The first preseason MVC preview

[TNMSUFAN]

I'm still trying to figure out how Mo st would be picked ahead of us in any publication? they will be better but so will we. barring injuries to starters , Bradley will finish no worse than 3rd for the first time in eons. Sam, Brown, Warren, and Dodie will ensure this. we will challenge for the title if and only if Prosser is as advertised and we get meaningful minutes from Egolf, and not the disappearing act we saw at times last year.

Honestly, it is a wash IMO...BU finished 1 game ahead of MSU and both teams return a lot

[tornado]

Zo inherited a play-in team roster ...

Cuonzo Martin took over as head coach at Missouri State April 1, 2008...and I am not saying anything about the job he's done, as I think he has done a very good job so far....but to hint that he had nothing in the fold when he got there is disputable...

Here is the team he inherited:
Kyle Weems - with 3 years of eligibility left - has been one of their best two players each year since Zo has been there, and one of the top players in the league!
Will Creekmore - 3 years of eligibility left - transferred to MSU long before Cuonzo was there - a starter & #4 scorer, #2 rebounder
Justin Fuhrmeyer - with 2 years of eligibility left - starter BOTH years under Cuonzo & primary ball handler
Shane Laurie - with 1 year of eligibility left
Spencer Laurie - 1 year of eligibility left - starter and BCS recruit
Chris Cooks - with 1 year of eligibility left -was their best player in Zo's first year - All Conf. mention, led team in scoring & Rebounding and was 2nd in assists & steals
Wade Knapp - with 1 year of eligibility left - was starter & 3rd best player in Cuonzo's 1st year
Ryan Jehle - with four years of eligibility left - played 54 games for Cuonzo in 08-09 & 09-10
Isiah Rhine - committed while Barry was there - played 49 games for Cuonzo in 08-09 & 09-10
Adam Leonard - since he left EKU in March of 2008 and wanted to transfer back closer to home (Lee's Summitt, MO - which is about 120 mi. from MSU - closer than we are to Chgo. or St. Louis), it is entirely possible Cuonzo may have actually inherited him as well, although we will likely never know who made first contact with Leonard when he left EKU...but it might have been Barry Hinson.
Caleb Patterson - likewise made his decision to transfer and might just have happened independent of Cuonzo's hiring.
(an interview I found from early April, '08 said he had already been in contact with several schools and included Wichita State, NIU, and Missouri State - so he certainly may have talked with them before Cuonzo was hired)
David Cline & Tomas Brock - non-contributors

so in effect, he inherited 80% of all the production he had on his 08-09 team, and two years later, on his 09-10, the inherited kids still provided at least 40% to possibly 60% (depending if you count Leonard) of the team's production - including 3 of his top 4 players.


The only players on Cuonzo's "back to the top" team of 09-10 who were not inherited were..
Mallett (10.6 ppg), Ricks (7.4 ppg), Patterson (6.1 ppg) and then a bunch of role players with averages of about 3 ppg...
almost all the key parts WERE the inherited players.......123 of the 180 games-starts were the inherited guys.

[LittleBrave]

I'm still trying to figure out how Mo st would be picked ahead of us in any publication? they will be better but so will we. barring injuries to starters , Bradley will finish no worse than 3rd for the first time in eons. Sam, Brown, Warren, and Dodie will ensure this. we will challenge for the title if and only if Prosser is as advertised and we get meaningful minutes from Egolf, and not the disappearing act we saw at times last year.

I am picking MSU ahead of us...we haven't proven that we can be a league contender for some time. On paper, we're Top 3.
I'm not going to make the bold statement that we'll finish no worse than 3rd.
I believe in my heart that we will, but I felt stronger about that last season, and didn't come close (though I feel we're better this year)

MSU played competitive ball all year - only got blown out by us at Carver, but they did the same to us.
I think they'll find ways to win more on the road, and they'll be strong at home too.
The Bears deserve some credit for what they accomplished last year, and I think they'll improve with a fine coaching staff and more experience. These guys play well together I have to admit.

Are we better than UNI? MSU? WSU? ISU?
Let's get it started! and we'll find out.

[TNMSUFAN]

Cuonzo Martin took over as head coach at Missouri State April 1, 2008

Just in case you forgot Barry's last year we were a play-in team thus Zo inherited a play-in team roster...pretty simple really

[TNMSUFAN]

Cuonzo Martin took over as head coach at Missouri State April 1, 2008...

Here is the team he inherited:

so in effect, he inherited 80% of all the production he had on his 08-09 team, and two years later, on his 09-10, the inherited kids still provided 40% to possibly 60% (depending if you count Leonard) of his production - including 3 of his top 4 players.

I honestly have no idea where you are getting your info because only 2 of the 5 top scorers from last year were Barry's guys. Kyle Weems and Will Creekmore...the other 3 were Zo recruits including Adam Leonard, Jermaine Mallett and Nafis Ricks. Keith Pickens another Zo recruit started 20 games. Weems and Creekmore are the only guys left from Barry on our current roster which is a good thing IMO.

[Da Coach]

Just in case you forgot Barry's last year we were a play-in team thus Zo inherited a play-in team roster...pretty simple really

I guess it all depends how you look at it. Jim Les inherited a 9-20, play-in team in 2002, too. But there are detractors here who claim he inherited a full cupboard and a loaded team, and criticize him for not winning the league with the players Mo lost 20 games with.

[LittleBrave]

So then, are we a 1-bid league again?

I think a lot depends on our S.O.S.

I thought the MVC-MWC challenge would have helped the league, but didn't help us much in the long run.
Next season gives the Valley greater opportunity to prove something vs. quality teams:

BYU @ CU
N. Mexico @ SIU
UNLV @ ISU (red)
Utah @ BU
WSU @ S.D. State

[TNMSUFAN]

I guess it all depends how you look at it. Jim Les inherited a 9-20, play-in team in 2002, too. But there are detractors here who claim he inherited a full cupboard and a loaded team, and criticize him for not winning the league with the players Mo lost 20 games with.

You guys saw us Zo's first year...we were unathletic, undersized and just flat pathetic. Worst Bears team I have seen in 25 years of following Bears basketball. Last year we had 7 guys who were playing their first full year of DI basketball and it showed on the road and in close games. We will be better this year just like you guys will be.

[TheAsianSensation]

So then, are we a 1-bid league again?

We won't be.

Multibid.

Book it. I guarantee it.

[LittleBrave]

I think it will be a 2-bid league, with 2 going to the NIT.

Whoever wins the Valley in the reg. season (no dominant team like UNI) will have a tough time winning the Valley tourney, which bodes well for multiple bids. There could be a surprise team next season, much like Missouri St. last season. (overall season)
But I think the surprise will be a predicted-middle-pack team (ISU (red), BU, or CU) contending for the Valley title, with a chance for an At-Large bid.

However, I don't think most of us would consider it a "surprise" if BU contended next season - It's more like, "Finally! we've met our expectations".

[tornado]

Leonard left EKU in March of 2008 - and I would be surprised if the coach at that time didn't make contact first...

[MacabreMob]

...

Multibid.

Book it. I guarantee it.

And one of the teams will be in a "play-in" game (as one of the "Last 4" in).

Book it. I guarantee it.

[peoriaspitfire]

Not a whole heck of a lot separates everyone in this league and I think it will only be tighter this year. Even beating each other up, I think we'll return to a multi-bid league this year, with possibly 3 in the dance. If healthy, I think the Braves are as good as anyone.

[AZ BU Fan]

Here is the first site to post a 2010-2011 season preview for the MVC.

He also gives Jim Les a compliment- saying, "Bradley continues to overachieve (somebody please look at Jim Les)" .

JL did overachieve with his NCAA and NIT teams in 2005 and 2006...although many claim these teams didn't overachieve in the post season, but must have then underachieved in the regular seasons...

If the last three years are "overachieving" for JL and BU, I am scared to death what average results, or underachievment, would look like.

One can only surmise the writer believes JL can coach, but apparently can't recruit the type of talent that would result in better MVC/NCAA/NIT results than his "overachieving" has produced the past three seasons.

What is interesting is "somebody please look at Jim Les" could be a compliment to JL, and, at the same time, would satisfy those who think BU could move on to the next level with someone else....

This can all become a moot point, if BU overachieves again this season and has more success than the past three seasons.

[TNMSUFAN]

Leonard left EKU in March of 2008 - and I would be surprised if the coach at that time didn't make contact first...

Well, be surprised because Leonard was headed to UMKC when Zo called him...Leonard told the story on Sports Talk radio after committing here. In fact he mentioned the previous staff didn't even recruit him out of high school when he played up in KC.

Also, Adam announced he was leaving EKU on March 29th and Barry was fired March 9th