Thompson...

[AZ BU Fan]

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".

One could argue that BU's best players are SM, DD, DSE, AW and TB. Should this be their starting line up?

IF BU is getting killed on the boards, allowing opposing guards to drive down the lane unobstructed, or leaving open 3 pt shooters on the wings because smaller BU players have to double team opposing post players, I say, go bigger.

[Dallas Brave]

Maybe more painful was watching opponents grab offensive rebounds at liberty - some games more than others.

Rebounding at both ends was pitiful. We ranked 178th among Div 1 teams at defensive rebounding. The team was athletic, fast, and occasionally hard-nosed ... maybe, just maybe, it was the height factor.

I hear that height sometimes helps when fielding a basketball "team"

[ned]

Rebounding at both ends was pitiful. We ranked 178th among Div 1 teams at defensive rebounding. The team was athletic, fast, and occasionally hard-nosed ... maybe, just maybe, it was the height factor.

I hear that height sometimes helps when fielding a basketball "team"

Height helps. If the "height" can play. If it can't then you aren't exactly helped. I think people assume that just because a tall guy plays over a smaller guy that you would be automatically better. Or even a better rebounding team.

Ok, so Bradley is a little better rebounding team. But at what expense? You can't just assume that going "bigger" makes things better. Its a cost/benefit analysis thing.

AZ BU Fan---I wouldn't have a problem with that lineup. Would we struggle with bigger teams? Yes. But they sure as heck would struggle guarding us. That goes both ways.

[Braves4Life]

One could argue that BU's best players are SM, DD, DSE, AW and TB. Should this be their starting line up?

Though these may be the 5 most talented players I would like to see either DD or DSE come off the bench as a 6th-man "super sub". I think it will be critical to start WE against most teams.

I think part of BU's problem is they have so many similar players of similar ability..... it really makes for an interesting and difficult substitution dilemna..... one that Les has yet to master.

I would love it if JP and AT could play together without embarrassing themselves. One lineup I would absolutely love to see is WE, AT, JP, TB, with AW running the point. Can you imagine?

[basketball nut]

Height helps. If the "height" can play. If it can't then you aren't exactly helped. I think people assume that just because a tall guy plays over a smaller guy that you would be automatically better. Or even a better rebounding team.

Ok, so Bradley is a little better rebounding team. But at what expense? You can't just assume that going "bigger" makes things better. Its a cost/benefit analysis thing.

AZ BU Fan---I wouldn't have a problem with that lineup. Would we struggle with bigger teams? Yes. But they sure as heck would struggle guarding us. That goes both ways.

1 problem I see w/ your phelosophy is this team doesn't shoot like the JC teams did. Is that a rip on this team not at all but this team relies on the pull up 15' jump shot as much as the 3 pointer. If some of these guys get their 3 point sooting down then yes we could go smaller but not the way this team is set up right now. Their are plenty of minutes to play some bigger line ups. What about a front rotation to WE, TB and one of the bigs w/ WE going to the 4 to rest TB? Just a thought because Milos may improve enough that he becomes the back up to TB.

[LittleBrave]

Height helps. If the "height" can play. If it can't then you aren't exactly helped. I think people assume that just because a tall guy plays over a smaller guy that you would be automatically better. Or even a better rebounding team.

Ok, so Bradley is a little better rebounding team. But at what expense? You can't just assume that going "bigger" makes things better. Its a cost/benefit analysis thing.

AZ BU Fan---I wouldn't have a problem with that lineup. Would we struggle with bigger teams? Yes. But they sure as heck would struggle guarding us. That goes both ways.

So then with that smaller line-up, we'd find ourselves in a very close game in the majority of games, winning about half of them. Hmmmm...sounds familiar.
If defense is said by Coach Les to be the emphasis this season, we NEED to go bigger and get production out of WE, TB, JP, AT, AD. That's 5 options - if we revert to 4 guards at one time, we've failed to develop these big men with potential.

[AZ BU Fan]

Just for laughs, would love to see this line up at some time during an exhibition game and preseason games vs lessor opponents...

SM Point Guard
AW Shooting Guard
TB Small Forward
WE Power Forward
AT Center (or JP if he ultimately will play center at BU)

If this squad can't cut it, I will swear off going bigger forever....or at least until BU gets it right!

[BU RICK]

We better learn to play with 3 bigs because USC and Duke and others are going to pound the boards against us if we don't.
By learn I mean we'll need to come up with different offensive sets that feature our bigger players, a whole new playbook different from the last two seasons.

AZ, I like that lineup, that could work during the regular season

[real fan]

If A.T. is our starting center then we are in big trouble, he has hardly played in 2 years because of poor fundamentals and the lack of toughness, now you are starting him , where all of a sudden did he earn this spot? Prosser would be a better fit and so would A.Davis and I have not even seen him play.

[BU RICK]

I'm excited to see what AD looks like too. I'm not ready to give up on AT, if he has put on more weight and the new assistant that was an assistant at Army can show him how to get position and stick his butt out and block out,who knows - we'll have to see what he looks like this year

[real fan]

I'm excited to see what AD looks like too. I'm not ready to give up on AT, if he has put on more weight and the new assistant that was an assistant at Army can show him how to get position and stick his butt out and block out,who knows - we'll have to see what he looks like this year

I have not given up on him, I just don"t see how anyone can expect him to be our starting center since he has not been much of a contributor his first 2 seasons, I hope coach Platt can light a fuse under him and turn him into the player everyone thought he was or could be because it would really help our team.

[tornado]

Here's some video of Anthony Thompson, he does look bulkier!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqtMQAR_es8&feature=youtu.be

[shaunguth]

There's some video of Anthony Thompson, just click my signature..
he does look bulkier!

Is SM wearing some sort of boot in that video? Hope it's nothing serious!

[mrcoachdude]

Is SM wearing some sort of boot in that video? Hope it's nothing serious!

Heard he will be good to go for season start....

[basketball nut]

Is SM wearing some sort of boot in that video? Hope it's nothing serious!

Question is when was that taken-didn't notice date. Was told that physicals were done last week and all players passed w/ flying colors. Was told also that the new big guy was looking down at WE-no if he can just play.