are we gonna sign MO or not?

[Da Coach]

BB, you are entitled to your opinions, but you do lose most of your credibility when you play the "fluke few weeks" comment that Jim Les-haters love to pretend is true, and the "below average" comment.

For the record- Fact: Bradley, despite playing possibly the best non-conference schedule among MVC teams over the past 5 years, has been above average not below for the last 5 seasons.
5 winning seasons in a row, 102 wins in the last 5 seasons. Bradley has not had an MVC record below .500 since 6 seasons ago.

[Missouri Brave]

49-41 in the Valley over the past five years, to be exact. 54 percent. Mediocre, I'd say.

[wizard1]

Are we gonna sign MO or not?

T-----Again, you have missed the point!

I am a life long Sales and Marketing guy. I recruited for BU for many years and worked closely with our coaches in this when it was allowed by the NCAA.

Once a player is evaluated and we decide to go after him, recruiting is selling. Selling the program, the school, ourselves, Etc.

It's a combination of a number of things-----Good persuasive skills, very hard work, dogged persistance, having a strategy for each recruit, organizing all the details, and relentless follow-up. Volumes have been written about this subject.

Not everyone is cut out for or good at this. Simply put, some are much better than others. Great salesmen close deals and mediocre salesmen finish second or third. Coaches are no different-----Some are good salesmen and some are not.

I'm not suggesting that our coaches are not good salesmen but all sales people must continually upgrade their techniques and sharpen their skills as is necessary in any profession. Coaches are teachers but they must also be great salesmen.

We have a lot to sell at Bradley! BU Academics, Tradition, Wonderful facilities, an avid fan base, Basketball only, Great conference, a teriffic city, Etc.

Comments about talent "hanging on trees" or challenging concerned posters to state the names of talented recruits will not solve this problem. We need to do a better job of selling BU and our program and persuading talented players to come here.

[Double D]

Definition of mediocre: "of only ordinary or moderate quality; neither good nor bad; barely adequate."

Based on this definition has the BU program been mediocre over the past 10 years or so? Yes. Has BU been mediocre during the Coach Les era? I believe so. Is 70-74 in the Valley mediocre? No doubt.

I loved Coach Les as a player. I like him as a coach. I think he's a very good man who represents the university and the community well. He's recruited well and consistently brought some talented, high class kids to BU.

Still, taking off my BU-colored glasses, I can't help but think Bradley has underachieved with a 70-74 Valley record, no finishes better than 4th in the conference with just one appearance in the NCAA (as great as it was) and one in the NIT. When someone names the best programs in the Valley, we aren't mentioned.

The glory years of the '50s and '60s are gone, never to be replicated, but why can't Bradley - with a better fan base and the proven ability to recruit well - be a Butler or Gonzaga?

Obviously, I wish nothing but success for Coach Les and hope 2010-11 is the year we get over the hump. But, based on history, I have my doubts.

PS: with five NIT trips and an NCAA appearance in one eight-year stretch under Jim Molinari, Bradley was consistently more successful than it has been of late. Again, I like Coach Les a lot, but facts are facts.

Fantastic Post. I think what you are saying sums up what a HUGE percentage of the BU fan base thinks and wants.

We don't want JL fired and our expectations aren't unrealistic. We just want to be as good or better than the other high quality "upper mid-major" private institutions and we would like to win our league title and tournament every few years.

[peoriaspitfire]

You are 100% correct. That is happening. A father of a Valley coach told me that is happening when we were in St. Louis. The only way to change this perception is to change our 4 guard offense. Until we do we will have to live with this recruiting ploy. Its not a mistake we don't have a big that has committed.

I don't think a potential 4-guard offense should or would stop a quality big from committing. In fact if you were a good 5-man surrounded by 4 quality guards, could help open up the inside and boost your scoring potential.

I think POB, should be a decent enough example of how playing center at BU under JL can make you rich...if you have some talent to begin with.

[BradleyBrave]

BB, you are entitled to your opinions, but you do lose most of your credibility when you play the "fluke few weeks" comment that Jim Les-haters love to pretend is true, and the "below average" comment.

For the record- Fact: Bradley, despite playing possibly the best non-conference schedule among MVC teams over the past 5 years, has been above average not below for the last 5 seasons.
5 winning seasons in a row, 102 wins in the last 5 seasons. Bradley has not had an MVC record below .500 since 6 seasons ago.

You're assuming I had any credibility to begin with. The numbers speak for themselves. I'd feel the same way if Hersey Hawkins, Chet Walker, Roger Phegley, or Squeaky Melchiorre were the coach, so enough of putting me in this 'Jim Les haters' club. I think we can and should be better than we have been. History supports my contention that we can be. I don't know why people defend mediocrity like we've never been good before. That's really selling the program short.

[Da Coach]

Sorry to imply you are in "the club", but that is not what I am saying. But the "lucky 6-weeks" phrase is like a mantra to those who do disdain JL. It's their way of completely neutralizing one of the the greatest accomplishments by any Bradley coach in over 50 years. I am certainly not satisfied with the results these last 4 years, and I know Jim Les isn't. But if someone could convince me we would be better off with another coach, I'd jump on the bandwagon. I still think Jim is the best coach to lead this team. And though he won't use excuses, there have been the injury issues that have kept teams these last 4 seasons from excelling. I can't bring myself to blame Jim Les for all of those, like some people do.

[Out of Balance]

What is this supposed success we enjoyed over the two previous decades??? I hear SO many detractors saying this it makes me sick. What did we do in the 90s? What? I was an AVID college basketball (worked all summer as a lifeguard and detasseling to buy U of I, IU, and Purdue basketball tickets) who grew up in the 90s, born in Galesburg and didn't even know that Bradley existed until my dad made be stop on the way home for thanksgiving in '03 to look at it for college, and even then I laughed at him. I love BU now, but to suggest in the 90's we had less success as whole than we have enjoyed under JL is a joke. We won one regular season title in the 90s, and other than that were mired in mediocrity.

YOU grew up in the burg, was a big time BB fan and new nothing about BU and BU BB Didn't coach Mike Miller's Galesburg team come to P town and get second in the state at the CC with Bradley written on the floor! You never while going to school at GHS hear about GHS and Bradley great Dave Lunstrom and while YOU were in school there never heard of one of the all time leading scorer's there that came to BU named Eric Johnson And your Dad while taking you to all those I of U, IU and Purdue games, along with all those other great BB fans in Galesburg, never mentioned BU and ALL the great DV BU teams and BU teams before that You must of been in the corn fields day and night and girl watching while a lifeguard JK now
You see I am from the burg to and believe me it was Silver Streak, Bradley and Illinois BB

[SFP]

I still feel we are one true big of being a team that will contend for the MVC title. It takes a big to be consistent at this level and consistency is what wins titles. It is comparable to having a good running game in football, come playoffs if you do not have that the good teams will stop your passing game every time, basketball good teams if they can key on one area they will win. UNI beat us down in St Louis because they stopped our dribble penetration and never gave us any open shots from the top of the key. If we had a big that could of given us some points in the paint who knows.

On us pocketing scholarships, one is not bad, two is not, IMO. I do though have faith that JL will pick up another player that can contribute. He always does. I just hope it is a big. On recruits one more thing, I believe Harris will be here come the following year. Kids that do missionary work have a great tendacy to keep their word and the moral backing of their family. I would be completely surprised if he changed his mind.

[fansince55]

49-41 in the Valley over the past five years, to be exact. 54 percent. Mediocre, I'd say.

I agree that BU has been mediocre for too long. The only chance that we have to be a winning program is to recruit quality (not super) bigs. The other Valley coaches seem to be able to recruit bigs and it's sad because IMO BU is the class of the MVC and has the most problem recruiting bigs. In one of the other messages it stated that the other schools are using the fact against us that all JL likes or plays is guards. I also think that is true. Look at who he plays and who sits on the bench. College players are recruited by and to the coaches, not the school. DV never had a problem recruiting to BU. Da Coach seems to think that mediocrity is acceptable. I'm tired of it. We have some good guards; but they are young. The veteran guards are below average shooters and with no inside game next season will be another mediocre one.

[BradleyBrave]

Sorry to imply you are in "the club", but that is not what I am saying. But the "lucky 6-weeks" phrase is like a mantra to those who do disdain JL. It's their way of completely neutralizing one of the the greatest accomplishments by any Bradley coach in over 50 years. I am certainly not satisfied with the results these last 4 years, and I know Jim Les isn't. But if someone could convince me we would be better off with another coach, I'd jump on the bandwagon. I still think Jim is the best coach to lead this team. And though he won't use excuses, there have been the injury issues that have kept teams these last 4 seasons from excelling. I can't bring myself to blame Jim Les for all of those, like some people do.

That's fair. I certainly will not blame him for everything, that would be foolish and unfair. Unfortunately he's the face of the program, and he will get too much credit when we win, and too much of the blame when we lose. It's his program, and ultimately he's accountable for its successes and failures. I think with some of the recent additions (hopefully a couple more good ones coming shortly), we'll tidy up some stuff and get back to where we were in '06 and '07.

Now back on topic - Michael Ocherobia. It sounds like he's a guy that could help us in an area where we've been a bit deficient over the past few years. It sounds like we've put a lot of time and effort into landing him. It would be disappointing and I think a setback to not land him. Here's to hoping he's cleared, and is in a BU uniform next season.

[amckillip]

YOU grew up in the burg, was a big time BB fan and new nothing about BU and BU BB Didn't coach Mike Miller's Galesburg team come to P town and get second in the state at the CC with Bradley written on the floor! You never while going to school at GHS hear about GHS and Bradley great Dave Lunstrom and while YOU were in school there never heard of one of the all time leading scorer's there that came to BU named Eric Johnson And your Dad while taking you to all those I of U, IU and Purdue games, along with all those other great BB fans in Galesbury, never mentioned BU and ALL the great DV BU teams and BU teams before that You must of been in the corn fields day and night and girl watching while a lifeguard JK now
You see I am from the burg to and believe me it was Silver Streak, Bradley and Illinois BB

Born in Galesburg, grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana (and attended LOTS of INSU games). Sorry that wasn't clear.

BTW, if your from the 'Burg it wouldn't surprise me if you know/disdain () a few of my family members (irish catholic = BIG family)... You can find them at Jake's during most normal business hours, haha.

[shaunguth]

We have some good guards; but they are young. The veteran guards are below average shooters and with no inside game next season will be another mediocre one.

Our good guards are young? Maniscalco, Warren, Dunson are below average shooters?

Looks like we'll be playing on Thursday next year.

[real fan]

That's fair. I certainly will not blame him for everything, that would be foolish and unfair. Unfortunately he's the face of the program, and he will get too much credit when we win, and too much of the blame when we lose. It's his program, and ultimately he's accountable for its successes and failures. I think with some of the recent additions (hopefully a couple more good ones coming shortly), we'll tidy up some stuff and get back to where we were in '06 and '07.

Now back on topic - Michael Ocherobia. It sounds like he's a guy that could help us in an area where we've been a bit deficient over the past few years. It sounds like we've put a lot of time and effort into landing him. It would be disappointing and I think a setback to not land him. Here's to hoping he's cleared, and is in a BU uniform next season.

It will be a huge setback if we don"t land him as we will once again be forced to play guys out of position.

[BradleyBrave]

It will be a huge setback if we don"t land him as we will once again be forced to play guys out of position.

Not to mention the time and money spent to recruit the kid. Pickings may have been slim for big men this spring, but we could spent our resources elsewhere, especially since we were recruiting shorthanded.