2010-11 Expectations

[squirrelgotdead]

I think we have more 3-Star and 4-Star recruits than we ever have in the Valley
thus I think it's stronger---although other similar conferences have also gotten stronger...

You have to go back to the 60's to find the last time the Valley was consistently ranked in the top 8 or 9 conferences every single year for as long as it's been currently happening...

Perhaps. . .although 3-Star and 4-Star recruits are more a measure that came into being during the Internet Era.

I tend to think the number and quality of recruits is about the same--just distributed across the league more evenly instead of concentrated among 3-4 teams. I would say more teams have better depth. But if you look at the top teams from the mid-to-late 90's (Tulsa, BU, ISU) they all had one star standout (Seals-Parker-Hill respectively) and unmatched depth. However, that dynamic has changed, or at least that formula has not been successful since Falker was at SIU.

[BradleyJD]

We have three of the top returning scorers in the MVC from last year. We have the leading rebounder returning, we have the top assist man in the league returning. I EXPECT us to win the MVC..........bottom line.

Agreed. We have waited a very long time, and that time is now, IMO

[LittleBrave]

Our guards are as good if not better then any in the league, have been for a long time, we need production out of our bigs, Taylor will give us that if he decides he wants to play every game and stay out of trouble, that leaves it up to the center position, we need multiple players to produce out of this position if we expect to have a great season, Egolf and Prosser will need to contribute and possibly Thompson .

Can anyone argue that our guards in 2010-'11 are not the best core of guards at BU in the last 20 years? I'm sure somebody will, and maybe it's legit.

I think that 4 of our guards are good enough to start and play 30+ minutes.
We have WL who some say will have a tremendous career at BU, and JE who will give you good minutes and could be a great 3-pt. shooter in a couple seasons.
Not saying this translates into a Valley championship, but we should really cherish what we've got out there on the court this season.
I think that SM, DSE, & WL (maybe AW) will be considered great BU guards when we look back in 5 years. 3 years ago, we had JC, D-Ruff, AW, & SM - pretty good group there too, but only CBI to show for it.
Hope we get to dance this season to prove that we ARE the most talented team in the Valley. The question is - can we utilize all 5 guys on the court for the majority of each game?

[BU RICK]

The seasons getting closer....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WUFv...eature=related

[real fan]

I'm not arguing what you say, just saying it sounds the same as last season when we were 9-9. Some things have to change, I wish I knew the answer - my wish would be for 3 bigs in the game and 2 guards and play the bigs near the basket to rebound rather than running out to the 3 point line to set screens. I just want to see change whether it's a change in the lineup or change in the style of play even if that means bringing a senior or two off the bench. I just want us to win and don't want to see another .500 season. If we don't rebound any better than last season...we'll be the same.

Iam not saying we are going to win the league or have a great season, what I am saying is we have a lot of experience and talent that should be making a run at winning the Valley and a 22 win season but it will depend on our inside players to step up their game and rebound and play inside defense.

[dogsrus]

We have used the injury "reason/excuse" several times duringn the JL era to explain why the team failed to do as well as many had thought they would/should.

Will this depth many have pointed out eliminate that reason/excuse if (gosh forbid) someone goes down and we finish lower then the general consensus of expectations?

[Future Walk-On]

We have used the injury "reason/excuse" several times duringn the JL era to explain why the team failed to do as well as many had thought they would/should.

Will this depth many have pointed out eliminate that reason/excuse if (gosh forbid) someone goes down and we finish lower then the general consensus of expectations?

No. unless you can think of a better excuse for playing on Friday at 2:35

[dogsrus]

No. unless you can think of a better excuse for playing on Friday at 2:35

Not quite following exactly what you mean......sorry. (its late and I have a headcold)

anyway....


I have given JL the benefit of the doubt for several things out of his control over the years specifically injuries and POB leaving early.

While many said at the time injuries are NEVER an excuse/reason I somewhat disagreed.....I say somewhat becuase its true many teams have injuries and some still do well. Its the coaches responsibility to put together a team deep enough to overcome those almost inevitable injuries.

With that said, BU had an uncommon amout and to star players so I gave him a flyer for a few years.

But there does come a time when the injury card, legit or not, can't be thrown out there anymore. Just wondering if its that time. Win or else injuries be darned.

Thats why I ask it now....alot of fans are saying we are as deep at guard and deeper then most teams in the Valley. So IF a guy goes down is the injury card out the door?

[Out of Balance]

Thanks you saved some time!

Anyone out there go play a sport after a year of not playing it and see how well you do. I have high expectations from AW this year. I believe we'll see better all around numbers and with probably less playing time.

I was reading all the posts here and I must say, your avatar reminds me of last Saturday night I was in Chicago for the Toby Keith and Trace Adkins concert. Had a great time Both were great But as in your avatar, I never seen so many jeans stuffed and looking good
D***, I should of been a cowboy

As for my take on BU this year. I just want to see each player give 100% effort, have NO suspensions and for Jimmy and the coach's to make that happen Have Jimmy use and listen to his asst. coach's Use players in their natural positions and play bigger than in the past If this all happens, in the end there will no doubt be success

[Indy_BB]

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Missouri-Valley-Preview-There-s-a-new-favorite-?urn=ncaab-271138

[Buesch N Chips]

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketb...n=ncaab-271138

Almost every fan in this thread has higher expectations than the general previews. Can we as fans not see the forest through the trees, or is the media off base? We shall see, I guess.

[tornado]

"A 25-win season has rarely felt more unsatisfying than what Wichita State experienced last season."

well, it was primarily due to horrid scheduling that just didn't prepare them for what was to come.
From Mid-January on when they finally started playing decent teams game-in and game-out, they were a less-than-impressive 9-8
(Bradley was 9-6 over the exact same time span from Jan. 13 on..........)
and they were really only 14-9 after finishing their horribly weak non-conference slate and starting starting conference play --

-- and I recall Marshall saying he didn't want too tough of a schedule for his young team...
maybe if 8 or 9 of those wins weren't over the likes of D-II Ark.-Monticello, Alcorn State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Cleveland State, Texas Southern, South Carolina Upstate, Missouri-Kansas City, and North Dakota State, and Big Ten bottom dweller Iowa..the it woulda been more sayifying in more ways than one.

Interesting that they call this a preview of the 10-team Missouri Valley then talk only about 3 teams as if the other 7, even the ones they've picked for 3rd & 5th don't exist..

[BU RICK]

"Three Must-See Non-Conference Games" I would think Bradley @ Duke would be a runaway favorite for fans of the MVC and he makes no mention of it

[TheAsianSensation]

"Three Must-See Non-Conference Games" I would think Bradley @ Duke would be a runaway favorite for fans of the MVC and he makes no mention of it

Probably because we're expected to lose, and in the first 2 games they listed, the Valley has an excellent chance to win.

[squirrelgotdead]

Almost every fan in this thread has higher expectations than the general previews. Can we as fans not see the forest through the trees, or is the media off base? We shall see, I guess.

All these writers can do with the previews they put together is use the information they have at their disposal (released preseason prospectuses), and use their knowledge of basketball and measure potential and past experience together.

So, right now, they can't really project Bradley higher, because despite tremendous potential in the past, the program has shown little upward mobility and routinely finishes as the 4 or 5 seed.