northern iowa?

[BradleyBrave]

I can agree with ya BB, but....

Let me introduce you to the crap I hear. If Bradley had been to the NCAA 4 straight years and lost 1st round - people would tell me it just proves the MVC is a terrible conference and the only reason Bradley was in the NCAA was because they won a weak conference or swept a weak conference tourney.

That's why I feel the 2 wins in 2006 were SO HUGE. Not only did we get there - we kicked some arse.

I don't really care what people say; but don't those same people now have the strong argument that 2006 was just a fluke for BU and the MVC? Being named on Selection Sunday every year and in a bracket that millions of people see and read every year holds more weight than winning a couple NCAA games once in a blue moon. People who are longtime followers of college basketball think a lot more highly of Bradley basketball in the 80's than they do of Bradley basketball in the 2000's, and we only won 1 NCAA Tournament game in that decade.

[shaunguth]

Everybody want some more wins?? How about this for a non-conference schedule (That will get you more wins!):

11/11/09 vs. Quincy (Ill.)
11/15/09 at SIU-Edwardsville Edwardsville, Ill.
11/21/09 vs. North Florida
11/23/09 at UIC Chicago, Ill.
Basketball Travelers Classic
11/27/09 vs. Norfolk State
11/28/09 vs. Southeast Missouri State
11/29/09 vs. St. Bonaventure
12/05/09 vs. Central Michigan
12/13/09 vs. Niagara
12/16/09 at Ohio
12/19/09 at Utah
12/22/09 vs. Grambling State

I've thought the same thing......we could always schedule like other teams and get the wins. I wouldn't like that, but it would produce the wins everyone wants.

[shaunguth]

Right. Now apparently NCAA wins don't matter. Now it is appearances that are the judge of success. Whatever fits your bias. If it was the other way around, the same exact people would be griping about not having won an NCAA game.

Agreed. We started our decline the year after the Sweet 16. We should have at least returned to that point or gone even further the following year.

[Braves4Life]

Agreed. We started our decline the year after the Sweet 16. We should have at least returned to that point or gone even further the following year.

Maybe after we win the MVC Tournament in a few weeks we will go further this year.

[MacabreMob]

I don't really care what people say...

But some really care what Valley Talk and other Message Boards were saying about BradleyFans during the "Fixed Polls".

[MacabreMob]

At any rate, law of averages says if you get there 4 times in 6 years, you'll do some damage.

Losses are losses - margin of loss and moral victories don't count.

15-16 seeded teams who dominate their conference for 4-5 years and get to the dance also get to bow out to National Champs, Final4 teams, etc.

[bigdaddystuck]

While I agree you can't please everybody and that if we had the same tourney success as a UNI, there would be people who would want more. I am sure there are UNI fans who want their team to make the tourney and go farther. I don't think any fan, player or coach wants to just make the tourney. However, I don't think you would see many on here, maybe a few, but not as many people who are unhappy right now.

[squirrelgotdead]

Losses are losses - margin of loss and moral victories don't count.

15-16 seeded teams who dominate their conference for 4-5 years and get to the dance also get to bow out to National Champs, Final4 teams, etc.

I'm not calling them moral victories. I'm saying just get there and you'll have chances. Law of averages says you'll win sometimes when you get there. And Bradley has a history of overachieving once we get there.

And if you're going to throw somebody out there as an example of failure, at least choose a better one than UNI. My point wasn't that they were "oh so close" but rather, they had to play teams that were all Top 10 teams in the 1st round and not the best example. But even so, you'll have chances. JUST GET THERE.

[MacabreMob]

And if you're going to throw somebody out there as an example of failure, at least choose a better one than UNI.

I didn't choose UNI and I didn't offer any other.

[MacabreMob]

I'm not calling them moral victories.

Right - You didn't "call" them moral victories. But you made sure to point out margin of victory (or actually, margin of loss) and then mention how the team that beat them did the rest of the way - giving the reader a sense of a "moral victory".

If losses are just losses, then just say "Lost in Rd 1".

[Bradleyguy10]

I can agree with ya BB, but....

Let me introduce you to the crap I hear. If Bradley had been to the NCAA 4 straight years and lost 1st round - people would tell me it just proves the MVC is a terrible conference and the only reason Bradley was in the NCAA was because they won a weak conference or swept a weak conference tourney.

That's why I feel the 2 wins in 2006 were SO HUGE. Not only did we get there - we kicked some arse.

No my friend...consistency is better than luck...which is what the sweet 16 for BU has been condemned to now by outsiders with our lack of backing it up.

[SFP]

No my friend...consistency is better than luck...which is what the sweet 16 for BU has been condemned to now by outsiders with our lack of backing it up.

Luck by outsiders? Funny way to express your thoughts and feelings. I talk to a lot of non Peoria and BU alums and not once have I heard about this theory. Condemned maybe how you feel about JL but that is your inner belief not the majority. Wow there are folks out there who are sitting tight on the edge and are about to jump, but in the complete minority.

Moderate expression of beliefs are always a lot eisier to follow then a dogmatic approach.

[squirrelgotdead]

Right - You didn't "call" them moral victories. But you made sure to point out margin of victory (or actually, margin of loss) and then mention how the team that beat them did the rest of the way - giving the reader a sense of a "moral victory".

If losses are just losses, then just say "Lost in Rd 1".

Never said you specifically chose UNI. The thread creator did, and immediately there were attempts to poo-poo UNI's NCAA appearances.

All I did was try to put their appearances in perspective. Yes they are winless in NCAA Tournament appearances. But they were competitive against some of the most dangerous teams in each respective tournament. (Hence the inclusion of the scores). So it isn't a convincing argument to try to discredit the value of UNI's NCAA appearances.

Creighton was never able to break through to the Sweet 16, but part of the reason they dominated the better part of this decade with SIU, apart from coaching, is the ability to sell getting to the tournament nearly every year.

[tornado]

...the "Fixed Polls".

there was more than one??

[Bradleyguy10]

Luck by outsiders? Funny way to express your thoughts and feelings. I talk to a lot of non Peoria and BU alums and not once have I heard about this theory. Condemned maybe how you feel about JL but that is your inner belief not the majority. Wow there are folks out there who are sitting tight on the edge and are about to jump, but in the complete minority.

Moderate expression of beliefs are always a lot eisier to follow then a dogmatic approach.

So you'd rather have 2 won games in the NCAA tournament over 8 years rather than consistently going to the tournament...say 4 or 5 times over 8 years and lost in the first round? An honest question. And yes anytime I bring up the Bradley sweet 16 to people back home..if it gets to that point...I get rolled eyes as if it doesn't matter we went to the sweet 16. We had our 15 minutes of fame and now it's over...that's how they see it. They don't look at us and go wow they went to the sweet 16 4 years ago...I'm soooo impressed, and it's because we haven't done anything since then. It was 4 years ago...the freshmen that were in Bradley that year are gone. It's time to stop hanging our hat for the whole program on two games.