Improvement

[Da Coach]

SM was the MVP of that 42-41 thriller the other night for the Illini, right? I watched him in person lead us to a close home loss to OVC powerhouse EIU last season. Hey but maybe we'd be 2-10 with him this season...

So picking his single worst game and judging only by that is a fair assessment? Seems a little shallow-minded. If I did that with Derrick Rose's stats, I guess I could argue he is a lousy player, too.

Sam also scored in double digits for almost every game for the 2 years before last year.

[shaunguth]

So picking his single worst game and judging only by that is a fair assessment? Seems a little shallow-minded. If I did that with Derrick Rose's stats, I guess I could argue he is a lousy player, too.

Sam also scored in double digits for almost every game for the 2 years before last year.

Break a leg Sammy. Oh wait......wrong board.......

[Interested Observer]

The program's been in decline since the S16 season. TAS is correct. Waited too long to make the change.

[Da Coach]

The program's been in decline since the S16 season. TAS is correct. Waited too long to make the change.

Sorry, but this does not fit with reality.
This team won 22 games in 2006, 22 games in 2007, 21 games in 2008, and 21 games again in 2009. They still had a winning record in 2010, and only when deprived of 2 starters did they fall off with the only losing season since 2005. And Bradley played a strong schedule (top 3 in the MVC) all of those years.

This year's team has set numerous records for futility and badness- the largest margin of loss in 108 years; the worst MVC record in the history of Bradley basketball; the first time in the 108 year history of BU basketball that Bradley will finish 10th in the league. Bradley is all but guaranteed the worst home record in MVC games in many decades, the most home losses, and and the worst overall home record in decades. And there are numerous other bad records that I will spare you.

[Bravesfan]

A staff of John Wooden, Dean Smith, and Coach K could not get this team out of the cellar this year...

I highly doubt that. I think with these coaches we are no worse than 4 or 5 Valley wins by now. Not much, but at least competitive with most of the league.

[Interested Observer]

NCAA, NIT, CBI, CIT, no post season, last place in conference, last place in conference. Isn't that how the seasons have gone? That's not really improving. Needing to get to the finals of the EIEIO tourneys to get to 20+ wins. That sure is capitalizing on a Sweet 16 run. The change was necessary.

[FlyingSpaghettiMonster]

NCAA, NIT, CBI, CIT, no post season, last place in conference, last place in conference. Isn't that how the seasons have gone? That's not really improving. Needing to get to the finals of the EIEIO tourneys to get to 20+ wins. That sure is capitalizing on a Sweet 16 run. The change was necessary.

Strong agreement. I've said this for a long time. Results were/are absolutely declining.

[BUBraves2006]

It'll be interesting what the spin will be when things inevitably get better.

[Da Coach]

It'll be interesting what the spin will be when things inevitably get better.

I have no doubt that when Bradley plays up to their capability, or wins games, that the loyal Bradley fans will have nice supportive comments as they always do. We can only hope that last night was rock bottom, and that this program will get better.

[lake Camelot]

I am not sure why the one statement was deleted. I was trying to quote it to agree with it.

Something like "What happened to giving Geno time to bring in his players"

I can see why everyone is so upset. This has been a really bad performance this season. But we need a couple years to see how Geno can do building the program.

And asking for the admin to answer to this is really a stupid idea to me.

[Da Coach]

There was one post deleted because it violated the board's rules about criticizing the moderating. That is the most sure way to have your post removed.

I can appreciate your desire for patience, but rebulding does not absolutely require that your team "suck" (to borrow a term from Kirk Wessler) for the first 1, 2, or more years. Nor should they be immune to any criticism when they do "suck".
I can point out a lot of D1 teams that fired coaches, hired new ones, and play well immediately. They should at least be competetive most of the time, and appear to want to play.

And Bradley does ask a lot of their fans who are required in some cases to pay thousands of dollars a year in "maintenance" donations to be able to buy season tickets, let alone donors who pony up lots of their hard-earned money as donations. So I don't think it's out of line to hear from those in charge.
Recall that in past years the AD and coaches have done many chat sessions and faced questions from fans.

My opinion of what is stupid was the administration listening to a small segment of vocal fans, and one bitter newspaper writer with an agenda, rather than listen to their own survey of the school's most loyal and generous boosters, and their own evaluation of the coach.

[LittleBrave]

We can only hope that last night was rock bottom, and that this program will get better.

I sure hope so DC.

I thought we reached rock bottom last year starting out 0-11 in conference - NOT rock bottom.
I thought we reached rock bottom this year after losing at home to Wichita St. by 40 - NOT rock bottom.
I thought we reached rock bottom after losing to the 9th best team, SIU, at home. NOT rock bottom.
After losing @ Evansville after an anticipated "turning the corner" after a nice win vs. UNI - NOT rock bottom.
After losing last night to a sub .500 team (before tip-off) at HOME by 30 points! Not to mention streams of fans leaving at halftime because we trailed by nearly 30. (Can't blame them). Rock bottom?
Who knows?

For all we know, next year could be rock bottom as most of us are expecting Geno to bring some results next year.
If we're going through the same pains next year as this year with marginally better results - well, we've hit another...rock bottom.

Seems the bottom is not "rock" and we keep sinking a little farther down - where's the bottom?

[tornado]

I have heard MANY times that it couldn't possibly get any worse than last season.

I have heard that, too mostly on another board but even they are beginning to realize how wrong they are

[tornado]

The program's been in decline since the S16 season. TAS is correct. Waited too long to make the change.

can't believe there are still people who are trying to blame what's happening on a guy who's now been gone almost a year

[TheAsianSensation]

My opinion of what is stupid was the administration listening to a small segment of vocal fans, and one bitter newspaper writer with an agenda, rather than listen to their own survey of the school's most loyal and generous boosters, and their own evaluation of the coach.

But that assumes that the boosters' evaluation is the most accurate evaluation available. Maybe it is, maybe it's not, but it seems arrogant to assume their evaluation is accurate.


And not trying to stir the pot, but where was the outrage last year? Granted, this year is worse than last year, but not significantly so, IMO. Both years we bottomed out based on past performance. Last year everyone wanted to make excuses. This year there seems to be a bigger cry for accountability. This change in attitude coincided with the coaching change, yet there's got to be some other reason, right?