Dave Reynolds' preseason picks

[LittleBrave]

Not much- Dave picked BU 9th, ahead of only SIU-

http://blogs.pjstar.com/pressrow/2011/10/20/bluejays-team-to-beat/

But this is understandable. It does seem like a little bit of a slap at our new coach by his collegues.

But maybe would be a bigger slap at the Dean of Valley Coaches had they picked SIU 10th.

[AZ BU Fan]

Would have thought there would be more respect for JP who was a very heralded recruit out of HS now entering his 3rd year in college, for TB who we believe will be an elite player in the MVC, for DSE who lit up Valley Teams at the end of last season and for GF who has had as much success as most of the MVC coaches.

Would the presence of SM and WE have lifted BU from #10 to #1-2 in the Valley in the eyes of the MVC preseason prognosticators?

That would be a great follow on question to all the MVC preseason voters whose answers would be kept anonymous... PJS are you listening?

[Braves4Life]

....It does seem like a little bit of a slap at our new coach by his collegues.

Or, it's a blatant attempt by some coaches that didn't care for Jim Les to put a final "stamp of disapproval" on the legacy Les left behind.

[Da Coach]

Seriously? So the coaches, media, and SIDs at the other 9 schools are completely ignoring all the other obvious factors that usually go into their votes, and they are all making an anti-JL statement with their vote? That's laughable!

[Braves4Life]

I think it can play a role for a couple of coaches in distinguishing who to place in the final last place slot....... and I've heard goofier conspiracy theories from some.

[Da Coach]

I haven't.
If your theory was true, it seems to me they would all vote Bradley #1 now that the "problem" is gone.

[LittleBrave]

I haven't.
If your theory was true, it seems to me they would all vote Bradley #1 now that the "problem" is gone.

Guys, guys - you've got these theories all out of whack!
They're voting BU #10 because that's their only way to keep them down this season as they storm through the Valley - on their way to #1!!!

[bu fan 9]

Without a true point guard,big man,and a good 3 point shooter you are not going to win many games its that simple.

[Beninator]

Wow... Too many conspiracy theories out there for me. IMO, Dave's prediction seems very solid. I think that 5th through 9th are viable predictions for this team. A lot of unknowns and little depth....

[shaunguth]

Or, it's a blatant attempt by some coaches that didn't care for Jim Les to put a final "stamp of disapproval" on the legacy Les left behind.

I figured they voted us last because we only have two MVC-caliber players on our roster and four players that wouldn't play anywhere else in the league. Although, I'm struggling to see who those two are and who those four are.

[Braves4Life]

I figured they voted us last because we only have two MVC-caliber players on our roster and four players that wouldn't play anywhere else in the league. Although, I'm struggling to see who those two are and who those four are.

Right. smh

[Bravesfan]

Once again, we are thinking alike B4L.
Now the description you mentioned above - that sounds a little too familiar.

Whether we think BU will finish 5th or 9th this season, we should all have higher expectations than 9th, especially since our new coach is among the top-salary coaches in the league, and is expected to deliver Valley Championships or at least contend in the near future. 9th is unacceptable, and would make me think that next year would be another rebuilding year. Why would we suddenly make a jump to the middle of the pack the year after?

People keep referring to the last year's Braves as a last place team, but don't set apart the final 10 games as how we were capable of playing. It was no fluke that we had a winning record over that span, and it wasn't all AW. There may be some holes in some positions, but not a lack of talent overall. We should expect Geno to work with AT, MK, JE who we know are capable of playing key roles - resulting in a deeper bench. We'll see what happens in these exhibition games.

Well I find that a little unfair to expect a first year coach MUST finish higher than the bottom of the conference. I mean this is Geno's first year here and a low finish in year one does not mean this team will not bounce up in year two and beyond. I'm just looking for more consistent play this year and our team to win games we have no business losing. If that means only 5 or 6 conference wins and a 9th place finish, so be it as long as it is a stepping stone to a much higher finish next season. And btw, I have seen teams make a jump from the bottom to the middle of the pack almost every year. Drake did a few years ago, and Indiana St. did it last year. So why wouldn't we be able to do this next year? It has to happen sooner or later if we want to become a consistent winner again.

FYI, I do expect that Bradley will finish higher than 9th this year (see my earlier post in this thread). We all know what Geno accomplished last year with a brand new team, so us finishing in the top 5 would not be a shock either. I'm hoping for anything other than a Thursday night play-in game this year, and at least regaining our home court advantage, with as I just stated above more consistent play. That should yield at the very least a 6th or 7th place finish, but I wouldn't be surprised to see even a little higher finish with some luck.

And I think I agree with everyone here that with a little patience, our best days our ahead of us in the not too distant future.

[Chibearsfan10125]

I think a lot of people are voting us last because we don't look that good on paper. Like it or not, we were a last place team last season, who lost 3 starters (Drew and Dodie to Graduation, Will to injury). On top of that, our team has to learn a completely new system. That isn't exactly the formula for winning. I fully expect this team to be better than a season ago, but how much better remains to be seen.