Bradley ranked as 11th out of 263 midmajors over past 6 years

[dogsrus]

I still expect this record to plummet over the next several years and BU will probably be better.

Its a cyclical thing and its BU's turn.....hopefully, for us, we can have that SIU/CU type of run for 4-6-8 years.

[Bravesfan]

Oh god, let the floodgates open - These guys are clearly spinning stuff; They defend everything the University brass does.

Who's spinning stuff and defending everything the University brass does? Midmajority or certain posters? Please clarify.

[Bravesfan]

I think it's something to be quite proud of, honestly. There's some solid programs we're ahead of. Of course, given their point system, anyone could argue any number of flaws with it, but to be honest, the point system they use for this list is pretty reasonable.

My only "negative" thought is this: If we're good enough to be #11 in a list like this (which is quite a good thing), shouldn't we have a top 3 conference finish in one of those 6 years? It's obvious we're one of the best programs; why doesn't it translate in the MVC? And I'm not asking for year-in-year-out either. Just a couple contentions for league titles in the past 6 years. It's obvious the data in this list supports that we should have it.

Agreed. That's why finishing in the top 3 or higher with a minimum NIT but preferrably NCAA appearance would be the cherry on the top when it comes to these rankings.

[Bravesfan]

I think that's a fair analogy. One thing Bradley has been good at is avoiding the truly bad season - the floor is very high now. That IS something to be glad about as a BU fan.

I think the argument amongst BU fans is if our equivalent of the World Series in this analogy is a conference title (or top 3) or a Sweet 16. Obviously one of the goals have been reached. And I think if you replaced the Sweet 16 with a loss to Kansas and a 1st and 2nd in the conference in the last 3 years, everyone would be infinitely happier.

Uhhh, I don't know about that. I would gladly trade a couple of conference titles for a Sweet 16 appearance any day! Teams win conference titles every year, but the vast majority of them don't make the Sweet 16, let alone through the first round of the tournament.

Now an occasional Sweet 16 with a conference title every few years would be even better! But the Sweet 16 always comes first in my book.

[MacabreMob]

C'mon....you know those things don't matter! That trip to the Sweet 16 is a distant memory, yet the years prior to that are forever being brought up!

Besides, we don't care about other teams!

Uhhh, I don't know about that. I would gladly trade a couple of conference titles for a Sweet 16 appearance any day! Teams win conference titles every year, but the vast majority of them don't make the Sweet 16, let alone through the first round of the tournament.

Now an occasional Sweet 16 with a conference title every few years would be even better! But the Sweet 16 always comes first in my book.

wow-wow-wow

2 great posts!

[Chico]

I guess being 11th in this poll thing is great for tooting a horn and putting out to a potential recruit.

Bottom line for me though is the actual out come of those last 6 years:

04-05

13-15 record
6-12 in conference
Lost in play in to ISUblue
Lost 10 of last 12 games

05-06

22-11 record
11-7 in conference
2 NCAA Tournament wins.
Won 9 of last 11
Lost in MVC Championship tourney game

06-07

22-13 record
10-8 in conference
1 NIT win
2pt lose to SIU in Semis of MVC tourney

07-08

21-17 record
17-15 without the 4-2 record in CBI
9-9 in conference
Lost in first round of MVC tourney
2nd place in CBI

08-09

21-15 record
18-14 without the 3-1 record in CIT
10-8 in conference
Lost by 14 to UNI in Semis of MVC tourney
2nd CIT

09-10

16-15 record
9-9 in conference
Lost by 17 to UNI in Semis of MVC tourney
10-8 in conference

Total last 6 Bradley University Basketball seasons:

Overall record
115-86

Conference record
55-53

MVC Tourney
5-5

NCAA
2-1

NIT
1-1

CBI
4-2

CIT
3-1

Make your own conclusions about the success of Bradley Basketball in the last 6 years. My conclusion is even with the NCAA and the overall 29 games over .500 the conference record and the lack of success in the MVC tourny make it hard not to say the last 6 years have been average.

06 and 07 can not be ignored, but neither can 05 and 10. The other two were "successful" because we fell into two made up tournys that inflated the overall record for those two years.

Evidently you have a lot of respect, as we all do, for the coach in your avatar, but what was his MVC record?

[Da Coach]

Northern Iowa appears in the Midmajority.com ranking at #8-

http://twitter.com/midmajority/status/28592736035

Here is the ranking so far, with 7 teams remaining-
100. IUPUI, Badlands Conference (29 points)
99. Boise State, Western Athletic (29 points)
98. James Madison, Colonial (29 points)
97. Valparaiso, Horizon League (29 points)
96. Morehead State, Ohio Valley (30 points)
95. Toledo, Mid-American (30 points)
94. Boston University, America East (31 points)
93. Long Beach State, Big West (31 points)
92. Hawaii, Western Athletic (31 points)
91. Cal State Northridge, Big West (32 points)
90. Rider, Metro Atlantic (32 points)
89. College of Charleston, Southern (32 points)
88. Houston, Conference USA (32 points)
87. Central Connecticut State, Northeast (33 points)
86. Northern Arizona, Big Sky (33 points)
85. North Dakota State, Badlands Conference (33 points)
84. Miami (Oh.), Mid-American (33 points)
83. Northern Illinois, Mid-American (33 points)
82. Wright State, Horizon League (33 points)
81. Northeastern, Colonial (34 points)
80. Denver, Sun Belt (35 points)
79. Bowling Green, Mid-American (35 points)
78. Portland, West Coast (35 points)
77. Alabama State, SWAC (36 points)
76. Cal State Fullerton, Big West (36 points)
75. Louisiana Tech, Western Athletic (36 points)
74. Wofford, Southern (36 points)
73. Arkansas-Little Rock, Sun Belt (37 points)
72. Lamar, Southland (38 points)
71. Illinois-Chicago, Horizon League (38 points)
70. California-Santa Barbara, Big West (39 points)
69. Jackson State, SWAC (40 points)
68. Oakland, Badlands Conference (41 points)
67. New Orleans, Independents (41 points)
66. Northwestern State, Southland (42 points)
65. Charlotte, Atlantic 14 (42 points)
64. Robert Morris, Northeast (43 points)
63. Holy Cross, Patriot League (43 points)
62. Cleveland State, Horizon League (44 points)
61. Stephen F. Austin, Southland (45 points)
60. Austin Peay, Ohio Valley (45 points)
59. American, Patriot League (45 points)
58. Pennsylvania, Ivy League (46 points)
57. North Texas, Sun Belt (46 points)
56. Marist, Metro Atlantic (46 points)
55. Richmond, Atlantic 14 (47 points)
54. Weber State, Big Sky (48 points)
53. Hofstra, Colonial (48 points)
52. Texas-El Paso, Conference USA (48 points)
51. Portland State, Big Sky (49 points)
50. Buffalo, Mid-American (49 points)
49. North Carolina-Wilmington, Colonial (49 points)
48. Montana, Big Sky (50 points)
47. Delaware State, MEAC (50 points)
46. Illinois State, Missouri Valley (50 points)
45. George Washington, Atlantic 14 (50 points)
44. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Southland (51 points)
43. Niagara, Metro Atlantic (52 points)
42. Ohio, Mid-American (53 points)
41. Murray State, Ohio Valley (54 points)
40. Appalachian State, Southern (54 points)
39. Drake, Missouri Valley (54 points)
38. Pacific, Big West (56 points)
37. UAB, Conference USA (57 points)
36. Belmont, Atlantic Sun (58 points)
35. Bucknell, Patriot League (58 points)
34. New Mexico State, Western Athletic (58 points)
33. Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Horizon League (60 points)
32. San Diego, West Coast (61 points)
31. East Tennessee State, Atlantic Sun (65 points)
30. Saint Joseph`s, Atlantic 14 (66 points)
29. Sam Houston State, Southland (67 points)
28. Akron, Mid-American (70 points)
27. Rhode Island, Atlantic 14 (72 points)
26. Cornell, Ivy League (73 points)
25. Kent State, Mid-American (73 points)
24. Massachusetts, Atlantic 14 (73 points)
23. Vermont, America East (76 points)
22. Morgan State, MEAC (77 points)
21. Missouri State, Missouri Valley (79 points)
20. Creighton, Missouri Valley (80 points)
19. Temple, Atlantic 14 (80 points)
18. South Alabama, Sun Belt (83 points)
17. Siena, Metro Atlantic (84 points)
16. George Mason, Colonial (90 points)
15. Wichita State, Missouri Valley (92 points)
14. Southern Illinois, Missouri Valley (92 points)
13. Dayton, Atlantic 14 (97 points)
12. Utah State, Western Athletic (99 points)
11. Bradley, Missouri Valley (100 points)
10. Winthrop, Big South (109 points)
9. Saint Mary`s, West Coast (111 points)
8. Northern Iowa, Missouri Valley (112 points)