News from the basketball fan appreciation breakfast

[tornado]

Here's some of what was presented and discussed - it was truly a great event...
and I cannot express strongly enough how nice this was for season ticket holders to be treated to such an event - and be treated - as they said - as the "core group of fans and donors that is instrumental to the program"...

-There are Men's home Soccer games Friday and Sunday - come on out & support the Braves

http://www.bradleybraves.com/SportSelect.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=3400&SPID=1513&SPSID=19485

-NOT YET released - this year's mens basketball APR is 1000...
best it's ever been ...the rating will be for the year starting in 2012 -
the scholarship players on the roster in 2012 were:
Wells, Prosser, Dyricus, Lemon, Egolf, Eastman, Knezevic, Shayok, Pickett, Crawford, Fields, Grier, Bell..

-Geno actually spoke extensively on recruiting - made the fans feel like "an inside part of the team" - and even said "I don't want any of this to leave the room"...
It is well known that we have eight new guys who have never played a minute yet for Bradley....ALL of whom will still be here NEXT year, thus the perception out in the recruiting field is that playing time might be hard to come by - so that does impact how many kids are showing interest in BU... - we are focusing on a small number of key targeted guys - I won't go into further detail at the coach's request...
BUT what we have to offer is still significant - we can show kids the playing time that Pross, Tyshon, & Walt will be vacating...

-the premium seating is nearly sold out - but largely to people who already had season tix elsewhere - we still need to draw in more new season ticket holders -
the Refer-a-Brave program was highlighted a lot -

http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=208741563&SPID=1498&SPSID=25965

-if the season started today - 3 starting spots are known - 2 are wide open...- but of course with a month to go 'til the team starts actual practices (Sept. 27) this can and might change..
Geno did give a hint of who his starting five might be based on currently known factors...

-Will Egolf just secured a really nice, full time job with a marketing firm in Chicago and will not pursue full time pro basketball options for now.
He had opportunities but this job was better and still affords Will a chance for playing options domestically.

-Milos Knezevic now has a job working for a minor league baseball team in California and he shares their play-by-play duties.

-...confirmed Dyricus is playing for a great top pro team in Germany, Jake has a tremendous front office job with the Celtics.



-Geno talked at length about each of the new guys for the sake of the season ticket holders who would have been otherwise unfamiliar with them. He had tape from the games in Bahamas on each player and familiarized everyone with the kids...
his story on SZ was by far the most interesting and funny...

-the connection that landed SZ was thru Jaden Uken and his prior work under Dave Campbell - LINK
Dave Campbell's known in coaching circles as "Soupy" - LINK

-one other player note - Nate Wells is currently at 263 lbs - up 47 lbs from where he started.

-there's still plenty more - but I encourage season ticket holders to call Chris Braun 677-2625 and get in on one of these breakfasts - BTW - the food was great
There's only three of these breakfasts left - and surprisingly a significant number who were CONFIRMED and had seats held for them this morning - were no-shows - they really missed a great breakfats & presentation by the staff!

http://www.bradleybraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=25965&SPID=1498&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=209226072&DB_OEM_ID=3400

[tornado]

Geno faced a couple tough questions about the struggles the past couple years - especially on the recruiting trail - he never once offered gripes or excuses about the tough situation he walked into here at Bradley.....
I think he has built the team as best as he could - he had to overcome obstacles we all know about...
also - recruiting is not easy - and he also noted that scheduling is extremely hard at the mid-major level...and now that the job is done for this seaosn - Geno'd just as soon forget it 'til next season...

One of the funny stories he told that kinda fit that situation...
- he was at an event in Indiana - recruiting the Speice AAU event..
and ran into the head coach of IPFW...Tony Jasick...they were sitting together when one of the AAU teams pulled off an odd trick inbounds play and Jasick commented..
"I think we'll incorporate that play when we face you guys".. (probably joking)..
Geno then commented he'd prepare but that it won't happen unless we met them in the post-season.
Then Jasick reminded Geno that we have a scheduled game on Dec. 10th...
(Geno having cleared his mind of all that scheduling stuff since it had been completed)

[Bradleyfan1]

PM me please! I wanna know. Also Ill be at the Sept 23rd, cant freaking wait! Bet it was sweet.

[tornado]

have time for a little more..

one humorous story from Geno - had to do with a recruit who put up darn good numbers but apparently wasn't real bright - maybe would have hurt our APR - and without giving too many details as to names - it sounded like it was a juco kid - the kid had a big problem heating up his leftover sandwich when at the motel on a road trip because he had inadvertently placed the sandwich into the security safe in the room and seriously DID NOT KNOW that it was a safe and thought it was a microwave - then he panicked when he couldn't get his food back out.

several players have been surprises in areas Geno may not have known about before the Bahamas trip..
-Omari Grier - a better rebounder than Geno had thought
-XT took lots of charges
-SZ led in steals
-and he told how Auston Barnes was basically brought in to be the backup at the "4" spot (power forward) for Tyshon Pickett...but that he was soo goo on the perimeter, good shooter, good defender, that his basic skills demanded he be moved to the "3 spot" and play the small fwd, so he can still be on the floor at the same time Tyshon is.

[tornado]

Geno also told a great story of how Stefan Zecevic ended up at Lee Academy after Soupy's program fell thru..
Gotta check the map - Lee, ME is so far out in the northeast boonies there's only a couple swamps & moose that separate it from Canada..
but it also explains why SZ didn't do that well at Lee, didn't like it there and left before the season & school year were even completed..

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=lee,+me&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x4ca5623ac1f225e3:0x570c5fad42e796ef,Lee,+ME&gl=us&ei=c4UeUtewDOnXygGuqoHADQ&ved=0CI4BELYD

[tornado]

one last comment - I had heard a few say we should re-introduce the Itoo supper and a few other events - but this one was a truly great event but I was left a bit puzzled about the turnout..

This breakfast was adequately promoted - ticketholders got e mails, it was in the newspaper, etc...

but the turnout was....well....quite disappointing ....
it was open to 60 people and nearly that many were confirmed & expected - and the tables nicely set but....a full 1/3 of the table spots were vacant... no-shows!
This had to be a bit discouraging to those who had worked so hard to get this breakfast up and running...and remember it was FREE!!!!
The Itoo supper used to draw 1200 way out on Farmington Road - how is it that this event couldn't even fill 40 seats for a free breakfast with the coaches?
Hmmm... I don't know - I was a bit embarrassed for the sake of those whose efforts were snubbed...

I think fans had better step up to the plate if you want more nice events like this......


...edit ... today's soccer luncheon was extremely well attended - LINK

[bradleyfan124]

T ...I agree. Fans need to support the activities

[ACBL]

Some feel alienated. Don't think so watch the attendance numbers this season.