Valley Media Day: BU Picked 5th

[AZ BU Fan]

Ok, use that argument. But if you criticize coach Les ever for line-ups or subsitituions or recruiting your a huge hypocrite, he was an NBA player and an MVC player of the year.

Oh-uh... Looks like you may have broken that one...

Then I guess I am a huge hypocrite.....I guess the results of JL decisions on line ups, substitutions and recruiting are more important to me. I am still trying to find where being an NBA player and MVC player of the year qualify one to be a successful coach and recruiter. If so, shouldn't have BU won something in the MVC by now?

I was only trying to explain to you how MVC Media could rate BU lower than you feel they should. They don't see their talent vis a vis other MVC schools the same way you do. No judgement on JL or anything else. Of course true believers always look for negative nellies under their mattresses....

[BU RICK]

As long as we're putting words in people's mouths...everyone is happy with 5th place. Wow, that was easy!

Good one, at least I came through this thread unscathed - I don't get in many, But according to 37 posters in the thread voting for number of wins this season, 37 voted that we'd win 20-30 games prior to the MVCT. It's interesting that the one pushing for small ball headlines the list who voted for 15-19 wins, he must not see much of a change coming. SM is one of my and our favorite players, he's not going to lose many minutes playing a larger lineup by adding one more big to the lineup and playing a little less would probably keep him healthier. We all know who the huge SM fan is and good for him, it's seen in almost every post of his, wonder what the family relationship is We need to do things different this season and we need to play bigger. I think if there were a poll on that, change and play bigger would win over keep things the same JMHO

[BradleyBrave]

Good one, at least I came through this thread unscathed - I don't get in many, But according to 37 posters in the thread voting for number of wins this season, 37 voted that we'd win 20-30 games prior to the MVCT. It's interesting that the one pushing for small ball headlines the list who voted for 15-19 wins, he must not see much of a change coming. SM is one of my and our favorite players, he's not going to lose many minutes playing a larger lineup by adding one more big to the lineup and playing a little less would probably keep him healthier. We all know who the huge SM fan is and good for him, it's seen in almost every post of his, wonder what the family relationship is We need to do things different this season and we need to play bigger. I think if there were a poll on that, change and play bigger would win over keep things the same JMHO

I voted for 20-24. I'm just a hater though.

[AZ BU Fan]

can you tell what Missouri State or Wichita has given "them" that greatly differs from what BU has given, such that they get placed 1st & 2nd?

From PJS Dave Reynolds.....

" Still, Marshall realized the significance of the ranking.

In his first season at Wichita three years ago, the Shockers were ninth in the league at 4-14 and were 11-20 overall.

They went to 8-10 and 17-17 the next season.

Last year produced a second-place 12-6 campaign with a 25-10 overall mark.

“It feels good,” Marshall said. “That first year was hard. But we put a lot of effort into recruiting. Now we’re all juniors and seniors. We have nine or 10 guys who can lead us in scoring any given night.”

The Shockers are (also) one of the Valley’s biggest teams in years. A pair of 7-footers (Garrett Stutz and Ehimen Orukpe) along with 6-9 Aaron Ellis and a pair of burly 6-8 inside guys (J.T. Durley and Gabe Blair) are set as the bigs rotation.

“My team is built to compete with the (BSC) big boys physically,” Marshall said. “I would hope we’re given that opportunity.” "

I guess this is why Media types like WSU...Experience, size, and constant improvement over the past 3 years.

FWIW - Doesn't Marshall know he needs to be a former NBA player and a former MVC All Star to be a successful coach in the MVC? Doesn't he know MVC teams can't successfully recruit impact big men and that the MVC is a guards league? Hasn't he studied all the other MVC teams and learned they all play 3 guard offenses?

In any case, focusing on BU, they can shock the world (of negative nellies at least) by using their strengths to knock WSU off their preseason pedestal and succeed in the MVC this year! That would be sweet!

[shaunguth]

"We have nine or 10 guys who can lead us in scoring any given night.???

???My team is built to compete with the (BSC) big boys physically,??? Marshall said.

Might as well give them the title now!

[real fan]

I agree 100%! I don't understand why most "experts" have us at fourth or fifth again. I think third minimum is where we should finish, but obviously most of the national pundits, and even MVC media and coaches feel we are a middle of the pack team again.

I'm just wondering what "deficiency" these people feel we have that is holding us back. I understand picking WSU and MSU ahead of us, and maybe UNI, but Creighton? Why the love for this team that was pretty thin last year as it was, and with a new albeit good coach coming in. He's still a new coach nonetheless that will need a year or so to get familiar with what he has. But someone has got to explain why we are getting picked so low.

I believe we were picked 5th because we have not shown any consistency in the paint and our head coach has not earned the respect of the league voters because we have not finished top 3 since he has been here, this would be a good time to change all of that and just win, winning every game at home would be another reason why our crowds would get larger and louder, winning cures pretty much everything.

[MacabreMob]

As long as we're putting words in people's mouths...everyone is happy with 5th place. Wow, that was easy!

You sound too much like a politician.

[unbekannt]

I believe we were picked 5th because we have not shown any consistency in the paint and our head coach has not earned the respect of the league voters because we have not finished top 3 since he has been here, this would be a good time to change all of that and just win, winning every game at home would be another reason why our crowds would get larger and louder, winning cures pretty much everything.

Well said.

On crowds: people don't only go to games to support the team. The main reason that you go to a game is for entertainment. If you don't like the product, then you don't have to support it. People bought their ticket, and they can be quiet if they want to. That may be how they best enjoy watching games, and it's totally within their right.

You can cry all you want about the crowd, but the crowd didn't blow double digit leads, turn the ball over repeatedly, or miss shots.

[amckillip]

As long as we're putting words in people's mouths...everyone is happy with 5th place. Wow, that was easy!

You admitted it was at JL and now you say it has nothing to do with him. At least judge JL against pre-season ranks and stick to your guns, not this I mean it, but I never said it stuff. I normally disagree with your opinion but respect it's merits, but this is pretty bad.

[amckillip]

Good one, at least I came through this thread unscathed - I don't get in many, But according to 37 posters in the thread voting for number of wins this season, 37 voted that we'd win 20-30 games prior to the MVCT. It's interesting that the one pushing for small ball headlines the list who voted for 15-19 wins, he must not see much of a change coming. SM is one of my and our favorite players, he's not going to lose many minutes playing a larger lineup by adding one more big to the lineup and playing a little less would probably keep him healthier. We all know who the huge SM fan is and good for him, it's seen in almost every post of his, wonder what the family relationship is We need to do things different this season and we need to play bigger. I think if there were a poll on that, change and play bigger would win over keep things the same JMHO

No family relationship, never met him til he came to BU, but I can watch basketball and see that he is our best player. And so can the 40 people who voted him pre-season All-MVC 1st team. I HAVE backed SM since I saw two of his HS games, and have I been wrong? When everyone said EM should start above SM, I backed SM. That year he went All-MVC second team, and most agree he got jobbed there. Some people clearly don't see reality for what it is. In the MVC you play three gaurds because you can't get enough big men.

And if you want to take shots and insinuate I'm a family member or something at least have the courage to use my name. I won't stoop to those levels, but you go right ahead, just make sure everyone knows who your talking about, and I'll keep being right.

[amckillip]

I believe we were picked 5th because we have not shown any consistency in the paint and our head coach has not earned the respect of the league voters because we have not finished top 3 since he has been here, this would be a good time to change all of that and just win, winning every game at home would be another reason why our crowds would get larger and louder, winning cures pretty much everything.

I'd say this is pretty fair. I couldn't care less where we're ranked. I personally see us likely finishing 3rd, with the possibility of 1st to 5th. I am hoping we get good post play out of JP, I haven't seen anything out of WE that terribly impresses me, and even less out of AT. IMO for us to be better than 4th (maybe 3rd), 2 out of the 3 of our big men need to step up big time.

[tornado]

I've got to agree with Da Coach on this one dogs.

just a couple facts to add..

Bradley actually moved UP in the rankings of NCAA basketball attendance figues..

In 2008-2009 Bradley was 54th
In 2009-2010 BU moved up to 52nd..still ahead of schools like Duke, Utah, LSU, Notre Dame, UCLA and dozens of other BCS schools.
2009-2010 saw only a handful of schools net attendance GAINS because of the economy and all were teams like UNI that had exceptionally good years, yet UNI still drew only 5600, 30% less than BU.
In 2008-2009, there were more than 30 schools who saw attendance jumps form the year before, but 2009-2010 showed only half that many..it was just the state of the economy..

As Da Coach said -- if there's a reason for attendance changes the past couple years there's more than just BU's on-court performance...
...I would add the economy as has been stated at all the other schools, but also, we didn't have the marquee home opponents like we've had in past years -- DePaul, Michigan State, Iowa State...etc..

As for not selling out the ISU game -- is your memory that short?? First -- it was an odd Tuesday night game, plus the weather was awful -- this thread about blowing snow, 5 inches had fallen by gametime, many, many cars in ditches, and people needing to get their snow blowers out...
.... is the thread from Feb. 8-9 when we played ISU.
The very fact that BU drew almost 11,400 on a Tuesday night like that is an astounding accomplishment and to be applauded not condemned..

http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=14659

BTW -- did you note that Creighton's attendance dropped from 15,930 per game in 2008-2009 to 14,495 in 2009-2010! That's a HUGE drop -- 10%
...maybe they should clean house and start over!!
...but it's a sign that every team has unhappy fans -- even UNI had some grumbling fans last summer!!

[MacabreMob]

As long as we're putting words in people's mouths...everyone is happy with 5th place. Wow, that was easy!

You sound too much like a politician.

You admitted it was at JL and now you say it has nothing to do with him.

Exactly. LOL!

[Braves4Life]

I think the bottom line on our predicted 5th place finish is what many have said -- respect is earned, not given. If all (or most) people (voters) think a certain way about you then there's probably a pretty good reason for it.

All I'll say is this -- Step up TB, WE, SM, AW, DD, Jim Les, and the rest of the Braves! You've just been slapped in the face here. Disrespected! No excuses! Go get 'er done!

[houstontxbrave]

I watch every game on the internet so obviously I do not see the games in person, but I did go to the Drexel game last year.

Bradley quoted the attendance at 9390. There is no way in the world there were 9390 at that game. I walked in the Civic Center and was given 2 tickets. There were huge blocks of seats everywhere empty. And there was little energy within the arena. The game was on a Saturday night and guessing there likely were about 7K actually in the arena.

Again, I do not see every game in person but when they pan the crowds with the cameras at the home games, most games last season looked exactly like the Drexel game. Yes there were exceptions.

Tickets sold is completely different then rears in seats.