that chemistry, but only to a certain degree. Let's wait and see if we go from a #9 or 10 team in the Valley to a contender next season.
 
LittleBrave said:
I just don't see us being better than WSU or MSU with those guys. ("contender" status) Maybe certain individuals have improved since last year (AW and....and...), but the team chemistry hasn't. True that Sammy is the catalyst to that chemistry, but only to a certain degree. Let's wait and see if we go from a #9 or 10 team in the Valley to a contender next season.
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LB...we gave WSU a run with what we have...within 1 at half? Add TB and Sammy to that and I think we would compete with them, although they are the more talented, older, experienced team ;)

I am not sure MSU is on their level...
 
mrcoachdude said:
LB...we gave WSU a run with what we have...within 1 at half? Add TB and Sammy to that and I think we would compete with them, although they are the more talented, older, experienced team ;)

I am not sure MSU is on their level...
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Yeah, but you can't just focus on 1 half. We may be 2-1 in the Valley if we only played halves and counted our best one. :lol:
The point is that we would have likely lost anyways...at HOME...to a contending Valley team. That doesn't put us as contenders.
But last night's game showed a complete lack of chemistry, gameplan, whatever - that no matter who we put out there, we're going to struggle.
We struggled to beat LMU and NIU with SM (I know he wasn't 100%).
Just frustrated with the job we've done with who we've got available.
 
BradleyBrave said:
Agree 100%. Great post JD. It's funny because anyone who expressed similar concerns when signs started pointing to this were branded 'haters' with 'an agenda'. The 'agenda' is Bradley winning, plain and simple. It's all any of us want.
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+1 * 1000


But really label me a "hater" because I do in fact HATE losing!!
 
The reality of the situation is that every single coach at a major revenue program has an expiration date.

I'd venture to guess that Jim Les is in the top 15% in all of D1 in tenure. There might be 30-40 coaches that have been at their programs longer, either because of sustained success or apathy. Which category does BU want to be in?
 
You know as much as all this "bothers" us there is another guy that I bet it hurts as much if not MORE then anyone of us can imagine.....JL.

He bleeds BU and it has to be killing him not to be winning.
 
I'm not really sure what to make of this mess. We can criticize Les for being Mr. 2:30 :lol: and it's a fair criticism, but one thing it DID do was set a floor for the program. Even if we can't hit the ceiling, we at least know that the floor of the program is 2:30. At least until this year.

I said going into this year that it was no more excuse time. No matter how bad or good the luck it, we had to take this year's results at face value and use them in a strict manner to evaluate the program. This was supposed to be the year of reckoning. Of course, this ends up being the year we're more devastated by injury than any other year. :roll: It almost seems deceitful of me to continue that stance when our two best players (yes, TB>AW) ended up gone for the entire year basically.

I guess I'm saying I'm at my own crossroads when trying to evaluate this program. I have no idea if I'm supposed to be saying Les should get a full year with a full strength team one more time or if enough is enough. I don't know if there's a correct answer to that question.
 
TheAsianSensation said:
I'm not really sure what to make of this mess. We can criticize Les for being Mr. 2:30 :lol: and it's a fair criticism, but one thing it DID do was set a floor for the program. Even if we can't hit the ceiling, we at least know that the floor of the program is 2:30. At least until this year.

I said going into this year that it was no more excuse time. No matter how bad or good the luck it, we had to take this year's results at face value and use them in a strict manner to evaluate the program. This was supposed to be the year of reckoning. Of course, this ends up being the year we're more devastated by injury than any other year. :roll: It almost seems deceitful of me to continue that stance when our two best players (yes, TB>AW) ended up gone for the entire year basically.

I guess I'm saying I'm at my own crossroads when trying to evaluate this program. I have no idea if I'm supposed to be saying Les should get a full year with a full strength team one more time or if enough is enough. I don't know if there's a correct answer to that question.
Click to expand...

I struggle also in about the same way. If only we lived in the real no-excuse world where we get to "reasonably" ask the question, "why didn't Les have a plan B to Taylor Brown?" The answer, very obviously, is that midmajors almost never have a scrapheap full of mismatch forwards with an excellent mix of skills, shooting, athleticism, and raw talent. I'm not a member of either of the big factions that have developed on our board. I don't at all think anyone who posts on here isn't a fan or something. But I'm as tired of the Les is the Root of All Evil crowd as I am the University Never Does Wrong crowd. Both have an agenda.

Regarding my own opinions on the coach, I can't figure out how to evaluate this season at this point. That was an awful game last night, and I hated watching it. I think some of that was coaching, I think some of it was the players, I think some of it was bad luck. I don't think Jim Les is a great coach and I don't think he's the best recruiter of all time. Coming into this season, I considered him to be average or a bit above. If I combine that with his obvious love and ambition for the alma mater and the fact that he's probably "underpaid" (believe his pay is no better than average for our league) for his performance he hasn't been an awful situation for us.

If I thought Bradley was going to throw up some big money to get a top up and comer or solid mid career guy I would be less predisposed against a change if the season turns out like it looks like it will. Problem is, I don't think we will put up that kind of money, so I don't feel confident that what we get will be better... And I do think that will put the program back a couple of years-- loss of incoming recruiting class (a class I happen to think is a very good one) and incompatibility of current personnel to new system as reasons for setback.

As for this season and my preseason expectations, injuries, for a midmajor like us, are an excuse. TB is the kind of player you just don't replace. SM is maybe a bit more replaceable, from a talent standpoint, but not from an intangibles one. The coach can't use that excuse, for sure, but fans who are unwilling to adjust expectations when you lose 2/3 of your star players are either foolish or have something else in mind (positioning for the end of the Les era). That doesn't mean anyone has to like losing, I sure don't. I don't begrudge anyone who had already decided that they thought Les isn't the man for the job their opinion, I just haven't decided yet... And I can't even figure out how I'm judging that going forward. If our next 16 games are like the one last night, I think that'll be disappointing... One thing I'm sure of, I won't be judging the team's performance by my preseason expectations... But like TAS, I haven't managed to figure out what my criteria actually is.
 
TheAsianSensation said:
I'm not really sure what to make of this mess. We can criticize Les for being Mr. 2:30 :lol: and it's a fair criticism, but one thing it DID do was set a floor for the program. Even if we can't hit the ceiling, we at least know that the floor of the program is 2:30. At least until this year.

I said going into this year that it was no more excuse time. No matter how bad or good the luck it, we had to take this year's results at face value and use them in a strict manner to evaluate the program. This was supposed to be the year of reckoning. Of course, this ends up being the year we're more devastated by injury than any other year. :roll: It almost seems deceitful of me to continue that stance when our two best players (yes, TB>AW) ended up gone for the entire year basically.

I guess I'm saying I'm at my own crossroads when trying to evaluate this program. I have no idea if I'm supposed to be saying Les should get a full year with a full strength team one more time or if enough is enough. I don't know if there's a correct answer to that question.
Click to expand...

This is the best post I've read in weeks. Sums up my opinion completely.
 
BradleyJD said:
I really debated on posting about BU and the state of the program. In fact, I have stayed away completely from posting for quite a while because I did not want to dwell on the negatives.

I found it interesting reading Dave's article in the paper today, which basically showed his own struggle with reporting and discussing the negative state of things at Bradley.

My thoughts, for what they are worth:

I have a really difficult time watching the product that Bradley is putting on the floor.

I do not know how I could be any more of a "Bradley" guy. I grew with a parent who worked at Bradley. I am one of 7 children who attended Bradley. I worked at Bradley before I was in college, while I was in college, and even after I graduated from college. I've gone to 95% of the home games since I was old enough to remember them. I have gone to the Valley tournament almost every year it's been in St. Louis. I even went several times before it was in St. Louis.

That said, I am absolutely, 100%, concerned about where this program is headed. To me, we are beyond the crossroad and headed downhill, without breaks.

I realize we have had injuries. I know we didn't have the best facilities for many years. I realize that being a smaller, private school with "limited" resources plays some part in limiting our capabilities.

However, I also believe in accountability. I believe that, at some point, you have to WIN games. I believe there has to be considerable, noticeable, concrete signs of improvement and development.

I have struggled to find any signs of growth. Any signs of hope.

Where is the development of players? Why do we seemingly have no offense? Why do Bradley players not know how to set screens? Seriously, watch BU's screens for an entire game...they never set a quality screen to open a teammate.

To me, we are way past the crossroads. This is closer to an end-game, IMO.

I wish and hope that I am wrong, but it's not looking good.
Click to expand...

I agree whole-heartedly.
 
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