Coach Jim Les' Future

[Bravesfan]

I voted that he'll be back, its just what I see happening. I don't want him back. But, after the improvement in the last few weeks and the team finally playing together and winning a few games I am not calling for his head either. (though the isu sweep was tough to take)

I don't see them buying him out now, and neither do I really care at this point. I just want us to win a lot more games next year, and hopefully nobody gets hurt. If he is the coach and gets it done, great, congrats. If not, and we win, thats great too, I'm still happy.

You know what? Maybe some here who voted that he will be back in reality don't want him back. But I still think the vast majority who voted in Les's favor actually want Les back. But we will see some posters here spin things to make it look like most don't want him back, which I think is far from the truth.

Okay, feel free to flame away! Tell me why I'm wrong!

[SaintLouBrave22]

I'm just concerned as to whether losing Drew and Dodie and gaining Taylor and Sammy back and new recruits makes us at least 8 places better and 12-14 wins better...


I would like to think we will be better because frankly, you can't go further down the drain than we did, but I really can't see us being that much better regardless of the talent we have coming in unless one of the three goes McDermott and plays his way to 1st team all conference...

And with Les and his playing rotations, I just can never see that happening...


That said, I guess what's one more year to tie up loose ends?

[tornado]

So basically what we are seeing here DC is that the anti-Les crowd who has dominated these boards over the past couple of years with their incessant cries to get rid of Les are not anywhere near as big in number as it seems....

all weekend long there have been between 80 (even at midnight) and 150 people online viewing and posting...
thus the board is as busy or busier than anyone would have expected -- and as busy as at this time in any other year...and here's why...

Many posters have PM'ed me and told me they enjoy and utilize the message board so much MORE when there isn't the constant negative tripe...
The NEGATIVITY that we have all seen and experienced was driving good and supportive Bradley fans away...
Please keep the board the way it is..

[Bravesfan]

I'm just concerned as to whether losing Drew and Dodie and gaining Taylor and Sammy back and new recruits makes us at least 8 places better and 12-14 wins better...


I would like to think we will be better because frankly, you can't go further down the drain than we did, but I really can't see us being that much better regardless of the talent we have coming in unless one of the three goes McDermott and plays his way to 1st team all conference...

And with Les and his playing rotations, I just can never see that happening...


That said, I guess what's one more year to tie up loose ends?

This is how I see things. We will have SM and TB replacing AW and DD (not sure yet if TB is officially coming back or not, but even without him, SM hopefully would be an even "trade" with AW). We then bring the rest of the core from this year back, who did an admirable job especially late in the season. So, with essentially the same team coming back next year, if we play like we did the last ten games at 6-4, we can multiply that by 3 and finish at worst 18-12, and probably 10-8 or so in the Valley, back to a more typical Jim Les year.

BUT with more depth coming in along with some great recruits, and one more year of experience for those coming back, I can see us winning an additional 4 to 6 games if everything falls into place. So I can see us finishing anywhere between 18-12 and 24-6, and between 1st and 5th, either way a lot better than this year.

Obviously most would desire the one outcome over the other, but we WILL be a lot better than 12-18 if the injury bug does not come back and bite us again. Hopefully if we do have injuries, this team will be better equipped to adjust faster than they did this year with more experienced players returning, depending on who gets hurt.

[Bravesfan]

all weekend long there have been between 80 (even at midnight) and 150 people online viewing and posting...
thus the board is as busy or busier than anyone would have expected -- and as busy as at this time in any other year...and here's why...

Many posters have PM'ed me and told me they enjoy and utilize the message board so much MORE when there isn't the constant negative tripe...
The NEGATIVITY that we have all seen and experienced was driving good and supportive Bradley fans away...
Please keep the board the way it is..

I certainly agree tornado! I'm doing my part, and hopefully others will continue to do their part too.

[tornado]

I have no problem with debate and opposing opinions, but constant and endless drone of negativity and taking even positive threads to the inevitable same conclusion every time gets a little old...
If you even hint at the negativity then someone even has the cluelessness to ask how does one identify negativity!

[Da Coach]

it's an adjective??

[BRADLEY FAN 49]

I think JL's player rotation was not bad this year.
It's not just that we lost Sam and Taylor, its the fact that with them both playing every one else on the team is made so much better.
Plus even more important our depth and rotation is also better.
I know this poll was on what we think will happen, but I personally would vote on keeping JL thru his contract.
I would like for the decision to be made on what he can do with a complete team.

[Old Coach]

I think JL's player rotation was not bad this year.
It's not just that we lost Sam and Taylor, its the fact that with them both playing every one else on the team is made so much better.
Plus even more important our depth and rotation is also better.
I know this poll was on what we think will happen, but I personally would vote on keeping JL thru his contract.
I would like for the decision to be made on what he can do with a complete team.

What did he do with complete teams the previous 8 years?

[BRADLEY FAN 49]

What did he do with complete teams the previous 8 years?

He has'nt had a complete team since 06 , I think he did O.K. that year.

[SaintLouBrave22]

This is how I see things. We will have SM and TB replacing AW and DD (not sure yet if TB is officially coming back or not, but even without him, SM hopefully would be an even "trade" with AW). We then bring the rest of the core from this year back, who did an admirable job especially late in the season. So, with essentially the same team coming back next year, if we play like we did the last ten games at 6-4, we can multiply that by 3 and finish at worst 18-12, and probably 10-8 or so in the Valley, back to a more typical Jim Les year..

First, no offense to Sammy but he isn't even in the same league as Drew numbers wise...he will never rebound like Drew and while his shot may be a bit better with consistency, he's never gonna have a 30 point game like Drew or would do anything if he were double and triple teamed like Drew...

He is impossible to replace and that's why I just am not seeing what everyone else is...

And if we lose Taylor for good - game over! Taylor would be reason number 1 why we would jump up in the standings so much.

Finally, 18-12 and middle of the pack - goodbye Les, not even close to good enough at this point!

[SaintLouBrave22]

He has'nt had a complete team since 06 , I think he did O.K. that year.

For one month yes, but I guarantee any player on that team would tell you they were good enough to win a Valley championship...


We finished 5th...


The frustrating thing is that I feel we have had the talent and spurts of good coaching BUT we haven't been in contention for a title after Feb 1 in the entire 9 years...


Maybe next year will be different, but conventional wisdom says otherwise.

[jrish12]

He has'nt had a complete team since 06 , I think he did O.K. that year.

In a 6 week stretch in March he did really good. How did he fare the rest of that season? Timeouts at wrong times, the technicals, poor player rotations, not developing bigs, etc. The fact still remains, with 3 pre season all conference players this season we were picked 5th.....

[Fetz86]

You know what? Maybe some here who voted that he will be back in reality don't want him back. But I still think the vast majority who voted in Les's favor actually want Les back. But we will see some posters here spin things to make it look like most don't want him back, which I think is far from the truth.

Okay, feel free to flame away! Tell me why I'm wrong!

I don't doubt that that is the case. I was just stating that I have had enough of both sides of the discussion and just plain don't care anymore. I have gotten sick of both sides of the argument. We could have a sadistic murdering robot for a coach next year, and if he wins games, doesn't get the program hit with sanctions, and doesn't let his players act like him, I'll be happy.

[buballer82]

First, no offense to Sammy but he isn't even in the same league as Drew numbers wise...he will never rebound like Drew and while his shot may be a bit better with consistency, he's never gonna have a 30 point game like Drew or would do anything if he were double and triple teamed like Drew...

He is impossible to replace and that's why I just am not seeing what everyone else is...

And if we lose Taylor for good - game over! Taylor would be reason number 1 why we would jump up in the standings so much.

Finally, 18-12 and middle of the pack - goodbye Les, not even close to good enough at this point!

I completely disagree with your synopsis of Sammy's scoring. He put up 31 against Creighton in the tourney last year and up til this season without him, I always wanted the ball in his hands in the guts of a game.