Final: Illinois 81 Bradley 55

[bradleyfan124]

People can throw excuses around from everywhere but the main ingredient to any team is one thing.......WIN!!!!!

[Da Coach]

I am gonna try not to pile on but the excuses given in the press are mind-boggling....

I might even buy the tired legs argument - but "toughness" - why throw the players under the bus and blame them???

All we have heard for the past couple years is how much deeper, tougher, and more talented this squad is than anything we've seen in years....

I think we played a bad game and Illinois played a good one - but I think we were ill prepared - just as we have been in each game for the opponents' defenses and presses..
.. and there's more than a lack of toughness at play here - and we're going to see it again.

You forgot these columns from last year. Our local writers have hammered this topic of how much tougher and more talented we are than previous years, mostly as a slam against the past teams. But now suddenly the embarrassing loss yesterday is all because we aren't tough enough? Doesn't this define inconsistency?

http://www.pjstar.com/x1922384540/Wessler-Big-ups-to-defense-and-toughness

http://www.pjstar.com/x1353221849/Wessler-Pickett-flourishes-in-tough-guy-role

https://www.facebook.com/journalstarsports/posts/568196059873737

By the way- IMO, Marcellus Sommerville, Daniel Ruffin, Boogie Wright, Tony Bennett, Zach Andrews, J.J. Tauai, Matt Salley, Theron Wilson, Dodie Dunson, Chris Roberts, Taylor Brown, and Dyricus Simms-Edwards were all as tough as nails, as is Walt Lemon, yet these are some of the past BU stars (and winners) who our writers are labeling as lacking talent and being soft. Sorry, but I respectfully disagree.

[tornado]

but they are gradually working their way closer and closer to the target and will stumble on it sooner or later

our most productive players have been the juco kids and recall how they slammed recruiting "too many jucos"

[Chico]

You forgot these columns from last year. Our local writers have hammered this topic of how much tougher and more talented we are than previous years, mostly as a slam against the past teams. But now suddenly the embarrassing loss yesterday is all because we aren't tough enough? Doesn't this define inconsistency?

http://www.pjstar.com/x1922384540/Wessler-Big-ups-to-defense-and-toughness

http://www.pjstar.com/x1353221849/Wessler-Pickett-flourishes-in-tough-guy-role

https://www.facebook.com/journalstarsports/posts/568196059873737

By the way- IMO, Marcellus Sommerville, Daniel Ruffin, Boogie Wright, Tony Bennett, Zach Andrews, J.J. Tauai, Matt Salley, Theron Wilson, Dodie Dunson, Chris Roberts, Taylor Brown, and Dyricus Simms-Edwards were all as tough as nails, as is Walt Lemon, yet these are some of the past BU stars (and winners) who our writers are labeling as lacking talent and being soft. Sorry, but I respectfully disagree.

+1

[mrcoachdude]

What happened to our depth? The only points off the bench are from Bell (7) and Fields (3) according to Live Stats.

With Pross out, the depth went down a little..Taylor did not start did he?

[mrcoachdude]

we shot poorly...Illini shot great...your gonna lose those games...lets see how we rebound

[lightsout]

With Pross out, the depth went down a little..Taylor did not start did he?

Taylor did come off the bench.... he was not very affective though, getting 3 quick fouls. One foul was a Technical Foul he received when he and Mr. Rice got into it a little bit. X only had 1 point for the game, spliting a pair of free throws.

[Chico]

With Pross out, the depth went down a little..Taylor did not start did he?

Unless he starts playing like we thought he would, I don't think Pross would have made much difference. Did I read right that Taylor played 13 minutes without taking a shot and getting only 1 rebound? If so, what kind of depth is that?

[tornado]

Taylor will get better - but he still gives us as much as anyone else playing that position -
Illinois is a team that was not shooting the ball well - they were only 26% from 3-pt until yesterday and we gave them way too many open looks...
for having talented, athletic big men who supposedly can guard the wing - we let them take almost half their shots from the arc and hit 40%

[Chico]

Taylor will get better - but he still gives us as much as anyone else playing that position -
Illinois is a team that was not shooting the ball well - they were only 26% from 3-pt until yesterday and we gave them way too many open looks...
for having talented, athletic big men who supposedly can guard the wing - we let them take almost half their shots from the arc and hit 40%

If his stats yesterday means he gives us as much as anyone else at that position, we are in deeper trouble than I thought.

[mrcoachdude]

Unless he starts playing like we thought he would, I don't think Pross would have made much difference. Did I read right that Taylor played 13 minutes without taking a shot and getting only 1 rebound? If so, what kind of depth is that?

did not see how many minutes he played, but the TEAM played poorly and Taylor was one of them....its one game...he has talent and provides us with depth...he will be fine...

[Skut Farcus]

wow - the arena is half empty - I thought the Illini fans were big on basketball??

a couple comments by the BTN guys
"Braves seem lost on the offensive end" and then a comment about getting BU in early foul trouble because we don't go deep

Gee, ya don't suppose weather damage all over the state had anything to do with the crowd, do ya?

[mrcoachdude]

Not sure what the actual attendance was...but I am pretty sure it was over half, but the weather was almost a deterrent for us..

the end zones looked pretty scarce, but we were three rows from the top, behind the bench and it was packed there...

[Chico]

did not see how many minutes he played, but the TEAM played poorly and Taylor was one of them....its one game...he has talent and provides us with depth...he will be fine...

I hope so. All I'm saying is, no shots and 1 rebound in 13 minutes for someone 6'9" is ridiculous.

[Canton BU fan]

Not sure what the actual attendance was...but I am pretty sure it was over half, but the weather was almost a deterrent for us..

the end zones looked pretty scarce, but we were three rows from the top, behind the bench and it was packed there...

On tv it probably did look pretty empty but in the upper level where we were it was pretty full. My guess is most of the lower bowl were no shows and the upper bowl tickets where resold (got mine on stubhub).