Can We Please Start Playing Bigger?

[jeffsu]

Jim didn't have a DI coaching job either when he got the job, so I guess that would qualify quite a few of us to coach the team by BU standards, wouldn't it?

Also, being in the NBA doesn't necessarily mean you are any more qualified to coach at any level, college or pro. Plus, the NBA game and college game are two different games altogether. Several great coaches never even played in college or the NBA, so the 'never played before' argument is a weak one at best.

I have no doubt JL does everything in his power to get BU to win as many games as he possibly can. We'd all like to win more, and people have opinions on how we can do that. Not sure why we have to knock 'em.

My point was that NBA experience will only help --Not detract-- from coaching ability. Doesn't mean you'll be able to coach, but it doesn't hurt.

And if anyone is able to coach better than Les, then my guess is they'd be doing some coaching somewhere... in which case, props to them.

We just don't need people pretending like Les isn't doing things in the best interest of the group. He just has a different way than some (as every coach does...)

[Dallas Brave]

In 2006-07, Bradley had the 33rd most efficient offense in D-1 and went to the NIT. Our offensive rebounding % was ranked 326 ... pathetic and almost last in D-1.

In 2007-08, we had the 45th most efficient offense and went to the CBI. Our offensive rebounding % was 243 ... just awful, but not pathetic.

Our offensive efficiency has gone south in 2008-09 and this year. This year's team being more of a 1-on-1 school yard act as the assist percentage (ranked 221 this year) indicates. Our offensive rebounding percentage is ranked 311 in D-1.

All offense and no defense gets you nowhere.

I lost confidence in JL's coaching of big men when he completely under-utilized David Collins and therefore I'm not sure he is giving AT a fair shot. David Collins was ranked 19th in the D-1 last year in Blocking % and it took a minor miracle for JL to play him the second half of the season. I'm not saying AT is the second coming of Bill Russell, but if I was a coach and my job was at risk, I would put the best combination of players on the floor.

[ER3]

I'm not saying AT is the second coming of Bill Russell, but if I was a coach and my job was at risk, I would put the best combination of players on the floor.

AT is nowhere near being a part of any sort of "best combination of players" for this team. We all wish AT was 'this', and hoped he would be 'that', and some are still holding on to some blind hope that he magically will develop into a useful option for us...but in reality, he is what he appears to be...a raw project that simply hasn't panned out in 3 years at BU and most likely is going to need to look at playing at a lower level school if he hopes to see any significant playing time in the future...it happens everywhere.

[mrcoachdude]

No one in that lineup could defend a quick guard.

Keep dreaming.

Zone

[peoriaspitfire]

I would rather see the 4 guard line up. Give me 4 quick guards that can shoot the 3 well and that are tough to get some rebounds. And press and trap a lot. It is just very hard to get really good big men.

I'm not saying it would be successful for us, but I sure would enjoy watching some old school Nolan Richardson style - end line to end line / 40min of He!!.

[peoriaspitfire]

Zone

You beat me too it. Seemed to keep Drexel's play maker in check.

[peoriaspitfire]

Interestingly, and I don't think there is anything the team can do, but Bradley opponents do shoot FTs better against us ... a lot better. Bradley ranks last in all Div-1 schools in opponents' FT % and we were near the bottom last year.
http://kenpom.com/tmleaders.php?c=OppFTPct

347 Bradley (MVC) 76.2

That stat is amazing. Coach B brings it up every game. I didn't see an option to see what, if any difference there is between home and away games. If it is slanted towards home games, then perhaps we could do some thing more about it.

[SFP]

I'm not saying it would be successful for us, but I sure would enjoy watching some old school Nolan Richardson style - end line to end line / 40min of He!!.

If we are not going to be able to recruit big for whatever reason then so do I, but even they had some husky bigs. You also need a deep bench. Missouri plays an uptempo pressing game and they go 10 deep in order to maintain that pace. I thought we would have had the horses this year to play that type of game.

One more thing about bigs! We are getting some bigger guards which is good!

[flipper]

Good post. I think we all forget that, though we all have different philosophies, they're not set in stone anywhere. Neither are Les's either, I'm sure. He is ALWAYS looking to find the best possible way to win. We are one heck of a peanut gallery (and plenty of you really know your X's and O's) but I'm willing to bet no one in here has a DI coaching job or has been in the NBA.

Let's just remember that Les is always looking for the team to win. It helps the team. It helps BU. It helps him.

do you two ever think coach les makes a mistaske? if so what is it? thanks for keeping an open mind.

[Da Coach]

Here is a suggestion- Students- bring your white towels and wave them at the free throwers in the second half. In the Drexel game, with the white towels waving and a pretty good student crowd, it appeared to be, by far, the most distracting thing I have seen yet from the student end.
Drexel was 100% on FTs in the first half, but just 8-12 in the 2nd half. The towels seemed to bother them a little, and it would have bothered me!

I think it might help a little against WSU, especially if the game is close.

[SaintLouBrave22]

I agree with what some others have said...

Prosser - Egolf - Brown across the front line


Some combination of Maniscalco - Warren - DSE - Dunson starting in the backcourt


THAT right there gives us a much better chance to win and go deep somewhere...

I'd rather go to the bench further in the backcourt and sit someone a little more there than go with this ridiculous guard heavy thing again...

As has been stated, guard heavy has gotten us nowhere in conference and postseason...


Go back to what got you to the NCAA's!


Oh, and here's a thought...with the team we will have and the amount of players, regardless, we know Les can't figure out how to get 10 guys quality PT, so why not play more 2-3 zone?!


The zone will make this team much better AND with 3 quality rebounders in the frontcourt, we shouldn't have a problem getting to balls.

[AZ BU Fan]

If we would be better off going big then Coach Les would do so.

This thread sucks.

If this is the case AE BF, the only thing that sucks then is JL & staff's apparent inability to recruit players that can win in the MVC.

He has wasted schollys with Singh, Thompson, MK and Prosser...

I've said it in another post, but looking at the BU team you come to the conclusion the BU team is is weaker than its individual parts (SM, SW, TB, and maybe WE, would start everywhere else in the Valley, but with all of them, BU is only 8-8...

[jeffsu]

do you two ever think coach les makes a mistaske? if so what is it? thanks for keeping an open mind.

I do, actually. But that's not the point. I was simply getting at the fact that some people paint Les out to be someone who's dragging the program down intentionally. He's got his philosophies, and whether we agree or not, he's going with them and trying to win.

Just as there can be Les-bashers, complaining about how they think he's ineffective, there is the flip side of the coin as well. Being aware of BOTH is what keeping an open mind is, if you ask me.

[dogsrus]

This thread sucks.

SO does the season so far.....

[braveatheart]

Shocking statistical analysis. Big guys are harder to score on than small guys.

Anybody who has ever tried to shoot over a big guy already knew this. A guy two or three inches taller than you is very tough to shoot over. Just because of angles and trajectory and such.

We have to keep in mind that just any old big boy won't do. You need better than average big boys or you still won't win. There in lies the problem.

People say college basketball is a guards game. It is only a guards game if you don't have enough quality big boys. Then you have to play a guards game.

The question really boils down to whether we are better off with a mediocre big or a very good guard. I and many others would like to see what the mediocre big can do. Coach Les thinks the guard is the answer. Of course JL sees what happens in practice and we don't.

I would still love to see how three bigs at once works out in a game. Maybe our bigs are better than mediocre and Pomeroy is onto something.