10 questions surrounding the team this year

[tribecalledquest]

I'm with ya tribe....I love BU and really like what Jimmy is doing but I want more.
For some reason though, when you say that, your "fandom" is questioned which baffles me.

Thing is is I bet JL wants more also...he's no fan.....

I love your last line. I agree.

If you asked Jim Les "off the record" I think he would tell you he hasn't gotten done here what he expected of himself. I like that about him. There is no more competitive person around than Jim Les. He wants it done. He will work hard to get it done. That doesn't guarantee success though.

Personally, I don't care who questions my "fandom". That stuff is nonsense.

Coachdude--every team deals with injuries. Good coaches understand some type of injury will happen so they prepare. I'm not a guy who likes that excuse.

[AZ BU Fan]

Let's see, MVC record doesn't matter, MVC regular season championships don't matter, MVC tournament wins don't matter, # of NCAA and NIT appearances don't matter, rankings of recruits, players, and the coaching staff by one's peers don't matter, comparisons to other teams/coaches in the league/nation don't matter...

I guess the BU MBB head coaching job must be one of the best in the county....sell seats in Carver, recruit local kids, be great with the media and fans, hover around .500, stay out of play in games, and be lucky enough to have two great wins in seven years. Without these two wins JL would not be here today..The 2005-06 season was not notable other than these two games...

Looking at the 2009 MVC player awards, BU only had ONE player mentioned - graduated Theron Wilson was all conference and in a fifth place tie for all defense.

The "JL is the best we can get" argument sells the program short as well.

I am not calling for JL to be gone this year, or even next....I hope he has success...BUT, I also would expect after 9 years at the helm of the program we would have more accomplishments than two games in 2006.

[ph]

Those "2 Wins" resulted in a banner that hangs in the most important part of the rafters. A MVC or MVCt title just gets a number added to an existing banner off to the side.

Doesn't Coach Mo now has better facilities at WIU than he ever had a BU? There is something very wrong with taht statement. Did you never think the facilities hindered BU?
Facilities are extremely important in D1, otherwise why would major BCS programs spend millions on developing them?
I am not joyful with the last 2 years (although I think it laughable that you see no merit in the NIT season, where local media thought JL should be MVC coach of the year for having a sucessful year after loosing POB, SS and XC)
The only way to build a sucessful D1 program for sustaniable future success is to invest in facilities. BU is building the foundation for a great future, and I'm sorry you do not see it that way.

[Da Coach]

We all know how some people feel about JLs tenure.
I know people who think Bradley should win the MVC every year, and think anything less is a disgrace.
But regardless what anyone wants for BU, my initial post was just stating facts as I see and hear them: Jim Les is as safe right now at Bradley as any D1 coach in America. There is absolutlely 0% chance of him getting fired this year or next year, barring some scandal (which isn't going to happen). People can have their opinions about what they would do if they could call the shots, but JL is secure at BU.

[MacabreMob]

... The 2005-06 season was not notable other than these two games...

I disagree. Beating SIU on Feb 14th at home... that was one intense game and sticks out in my mind as the time when things seemed to click. Then winning AT UNI who was Ranked in the Top 25 at the time. Showing we can beat good teams on the road. Then beating Wichita St, the #1 seed and MVC Season Champ, in the MVC Tourney.

There was more to the 05-06 season to me than just the 2 games in the NCAA - but those 2 WERE really good ones.

[squirrelgotdead]

I agree Mob. While everyone remembers the two games vs. Kansas and Pitt, they capped a remarkable run that saw BU storm to wins in 11 of the last 14 games--and I don't think there's much question that when Bradley met Kansas the two hottest teams in the country were on the same floor.

[basketball nut]

We all know how some people feel about JLs tenure.
I know people who think Bradley should win the MVC every year, and think anything less is a disgrace.
But regardless what anyone wants for BU, my initial post was just stating facts as I see and hear them: Jim Les is as safe right now at Bradley as any D1 coach in America. There is absolutlely 0% chance of him getting fired this year or next year, barring some scandal (which isn't going to happen). People can have their opinions about what they would do if they could call the shots, but JL is secure at BU.

All of us want to win championships but all I hear is the NCAA and getting there. How many "Mid-Majors" have made the "sweet 16 or beyond in the last 10 years? Even better is how many of those teams have gone more then 1 time? How many have made the Final 4. Other then Gonzaga not many of any have gone to the sweet 16 more then once unless it was SIU (can't remember") and I beleive only 1 other team then Gonzaga made the final 4. Some of you seem to think we are a Duke or NC or Kansas and I hate to be the bearer of bad news but we are not.
Am I saying I am satisfied? Not at all but I am realistic to know from coaching well over 150 games that many games are lost because the other team was better on that particular night and some are lost because your team has a bad night. I for 1 would love to see a MVC championship or a MVC tourn. champ. but I would rather be consistantly 20+ wins every year then 1 +.500 season every 5-8 years even if that season was a championship.

[dogsrus]

Dru..hope things are great! I agree with you.....

You bet JL wants more and that is what gives him the shot....as a fan I want a season with all our players healthy does that happen??

Doing well Coach...hope you are too. Now find me a small truck, 4 seater with about 30-40K for around 12k.

Yes...the injuries are the MAIN thing that makes me feel Les is a better coach then the results indicate. Yes everyone has injuries and it always sounds like an excuse but he has been snakebit with HUGE devastating losses. And I'm not making excuses becuase I think JL has been mediocre to just above mediocre as far as his success ON the court at BU.

[dogsrus]

I love your last line. I agree.

If you asked Jim Les "off the record" I think he would tell you he hasn't gotten done here what he expected of himself. I like that about him. There is no more competitive person around than Jim Les. He wants it done. He will work hard to get it done. That doesn't guarantee success though.

.



I agree.....with hard work you also have to have some luck. IMO he has had none.

[tornado]

Half-empty, half-full....I see the Valley as a very tough, competetive league and it's been hard to get to the top
..but we're knocking on the door, so I prefer to dwell on the positives rather than the negatives.

[dogsrus]

Half-empty, half-full....I see the Valley as a very tough, competetive league and it's been hard to get to the top
..but we're knocking on the door, so I prefer to dwell on the positives rather than the negatives.

I think MOST would agree....I would offer though that we aren't "dwelling" on anything just defending why we think JL has more work to do. I think there are ALOT of positives with BU basketball under JL.

In fact I see more positives then negatives...many see the next step in his success is Valley titles and top of the Valley finishes.

[shaunguth]

Is it not ok for some fans to expect/hope that Bradley do better in the league and progress as a program and not regress? Or is that being unrealistic.

If we just kept everything status quo and had no expectations then why was Jim Molinari fired?

Everybody looks at different things. Some are fine with a great two week run as the standard for success while others look at the big picture and what has happened over time versus league opponents.

Is one way wrong and the other right?

IMO, it's wrong to say Drake and UNI are teams that we should strive to be because of their "success" during one conference season. Drake won the conference one year and finished 8th the following year and are picked 8th again this year. Is that the "success" we're striving for? UNI won the conference last season and has not played a game since losing in the NCAA. The jury is still out there.

IMO, it's wrong to put JL's days at BU on the back of another team in the Valley that hasn't won anything in some time, longer than JL has been at Bradley.

IMO, it's wrong to expect the Bradley program to exceed their Sweet 16 run, otherwise saying the program is in decline since then. Again.....were we expecting to get further than the Sweet 16 after POB left, or even if he had stayed?

Obviously, I would love to win the Valley season/tournament every single season. I believe every team in the conference wants that. That's probably what it would take to make some happy. If we finish 2nd or 3rd this season, we still haven't had a successful season because we didn't win the conference? If we finish 4th and win the conference tournament, how is that any different/better than the accomplishments of "two games in 2006"? I don't believe it's necessary to just win the conference season/tournament in order to say JL has had success or is somehow "safe".

[MacabreMob]

Other then Gonzaga not many of any have gone to the sweet 16 more then once unless it was SIU (can't remember") and I beleive only 1 other team then Gonzaga made the final 4.

Everybody keeps forgetting about my beloved Muskies... Xavier! And don't forget about Butler. Gonzaga hasn't been to the Final 4 but George Mason has.

[SFP]

I believe there is not a fan here that would not love to see us win more, PERIOD! Now we can agree on something.

I for one though like that JL has been building this foundation the right way with the right type of student athletes. IMO his past and recent performance as a coach speaks volume of the type of coach he will be in the future. I am not questioning anyone's loyalty/fandom to BU basketball but trying to make sense of some of the stones being thrown (biblical metaphor). I'm just 100% confidant that JL is the best guy for the job now and in the foorseable future, if we are lucky. I will not measure BU basketball by just wins and losses but how we compete and how our institution is percieved as an institution for higher education. His players have been representing us very well on the court and extremely well off the court. Let's all not lose focus that there is merit on producing young productive adults. Now with this all in mind I do have higher expectations on this program now that JL is becoming seasoned and the facilities are finally coming into place so we can compete for some of the best players that fit the BU "mold".

[basketball nut]

Everybody keeps forgetting about my beloved Muskies... Xavier! And don't forget about Butler. Gonzaga hasn't been to the Final 4 but George Mason has.

So sorry but then I didnt look up the answer to my question-just trying to remember off the top of my head. My point is it just doesn't happen very often but some of our fans think we should be there every year and if we are not then we were not successful.