Guarding the Three...

[Bravesfan]

Always nice to hear from "Mr. Positive" after a tough loss to THE FIRST FRIGGIN' PLACE TEAM!!!

Please! Somebody take this guy's tickets before he commits "Harry Caray"....or drives me to!!!!

I know, I was upset too, but see my new thread about how second place is still very possible. I disagree with george that we should be satisfied with 4th through 6th place. That's where everyone predicted we would be! And despite the last two games, we still have a great chance to finish in second place! Albeit in a weaker conference, but still second place in a top ten conference!

A win at Drake is very critical, but I think it could be done. They are not UNI and they are not the Drake of last year where we won a game! I think we will be okay when all is said and done.

[BUFAN]

Agreed about the 3's. But you know what gets me. How does a team like Butler play so well every year, even with a young team like they have? I know they finally lost a game last night, but their players can't be as athletic as ours, and they seem to get things done in a conference that's almost as tough as ours.

I'm not expecting we go 12-0, but a little more shooting and we could have won two out of these three close losses against UNI and ISU. Do we need to start recruiting more shooters, or keep going after the more athletic players? I'm more inclined to go after the shooters.

Fan, I love you post, no excuses, this whole thread is excuses, no such thing in the real world. Although I am expecting to be 12-0 in the valley, no excuses for getting beat by NIU, I don't care if you have all shooters or no shooters, I don't care if you have all athelets or no athletes, I don't care if you have half and half...

[Da Coach]

Bradley's 3-point defense has been near the best in the MVC all year. So what you are saying just isn't true.

[georgethedog]

As far as I can tell our two signees for 09-10 are 6'8 and 6'9.

And that is a great thing!

[lefty]

Bradley's 3-point defense has been near the best in the MVC all year. So what you are saying just isn't true.

I agree DC. We guarded the three fairly well other than the one out of bounds play where f.....whatever his name is hit the three. They still shot over 46%.

What got me about the defense is we gave up some very easy baskets in the lane during the game......

[georgethedog]

Bradley's 3-point defense has been near the best in the MVC all year. So what you are saying just isn't true.

It was true tonight and it was true when we played UNI on their home court. Most of the rest of the MVC teams are not good 3 point shooting teams anyway, so by default that makes us better.

[MacabreMob]

We don't need to recruit any different than we are.
We just need to get a break with no injuries just one time.We have had the worst luck the last 3 years.

Last 3 years.... is that all?

[ManMythLegend]

Coach-

I'm not questioning our season long effort at guarding the perimeter. All I'm saying is that 2 of the 4 threes that they hit in the last two minutes were uncontested shots. Maybe they would've went in with a hand in the face...but at least that hand would've been there...

[thefish7]

And that is a great thing!

Yes it is. I don't think Les looks to recruit tiny guards... I think he actually wants a athletically dominating team. I have no problem with how he recruits... Just that we haven't landed the big 6'3 and 6'5 guards who are athletic and polished offensively. We keep recruiting them though.

I feel like the team Les is after is the Memphis team that beat us, which felt like a team full of 6'5 - 6'9 guys who were all totally athletic beasts... I have nothing to back that up but observation of who Les has been after. It's almost like he took a very good and well-balanced 2006 BU team and had nothing that could stop the Memphis attack, and so he's been trying to build something like that ever since.

[georgethedog]

While I am ranting I will add one more thing. UNI drove the ball around our defense all night into the lane. What was that about? They didn't hit some open looks off those drives early, but it caught up to us and they hit them later. They took us off the dribble and got the shot they wanted almost the entire game. That is undeniable.

[georgethedog]

Yes it is. I don't think Les looks to recruit tiny guards... I think he actually wants a athletically dominating team. I have no problem with how he recruits... Just that we haven't landed the big 6'3 and 6'5 guards who are athletic and polished offensively. We keep recruiting them though.

I feel like the team Les is after is the Memphis team that beat us, which felt like a team full of 6'5 - 6'9 guys who were all totally athletic beasts... I have nothing to back that up but observation of who Les has been after. It's almost like he took a very good and well-balanced 2006 BU team and had nothing that could stop the Memphis attack, and so he's been trying to build something like that ever since.

You could be right. But we have had to settle for small because we are a mid-major and play in the MVC. I will accept that.

[Tulsa Brave]

According to all the stats from all our league games, I'd much rather we learn to shoot better before we worry about defending the three better...it's our own shooting that's the bigger problem.

[georgethedog]

According to all the stats from all our league games, I'd much rather we learn to shoot better before we worry about defending the three better...it's our own shooting that's the bigger problem.

Our shooting is not very good to say the least. I don't know what we shot from 3 tonight, but it was not good. The refs we calling everything around the basket and I was hoping for more drives and fouls, but many times we settled for a 3 and of course missed most of them.

[thefish7]

You could be right. But we have had to settle for small because we are a mid-major and play in the MVC. I will accept that.

Have you had a chance to see Iman Shumpert play at Georgia Tech? I've seen a couple of games of his this year, and I think he's someone you'd like a lot. I really wish we could have sealed that deal. It looks like Darius Smith will be another elite guard with good size that we're going to miss on.

[Boiler]

While I am ranting I will add one more thing. UNI drove the ball around our defense all night into the lane. What was that about? They didn't hit some open looks off those drives early, but it caught up to us and they hit them later. They took us off the dribble and got the shot they wanted almost the entire game. That is undeniable.

And the guys that were doing the driving were unathletic, lightly recruited guys that can shoot, not 6' 5" leapers that were 5 star recruits. We play for steals and leave these guys open at key times and end up getting beat. How about Les recruiting some **** shooters???