Lucas O'Rear out for the rest of the season

[Da Coach]

Northern Iowa center Lucas O'Rear suffered a season-ending fracture of his ankle near the end of last night's win over Illinois State-

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110203/SPORTS020704/110203015/Northern-Iowa-men-s-basketball-Lucas-O-Rear-to-miss-rest-of-season?watchdog

This really hurts UNI's chances in the MVC and for a postseason bid. Tough luck for O'Rear.

But then again, we can't use injuries here as an excuse for a team's performance.

[dogsrus]

I wouldn't let anyone tell me what excuse I couldn't or couldn't use for not winning......if a person wants to use injuries...facilities....Peoria.....the PJ Star......Wessler......"not his players".....whatever its up to the individual fan.

Personally, for me, there are MANY reasons why a team/coach doesn't win but sooner or later I want my team to win and whatever the reason, it really doesn't matter, as the results are all that counts.

[Da Coach]

If that is a statement directed toward BU and Jim Les, let me just point out that it is not as if Bradley has been a perennial losing program as some suggest.
This year will be the first year in the last 6 seasons that Bradley will not have a winning season. And I think it is fair to consider that if the 2 key players for Bradley had not had season-ending medical issues, that this year would have likely been a winning season as well.

[BradleyBrave]

Northern Iowa center Lucas O'Rear suffered a season-ending fracture of his ankle near the end of last night's win over Illinois State-

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110203/SPORTS020704/110203015/Northern-Iowa-men-s-basketball-Lucas-O-Rear-to-miss-rest-of-season?watchdog

This really hurts UNI's chances in the MVC and for a postseason bid. Tough luck for O'Rear.

But then again, we can't use injuries here as an excuse for a team's performance.

Stinks for UNI.

And you are correct.

[afan]

Northern Iowa center Lucas O'Rear suffered a season-ending fracture of his ankle near the end of last night's win over Illinois State-

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110203/SPORTS020704/110203015/Northern-Iowa-men-s-basketball-Lucas-O-Rear-to-miss-rest-of-season?watchdog

This really hurts UNI's chances in the MVC and for a postseason bid. Tough luck for O'Rear.

But then again, we can't use injuries here as an excuse for a team's performance.

While I have never been a fan of University of Indiana, Didn't they beat a top 25 team yesterday with 3 of their starters injured. I believe that a team will lose more games without key starters but, 11 in a row?

[BradleyBrave]

While I have never been a fan of University of Indiana, Didn't they beat a top 25 team yesterday with 3 of their starters injured. I believe that a team will lose more games without key starters but, 11 in a row?

And 11 in a row against an MVC that's in a down year, relatively speaking.

[Bravesfan23]

O'Rear should have went to the MLB when he had the chance.

[TylerDurden]

While I have never been a fan of University of Indiana, Didn't they beat a top 25 team yesterday with 3 of their starters injured. I believe that a team will lose more games without key starters but, 11 in a row?

While I'll admit it does seem a bit counter-intuitive, it's Indiana University or IU.

And yes, they did win yesterday against a top 25 team without their top scorer and another starter. I'd say they were without two starters, since they've rotated the lineup a bit.

[MikeCash]

Verdell Jones III was back last night, so no...only Watford and Creek were out.

(A little different than losing a senior/captain/fourth-year floor general/second best 3-point shooter AND your best inside-outside threat/best rebounder/best creator/Valley player-of-the-year candidate from an otherwise youthful team.

[srw]

Stinks for UNI.

And you are correct.

Agreed.

They will have to get it together, or play in a tournament they probably don't want to play in.

[BradleyBrave]

Agreed.

They will have to get it together, or play in a tournament they probably don't want to play in.

They're very NIT-worthy right now, and IMO after MSU's loss at Evansville, are #2 in the MVC pecking order right now. Every game Indiana and New Mexico wins makes UNI look that much better. Plus, if you had to pick a key player on that team to lose, it would be O'Rear. Had they lost Ahelegbe, Koch, Moran, or James, they'd be in much worse shape. They can overcome losing O'Rear.

BTW - UNI's 2nd leading scorer, Anthony James, is a 6 foot sophomore guard out of St. Louis, averaging 12.1 ppg in their methodical system, and shooting nearly 40% from 3 this season. Did we ever take a look at him, or was he one of those guys that UNI had an unfair recruiting advantage over us for since they have little recruiting competition in the northern part of Iowa?

[dogsrus]

If that is a statement directed toward BU and Jim Les, let me just point out that it is not as if Bradley has been a perennial losing program as some suggest.
This year will be the first year in the last 6 seasons that Bradley will not have a winning season. And I think it is fair to consider that if the 2 key players for Bradley had not had season-ending medical issues, that this year would have likely been a winning season as well.

Its not really directed at any team in particular....my point is we all have different thresholds as to what defines a winning program.

Personally I don't see BU as a winning OR a losing program under Les....I see it as the majority of fans do...average.

For those of us that see it as average or below average the "excuses"/"reasons" that float around to explain the results don't matter much anymore.

I was the one that originally said "you can't you the injury excuse"...but I didn't say as a reason for losing. OBVIOUSLY injuries hurt any program that has them....but after awhile the reasons don't matter if you feel your team has not got the job done.

After 9 years of what we see average results and a myriad of reasons WHY we have been mostly average the ONLY thing that matters anymore is the results.

[chitown fanatic]

Dont forget the Berlin Wall that also prevents us from landing key Minnesota recruits. Surely, you cant think that Peoria can compete with all the amenities Cedar Falls and Des Moines have to offer, do you?

[BradleyBrave]

Dont forget the Berlin Wall that also prevents us from landing key Minnesota recruits. Surely, you cant think that Peoria can compete with all the amenities Cedar Falls and Des Moines have to offer, do you?

How did we get POB and Ray Brown? A miracle I guess that they didn't end up at UNI.

[Da Coach]

BTW - UNI's 2nd leading scorer, Anthony James, is a 6 foot sophomore guard out of St. Louis, averaging 12.1 ppg in their methodical system, and shooting nearly 40% from 3 this season. Did we ever take a look at him, or was he one of those guys that UNI had an unfair recruiting advantage over us for since they have little recruiting competition in the northern part of Iowa?

Yes, I happen to know that Bradley was one of only a couple D1 schools that ever looked at James. I think UNI was his only D1 offer, and that included a deal to redshirt his first year like Jacobson likes to do. But BU liked him in HS.
James was a 60% shooter from 3-point as a junior, and 58% as a senior. But he was a rather scrawny 6' shooting guard, and thus had very little interest.
I can only imagine what many fans here would have said if we signed a 6' skinny SG.