Do you think we can be a top 25 team?

[Bradleybraves23]

Why or Why not?

[amckillip]

Why or Why not?

Is this some kind of joke? Do you mean this year? With this team? I'm as big an optimist as most, but you think the team is somehow going to get dramatically better after losing our best defender and our starting center from a team who was almost last in the valley?

I'm assuming this is the response you wanted to elicit, but I guess someone had to do it. For the record, CU was the only team ever ranked in the MVC last year before the tournament, and they had a returning 1st team All-American...

[Bradleyfan1]

Id take the over on 10 yrs, But, yes it will happen.

[Da Coach]

There is no way we can be a top 25 team this year, or next. We will not be a top 100 RPI no matter how well we do this year. It's not going to be easy to get our RPI lower than 150 with our schedule.

[Buesch N Chips]

I disagree. With the improvements we have shown in the first 3 games, and if that continues, I think we could beat a top 25 team at home. Not saying we would, just saying we could.

[Bradleyfan1]

I disagree. With the improvements we have shown in the first 3 games, and if that continues, I think we could beat a top 25 team at home. Not saying we would, just saying we could.

We will get our chance and we will get that W but that more than likely makes them not top 25 than us top 25

[Chibearsfan10125]

Our team is very talented this year, and I believe there are some top 25 teams that we can play with and possibly beat, but our schedule isn't tough enough this year to get us into the top 25. The only way we end up in the top 25 this year is if we win basically every game by a big margin. Even then, since we aren't playing the best teams, we probably still wouldn't be that high.

[Dub]

Yes. We simply need to keep a perfect record through the rest of the season, and we'll finish in the top 25.

I believe we finished the 2006 season ranked 19th in the final AP poll.

[mrcoachdude]

I disagree. With the improvements we have shown in the first 3 games, and if that continues, I think we could beat a top 25 team at home. Not saying we would, just saying we could.

be a top 25 team or beat one?

be? not likely
beat? certainly

[battlebasset]

If we beat WSU soundly, twice, and win every other game, we might get some love. Otherwise, not a chance.

[tornado]

of course we can - I am sure not going to go into those kids' locker room and tell them their fans do not think they have that potential -
I root for and expect a win every night out...so if we get a dozen more (in a row) or so we will be getting some votes.......

But we can't just beat the patsies - we have to beat the big boys we have on the schedule, also - GO Braves!!!

[Buesch N Chips]

Oops, I thought it said BEAT a top 25 team. Will we be one? No. We should have a better RPI than years past, though.

[AZ BU Fan]

BU Top 25 Program Road Map

BU in the top 25? Possible.

Steady progress through recruiting. Improving records will help BU attract more players with more talent.

No doubt about it, BU will have to come up with a 'steal' in recruiting...preferably a big who comes out of no where, or, a shoot the lights out guard. BU's national success in each of the past 3 decades came from that one player BU landed who is as good as the starters at a top BCS school.

A true power forward who can control the glass and smother weak side offense has also been a key to BU's most successful teams since the 80's. Probably have to be another 'steal' in recruiting overlooked players or taking chances on great players who were injured as juniors/seniors in HS.

Stealing talent through recruiting is so much harder today due to all the attention players get these days from the plethora of media and bb junkies covering HS players, AAU exposure etc.

MVC television coverage needs to take a big leap forward as well to help influence recruits to consider the Valley's private mostly bb schools.

JMH(Uneducated)O

Of course, a sports or recreation major, several former hs coach BU assistants, and, envelopes of cash in lockers wouldn't hurt either

As long as we're dreaming, a top AAU Team based in Peoria, coached by Crouch or D Adams as a BU pipeline wouldn't hurt either.

A fan's got to dream big, doesn't he/she?

[Da Coach]

...
As long as we're dreaming, a top AAU Team based in Peoria, coached by Crouch or D Adams as a BU pipeline wouldn't hurt either.

A fan's got to dream big, doesn't he/she?

All good thoughts, but this item about trying to tap into the Peoria talent, made me think. It has been a while since there has been much top D1 talent coming out of Peoria.

here is a ranking of Central Illinois players-

http://cihoops.com/?page_id=43

I was surprised to see how few of the top talent in Central Illinois is actually from Peoria. Of the Top 25 kids in the class of 2014, there are no Peoria kids in the Top 10, and the only Peoria public school kid is Manual's Delano Jones at #11. The only other Peoria kid is Shea Feehan at #23, and there are 2 other area kids- Limestone's Lorenzo Burns at #14, and Dunlap's Alex Sorenson at #20. None of them seems likely to be a D1 player to me.

Even among the juniors (class of 2016) there is only 1 Peoria kid, and one Limestone kid. There may not be a clear D1 prospect from our area until you get all the way to the class of 2017 (De'Monte Williams).

Even the past few years have been rather weak for Peoria area talent.