Loss to W. Carolina will not disqualify our NCAA Tournament chances

[TheAsianSensation]

In 8 years of JL basketball, that's happened for about a grand of a year and a half (2nd half of '06, entire '06-'07 season). Do you have a CBI projection yet?

Well, actually going through the season playing optimal all the way through is another matter. I'm just saying what would happen if it occurs

Current CBI projection:
1st round
4) Indiana at 1) Bradley

[ER3]

At large bid? NCAA bubble hopes?

-> loss to a SoCon team at home

*pop*

Win the MVC tourney or saddle up for another spirited run in the CBI, CIT, or XYZ Tourney.

That's where we stand...again.

[dss03]

I admit I think about March a lot more than I should, because it really ought to be realistic for this program to make it every few years. Still, can we put this talk on the backburner for a while? Especially after we lost to a (pretty good) Southern conference team at home?

The Illinois win was outstanding, but we've seen enough to know that is a team that struggles getting in an offensive flow. They don't always use their posts. The offense from the PG position is spotty. Their shooters have also had some struggles, maybe because it is too easy to key on them. They don't make free throws. Defensively, they have had some good moments, but they don't bring it every game and until they do they aren't elite there. They have to fight like heck to a draw on the boards. They turn it over a little too much for having so many experienced guards.

I'm not saying they are bad. There's just nothing they do that you can hang your hat on and say with confidence they will do effectively day in, day out. What you think their strength is this game may well be a problem next game. NCAA teams have something, or a couple somethings they can count on doing well almost every time out, whether it is defending, rebounding, taking care of the ball....

So all this obsession about their "resume" completely misses the point. It's looking at it from 50,000 feet when the real answers are found in the details. I do it myself, way too much. They just got to get a lot better.....or at least a lot more consistent. After a loss against Western Carolina, can't we just leave it at that?

[Out of Balance]

I say that because I don't think we would have made the NCAA Tournament based on one good win anyway. Most at-large teams win two or three games against the big boys or strong mid-majors in order to get consideration. Also, the selection committee will be more inclined to overlook a bad loss or two in favor of big wins and a strong conference showing. So my point being is that they would have had a LOT more work to do to put themselves into at-large position anyway.

Not saying this wasn't a bad loss, it definately was. But not devastating in that Western Carolina is an excellent team that could shock someone in the NCAA Tournament if they get there. Bradley is in all reality probably an NIT team, even before tonight. Bradley now has a chance to prove me wrong by beating Loyola and pulling off an upset at Iowa St. If they don't come away with a win at Iowa St., Bradley can still show that they have improved over last season by finishing somewhere in the top 3 of the Valley with at least 11 or 12 conference wins. An NIT bid will be a nice improvement over last year, and an NCAA bid will not be lost just because of what happened tonight. We just need to avoid losses like these from here on out.

I like how Snell and Buechler (sp) mentioned on the postgame show that these types of games happen even to the best of them. Charlotte going into Louisville and beating them by 22, and Boise St. giving Illinois all they could handle the other night after Illinois shocked Clemson last week. We blew a ten point lead in the last ten minutes at home. Clemson blew a 23 point lead in 17 minutes on their home court! Does this make Clemson, Illinois or Louisville any less of a good team with those losses? Most likely not. It happens to the best of them. Yes they all have the built-in advantage of playing in BCS conferences, but despite these losses, they all are capable of making deep runs in the NCAA Tournament. That's why I think we will still be okay in the long run. Not at all easy to take now, but this hopefully will make us a better team down the road. This is definitely a wake up call for this team which is unfortunate because we shouldn't need a wake up call at this stage of the season. But maybe this combined with the long layoff will give this team time to think about why they can't rest on a lead, even at home against another mid-major team, albeit a good one.

Okay, sorry for the rambling, but I needed to spew a bit.

I'll pray with you friend

[BradleyBrave]

Just because 'everyone else' did it doesn't mean we should.

[Bravesfan]

Just because 'everyone else' did it doesn't mean we should.

Why? Where you expecting we would go 30-0 this year?

[Bravesfan]

I admit I think about March a lot more than I should, because it really ought to be realistic for this program to make it every few years. Still, can we put this talk on the backburner for a while? Especially after we lost to a (pretty good) Southern conference team at home?

The Illinois win was outstanding, but we've seen enough to know that is a team that struggles getting in an offensive flow. They don't always use their posts. The offense from the PG position is spotty. Their shooters have also had some struggles, maybe because it is too easy to key on them. They don't make free throws. Defensively, they have had some good moments, but they don't bring it every game and until they do they aren't elite there. They have to fight like heck to a draw on the boards. They turn it over a little too much for having so many experienced guards.

I'm not saying they are bad. There's just nothing they do that you can hang your hat on and say with confidence they will do effectively day in, day out. What you think their strength is this game may well be a problem next game. NCAA teams have something, or a couple somethings they can count on doing well almost every time out, whether it is defending, rebounding, taking care of the ball....

So all this obsession about their "resume" completely misses the point. It's looking at it from 50,000 feet when the real answers are found in the details. I do it myself, way too much. They just got to get a lot better.....or at least a lot more consistent. After a loss against Western Carolina, can't we just leave it at that?

Thank you for the thoughtful post. Yes, I hope we can leave it at that.

[BradleyBrave]

Why? Where you expecting we would go 30-0 this year?

No, but I expect to win every home game. Especially ones that we lead by double-digits with less than 10 minutes left in the game. If I didn't think we were good enough I wouldn't care as much.

[BU_EMT128]

If I didn't think we were good enough I wouldn't care as much.

exactly.

[TheHeemyMonster]

There is no reason to expect not to win every home game unless its a Michigan St type of game or I was expecting our team to play on Thursday. If our team is good enough to beat a team that could finish in the top 25 then we should expect to win every home game this year in conference and especially out of conference

[Braves4Life]

There is no reason to expect not to win every home game unless its a Michigan St type of game or I was expecting our team to play on Thursday. If our team is good enough to beat a team that could finish in the top 25 then we should expect to win every home game this year in conference and especially out of conference

My thoughts exactly.

[Out of Balance]

There is no reason to expect not to win every home game unless its a Michigan St type of game or I was expecting our team to play on Thursday. If our team is good enough to beat a team that could finish in the top 25 then we should expect to win every home game this year in conference and especially out of conference

I posted this in another thread just before I went to the game.
Pretty Simple Here Our court, our ball, our fans and our win
"3 out of 4" 75% Better than the braves shot free throws

[thefish7]

There is no reason to expect not to win every home game unless its a Michigan St type of game or I was expecting our team to play on Thursday. If our team is good enough to beat a team that could finish in the top 25 then we should expect to win every home game this year in conference and especially out of conference

Agree completely. This is my expectation also.

[ER3]

Why? Where you expecting we would go 30-0 this year?

If we had Dodie, I know we'd go 30-0....

[jasonpeoria911]

Our at large hopes can be revived in the Valley season if Les gets his head out of his butt and teaches these players how to shoot FREE THROWS!!!!!!! Get that fixed and then dominate the Valley and were still good.

Jason