Final: UNI 80 BU 70

[Braves4Life]

BPeople can blame the defense if they want, but the defense was not bad.

If you believe that Da Coach then you're essentially calling Jim Les a liar who likes to publicly call out and ridicule his players.

[Braves4Life]

Just read where the Braves were up 6 with 13 to go....thats the last time JP saw on the floor?
In my world JP's basketball IQ is too high to be sitting on the bench if not for foul trouble /injury...help could have helped on both ends of the court!

Exactly Big Mike. Same tune, different song.

[Da Coach]

After every loss, I enjoy reading the armchair coaches second guessing every move the coach makes. I understand this is part of the sports culture in this era of message boards. But I don't agree coaching moves were the reason we lost the game. Bradley lost because UNI had a season-best shooting night from the 3-point arc. It's that simple. Coming into the game, UNI was one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league (even after last night's awesome performance, they rank 8th in the MVC). Bradley's game plan was geared toward stopping their in side scoring, and UNI had only 6 baskets all night that were 2-pointers. Unfortunately, they went crazy with the 3-pointers. Blame the coach for that. UNI is a quality team, but if they miss a couple of those low-percentage shots, Bradley probably wins the game.

[Dallas Brave]

If the defense wasn't bad, then JL had the wrong players on the floor for the last 13 minutes becasue the players up until that point had built a lead.

[Da Coach]

But in the spirit of "let's blame the coach", if Bradley had Jordan Prosser on the floor those last 13 minutes, and if UNI had bombed away and taken the lead and won, we would be ripping the coach for not switching to a smaller lineup to defend their guards.
My point is that whenever we lose, we find facets of the game to point to and blame the coach. I understand that. Heck, it even happens sometimes when we win.

[Braveman]

The defense was bad.... most of their 3's were uncontested.. we had poor rotation and corner coverage in the zone... That I don't think can be disputed...

BU now has 13 games where the opposition has hit better than 35% from beyond the arc, including 11 at 38% or better and 7 at 40% or better.. Our perimeter defense has not been good very consistently..

[dogsrus]

Just a question for all you arm chair QB's.... Just wondering COULD BU have made em play OUR game. As in slow it down, leave JP and WE in and turn it into a hal court game. We seemed to play THEIR game in the second half.

We played well first half with alot of looks to the middle with the Big cutting to the hoop....

We just seemed to let them establish a nice flow....we didn't look to change the pace and make em match up with us.

Just a thought....

[Dallas Brave]

But in the spirit of "let's blame the coach", if Bradley had Jordan Prosser on the floor those last 13 minutes, and if UNI had bombed away and taken the lead and won, we would be ripping the coach for not switching to a smaller lineup to defend their guards.
My point is that whenever we lose, we find facets of the game to point to and blame the coach. I understand that. Heck, it even happens sometimes when we win.

Depends on coaching philosophy and I support JL to make what he thinks are the best decisions. Clearly, his coaching response to UNI going with a smaller lineup didn't work ... and in my opinion our small lineup hasn't work for much of the season ... so why keep going to it?

2 Big / 4 Small Comparison for last night:

First Half
2 Big 3:52 +6 (first 3:52 of the first half)
4 Small 16:08 -1

Second Half
2 Big 5:19 +2 (first 5:19 of the 2nd half)
4 Small 14:41 -17

Game Total
2 Big 9:11 +8
4 Small 30:49 -18


Call me crazy, but if I was coaching this group of players, I would tend to go with a bigger lineup for 75-80% of most games, even if the other team puts a small lineup on a floor. Maybe that would be different if I had SM and TW, but they are out and the players left on the roster play better team ball when they have the bigger lineup on the floor.

[squirrelgotdead]

Dodie picking up his 4th foul with 11+ minutes to go hurt us big time, too. He's probably our best perimeter defender and things opened up for UNI at that point.

I honestly would have let him play with 4 at that point. But I won't go any further so I don't get warned again

[dogsrus]

Dodie picking up his 4th foul with 11+ minutes to go hurt us big time, too. He's probably our best perimeter defender and things opened up for UNI at that point.

I honestly would have let him play with 4 at that point. But I won't go any further so I don't get warned again

Yeah that was huge....when was the last time DD was in foul trouble. Sat alot. He got a couple cheapies also....desrved or not I couldn't tell from MY seat but the one under the hoop looked awful.

[LittleBrave]

Bradley scored 70 pts, shot close to 50% and committed 5 turnovers. You have to win with those offensive numbers. Especially at home.

Tough loss to swallow. Just as things looked "promising". Let's beat ISU and stay out of the cellar.

You have to win if you nail 15 3-pt'ers at a 50% clip. And THAT team won.
That was the difference in the game.

Bad defensive scheme in 2nd half. Bad technical. Very bad player substitutions IMO. All these factored into a...bad loss.
I guess I missed the window of opportunity to see a BU win in conference.
I still have good memories from the Detroit game at least.

[Beninator]

Depends on coaching philosophy and I support JL to make what he thinks are the best decisions. Clearly, his coaching response to UNI going with a smaller lineup didn't work ... and in my opinion our small lineup hasn't work for much of the season ... so why keep going to it?

2 Big / 4 Small Comparison for last night:

First Half
2 Big 3:52 +6 (first 3:52 of the first half)
4 Small 16:08 -1

Second Half
2 Big 5:19 +2 (first 5:19 of the 2nd half)
4 Small 14:41 -17

Game Total
2 Big 9:11 +8
4 Small 30:49 -18


Call me crazy, but if I was coaching this group of players, I would tend to go with a bigger lineup for 75-80% of most games, even if the other team puts a small lineup on a floor. Maybe that would be different if I had SM and TW, but they are out and the players left on the roster play better team ball when they have the bigger lineup on the floor.

Thank you Dallas. I honestly thought that the positive totals with our 2 big lineup would have been slightly higher. And I also agree, I would utilize a larger lineup 75-80% of the time.

[LittleBrave]

if Bradley had Jordan Prosser on the floor those last 13 minutes, and if UNI had bombed away and taken the lead and won, we would be ripping the coach for not switching to a smaller lineup to defend their guards.

Not sure who would be ripping him for staying with a bigger line-up. Maybe a couple people, but not most of us.
One of the reasons for the open 3's was due to over-help inside because we went small. I don't see any reason to have played the zone last night other than to switch things up like at the end of the 1st half.
When we have WE and JP on the court at the same time, we seem to hold our own, especially vs. teams that are average inside.

[LittleBrave]

One of those games that make ya' go "Huhhhhh?" when the 3-balls were dropping with ease for UNI and we weren't doing anything about it.

[Beninator]

When we have WE and JP on the court at the same time, we seem to hold our own, especially vs. teams that are average inside.

JP and WE on the floor at the same time compliments both player's games. WE is open more often with the mid-range jump shot which is he very good at converting, because a team like UNI has to respect JP's inside presence.