Coaching clinic

[Da Coach]

I imagine the Florida A&M coach would like to have a tape of this game to show his players on their way back to Tallahassee next week (after the last 2 games in Chicago). Bradley put on a virtual clinic tonight. And it was no accident. If you listened to Jim Les on his last couple postgame shows, and on his radio shows he has said this is the way we have to play to maximize the skills we have. I recall he predicted the 3-point record would fall again after it fell a couple games ago. It seems like a lot of what Jim predicts comes true.

The defense was exceptionally good, despite a pretty good shooting performance by FAMU. I doubt they could play any better, and yet they lose by 32 !

I don't expect Bradley to comtinue playing this well in every game, but as well coached they are, and as well as they pass and shoot the ball, they have a chance to be as good as they were last year.

[New Guy]

I agree DC. This coaching staff has had excellent game plans and this group of players takes it to the court very well. They never take a play off. It seems to be fun for all of them. There have been a lot of smiles getting passed around. Did you see DA and JL with a grin at each other after his 8th 3. By the way don't tell Kirk Wessler. He is up to his old good job BUT stuff. Remember right after the sweet 16 run he wrote the article about they only finished 5th in the valley. I have not decided if he is a BU basher, a JLess basher, or just a negative person. No half full glasses at his house.

4. Poll-bashing

Surely, I will be accused of Bradley-bashing, but I'm not.

I'm poll-bashing, and I'm merely using the basketball Braves as an example.

If there's one objective observer who truly believes BU is among the 25 best teams in the nation right now, please e-mail me and explain your reasoning.

Bradley garnered two points to tie for 49th in the weekly Associated Press poll. This means one of two things: One of the 72 voters ranked the Braves 24th, or two ranked them 25th.

Putting this Bradley team in the Top 25 right now is every bit as insane as no voter putting the Braves in the Top 25 during any point of the 1995-96 season, when they played the toughest nonconference schedule in the nation, beat ACC champ Georgia Tech on a neutral floor, won the Missouri Valley and finished 22-8.

That said, it's good pub. So, what the heck?

[Dallas Brave]

I'm a pretty well-known KW basher. What is the lunacy in his argument that he is "poll-bashing" rather than "BU-bashing" is that if he wanted to simply poll bash, there are many, many better examples of how the polls are screwed up. BCS examples abound.

As far as I'm concerned, the jury is out until Bradley loses a game or two as to if they are a top 25 team. Maybe Rutgers and either Miami (OH) or UIUC will expose them. But .. this Braves team has something special about it.

[tornado]

Agreed, that if he is just poll bashing, then why not make a statement about these teams also getting some votes:
Nebraska, Oral Roberts, Oregon, Houston, K-State (just got hammered by New Mexico), Old Dominion, Purdue.

[Chico]

KW has been a Bradley basher ever since Jim Les was hired. He has been bashing the program ever since in one way or another. If you remember, he was against Bradley hiring a stockbroker and tried his best to keep the anti Les, pro McClain people stirred up. Sorry KW, it didn't work.