Thompson...

[basketball nut]

I can't imagine why fans think Anthony Thompson will contribute in 2010-11. Bradley may have a very nice season but if Anthony has to play major minutes it won't happen. As I think BradleyBrave said, it has nothing to do with his weight and a lot to do with his ability.

So a guy can't make up his mind that he wants to do better and works hard at improving. We, or at least I, have no idea what these guys are doing in the off season to improve.
I know I constantly go back to JC but I remember during the summer between soph and junior season how many on this board thought JC should leave and he would never amount to anything. How many would say that now. I knew how hard he was working because of a person he was working w/.
Am I saying AT is going to be another JC? Not at all but am saying we have no idea how much a player can improve from one year to another.
Does he have ability? Yes he does but it becomes a case of what you want from the player. If it is minutes and rebounds w/ defense then he may give us more then we expect. Points may be another issue.

[Da Coach]

There are a lot of examples of kids in past MVC seasons who emerged as good players after speding their first couple years on the bench. Adam Emmenecker even was named POY after barely ever seeing the court before his senior year. In Bradley history, there have been numerous examples. AT has the skills to play in the MVC and I think we'll see them.

[BuAlum03]

Yeah... I remember Funches having a break-out year his senior year. AT could do the same this year if he's working hard.

[ned]

if AT doesn't play, then who will be our post players??
what would happen if Will Egolf has 3 fouls, or someone's injured...
I think AT will get some good minutes.

Jordan Prosser, Milos Knezevic. Bradley really only plays with one "post" player anyway. I think we all agree that interior play is BU's biggest question mark/weakness heading into this season. True??

[tornado]

Milos won't play a low post, and JL has already gone on record saying he wants to try to utilize more big men, maybe Will E. as a "4" and someone else at the "5" at the same time on court.
So that would leave JP, AD, & AT --that's all, and none has much experience, but clearly after 3 years in the system, AT would likely get the nod.

[ned]

Milos won't play a low post, and JL has already gone on record saying he wants to try to utilize more big men, maybe Will E. as a "4" and someone else at the "5" at the same time on court.
So that would leave JP, AD, & AT --that's all, and none has much experience, but clearly after 3 years in the system, AT would likely get the nod.

JL--like most coaches, says one thing in the offseason and changes course during the season when he sees his team on a daily basis (alot of guys do this). I don't want him playing more "bigs" just for the sake of playing more bigs. He needs to play his best players the most minutes.

There are guys like Taylor, Sammy, Andrew, and Dodie who will play a LOT of minutes. Add Dyricus to that mix. Add Eastman to that mix. There just aren't that many more minutes to go around.

I don't want Bradley to weaken itsself just to say "we play more bigs" and I don't think Jim Les wants that either. Play your best players. Don't try to fit some "model".

[houstontxbrave]

There are a lot of examples of kids in past MVC seasons who emerged as good players after speding their first couple years on the bench. Adam Emmenecker even was named POY after barely ever seeing the court before his senior year. In Bradley history, there have been numerous examples. AT has the skills to play in the MVC and I think we'll see them.

Off the top of my head I can only come up with a couple of players who had a "breakout" season in a senior season... Rabey, Robinson, Schierer mabye Ed Cage

The others for the most part guys like Funches, Bayo they played and progressed for their 4 years. They didnt sit and virtually do nothing until they were seniors.

Schierer is about the only one I can think of who hardly saw the court then played decent as a senior.

[tornado]

Play your best players. Don't try to fit some "model".

so you're saying if your five best players are all small guards, then that's who you'd play?
Every coach has a system or a "model" - all of them...

Coach Les said in the chat last month is that he might go to the bigger lineup specifically if it was the best thing to do in order to match up better against a big opponent....
Previously he has been unable to do that because of limited depth in the post position.

[BU RICK]

JMHO - we need to play 3 bigs most of the time, I think part of our problem the last two seasons is that we gave up to many defense rebounds, sometimes 3 in one trip down the court, if we could limit the other team to just one shot, we would have won more games. I would like see us get 3 tries on our offensive board. We've got the bigs know, so lets use them.

[ned]

so you're saying if your five best players are all small guards, then that's who you'd play?

Weird.....because what Coach Les said in the chat last month is that he might go to the bigger lineup specifically if it was the best thing to do in order to match up better against a big opponent....
Previously he has been unable to do that because of limited depth in the post position.

I would play my best five players as many minutes as makes sense. As it relates to this Bradley team:

Are you asking me do I want Taylor Brown, Sam Maniscalco or DSE to play less minutes just so Bradley can play a bigger lineup? No. I don't.

IMO, we are only talking about 15 minutes a game here (assuming Will plays about 25). I don't want Will and AT on the floor together, for example, at the expense of Taylor Brown or Sammy, etc.

Sure Coach Les said he MIGHT go bigger. But then again he might not. I do know that the staff isn't crazy about Sticks. I don't think Bradley has any better post depth this year than last. I want other teams worrying about matching up with us, not the other way around.

[ned]

JMHO - we need to play 3 bigs most of the time, I think part of our problem the last two seasons is that we gave up to many defense rebounds, sometimes 3 in one trip down the court, if we could limit the other team to just one shot, we would have won more games. I would like see us get 3 tries on our offensive board. We've got the bigs know, so lets use them.

Just because guys are big doesn't mean they are good. That's my point. Give me good players over guys who are big but can't play.

[LittleBrave]

I'm o.k. with 4-guard line-up for part of the game.
DSE and JE have a nack for getting boards.

I think a problem last season was that everyone knew we were going to shoot from the outside with no real inside-out work, so shots were contested more. With 2 post players, that should free up the perimeter guys more.

I hope WE is more of a scoring threat, as he showed in a couple games last season. At least get him more touches. He has to want the ball though, and his lack of confidence toward the end of the season showed.

[BU RICK]

ned, the type of lineup you're proposing is what we've played with the last two seasons and we were basically a .500 team so it's time to try something new. JL played in the NBA so he knows you need size. I wish he never went to Phoenix to study their 3 guard offense, those were 3 professional players playing it, but I guess it was out of necessity. We don't need it now, use the bigs

[ned]

ned, the type of lineup you're proposing is what we've played with the last two seasons and we were basically a .500 team so it's time to try something new. JL played in the NBA so he knows you need size. I wish he never went to Phoenix to study their 3 guard offense, those were 3 professional players playing it, but I guess it was out of necessity. We don't need it now, use the bigs

Rick. I understand your point. I do. In a vacuum and ideal world you would play with three perimeter type guys and two post guys. However, I don't want to play a guy who is a "big" just because hes a big. If he isn't any good then how exactly does that help you win?

Its not like you can just throw a guy out there because hes big and it will make everything better. It doesn't work that way. Good players win games. Bradley and Jim Les need to win games. I don't want our 2nd and 3rd best players not playing just so we can play the 9th best player only because he fits some physical description but has no ability.

[basketball nut]

I do know that the staff isn't crazy about Sticks. .

So I take it you must be an insider, a coach, or on the team to know that the staff isn't crazy about Sticks so come clean w/ how you know this. Are you @ practices and workouts or is this just your own opinion or based on last season