BU 44-Loyola 56

[shaunguth]

I did something tonight that I'd never thought I'd do during a game, leave a game early. Not because I had somewhere to be but because of just how pathetic we played and I couldn't watch anymore of it.

I also left a Bradley game early for the first time this season.....the game against Evansville. Fortunately, I wasn't at the Loyola game!

You keep thinking hoping it can't get any worse and that we've hit rock bottom.

Fixed.

[tornado]

... But credit Loyola for wanting this game more...

this is exactly what Dave Snell and Danny Adams both dwelt on after the game...it was obvious to everyone - there's no fire there..
weren't we promised otherwise?.......
"...a team that will be blue collar, tough-minded and will never, ever be
outdone in terms of effort,” he said. “I promise there will not be a loose ball
that won’t be dived on. I promise there won’t be a charge we won’t take..."

...I have never seen a game where we step aside and let them score and DON'T take charges - but in fairness - one time we did -
DSE got absolutely flattened and never twitched nor moved and was still called for the block.


plus - one local expert said Bradley was getting "LIGHT YEARS BETTER" than they were at the beginning of the season...
"the Braves are better than they were when the season started two months ago. By a light year or two, they’re better."


Many, many people were leaving early - something that NEVER happened at BU games - even in the Albeck era!!!
We are at a perilous time - I will always be there, so will all the GOOD BU fans but many are leaving or have left...
BTW -- even the guy many nickname "Superfan" is no longer coming to games...

[Old Coach]

I didn't look for him last night, but Superfan was there on Wednesday.

[tornado]

..if the reincarnation of the love child of Adolph Rupp and John Wooden were the coach...would make the difference.

I might disagree a little bit...

-Loyola is an awful outside shooting team, but they score well inside...
They shoot only 29% from the arc (and were only 1-11 last night) but they make >60% if the get to the lane
It doesn't take Adolph Rupp to figure that if you prevent them from getting the ball in the lane then you beat them.
Dave Snell said so numerous times in the post-game.
Why not a tight zone instead of man-to-man or a spread out wide open zone that allowed them inside anyway?

-Our man-to-man defense is awful at defending the paint - it has been all year - everyone's afraid of fouling so we play matador -
but when we have a zone with BOTH JP & AT in there, we defend the paint really well....AT again slapped away several shots and as we showed in the Creighton games
this combo does shut down the inside scoring - yet we use it so rarely...I know it hurts our scoring but then half our non-post players also finish the game with poor scoring.
More then once a zone has helped us get an advantage when a team is struggling from outside, so why did we use the zone so sparingly last night?

-again - we severely lacked PG play. WL 3 asst, 6 TO
The guy who handles the ball the most, WL and who has been designated to play PG does NOT even lead our team in assists!
We do have other players on the team who can play PG - heck we could even have Jeremy Lin sitting there and we'd apparently still go with WL...

-I know it's a moot point because it's clear it isn't going to happen - but here's one simple fact...argue it as much as you want but you won't disprove it..
Bradley does have a point guard sitting on the bench whose turnovers-per-minute statistics, were they compared to the entire rest of the Valley, would be far and away the best of any ball handling guard in the entire league..

[lefty]

I'm just not going to get too excited one way or the other until year 3....we are bad for sure....is it Geno or the players or combination of both? I don't know.

But you look at us physically and skillfully and we can't compete anywhere close to the top of the league with the current players....so it will be first about recruiting and second about coaching....give 3 years for upward change and 4 for competing for the league

[tornado]

I am hoarse from cheering last night and still support this team 100% but we did not see good basketball last night - did you think so??
Some seem to think there are issues beyond what we are seeing -- lefty - you sit right behind the AD -- have you ever talked with him??

[lefty]

I am hoarse from cheering last night and still support this team 100% but we did not see good basketball last night - did you think so??
Some seem to think there are issues beyond what we are seeing -- lefty - you sit right behind the AD -- have you ever talked with him??

that's another story...never met the guy and I don't remember seeing him last night either.

[wily coyote]

Geno will have 5 years. But should we all be as blind as you to ignore the obvious?

Excuse me , what am I so blind about!!! Only thing I see is we need to give GEno 5 years to clean up this Mess of D-11 and D-111 players JL left us with. I know with all your Basketball wisdom you think these guys should be all Valley if the right guy was coaching them. If after 5 and no results higher then 4th it may be time for him to go so don't say I'm a JL hater because I liked JL as a person just not as our coach. I hired officials for some of his scrimmages and would have liked to see him suceed.. So I've had a little contact with him. It didn't happen . WHEN WE WILL LET THIS GO. I surely hopes he Succeeds at UCD. He deserves the best for what he has done for BU off the court.

[Old Coach]

I am hoarse from cheering last night and still support this team 100% but we did not see good basketball last night - did you think so??
Some seem to think there are issues beyond what we are seeing -- lefty - you sit right behind the AD -- have you ever talked with him??

I talk with Mike on a regular basis. What are the other issues you are referring to? I'd be glad to ask him anything. Mike is generally friendly, approachable, and forthright.

[Old Coach]

that's another story...never met the guy and I don't remember seeing him last night either.

He was sitting at the scorer's table last night (nearer Bradley's bench).

[tornado]

the main concern I have is non-communication and lack of some positive PR --
it's kinda what needs to be done before all the fans leave....get some feet on the ground out there and begin reassuring the fans before they all tune out...

I don't need it but a lot of fans get there early and mull around the arena hoping just to chat with someone from BU and ask some questions and try to feel reassured...

There are fickle fans - not everyone is gonna be there guaranteed for every game.
The fans are grumbling - many already not showing up, and many who said to me last night they'd love to hear some reassurance that this isn't the team we're going to see next year...they are weighing the options of re-upping vs. using that condo in Sarasota next winter... if you know what I mean...

[Beninator]

I'm not sure if it was indeed said or not, but I remember someone claiming Geno said something about the Valley being a comparable league to the MAC. I don't think so!

Looking at Realtime rpi, here are the conference RPI comparisons from 2008-09 through 2010-11

2008-09

MAC-- RPI 21 SOS 18
MVC-- RPI 9 SOS 8

2009-10

MAC-- RPI 16 SOS 15
MVC-- RPI 9 SOS 9

2010-11

MAC-- RPI 20 SOS 17
MVC-- RPI 12 SOS 12

[Old Coach]

Looking at Realtime rpi, here are the conference RPI comparisons from 2008-09 through 2010-11

2008-09

MAC-- RPI 21 SOS 18
MVC-- RPI 9 SOS 8

2009-10

MAC-- RPI 16 SOS 15
MVC-- RPI 9 SOS 9

2010-11

MAC-- RPI 20 SOS 17
MVC-- RPI 12 SOS 12

I won't defend a comment that I don't know was made, but I'm pretty sure Geno knows the RPI difference between the two leagues. If there wasn't a difference, he probably wouldn't have left a two time first place team in one league for the last place team in the other. Clearly, Bradley was a step up. What I have a hard time believing is that it's such a step up that Geno wouldn't be equipped to coach here. It isn't like he came from Eureka College.

[tornado]

while in town Porter Moser talked with Washington's Alec Peters and extended an offer to Loyola - insult to injury

[Old Coach]

while in town Porter Moser talked with Washington's Alec Peters and extended an offer to Loyola - insult to injury

I would guess that Bradley wouldn't have to be the first school in on Peters if they want him, but congrats to Alec. He's a nice player. I'm sure he'll hear from a couple more in-state D-I schools before its all said and done.