Pathetic

[shaunguth]

Pathetic isn't the word for it, perhaps the most mind boggling choke job i've ever seen. Well, except for the bartman Cubs incident LOL.

This was another game where Les just thoroughly confuses me. He plays walk on Phillips 4 minutes in the 1st half for 3 fouls, 1 rebound and 1 assist.

Les plays Singh for 16 minutes for 2 points, a block, a turnover and a foul.

Les even had Singh and Egolf in the lineup at the same time late in the game when we desperately needed points. Did it ever occur to him that Milos is 1 of our best bench shooters and about as good defender.

Is Les trying to run Milos off the team by bringing in a flippin walk on to play 4 of his minutes? Combined game time of 3 minutes in the last 2 games for Milos. I wouldn't be surprised if Darian Norris and him are chattin a bit. He's one of our best bench shooters, PLAY HIM.

Still no Thompson again for the 2nd straight game and only 10 minutes combined in the 2 games before that. His season is all but wasted now, no use in trying to get him in game shape again.

All in all, those turnovers at the end of the game didn't cause us to lose the game, it was more questionable coaching and rotations. After all, we got smoked by 18 points in the 2nd half. A couple end of half turnovers doesn't make a difference. At this point, I don't see how this team will finish higher than 6th in the Valley.

Jason

All good and very valid points. Those are all things that went through my mind tonight! Great post!

[sycamorefan]

I hope you all dont freak!

I was rooting for you all but it just couldnt happen...I believe in you guys and I cant wait for a showdown between the two of us! Remember all braves fans to email me; Dgreenwell3@indstate.edu.....and we can grab a drink at the local watering whole before the game!

[Bravesfan]

JL's coaching did not lose this game. Turnovers late and clutch shooting by SIU is what lost it. I don't see how that's the coach's fault.

I understand the players made some big mistakes at the end. But don't you think Coach he should have stayed with the players toward the end that were scoring a lot, and not changing the player combinations that were working?

[Da Coach]

When you lose like Bradley did, it's easy to second-guess any moves the coaches made. I was critical of several things in the Loyola game, but I did not see anything obvious in this game that the coaching could be faulted for.

[wantawinner]

wow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

sounds like the same old song and dance last 3 home games isn't funny we can't win a game when we are ahead by 13 points i dont put it on the players big B gave every bs reason on the radio if a guy is hurt then don't play him they will find him out there but everyone forgets jim has no coaching on his staff little b couldn't get a good high school job no help there merf only help gone then we lose easy games we should have won players bad plays didnt lose the game poor coaching lost 3 games

[Beninator]

I like Les but I must admit that he did get outcoached at the end of the game (and it also did not help that BU's players failed to execute).

JL's coaching did not lose this game. Turnovers late and clutch shooting by SIU is what lost it. I don't see how that's the coach's fault.

I thought the full court defensive switch that Lowery sprung on the Braves at the end was critical, as was Lowery's set offensive plays to get the open shot at the end of the game. I know BU's players did not execute well at all but I particularly thought that Lowery's play calling helped to win this game for SIU. JMO


Also, lefty made a great post in another thread..........

My main complaint tonight was when we went to a zone defense late in the game after a timeout. Given their outside shooters, I did not like that move. I give Lowery a lot of credit as well. Our players also need to play smart down the stretch....

[bu fan 9]

When you don't have a point guard you don't win many games have been saying this for 2 years now.WE DON'T HAVE A POINT GUARD plain simple.

[Bravesfan]

I understand the players made some big mistakes at the end. But don't you think Coach he should have stayed with the players toward the end that were scoring a lot, and not changing the player combinations that were working?

Okay, fair enough. You probably saw things better than I did since you were at the game. Thanks for the response.

[Bravesfan]

sounds like the same old song and dance last 3 home games isn't funny we can't win a game when we are ahead by 13 points i dont put it on the players big B gave every bs reason on the radio if a guy is hurt then don't play him they will find him out there but everyone forgets jim has no coaching on his staff little b couldn't get a good high school job no help there merf only help gone then we lose easy games we should have won players bad plays didnt lose the game poor coaching lost 3 games

HUH??? Could you please rephrase your post because I can't understand a thing you just said!

[BradleyJD]

JL's coaching did not lose this game. Turnovers late and clutch shooting by SIU is what lost it. I don't see how that's the coach's fault.

Who coaches the players? Who calls the timeouts??

[it's boogie time]

I'm still trying to guess why BU played a zone coming out of a timeout with a little under two minutes remaining and SIU down seven. You know they are going to be shooting threes. Why make it so easy? One fake inside and a wide open three to pull within 4 and then the unexplainable collapse.

[Out of Balance]

Well most posters on here know where I have stood regarding Jim Les. He has been a decent coach, and obviously he has knowledge of the game or we wouldn't be talking about four consectutive postseason appearances, regardless of what level of postseason we are talking about. And I'm certainly not calling for his firing since this team will be back together next year for the most park. But I know what I saw tonight, and this loss is on him! Okay, maybe not 100% of it. The players themselves should share the blame too, minus the booing of course which probably wasn't directed at them anyway. But Les is the field boss, and he is in charge of reeling his players in when things get tight.

There is no excuse for blowing three straight home games after building double digit leads in all three of them! Once, I can live with. Twice......maybe. But three times is absolutely unacceptable!

My problem is not with his motivational skills. You can only scream at a team so much to make them play a full 40 minute game. It's not with the team's effort. It was there tonight, even if it did not look like it the last five minutes. My problem is with Les's substitution patterns. WHY does he INSIST on taking out players when they are playing well, or not playing the combinations that work the best together? Someone answer that question! That is absolutely a fundemental coaching philosophy that ALL good coaches follow when the team is playing well. You NEVER take out players and ruin the continuity and flow of a game when things are going right, other than for brief periods of rest, and most certainly not during the most critical points of the game.
Lowery has taken some heat the last year or two, but he kept Dillion and some of his other top players in the game for 35 minutes plus. Why is Les not doing this? And where were the plays drawn up for AW the last five minutes? This has nothing to do with good coaching. This is common sense! Even a bad grammar school coach should know this!

Again, I'm not saying kick Les out to the curve. But someone associated with the team, Les or otherwise needs to answer this question. Then maybe we can understand why he is making these types of calls.

The reason I'm so frustrated is this is not a team that was expected to rebuild this year. This is a talented team that yes, has not played a lot together, but individually has experience and talent. Yes the national pundits picked them sixth in the Valley, and maybe they are seeing something I'm not. But I do think we have the talent to if not finish above .500, to at the very least be able to close out games at home like we are supposed to! That is my biggest gripe with this team. Not so much the record, but how we are getting to this record, which lately has been garbage!

I understand that some may think that I am making knee-jerk comments, but this is three straight home losses in this manner, which is something that should never happen outside of very young teams that are just learning how to win at the Division I level. I think this team is past that stage, and that is what is really bothering me.

Now I hope Bradley can prove me wrong, and maybe this game is what motivates them to pull off a huge upset at Wichita St. on Sunday, and get to that 2-1 record the hard way which I had predicted anyway. If they win, great. Lesson learned hopefully for the next home game. But right now I'm not counting on it. Hopefully this team from the players and coaches on up can take something away from this debacle tonight and turn it into something special on Sunday night and beyond. But these meltdowns at home have to stop immediately or this could be a very long couple of years for this team.

Braves, prove me wrong!

I agree with you For the first time JL played 2 players at the same time at the 4 & 5, both being over 6' 8 (WE & SS both 6'9) This happen twice in the game tonight. The first time was in the last 4 min's of the 1st half and the second time from the 4 min to the 1 min. in the second half! Both times were do to TB's foul problem. You had to be blind or Know nothing about BB if you could not see how good this lineup worked out. With this lineup we stretched the lead to 13 at the half and then with 1:21 in the game with this same lineup working again (7 point lead) only to have Jimmy pull it apart (remove SS) and put TB back in the game with 4 fouls. Then right away WE picked up #4 inside, where SS would of been. To start the second half, instead of staying with that lineup and going for the kill, he changed and they score 5 points in the first 30 sec's Just bad coaching and a momentum killer, at critical times in the game Now we have a coaching staff that stands back of the team during time outs, looks like they have no purpose and does nothing but look down at the floor I am sure we will not see this big lineup anymore This could save this season

[rsmit84]

I'm just wondering how people can say we played great for 36 minutes? Yes, our offense was tremendous much of the game but I think our defense was pretty awful the entire game. Our three point defense is just terrible and has been all year. Its hard to not leave your man to help when you have no faith in your SOFT interior D. Not to mention Dillard was getting penetration at will. The scary thing is I dont have a lot of faith that our players are being put in a position to succeed.

[California Alum]

We don't have a point guard/floor leader who controls the flow of the game. SM doesn't have any interest in doing it and that kills us. He runs around like he's at the YMCA playing a pick up game. I do blame our coaching staff for not channeling his game for what we need. I'd sit him down until he gets the message. Yes, I'm assuming soneone is trying to get through to him, but who knows.

We also do not develop our big men. I love SS and all he represents, but he is what he is. We didn't develop DC and we are not even trying to develop AT. Why play a six year man who just doesn't have what we need? I must say that I though he and WE on the floor together had pretty good results.

I believe we have some talent. We just don't know how to deal with it. That's the coaches' job and they are not doing too well.

This team reminds me of Albecks teams. Out of control and no defense. We will always play this way until we get someone who wants to be a floor leader controling the flow of the game. SM and EM don't seem interested in doing it. They are like two flies on a hot skillet. DSE is our only hope. Where is Darian Norris? I think I'll stop now as I'm beginning to tilt at windmills.

Pathetic is an understatement!

[bigjimmy]

Another tough home loss where we failed to execute down the stretch. No excuse to lose a 7 point lead at home with 1:30 to go. It looked like we had never seen a full court press before. I am sick and tired seeing our guards leaving good 3-point shooters open when we double down on a guy going down the lane. This is our 3rd straight home game where we've had a 2nd half double degit lead get away from us. Give SIU credit. They hung in there the whole way and never gave up. It also certainly helps to have a point guard who can not only shoot but execute the offense at the end of the game. I love the way SM competes but it's clear he's not close to 100% and with all the stoppages in play JL should have brought in EM on the defensive end. All in all not a good way to start to the new year. Unlike some people I'll always believe and stick by the Bradley Braves. It doesn't me I won't criticize them when it's appropriate. It also doesn't mean I'll jump off the kool-aid bandwagon when things get tough. I certainly get tired of JL saying "we need to continue to work on it". It's time to just do it.