after 3 games, does anybody change where we finish in the MVC

[patrick_o'brian]

I dont think we are last place, but I did see Creighton hammer Iowa today. I know Iowa is a lower tier Big 10 team but they looked horrible. As for us I'm sticking with my 5th place prediction, but hoping for 3rd.

[LittleBrave]

That said, this team still lacks a lot of depth..

The lack of depth is due to (poor recruiting over the past 4 or 5 years)

If we have Sammy this year and WE doesn't get injured, we don't lack much of anything IMO - maybe an outside shooting threat, a 3-ball specialist, but that's it. WE+TB+JP would conform one of the top 3 inside games in the MVC.

As DC eluded to, the recruits over the past few years are playing better than some thought.

It's pretty clear that TB, DSE, JP, WL were certainly great pick-ups for BU.
Now you have a point in that a few current guys haven't panned out like we'd hoped, like MK and AT, but that's true with almost every mid-major team.
I'm just not buying it that we didn't recruit well in the past few seasons.
Even EM & DN were solid frosh, but just didn't work out for them past that...mainly personal reasons beyond anybody else's control.

[LittleBrave]

I still believe we will finish in the upper half of The Valley. I'm one of the few that has always been an optimist on this team...... anywhere from 4th thru 6th.

I continue to feel relatively good about the team, especially toward GF's ability to coach and toward the talent of our starters.
But I'm sticking to my prediction of a 7th-place finish. I feel we're stronger than 3 teams (SIU, ISU-red, Drake).
But now that teams like Evansville and Missouri St. have shown they might contend for Top 3, I don't see BU overtaking them - there are many quality teams in the Valley this year that have the potential to finish Top 3 or 4.

Even still, a Top 5 finish is NOT out of the question, especially if we defend our home court. This team may have a few surprises in store.

[Bradleyfan1]

Great posts everyone! How high does BU have to finish for Geno to get Coach of the yr I say top 3! I love the fact that we have 3 guys on this squad that can carry the load for stretches of a game scoring wise, Shayok has a chance at newcomer of the yr but still is a HUGE ? He makes me gitty tho the main X factor for me. Our defense has been decent, the traps will get better and press is hopefully to come to but we need bodies to press. Once teams go zone and they will be soon, we will beat it before it gets set, when that cant happen I see us running the clock and running drive and dish and hi low, we shouldnt have to depend on 3's to beat a zone, But its early, we have to get lucky with setbacks but i would say we are more than overdue for a "lucky break" or two.

[tornado]

...How high does BU have to finish for Geno to get Coach of the yr ...

all we've done is won 3 home games that we should have won -- since we are severely lacking in depth -- (having lost 4 players that would have helped us this year) - we need everyone to continue to step up

[srw]

If we have Sammy this year and WE doesn't get injured, we don't lack much of anything IMO - maybe an outside shooting threat, a 3-ball specialist, but that's it. WE+TB+JP would conform one of the top 3 inside games in the MVC.

As DC eluded to, the recruits over the past few years are playing better than some thought.

It's pretty clear that TB, DSE, JP, WL were certainly great pick-ups for BU.
Now you have a point in that a few current guys haven't panned out like we'd hoped, like MK and AT, but that's true with almost every mid-major team.
I'm just not buying it that we didn't recruit well in the past few seasons.
Even EM & DN were solid frosh, but just didn't work out for them past that...mainly personal reasons beyond anybody else's control.

sammy egolf shouldnt be here this year.

thats a fact.

as to my opionion on recruiting its just that.

programs are based on records...

[amckillip]

sammy egolf shouldnt be here this year.

thats a fact.

as to my opionion on recruiting its just that.

programs are based on records...

You can argue JL couldn't have planned to have SM, but he definitely knew several years ago that WE would be here this year...

[srw]

You can argue JL couldn't have planned to have SM, but he definitely knew several years ago that WE would be here this year...

fair point.

I just dont agree with using 5th year seniors (who werent redshirted on purpose) as recruiting successes.

it still comes down to record, I guess.

[OrangeandBlack74]

all we've done is won 3 home games that we should have won -- since we are severely lacking in depth -- (having lost 4 players that would have helped us this year) - we need everyone to continue to step up

The points you make about home games and depth are valid ones, and I don't disagree with them at all.

But...3 of the 4 players that you refer to are NOT here and are NOT part of this team. Can we please just get over the fact that changes were made in the program and focus on the present?

To the point of this thread...I love the optimism on here, but IMO we will be playing on Thurs in St. Louis.

[BradleyJD]

I still think this is going to be a difficult year.

I think this team is playing hard, all the time, on almost every single play of the game. I did not always see that in years past.

Playing hard, however, will only get us so far. We have limited depth and size. I really think those 2 factors will hurt BU in the conference, especially as we start to see the wear and tear of a long season.

That said, I am happy to see BU moving forward and beginning to build for the future. The players are learning what it takes to play for Coach Ford, and they should only get better.

[tornado]

...Can we please just get over the fact that changes were made in the program ...

sure......although this current post of mine is fully about the present as are 99% of my posts....
I know you don't post much but your most recent post on Bradley basketball prior to this one also, like mine, contrasts the current era with the past...

[LittleBrave]

I thought SEMO would be a CBI-type team. Still could be, but they just lost to Oregon by 25. So our win doesn't look that impressive right now.

I think a real positive to the start of the season, as was last year at the start, is winning the close games - finding ways to win, and hitting clutch shots. We've got a couple go-to guys this year in TB & DSE.

The problem I'm seeing is that if 1 of the main 4 (TB, JP, DSE, WL) is having a really off night, the other team stays in the game (even a seemingly lesser opponent). If all these guys are solid, and we get our usual production from JE, we can hang with anyone in the league. It's just hard to do that on a regular basis, especially if they're logging a ton of minutes each game.

[tornado]

I thought SEMO would be a CBI-type team. Still could be, but they just lost to Oregon by 25..

they lost by 25 because their two best players barely played - Powell 11 minutes hampered the whole game by ticky tack foul calls...
and Brister - 11 minutes - fouls & other issues...
It was 24-21 when Powell went out and barely played after that...
both ended the game scoreless

[real fan]

Zac Andrews averaged 11 and 7 in '06 - '07.

11 and 7 is ok for a senior not great and in fairness to Zack he was not utilized as well as he should have, J.P would not be putting up these numbers if Les was stll here , Geno"s style gets the inside players mor involved on the offensive end.

[patrick_o'brian]

11 and 7 is ok for a senior not great and in fairness to Zack he was not utilized as well as he should have, J.P would not be putting up these numbers if Les was stll here , Geno"s style gets the inside players mor involved on the offensive end.

LOL! Here we go.