Cross WMBD radio interview

[Dallas Brave]

Wait a second, BU has a couple of losing seasons and fires the coach and suddenly the whole program and conference are melting down?? The MVC is the perfect for conference Bradley in a lot of ways: competition level, geography, recruiting, etc. It is a down couple of years, but that's true across the conference landscape. MVC isn't the problem.

I''ve posted several messages over the years expressing a desire for Bradley to be part of a mid-west private school conference. I don't think that will happen soon. Joining the A-10, if you could do it with Butler, would be an acceptable alternative for me. I'm not, nor have been for a while, a fan of the MVC. The MVC of 60's was great. Today ... not so much. It will have its moments on any given year, but I think it is trending to fall further behind the other mid-major basketball conferences.

[LittleBrave]

I''ve posted several messages over the years expressing a desire for Bradley to be part of a mid-west private school conference. I don't think that will happen soon. Joining the A-10, if you could do it with Butler, would be an acceptable alternative for me. I'm not, nor have been for a while, a fan of the MVC. The MVC of 60's was great. Today ... not so much. It will have its moments on any given year, but I think it is trending to fall further behind the other mid-major basketball conferences.

I don't think you'd be saying this back in 2007. The MVC is a solid basketball conference and will return to being Top 8 conferences as early as next season. The MVC had a nice run from '99 to 2007. I'm not sure what you're talking about - any given year. That's 8 straight years of high quality hoops.
Though down the past 3 years, the MVC is a great conference, with great basketball environments, and the history of the schools also makes it special. I would not be a fan of the A-10 if BU joins.

[Da Coach]

I expect the MVC to be no better next year. I don't see any team improving much, and now Bradley is an unknown.

[Chico]

History, lore, tradition, and loyalty? The whole reason Les got hired in the first place was lore and tradition. He certainly had no coaching credentials to recommend him.

As far as not seeing footage, so what? That has exactly nothing to do with his coaching abilities in 2011. Nothing. Loyalty? That doesn't exist anywhere, never mind Bradley. Those BU boosters jump ship on pretty much anyone once the L's start coming.

Just curious, what BU boosters are you talking about?

[Da Coach]

The boosters I know have all pretty much stuck with Bradley for many years, through a lot worse seasons than this past one, and most have never wavered in their support of Bradley.

[LittleBrave]

I expect the MVC to be no better next year. I don't see any team improving much, and now Bradley is an unknown.

I'm not guaranteeing the Valley will be 8th best conference, and in fact, you're right, DC. I don't see any team improving by leaps & bounds, but who knows? Just saying that any year we could return to a top mid-major league. I really like the CAA right now - some really strong teams there the past few seasons.

But they could be the #12 conference next season, and we could be #9.
The Valley had a nice-looking freshman class, so with another strong freshman class, we could see the MVC back to multi-bid league for consecutive seasons again. Maybe not next season.

[Da Coach]

It will also take a much stronger non-conference scheduling effort by all 10 schools, and that is not so likely to happen.

[SFP]

No. Someday it will return. Unfortunately, it may just take awhile.

You sound like a southerner!

DallasBrave I'm in your camp. I've been saying the same thing for the last few years. We should have tried to strike while the iron was hot. It will be a Herculean effort at this point to take the program into the next decade looking better then it did last.

In business you take a risk when you have a bit of capital, unfortunately the little bit of capital we have is slipping away. A huge risk was taken and I hope for all our sakes it pays off.

[FlyingSpaghettiMonster]

Maybe the school's days in the MVC are numbered. It wouldn't seem like the MVC fits the vision for what JG wants Bradley's profile to be. I'd be OK if we could grab Butler and join the A-10 to create a 16 team conference. The A-10 would certainly fit what I think to be JG's vision for Bradley. You could have a New England division and then a Mid-Atlantic/Midwest division with SLU, Butler, Bradley, Dayton, Xavier, Richmond, Charlotte, and Duquense.

I love the history of Bradley, but personally, I wouldn't be upset to leave the MVC. As they say, this isn't your Father's MVC

Joining the A10 would not be an issue for basketball, and I would welcome it. With Bradley and Butler joining it, the A10 would seem to be a far superior academic conference to the MVC and equal or better at basketball. Travel would be an issue for other sports. Many people at SLU have wanted out of the A10 b/c of all of the travel. A midwest division would help the travel issue.

[houstonbrave]

Dallas-I have to disagree with you on the A-10. I really don't like the thought of us in that sort of league. No geographic connection to our opponents and one of the major concerns which SLU faces is the travel cost. This is not an incredible issue for the Basketball team from a cost perspective but it is for all of the other teams you have to constantly send to the East Coast for games. In addition to the cost it leads to even more missed class time for the student athletes.

In addition sadly we are not in a great position to move. Except for Soccer and Men's Basketball our sports program does not have an impressive pedigree. I think the MVC is our place for a while although I agree we have to be ready for conference shake-ups.

[thefish7]

Better than joining the a10 is getting into a conference like this:

Bradley
Butler
Creighton
Dayton
Depaul
Drake
Marquette
St Louis
Xavier

And another... Could take wsu because of no football or detroit for private school status, market, and or academics.

[Chico]

Better than joining the a10 is getting into a conference like this:

Bradley
Butler
Creighton
Dayton
Depaul
Drake
Marquette
St Louis
Xavier

And another... Could take wsu because of no football or detroit for private school status, market, and or academics.

That would be a great fit. Been to all those places, except Xavier, in my follow the Braves experience. All easy drives. Wish it could get done.

[ManMythLegend]

That would be a great fit. Been to all those places, except Xavier, in my follow the Braves experience. All easy drives. Wish it could get done.

That list would be a GREAT conference to be in...but honestly what are the chances?

[BUfan14]

That list would be a GREAT conference to be in...but honestly what are the chances?

Ya I have read for years on here how great a conference, with almost those exact same teams every time, would be. Is there even a remote chance this actually happens, or is everyone just dreaming about this?? Has it been discussed amongst some of these schools?

[thefish7]

Ya I have read for years on here how great a conference, with almost those exact same teams every time, would be. Is there even a remote chance this actually happens, or is everyone just dreaming about this?? Has it been discussed amongst some of these schools?

I don't know if anyone's talking about it. I think it is a good idea, for all the schools discussed, though, so I think it's a possibility. It's the best outcome for BU (I think, anyway) in the conference realignment armageddon that's still hanging over our heads. Not sure how likely it is, but I figure always talking about it can't hurt the chances either.