Its time to move up.....

[mexicobufan]

I have posted on this board for years and I think everyone knows I am not a negative poster so dont take this the wrong way. I am ready for BU to move on from being a 4-5 place finisher in the MVC and I am tired of watching the selection show and not seeing Bradley there. We should have made a move after the run in the NCAA a couple of years ago. We have new facilities that should help with recruiting that are built or being built. I like the talent we have coming back next year with the two new recruits but its time to put it all together and make a move to the top of the MVC.

Its time to become a consistent contender fro the MVC crown..............

[mexicobufan]

I should have added that I am a Jim Les fan and think he can get it done..........my point was its time to get it done.

[thefish7]

My expectation for next year is that we're a strong contender for NCAA bid... Followed on by an expectation of a definite NCAA berth in 2010-2011.

[ser_solace]

Yeah, I hate to keep referencing the Sweet Sixteen run since it's slowly becoming the distant past. But since the Sweet Sixteen, last year was the only disappointing season for me.

We all have to admit that the 2006-2007 season was unexpectedly good (and really exciting).

This year, well, it is what it is. If Warren is back next year and we have a deeper frontcourt, I think we will be serious contenders.

[ph]

Yeah, I hate to keep referencing the Sweet Sixteen run since it's slowly becoming the distant past. But since the Sweet Sixteen, last year was the only disappointing season for me.

Agree, but I also realized how disappointing selection sunday is if you do not have a shot.

and we have a deeper frontcourt, I think we will be serious contenders.

I think this summer's challenge to the coaching staff needs to be "play big or miss the dance"

[houstontxbrave]

Life has changed since 06.

You either win every single game you play or win the conference tourney... other then that regardless of how good you think you are or what the final record reads the NCAA has made it very clear unless your BCS you can pretty much forget about an atlarge selection to CBS's tourney.

The margin for any errors is zero.

No pressure or anything but Bradley MUST win at BYU and win versus the entire field at Vegas. Anything less then that no way an atlarge is attainable in the world as Bilas told us we now live in.

BCS and CBS is getting what it wants an all power conference tourney, and in time it will be more power conferences as they figure out ways to eliminate lower conferences auto bids.

We all must face it the Valley is, regardless of what happens with RPI's is a low mid major in the eyes of both CBS and the NCAA.

06 is definitely a very long time ago.

[mrcoachdude]

I am probably all wet...but not only is 2006 a long time ago....2006 caused this mess....the more mids that get in the better chance of a BU or other Mid gets to a sweet sixteen and takes money away from a BCS school.....

The less amount of Mids that get in the less chance they have to advance.....

[houstontxbrave]

I hereby declare that 2009-2010 is officially designated "THE YEAR OF THE MIDS" !

The Valley has a tremendous number of young players and returning players, as do a lot of other good mid-majors like Butler, etc.
Next year is our year!

We can declare the next decade the decade of the Mids but it does not matter. The NCAA, CBS and the BCS's have spoken and they hold the power.

The NCAA tourney will never again have 3 teams in its CBS tourney from the MVC, let alone likely 2 more. The deck has been stacked against any non BCS school. You are told to schedule up, but in reality you can schedule up all you want, but if you dont win everyone of the scheduled up games on your schedule it does not matter.

And even if you do, there is a BCS school who will cry well we have beaten 5 teams in the top 50 even though those win were built in scheduled games within the conference and all at home. Conference affiliation means so much more then what you do in the non conference or for that matter your entire resume.

That chairman can get up on tv and say whatever he wants but the truth of the matter is BCS schools get much more consideration then does anyone else.

[Da Coach]

Everyone knows how I feel, I think the "move up" would have been this year. With a healthy Andrew Warren and Will Egolf, Bradley would have likely won the UMKC game, the UW-Milwaukee game, both UNI games, the game at SIU, the home game against Creighton, and the games at ISU, and Evansville. That is 8 more wins without all the injuries.

That would have given Bradley a record of 25-5 going into the tournament, and a conference record of 16-2, or no worse than 15-3, and the #1 seed. Bradley would have been the favorite to win the MVC Tournament and end with a record of 28-5, and would be a #7 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Please don't tell me we can't dwell on the injuries, and that all teams have injuries, and it's the coach's responsibility to overcome them. Few teams have season-long injuries to the best players, and best shooters.

So next year I expect great results.

[Bradleyguy10]

Completely 100% agree

I don't think you exaggerated at all

[basketball nut]

I heard Lunardi this morning talking about how the selection system has to change as there are fewer mids getting in each year and he felt that a CU or St Mary's (he named 4 or 5 others also) should have been there instead of some of the ones that made it from the BCS schools. He mentioned that out of the 34 at large bids he felt that 6-8 of them should diffenently be "mids". I found that really interesting coming from Joe Lunardi.

[egib52]

After how ridiculous this has gotten, I think the "mid-major" conferences should get together and start their own tournament, and refuse to schedules the majors. I am so tired of hearing how the 8th best team in the Big East is better than the 2nd or 3rd best team in the MVC. Let them have their tournament, we will have our own tournament, and they will not get all the benefits of scheduling home games against the lower conferences only to make excuses if they lose. I love how ESPN's commentators have no problem ignoring 2006 as if it was fluke, and continue to argue that the field should be comprised only of the major conferences. If the mid-major conferences are not going to get any respect then they should just write them off.

[SFP]

It is what it is, PERIOD! No amount of griping will change it unless some concerted effort of PR (politicing) is done so to tarnish the NCAA. Only when the possible outcome of reduced revenue comes into play this type of blatant bias will continue.

On the other hand I would like to see Bradley schedule whoever and whenever regardless of even a 1 and done on the road with the likes of Duke, UNC, Louisville and see where the chips fall. If we start winning then recruits will come in and perhaps be in a position like Memphis and Gonzaga.

[mrcoachdude]

I am not a whinner by trade so I will not go there....

We need to BEAT the BCS teams that we play PERIOD!

So do our Valley brothers........we have our shots....

[Da Coach]

After how ridiculous this has gotten, I think the "mid-major" conferences should get together and start their own tournament, and refuse to schedules the majors. I am so tired of hearing how the 8th best team in the Big East is better than the 2nd or 3rd best team in the MVC. Let them have their tournament, we will have our own tournament, and they will not get all the benefits of scheduling home games against the lower conferences only to make excuses if they lose. I love how ESPN's commentators have no problem ignoring 2006 as if it was fluke, and continue to argue that the field should be comprised only of the major conferences. If the mid-major conferences are not going to get any respect then they should just write them off.

Though I am tempted to agree with this, I can't.
If midmajors separated and formed their own alliance, it would clearly take a back seat to the NCAA "big-boys". They would stop sharing the nearly $100 million in money they get for the media rights to the NCAA games, and the midmajors would gradually become poorer, weaker, and less relevant. The better recruits would all go to the majors, and shun the midmajors, and the midmajors would be left to scrounge for recruits among those who currently go to Division II and lower schools.

So like it or not, we need to stay in this game and fight to overcome the bias.