serious question,

[BradleyJD]

The last 5-10 minutes of nearly every single game we play passive, timid, scared basketball...We completely abandon the aggressive offensive execution that got us the leads earlier in the game and we turn into a stagnant, unimaginative team that is very easy to defend.
I don't get it

It's the whole playing not to lose mentality.

They abandon the go-for-the-win style and try the prevent defense.

I am sad with it to!

[bu fan 9]

Warren didn't show up in the second half.

[Buesch N Chips]

Haha, seriously. I mean, maybe it's just me, but it really seems like this is bound to happen for the next 2-3 years minimum, at least until we start recruiting more bigs with some beef.

I don't think we've lost many games that can be blamed on our guards being outplayed this year. Time and time again, it's another big man - Odiakosa, Carmichael, Lawson, and it will be Egelseder on Saturday - that takes over the game. I guess we can just hope and pray that we don't run into any teams that have big, physical posts and that we shoot 75 percent from the field every night....

Maybe I am imagining things, but Prosser looks smaller to me than he did a year ago.

[Majik45]

I think Coach Buesch said it best on the post game last night, we don't have a go to scorer at the end of games. Maniscalco is the only guy who wants to take those shots, but when you put someone like Osiris on him, it really makes it hard for him. His only move is the pull up 3 off the high screen and roll. Only reason we won the Drake game is because Egolf tipped in two misses by Maniscalco at the end of the game.

I would think Warren would be better suited to create his own shot with his height, but that doesn't seem to happen.

[real fan]

From what I'm hearing your going to be disappointed. Hope not but don't get your hopes up. Please prove me wrong we need JP in a BIG way.

I am concerned that he is not the player we thought or were told he is otherwise he would not be redshirting this season.

[it's boogie time]

stats wise we at one time were leading the valley in rebounding werent we?

REBOUNDING OFFENSE G Rebounds Avg/G
1. Bradley 14 491 35.1
2. Missouri State 13 453 34.8
3. Illinois State 14 479 34.2
4. Creighton 14 478 34.1
5. Wichita State 14 473 33.8
6. Southern Illinois 13 432 33.2
7. Northern Iowa 13 430 33.1
8. Indiana State 14 438 31.3
9. Evansville 14 420 30.0
10. Drake 13 383 29.5

REBOUNDING DEFENSE G Rebounds Avg/G
1. Northern Iowa 13 372 28.6
2. Missouri State 13 395 30.4
3. Wichita State 14 429 30.6
4. Illinois State 14 443 31.6
5. Southern Illinois 13 433 33.3
6. Evansville 14 470 33.6
7. Bradley 14 484 34.6
8. Creighton 14 490 35.0
9. Indiana State 14 493 35.2
10. Drake 13 468 36.0

REBOUNDING MARGIN G Team Avg. Opponent Avg. Margin
1. Northern Iowa 13 430 33.1 372 28.6 +4.5
2. Missouri State 13 453 34.8 395 30.4 +4.5
3. Wichita State 14 473 33.8 429 30.6 +3.1
4. Illinois State 14 479 34.2 443 31.6 +2.6
5. Bradley 14 491 35.1 484 34.6 +0.5
6. Southern Illinois 13 432 33.2 433 33.3 -0.1
7. Creighton 14 478 34.1 490 35.0 -0.9
8. Evansville 14 420 30.0 470 33.6 -3.6
9. Indiana State 14 438 31.3 493 35.2 -3.9
10. Drake 13 383 29.5 468 36.0 -6.5

Bradley is a middle of the pack rebounding team in the Valley. You can look at half of the picture and proclaim Bradley the leading rebounding team. However, for what ever reason, there's been more missed shots in games involving BU than any other team.

[Braves4Life]

The last 5-10 minutes of nearly every single game we play passive, timid, scared basketball...We completely abandon the aggressive offensive execution that got us the leads earlier in the game and we turn into a stagnant, unimaginative team that is very easy to defend.
I don't get it...I don't understand why we stop running our offense and resort to running down the shot clock time after time, rolling out that same predictable isolation set, and invariably end up getting poor, low percentage shots at the end of almost every one of the possessions...

It's the whole playing not to lose mentality.

They abandon the go-for-the-win style and try the prevent defense.

I am sad with it to!

I think Coach Buesch said it best on the post game last night, we don't have a go to scorer at the end of games. Maniscalco is the only guy who wants to take those shots, but when you put someone.

You guys have made excellent points! You've hit the nail on the head. Most of the time when this team loses it is because they completely abandon everything they were doing that was working. We pass the ball around scared to make a mistake and then are forced to "chuck it" at the end of the shot clock. Also agree that Sammy is the only go-to guy that we have. Sammy does a great job but he's only 5'11" (I'm not buying the whole 6' thing) and he's not the quickest guard in the world. When a team decides to put their best or quickest defender on Sammy to shut him down he is significantly less effective. That's when someone else must step up and be "the man"; Sammy can't be expected to do it all! Unfortunately, we don't have anyone that is willing or capable of being "that guy".

[Out of Balance]

You guys have made excellent points! You've hit the nail on the head. Most of the time when this team loses it is because they completely abandon everything they were doing that was working. We pass the ball around scared to make a mistake and then are forced to "chuck it" at the end of the shot clock. Also agree that Sammy is the only go-to guy that we have. Sammy does a great job but he's only 5'11" (I'm not buying the whole 6' thing) and he's not the quickest guard in the world. When a team decides to put their best or quickest defender on Sammy to shut him down he is significantly less effective. That's when someone else must step up and be "the man"; Sammy can't be expected to do it all! Unfortunately, we don't have anyone that is willing or capable of being "that guy".

I agree, the nail has been driven Good points by all

[Future Walk-On]

I am concerned that he is not the player we thought or were told he is otherwise he would not be redshirting this season.

we had this discussion a while back. I agree. I lost some hope when I found out he was red shirting. If you can't play 5 on a team that doesn't have a 5.....then you probably aren't outstanding...IMO

[Future Walk-On]

Warren didn't show up in the second half.

did warren touch the ball in 2nd half?

[Buesch N Chips]

You guys have made excellent points! You've hit the nail on the head. Most of the time when this team loses it is because they completely abandon everything they were doing that was working. We pass the ball around scared to make a mistake and then are forced to "chuck it" at the end of the shot clock. Also agree that Sammy is the only go-to guy that we have. Sammy does a great job but he's only 5'11" (I'm not buying the whole 6' thing) and he's not the quickest guard in the world. When a team decides to put their best or quickest defender on Sammy to shut him down he is significantly less effective. That's when someone else must step up and be "the man"; Sammy can't be expected to do it all! Unfortunately, we don't have anyone that is willing or capable of being "that guy".

So, are we running different plays, or do the players just run the plays differently?

[Braves4Life]

So, are we running different plays, or do the players just run the plays differently?

I don't necessarily think we run different plays. The players just play tentative and are afraid to make mistakes rather than attack. We stop fastbreaking and pull up. During an offensive set, guys who are open pass the ball back out instead of attacking like they previously did. It's no mistake that SM almost always ends up with the ball with less than 5 seconds left.

[braveatheart]

i am trying to figure out why we have so many second leads and end of losing. my question is this, do you think we have players playing too many minutes. in otherwords, is it our lack of depth that really hurts us and lets others catch up as our players wear down?

I think you are right. It is the only reason I can come up with that makes sense and the statistics bear it out. Our two best players early in the game last night were SM and TB. SM played 37 minutes and TB played 36 minutes. The most anybody played for Illinois State was 31 minutes. I think our guys that were having a good night just got tired.

I think we learned that you have to play every possesion on both offense and defense with maximum effort. We don't win if we don't do that. If you do that though you will get tired and need some breathers. If these guys don't get their breathers then it will be real tough to give maximum effort at the end of a game or at the end of a season. Last night they went against fresher guys.
Keep in mind we only lost by 1 point. One extra rebound, one extra loose ball or even taking one play off on defense makes the difference between winning and loosing.

When we are fresh,(in the first half) we kick peoples butts. When we get tired we loose leads.

AW and SM are in the top ten in the MVC in minutes played per game. Northern Iowa, Wichita State and Creighton have nobody in the top ten. Gee, I wonder if it is a coincidence. I wonder who will finish 1,2 and 3 in the league.

So, if that is the problem, how do we solve it. Maybe play AT or MK for 5 or 6 minutes each in the first half. Use those minutes to give your horses a rest. Hey it not only keeps your horses fresh but it also developes AT and MK for the future. The future is only one twisted ankle away.

[SFP]

i hope prosser is good.

He's a 4! We need a 5 regardless. WE is good but a real 4 not a 5!