This perplexing, recurrent problem.

[Bravesfan]

I don't normally start negative threads like this, but I have to get this off of my chest. My feelings about this game and the remainder of the season aren't good. Having said that, I guess you can't blame Les if this team stuggles to finish .500 with their two best players out. That I will give him. But the fact that you had a 12 point lead, twice against a solid but somewhat struggling WCU team and failed to finish is not a good sign for the remaining players. This is a game we probably should have won even without SM and TB, and while the coach can't go out and play for the players, the remaining players can't squander a lead like they did tonight.

If we were outmuscled by WCU in every facet of the game due to being shorthanded, fine, I could live with that. And I do give a lot of credit to them for tightening up their defense and making us look bad at times. HOWEVER, no one said we had to score 15 more points to win this game. How about just 5? My problem was not steals and stingy defense at the end by WCU, it was rushed shots by us early in possessions, fouls 30 feet away from the basket, and of course, even MORE missed easy layups! Mind you none of this occurred much the first 30 minutes of the game, and when it did occur, none of this occurred near any WCU players. That's my problem! Either this is a fundamental coaching problem, or we have players that play scared anytime the opposing team makes a run.

But my other question is if we looked so well coached early on, how does this team continually blow games late with such poor fundamentals???! I mean we are not even talking offensive schemes here. This is just a matter of making simple shots, rebounding, and not making silly turnovers with no one from the opposition within ten miles of a Bradley player! I mean these deficiencies should be fixable, shouldn't they? I would think so, especially with a team that still has several experienced players playing despite the injuries. We showed we are capable of playing close even missing a couple of key players, and the way we lost had less to do with our missing players than it did with careless errors, errors that have no business occurring even with injuries! I don't get why this occurs every year!

[it's boogie time]

Having said that, I guess you can't blame Les if this team struggles to finish .500 with their two best players out. That I will give him. But the fact that you had a 12 point lead, twice against a solid but somewhat struggling WCU team and failed to finish is not a good sign for the remaining players.

Bradley blew a second half double digit lead last year against Western Carolina with SM & TB in the lineup. You're correct, it is a recurring problem. Second verse, same as the first. Guys that weren't good shooters or rebounders last year usually aren't going to become good shooters or rebounders over a summer.

[ph]

I still think layups are about using the glass.
In games, we get bumped or go too fast, and a finger roll won't go in. Use the glass. (Hint, that's why Roberts' 75' shot went down)
Use the glass.

[Braves4Life]

I feel your pain Bravesfan.

[Bravesfan]

Bradley blew a second half double digit lead last year against Western Carolina with SM & TB in the lineup. You're correct, it is a recurring problem. Second verse, same as the first. Guys that weren't good shooters or rebounders last year usually aren't going to become good shooters or rebounders over a summer.

So are you saying that these aren't skills that can't be learned in a year or so? Or are these skills that should be developed early in life and if they aren't it's usually too late? See, I'm not so sure about that. But maybe Les is recruting players that have talent, but that are lacking in fundamentals.

I see teams like Butler each year play well even if they don't have as much talent and size as your typical BCS power. Now obviously they had some blue chippers and experience last year or they would have not made a run to the championship game. But even in "down" years they seem to play stifling defense, with great rebounding and precision shooting. Maybe there's too much emphasis on raw talent when it comes to our recruiting.

But even if that's the case, I still think it's never too late to improve on the basics. Anyone correct me if I'm wrong.

[Bravesfan]

I still think layups are about using the glass.
In games, we get bumped or go too fast, and a finger roll won't go in. Use the glass. (Hint, that's why Roberts' 75' shot went down)
Use the glass.

Again, like I just said above, that's something that should be taught in grammar school. Why can't this bunch learn that?!

[Bravesfan]

I feel your pain Bravesfan.

Thanks. I'm normally not this down after a loss (and don't get me wrong, it's not like I will be up all night griping about this. ). But I feel there's more problems here than just losing a couple of good players. I will not hold it against anyone if we struggle to finish at .500 because we are shorthanded and we don't have the depth to stay in games. But tonight's game was not an example of that. We almost won without TB and SM, and lost because of poor fundamentals more than WCU stopping us, plain and simple.

[ph]

Again, like I just said above, that's something that should be taught in grammar school. Why can't this bunch learn that?!

They should get chewed out for any layup that does not use the glass.
At the minimum, make it interesting by donning full padding and have a full contact layup drill with suicides for each missed layup.

[Bravesfan]

They should get chewed out for any layup that does not use the glass.
At the minimum, make it interesting by donning full padding and have a full contact layup drill with suicides for each missed layup.

Something like that might drive home the message.

For those who don't believe teams at this level (or at the pro level for that matter) should waste time performing fundamental drills since the "should not have to be taught this", well try saying that to coaches like Tom Izzo. He's the coach who spends time in practice tossing balls on the court and having his players dive for the ball. It gets them acclimated to what they will encounter during games against tough opponents in the Big Ten and elsewhere. And it also scares the heck out of the players who imagine what his practices will be like if they actually lose to someone!

I hear some sports talkers in Chicago from time to time saying that time should not have to be wasted teaching fundamentals to pro players (especially regarding the Cubs under Dusty Baker or Lou Pinella). I say fine, agreed. But if they don't know them like they should, then what are the managers supposed to do, just shrug their shoulders and act like there's no problem?! If it has to be done, time needs to be set aside for fundamentals drills, no matter what level a team plays at.

I'm not going to blame Les for not teaching fundamentals in practice because I am not privy to what goes on during his practices. But I do see a team that at the very least sure acts like they don't know what's going on at times fundamental wise.

Anyway, it's been a long day. Talk to you all tomorrow.

[bigdaddystuck]

They should get chewed out for any layup that does not use the glass.
At the minimum, make it interesting by donning full padding and have a full contact layup drill with suicides for each missed layup.

I coach jr. high girls and this is a drill that we do.

[bigjimmy]

How many times do we have to hear from JL we need to work on our defense. Last time I checked the team the scores the most points wins. It is just inexcusable to miss this many layups and to put up shots early in the shot clock with nobody at the basket to rebound. We did have moments where we looked very good but every team has that during a game. It's the team that can extend those moments the longest that wins and we just have a hard time doing that. Until DSE, WL and especially WE get more consistent, until JL has more confidence to play MIlos more than 3 minutes a game, and until we stop getting our asses handed to us on the boards those moments are going to continue to be harder to come by.

[real fan]

How many times do we have to hear from JL we need to work on our defense. Last time I checked the team the scores the most points wins. It is just inexcusable to miss this many layups and to put up shots early in the shot clock with nobody at the basket to rebound. We did have moments where we looked very good but every team has that during a game. It's the team that can extend those moments the longest that wins and we just have a hard time doing that. Until DSE, WL and especially WE get more consistent, until JL has more confidence to play MIlos more than 3 minutes a game, and until we stop getting our asses handed to us on the boards those moments are going to continue to be harder to come by.

The other Jim did nothing but talk about defense, our defense is fine if you look at the points being scored against us, I said the same thing in that the team that scores the most always wins, Will and A.T. have missed so many layups this season when they should have just dunked the ball, amazing how players dunk in practice but clam up in a game , DSE , W.L; and J.P. are going to make mistakes but I also guarantee that those 3 young players are going to get better because they play hard, I still believe Will is the key to how many wins they are going to get because Warren, Dunson are fairly consistent which means we need production out of Will and he has the talent to step up and start contributing.

[AZ BU Fan]

This perplexing, recurrent problem????

LES HATER!

[Bravesfan]

This perplexing, recurrent problem????

LES HATER!

Wow! That's the first time I have ever been called that! Thanks!

Seriously though, I don't hate Les, and I'm not calling for his firing based on two winnable games. But I do believe these two loses were caused by the breakdown of fundamentals on the offensive end, and not from our being shorthanded. And all I am saying is that this needs to be addressed in practice, if it already hasn't been. I think these are correctable mistakes, but it's just downright appalling that we miss so many easy layups per game, and that we force up shots so early in the shot clock. That's what's so frustrating.

I do believe we will lose games we should have won with SM and TB playing. We may even have to hope we finish around .500 again. And there will probably be a few games were we get blown out. But losing winnable games due to lack of fundamentals and not because we are shorthanded is just unacceptable, especially when we have the lead most of the game. That's something that needs to be changed ASAP, and that starts THIS weekend against a very beatable Utah team at home.

[AZ BU Fan]

Wow! That's the first time I have ever been called that! Thanks!

Seriously though, I don't hate Les, and I'm not calling for his firing based on two winnable games.

Sorry Bravesfan, I just couldn't resist!

In the past I have been misunderstood as anti JL, and part of my image makeover is calling out all anti JL sentiments on this Forum, either real or perceived!

We know you are 'fair and balanced'!