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**BradleyBrave** · 02-13-2011, 05:26 PM

Hey, if winning basketball games wasn't part of the job then I would be all for keeping him around forever. Jim Molinari helped out quite a few young men too, and we couldn't get rid of him soon enough because he didn't win enough.

**Bravesfan** · 02-13-2011, 05:35 PM

Originally posted by BradleyBrave View Post

Hey, if winning basketball games wasn't part of the job then I would be all for keeping him around forever. Jim Molinari helped out quite a few young men too, and we couldn't get rid of him soon enough because he didn't win enough.

Does that mean you would like John Calipari coaching the Braves next year? He won't produce too many upstanding citizens, but he will certainly win games!

**Da Coach** · 02-13-2011, 05:38 PM

But give credit when it's due. JL's players are all good guys, and they have graduated at a higher rate than any other coach, and they stay out of trouble.

And the coach's detractors would like us all to believe we have had a losing program for years, when that is simply not the case. This will be JL's first losing season in the last 6 years, and though he will never make excuses, much of it is not his fault. If we had a healthy TB and SM, I am confident we would be right with WSU and MSU.

**Braves4Life** · 02-13-2011, 05:41 PM

This has been a strong suit for BU athletics for quite some time now. I applaud Coach Les for bringing in and molding such high quality young men, however I think this is also attributable to the culture and expectations that the BU Administration has for all of their athletic programs.

It makes me feel comfortable that if/when BU chooses to go another direction with their basketball program and coach that this same level of academic success and high quality student-athlete will continue.

**BradleyBrave** · 02-13-2011, 05:47 PM

Originally posted by Da Coach View Post

But give credit when it's due. JL's players are all good guys, and they have graduated at a higher rate than any other coach, and they stay out of trouble.

They do? Since when?

**Bravesfan** · 02-13-2011, 05:48 PM

Originally posted by Da Coach View Post

But give credit when it's due. JL's players are all good guys, and they have graduated at a higher rate than any other coach, and they stay out of trouble.

And the coach's detractors would like us all to believe we have had a losing program for years, when that is simply not the case. This will be JL's first losing season in the last 6 years, and though he will never make excuses, much of it is not his fault. If we had a healthy TB and SM, I am confident we would be right with WSU and MSU.

I think you were responding to BradleyBrave, but I just wanted to add that John Calipari would definitely win more games this season than Les would have. It's just that he would have had to cheated to bring in a couple of top quality Juco transfers midseason and would have kept his players out of class to accomplish this!

Kidding aside, if he faced the same situation that Les did this year he would not win one more single game than Les because he would have the same players to work with, and his teams would be even worse at free throwing and rebounding than we were earlier this season! Remember, Calipari's teams have traditionally been amongst some of the worst free throwing and fundamentally deficient teams in DI under his watch!

Oh, and how's Kentucky looking this year John?! Last place in the SEC East the last time I checked!

**Bravesfan** · 02-13-2011, 05:54 PM

Originally posted by BradleyBrave View Post

They do? Since when?

I don't even know how to dignify this question with a proper response. But I will try anyway.

Name me a player who has been in trouble the last year or two, at least to the level of issues we had a few years ago. Second any infraction that has occurred has been dealt with swiftly and distinctively under Les's watch. They most certainly have been dealt with a lot quicker than that coach 80 miles to the southeast has dealt with his issues, that by the way have been more series than anything Les has ever had to deal with!

My point is that every coach in D1 has problem players to deal with from time to time. I bet even Homer Drew, the nicest coach in D1 these days has had a bad apple at least a few times in his career. That doesn't mean we get rid of every coach that has issues, unless of course there is blantant disregard of the rules ala Kelvin Sampson, John Calipari and others.

But I'm willing to bet that it would be hard to name any problem players Les has had to deal with in the last year or so. And even if there were, none where released from the team the last time I checked, which means he is able to discipline his players in a way that they turn their behavior around. How many BCS coaches can say they can do that?

**Da Coach** · 02-13-2011, 05:56 PM

Originally posted by BradleyBrave View Post

They do? Since when?

OK, I'll bite. When was the last legal issue of any significance?
And please don't bring up Theron Wilson's speeding ticket and zero-tolerance citation. That is insignificant.
And DR's incident was blown massively out of proportion, and is now off the record. And it was 3 years ago.

**BradleyBrave** · 02-13-2011, 05:58 PM

Originally posted by Bravesfan View Post

I don't even know how to dignify this question with a proper response. But I will try anyway.

Name me a player who has been in trouble the last year or two, at least to the level of issues we had a few years ago. Second any infraction that has occurred has been dealt with swiftly and distinctively under Les's watch. They most certainly have been dealt with a lot quicker than that coach 80 miles to the southeast has dealt with his issues, that by the way have been more series than anything Les has ever had to deal with!

My point is that every coach in D1 has problem players to deal with from time to time. I bet even Homer Drew, the nicest coach in D1 these days has had a bad apple at least a few times in his career. That doesn't mean we get rid of every coach that has issues, unless of course there is blantant disregard of the rules ala Kelvin Sampson, John Calipari and others.

But I'm willing to bet that it would be hard to name any problem players Les has had to deal with in the last year or so. And even if there were, none where released from the team the last time I checked, which means he is able to discipline his players in a way that they turn their behavior around. How many BCS coaches can say they can do that?

Jabbar Battle, Saihou Jassey, Tyrone Cole-Scott, Theron Wilson, Dan Ruffin, Will Egolf, Taylor Brown, Eddren McCain all had run-ins with the law.

Yes, every program has to deal with stuff. It's college kids. I expect some youthful mischief from time to time. But making blanket statements that our kids don't get in trouble is incorrect. They do.

**Da Coach** · 02-13-2011, 06:03 PM

I knew it. The anti-JL instinct has driven you to stretch the truth. The Theron Wilson and TCS issue, as I said was nothing more than a speeding ticket and ZT citation. If we logged all those types for every D1 team, we would be in the thousands every year. You weaken you point to even bring those up.
The same is true with the insignificant issues you are implying with WE, and Saihou Jassey which were never documented. And Jabbar Battle's issue was 8 years ago. You really have to be kidding, right? (those charges were dropped btw)

**BradleyBrave** · 02-13-2011, 06:05 PM

Originally posted by Da Coach View Post

I knew it. The anti-JL instinct has driven you to stretch the truth. The Theron Wilson and TCS issue, as I said was nothing more than a speeding ticket and ZT citation. If we logged all those types for every D1 team, we would be in the thousands every year. You weaken you point to even bring those up.
The same is true with the insignificant issues you are implying with WE, and Saihou Jassey which were never documented. And Jabbar Battle's issue was 8 years ago. You really have to be kidding, right? (those charges were dropped btw

Stretch what truth? You said they didn't get in trouble. I named 9 players who have had run-ins with the law. Name one thing I said that was a lie.

**Da Coach** · 02-13-2011, 06:07 PM

For one, I only count 8, and the last one was added late.

**BradleyBrave** · 02-13-2011, 06:07 PM

Originally posted by Da Coach View Post

For one, I only count 8, and the last one was added late.

Sorry, I initially forgot about McCain's incident last year. I guess that means it didn't happen.

You still didn't tell me where I stretched the truth.

Also, what did I say that was anti-JL?

**Da Coach** · 02-13-2011, 06:11 PM

Originally posted by BradleyBrave View Post

Also, what did I say that was anti-JL?

Oh, so you are now in favor of extending Coach Les' contract?

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