Paula B

[brocks]

I think the regulars know that I'm normally a glass-half-full (of Kool Aid)-type guy. I rarely criticize coaches or players.

But yesterday the BU/UE game was televised up here in Michigan on FSC. I don't know how BU got 20 wins, but it seems to me raw talent and some luck must have overcome one glaring weakness: coaching.

Quite frankly, that was the most poorly coached team I have ever seen at ANY level. I doubt that there is a poster on this board who could not have done a better job on the sidelines than PB, and that is fair comment . . . so I hope the mods don't delete this.

Here's what you do three minutes into the second half: Call TO. Tell your team, "SLOW THE **** DOWN. The next player who attempts more than a quarter-court pass will go the locker room and watch the rest of this game on TV. The next player who shoots with less than 10 off the shot clock will do the same. The next player who dribbles into a triple team and doesn't kick it out . . . same. Any questions?"

That would have been it . . . a W. And that's not hindsight; it was PAINFULLY obvious at the time.

It's one thing to watch a team and not know what they're doing. It's another to watch a team and not even know what they're TRYING to do.

That was just a trainwreck. That team didn't just look poorly coached; it looked UN-coached.

[Da Coach]

I don't agree. I have seen several of the games this year, and though they do have a better level of talent, they couldn't have won 20 games by luck. They take advantage of their strengths. Yesterday's game was well coahed in the first half, but I agree that things came apart in the second half. It appeared the BU players were tired, and Coach Buscher had to substitute frequently, which hurt the team. The tiredness was evident from their lack of rebounding in the second half, something this team has been extremely good at all season. Add to that the clutch shooting by Evansville, and Bradley's poor shooting the second half, and that allowed UE to come back and tie the game. It was a disappointing game, but you are judging the entire season, and the coach's talents based on one half of basketball. In any way you evaluate the season, it was a success. This team was picked 8th or 9th by everyone who voted.

[amettrick]

I've never been a PB fan. Personally, I thought 8 years of subpar preformance should have been enough to have ousted her before this season. However, I do have to give her credit for finally putting a winning team on the floor. I hope that continues, because I see no reason Bradley can't have a top-tier women's program, especially once the new facilities are finished.

[Tulsa Brave]

I watched the game yesterday, and there was zero excuse for losing that game...zero. After seeing Evansville cut the lead to 4, BU went on a 9-0 run to go up 13 at 59-46 with 4 minutes left. The game should have definitely been over then. Terrible decisions by BU down the stretch cost them that game. Once it got to OT, BU was in big trouble as UE had all the momentum and confidence.

[houstontxbrave]

I don't agree. I have seen several of the games this year, and though they do have a better level of talent, they couldn't have won 20 games by luck. They take advantage of their strengths. Yesterday's game was well coahed in the first half, but I agree that things came apart in the second half. It appeared the BU players were tired, and Coach Buscher had to substitute frequently, which hurt the team. The tiredness was evident from their lack of rebounding in the second half, something this team has been extremely good at all season. Add to that the clutch shooting by Evansville, and Bradley's poor shooting the second half, and that allowed UE to come back and tie the game. It was a disappointing game, but you are judging the entire season, and the coach's talents based on one half of basketball. In any way you evaluate the season, it was a success. This team was picked 8th or 9th by everyone who voted.

Paula Buescher is lucky that, as you have told me before, that her program is evaluated much differently then the mens program. I feel no issues in judging her both on one half of coaching along with 9 years of coaching. She is and has been a very bad coach at Bradley University. She is only the coach at Bradley because she is given different criteria then the mens coach.

Make all the excuses you want, but her record speaks for its self.

If the mens program would have dropped a 20 point lead in the semifinals of the MVC tourney, this board would have been on melt down moad with most calling for the firing of the head coach. Personally, she should be fired for losing that lead and losing the chance for this program to have advanced to the NCAA tourney.

[Da Coach]

She was the MVC Coach of the Year, and she should be fired because her team had one bad half yesterday?

I guess I understand, since there are posters who want Jim Les fired after every game he loses. Heck, there are some who want him fired even when he doesn't win by as much as they think he should (ala the SEMO game).

[Rusty 54]

I imagine it would take a lot to buy out the contract of a non-revenue coach. How PB's contract is structured I have no idea.

For the last couple years excitement about the women's team on campus has been non-existent. Maybe the success this year along with the new facilities and new recruits can build some excitement.

[DUBrave5]

She was the MVC Coach of the Year, and she should be fired because her team had one bad half yesterday?

I guess I understand, since there are posters who want Jim Les fired after every game he loses. Heck, there are some who want him fired even when he doesn't win by as much as they think he should (ala the SEMO game).

I was just thinking the same thing as I read through this. In another thread, people were singing Paula's praises for winning Coach of the Year and now the girls play one bad half and she is the worst coach ever? How many times have we seen teams break down in the 2nd half? Heck at the beginning of the year for the men I was wondering whether we were gonna be a 1st half or 2nd half team because we can never put together two halves. The women had a great season and from my experiences with Coach Buscher, I think she is a very good coach and its just unfortunate that that happened yesterday. If it had been the opposite way or if we had won the game by playing two solid halves, then everyone would be singing a different tune.

This shows how far the women's team has come though that now that they are experiencing some success they are getting recognition from so many people, myself included. I knew we had a team here at BU but I never cared my freshman year about how the women did. Then a little more sophomore year and then now I found myself trying to find a way to get to St. Charles in case that game went differently yesterday. So call me a bandwagon fan if you want but what Coach Buscher and the rest of the coaching staff have done is great and I think it will only get better, especially as soon as the new facilities are done.

[SFP]

I imagine it would take a lot to buy out the contract of a non-revenue coach. How PB's contract is structured I have no idea.

For the last couple years excitement about the women's team on campus has been non-existent. Maybe the success this year along with the new facilities and new recruits can build some excitement.

Rusty I do not only expect that the women's team generate more excitement around here but if not after the investment made in their facilities I'd expect changes if they do not start winning on a regular basis. I would bet that PB is on a much shorter leash. We need to put all our sports program on the same level and scrutiny or why even have them except to qualify for Div. 1 sports? There has been a concerted effort by the athletic department to give the teams the necessary resources to compete at a winning level and now it is up to the coaching staff to recruit and prepare the team to do so. There should be no more excuses going forward including JL, not that he has made any.

[houstontxbrave]

She was the MVC Coach of the Year, and she should be fired because her team had one bad half yesterday?

I guess I understand, since there are posters who want Jim Les fired after every game he loses. Heck, there are some who want him fired even when he doesn't win by as much as they think he should (ala the SEMO game).

Yes but she should be been fired 2-3 years ago. Go look up here overall record and overall conference record... both are HORRIBLE. Her team played a bad half yesterday but as her as the head coach of this program her teams have played tons of bad halfs in her 9 years.

I dont care if after 9 years she finally got a coach of the year award... heck if BU finished 3 games over 500 and exceeded the rest of the valleys expectataions she was going to win one, I think she won it because everyone felt bad she has been so bad for so long.

You and I differ on her Coach... you obviously think there is valid reasons to keep a losing coach around I think she should have been fired long before yesterday. Looks like BU likes your thinking over mine. Regardless her records do not lie.

[Da Coach]

Like I have said before, neither Pat Summit, Dean Smith, or Adolph Rupp could have done any better with the facilities Paula had to recruit with the last 8 years. And this year she won 20 games playing a bunch of freshmen and sophs, and not having a home court to play on.

I don't see how anyone could say she hasn't been successful this year. The previous years she was handicapped by circumstances beyond her control.

[pfunk880]

It appeared the BU players were tired, and Coach Buscher had to substitute frequently, which hurt the team. The tiredness was evident from their lack of rebounding in the second half, something this team has been extremely good at all season.

Why would they be the tired team when they were playing their second game in as many days, while E'ville was playing their third in as many days?

[Tulsa Brave]

Why would they be the tired team when they were playing their second game in as many days, while E'ville was playing their third in as many days?

Not well-conditioned...and guess who is responsible for that...

[brocks]

The team wasn't tired; it was OUT OF CONTROL.

I admit that I've seen very few BU women's games. But I have watched literally thousands of basketball games, men's and women's, boys and girls, from grade school to WNBA. A poorly coached team is pretty easy to spot. There's no system, no plan, no adjustments. I'd have had a better chance coaching that game if I'd just said "Everyone run in the same direction as fast as you can!" Because that was about all the organization I saw yesterday.

I honestly don't mean to pile on, and DC and the mods know I love BU. But even the announcers were saying, "What is Bradley DOING?!" I think it's the coach's job to know that. Twenty minutes worth of unmitigated cluelessness was enough for me.

PB will have a veteran team and new digs pretty soon. We'll see. But count me among the skeptical. I never even saw a Stan Albeck team as clueless as BU looked against UE.