SIU 74 Bradley 65 post game thread

[Bravesfan]

We would have been better this year if JL stayed. We would have had Abel, SM and Harris. That would have given us the depth that is needed for this year to compete for 40 minutes.

Now a deep breath everyone. We will not be much better next year unless we get a super recruit. I'm not blaming GF. I'm giving him 3 years to see positive results. This is a re-building process at this time which we should not be pointing our fingers at GF or JL. It is what it is and since I have not paid for season tickets I'll stand by patiently. I have paid for the streaming video which I have only used twice

Thank you SFP! That's what I've been saying too. We are a better team with Les as coach since we don't lose the players we lost. The bigger argument amongst fans is how high Les's ceiling would be compared to Geno's. We'll never know now, but I bet we would be a better team a lot quicker than we will now. Not a knock on Geno as I believe he will bring Bradley back to the top of the Valley in due time.

[FlyingSpaghettiMonster]

I don't get the down-view or hating on JP.

I don't want to hate on the kid here, but... defense... shooting... rebounding...

I really wonder if his knee isn't right. He just doesn't look the same to me this year. I like JP, but he's been a disappointment this year.

[shaunguth]

Why keep them if they can't play?

Why recruit them at all?

[BradleyJD]

The bigger argument amongst fans is how high Les's ceiling would be compared to Geno's. We'll never know now, but I bet we would be a better team a lot quicker than we will now.

I think JL's ceiling was very apparent. GF's will be seen by the time his contract is up, I suspect.

[shaunguth]

The defense is what I was most frustrated with last night. We were getting beat on easy lay-ups all in the 2nd half and Geno still play man defense? SIU just walked in and made lay ups or excuse me twice they made dunks. I haven't been critical of Geno's coaching in the previous games but last night was inexcusable.

But....the guys were playing hard......right?

[BradleyJD]

Why recruit them at all?

I wondered that for years with Jim.

[shaunguth]

After last nights fiasco I have to admit Air Petey is correct in the wins we will have , SIU is a mediocre team at best, what is wrong with our inside defense, Wichita and SIU did layup drills against it, Prosser is really struggling to guard his man and gives no help side defense at all, also once again we get little production off the bench , if I was Geno I would definitely recruit over a lot of these players because things are not going to get better if he keeps several of these non contributing players that he got stuck with.

Stuck with? Isn't DH, who has to be considered a "non-contributor" at this point, one of Geno's recruits? I'm guessing people are asking that we constantly recruit over our current players. Personally, I'd rather not see Bradley do that.

[shaunguth]

I don't get the down-view or hating on JP. The guy who screams behind me all game....and always has was screaming to get JP out. The back to back possessions where there were TO's on passes to JP were as much a fault of the entry passes as they were on JP.

Passes are a 2-way thing. You can't throw it at people's feet and expect them to hold posts and catch the ball there.

No way am I going to "hate" on JP for those passes, but there were a LOT of layups/dunks last night and it wasn't the first time. Where was our center at those times?

[shaunguth]

I wondered that for years with Jim.

But not now?

[BradleyJD]

But not now?

Huh?

List all the GF recruits that we have on the roster. Not ones that Jim recruited.

[shaunguth]

Huh?

List all the GF recruits that we have on the roster. Not ones that Jim recruited.

I always thought of DH as a GF recruit, but I could be wrong. I'm guessing he'll be one of the first to be "recruited over" since he appears to be the biggest non-contributor, other than NW of course.

[BradleyJD]

I always thought of DH as a GF recruit, but I could be wrong. I'm guessing he'll be one of the first to be "recruited over" since he appears to be the biggest non-contributor, other than NW of course.

DH is the only one I thought of as a GF recruit.

He is a freshman, which can sometimes be a limit towards PT. Obviously that is not always the case.

Two...I think, but don't remember 100% that he sat out last season or part of it after a transfer.

Third...we will never know how much his recruitment was about bringing in another body.

Obviously in a first year, short on players, an in-coming coach is going to try and fill roster spots. I don't think GF recruited him for Kent St. but I could be wrong.

This is not to say he is never going to play, but 1st year coaches do sometimes grab guys late, after they take the new job, to fill a roster spot and give them options.


Not to give GF a pass, but I would hardly say this is a pattern at this point.

[shaunguth]

We have no depth and building for the future, yet there are two freshman sitting on the bench that have played a combined 49 minutes all season! Forgive me if that equation leaves me a bit confused.

[tornado]

..JP needs this playing time to get experience. ...

..I attribute much of that to fatigue....if JP has to play 30 plus minutes it's going to be tough....

So who is right -- is the playing time making him better or making him worse due to fatigue?


As for validity of the "fatigue" argument -- Jordan is getting plenty of "blows" and plays 29.9 mpg (only 4th most on our team) and 28.7 mpg in MVC play - every single Valley team has players playing as much and more every game!!..


and as for this silly talent argument --

-first - nobody said we lacked talent when they looked for reason to blame JL for losing - they said just the opposite...
that he was losing despite all-league talent...and several of those players are still here..

-TB & DSE got pre-season all-conference mentions...they would start on virtually every Valley team and as can easily be seen from the Sammy example - our starters can even start in the Big Ten

-a couple of the key players that are catching some heat currently were also strongly recruited by our own conference rivals...
even Geno once said he watched and recruited JP back at Kent State and wanted him back then...


The answer is that it is a year of change & rebuilding -- it is virtually natural and expected to see players struggle when asked to play a completely new system, for new coaches, and in new positions.

IT IS NOT THE PLAYERS' FAULT, AND IT IS NOT THE COACHES' FAULT...
I have never once said it _____ _____'s fault -- but it IS a simple result (or fallout) of the changes that were made and factors that brought us to this point.


As for recruits - nobody - in fact not even the next 10 guys in order - who post on this board spend as much time tracking, talking about, posting on, lauding the accomplishments of, bragging on the performances of, and hyping up the play of future Bradley recruits as I do .. so get back to me when you do as much positive for the incoming recruits - and even the past and ex-Braves as I do...

[Buesch N Chips]

No way am I going to "hate" on JP for those passes, but there were a LOT of layups/dunks last night and it wasn't the first time. Where was our center at those times?

Trying not to foul.