Meltdown warning!!!!

[Bradleyguy10]

Yeah any meltdown I think, in this case, is warranted. I also agree with the apathy statement. I can honestly say I'm not upset, mad, or anything right now. I don't really care lol. It's just a game. I am surprised that I was so accurate on tonight though. Predicted us starting out slow then coming back and being up pretty significantly at half. Then starting to lose the lead with 5 minutes left and thought we might lose....I say I was pretty dead on.

[thefish7]

To quote Animal House:
My recommendation to you would be to drink heavily.

Ich. That was awful. Team needs to care about something. We're playing to the level of the other guys. The team that beat Illinois would have beaten Loyola by 20. Loyola is not Western Carolina. They aren't a good team hiding. Disgusting.

[Bravesfan]

Seem like a fluke? Listened to Dave tonight and never heard him so disgusted at a Bradley team.

Oooh! I hope WMBD puts up the podcast for this game because I was listening on the Loyola station here in Chicago.

Maybe that's why they lost. I listened to the "enemy" game feed! OTOH, I did not want to be two minutes behind via the net feed.

[Bravesfan]

We seem to play at the level of our opponent. We don't have the killer instinct that we need to have to win games. Getting up by 10+ consistently and blowing the leads and losing is a product of not having that instinct and changing our entire focus during the game. We got up and then the 2nd half we played slow down ball where we would run down the clock and put up a bad shot. This is getting old. Time for some koolaid, I look forward to reading all the responses in the morning because I am going to force myself not to post anything else tonight.

One last thing, somebody needs to light a fire under these guys. I know we have injuries but we weren't seriously relying on a freshman to lead us all season right? That is a heck of a burden to place on him. And not having Dodie s**ks, but we beat Illinois without him. However, games like this just make the Illinois victory seem like a fluke.

That's coaching unfortunately. This is the equivalent of playing "prevent" defense in football. We cannot be afraid of losing leads while trying to ice a game. So we give up a couple of gimmies. At least we will score more and put the game away early. The longer you leave a team in the game, no matter how bad they are, the better chance they have to pull the upset. And that's exactly what happened tonight.

I defended the coaching and the team vigorously after the W. Carolina loss, as most teams lay an egg or two throughout the course of an entire season. But blowing big leads two games in a row at home is absolutely unacceptable and symptomatic of a fundamental breakdown that needs to be addressed immediately before the rest of the season is lost, which it's pretty close to being lost even now. I can't even suggest where the team should go from here.

[ER3]

Actually...it's bordering on apathy warning.

that is unfortunately where I am heading now too...
With this coaching staff in place, I don't see anything changing...we continually have the talent, but it's the same thing year after year...moments of greatness, teases of what this team "could" be, if we just cleaned this up or that up, if we just could be more consistent, if we just stayed more focused, if, if, if....and when it's all said and done the 'ifs' never get cleaned up and we're left with yet another uneven, inconsistent 4th to 6th place Valley finish...
The monotony of the mediocrity is honestly making it hard for me to continue to care much about what this team does...

[wily coyote]

Seem like a fluke? Listened to Dave tonight and never heard him so disgusted at a Bradley team.

I didn't hear Dave but sure can understand if he sounded disgusted. That was just plain horrible. I told my wife at the 10 minute mark in the second half this was beginning to look like last Monday. There is no excuse for this pathetic showing. It seems everyone in the Valley gets better but us. Can someone please explain to me why we don't. Jim is your seat getting hotter??? It should be.

[ER3]

I created a thread too. chaos, dogs and cats living together, etc etc. It sucks but having 2 of our best players out doesnt mean anything to anyone? Lets say Ruffin and the big guy were injured for 06. What would have happened?

To qoute the venerable John McEnroe....You can't be serious.

Are you honestly equating the loss of Daniel Ruffin and Patrick O'Bryant to the loss of Dodie Dunson and Dyricus Simms-Edwards...??? You can't honestly believe that this makes any sense...

One of the best point guards in the history of BU and a 7-foot NBA lottery pick are equal in your eyes to a freshman 6th man and a part-time starter/role player who is an 8 or 9 point a night guy???

Wow...just wow.

Losing Dodie and DSE from this year's team is the equivalent of losing Tony Bennett and JJ Tauai from the 06-07 team...maybe...but not Ruffin and POB. Get real.

[shaunguth]

Guess the ISU s**** threads will be kept a minimum now, eh?

Yeah....we'll leave that to the isu board to make themselves feel better about their blowout loss. I believe they were actually expected to be good while we were picked to finish in the bottom half of the conference and it looks like we are who they thought we were.

[BU_EMT128]

and it looks like we are who they thought we were.

And sadly, it would appear we are not much better.....

[shaunguth]

And sadly, it would appear we are not much better.....

Yeah.....that's pretty much what I was saying.

[shaunguth]

It seems everyone in the Valley gets better but us. Can someone please explain to me why we don't.

I wouldn't go that far! Drake won the conference a couple years ago. Look at them now. Creighton is always at/near the top. What's their record? illinois state started 14-0 last season. They are NOT better than last year.

[versace4pres]

Yeah....we'll leave that to the isu board to make themselves feel better about their blowout loss. I believe they were actually expected to be good while we were picked to finish in the bottom half of the conference and it looks like we are who they thought we were.

Yea, that makes us feel better. I guess misery does love company.

[shaunguth]

Yea, that makes us feel better. I guess misery does love company.

Just saying.....we were picked 6th and after two key injuries, I believe that's what we look like. Yes....I believe there are 4 Valley teams perfectly capable of finishing worse that us. illinois state was picked to finish 3rd. I'm just saying, if that's the Valley's 3rd best team then this conference deserves whatever label the media puts on us. I personally believe there will be plenty of "misery" to keep everyone company in the Valley this season.

[wily coyote]

I wouldn't go that far! Drake won the conference a couple years ago. Look at them now. Creighton is always at/near the top. What's their record? illinois state started 14-0 last season. They are NOT better than last year.

I stand corrected you are right about Drake and Creighton but look how much MSU, Wich. ISU (blue) & Evansville have improved. Take a guess what those 4 all have in Commen. I'll help you . New coaches. TICK, TICK, TICK

[Nacho]

I don't get why it matters where teams were picked... pre-season polls have been proven to be pointless over the last three years (Drake, UNI, and now, possibly, MSU)...

Should you feel better finishing 5th if you were picked 6th, as opposed to finishing 5th, if you were picked 4th???

My answer to that question would be NO... you finished 5th either way and I would imagine every coaches #1 goal is to win the MVC every year... while the season may not be deamed a complete failure either way, it also not a complete success... JMO though