Final: IPFW 65 Bradley 61

[Da Coach]

Correction: POB was part of the reason. He was also recruited by Head Coach Jim Les.
There were others on that team who were also important factors in the team's success like Tony Bennett, Will Franklin, Marcellus Sommerville, Daniel Ruffin, Lawrence Wright, Zach Andrews, JJ Tauai, Jeremy Crouch, and others who were all recruited by Jim Les.
Do you really think none of these talented players had anything to do with it? 86 wins in a 4 year span, and they weren't playing schedules loaded with cupcakes every year.

[Da Coach]

Attendance tonight is abysmal. The smallest crowd for a regular season game I've ever seen except maybe the Creighton snow game 2 years ago. There are less than 3000 people here. This is really sad.

Bradley struggling with IPFW, trailing 33-30 at halftime.
Bradley shooting 14.3% from three.

[bu fan 9]

Didn't that team make it to the NIT?

[amettrick]

IMO, the problem isn't the talent on this team. Their biggest issue seems to be the mental side of things far more than anything else.

[Chico]

Correction: POB was part of the reason. He was also recruited by Head Coach Jim Les.
There were others on that team who were also important factors in the team's success like Tony Bennett, Will Franklin, Marcellus Sommerville, Daniel Ruffin, Lawrence Wright, Zach Andrews, JJ Tauai, Jeremy Crouch, and others who were all recruited by Jim Les.
Do you really think none of these talented players had anything to do with it? 86 wins in a 4 year span, and they weren't playing schedules loaded with cupcakes every year.

I agree Coach. Even though POB was a huge part of the success the Braves had, IMO, the 2 games against Kansas and Pitt made him a top draft pick. The other players you mentioned were just as key to their success as POB. Some still don't want to give coach Les credit.

[Da Coach]

Official attendance announced as 5,977, but more no shows than I've ever seen.

[Da Coach]

IPFW took the lead midway in the first half and Bradley struggled to get it back until the final minute when Barnes got a rebound put back for a 61-60 lead. But IPFW came right back with a 3 pointer for a 63-61 lead. Bradley could not score again.
Final 65-61.

[BU212121]

Correction: POB was part of the reason. He was also recruited by Head Coach Jim Les.
There were others on that team who were also important factors in the team's success like Tony Bennett, Will Franklin, Marcellus Sommerville, Daniel Ruffin, Lawrence Wright, Zach Andrews, JJ Tauai, Jeremy Crouch, and others who were all recruited by Jim Les.
Do you really think none of these talented players had anything to do with it? 86 wins in a 4 year span, and they weren't playing schedules loaded with cupcakes every year.

POB was recruited by al biancalana

[Da Coach]

POB was recruited by al biancalana

I am very familiar with the history of POB and his recruitment. Jim Molinari and Al Biancalana started recruiting POB for Bradley in 2002, before Mo was let go. Jim Les reviewed the recruiting files, and was convinced by Coach Biancalana to continue recruiting POB, but the final decision was JL's. And, it was Jim Les who traveled to Minnesota and got the commitment from POB. Give whatever credit you want to give to Al, but ultimately the head coach is responsible, and in addition, it was Jim Les that closed the deal.

Unbelievable that there are still a couple bitter Jim Les haters hanging on trying to diminish his success and accomplishments. Please move on, and tell us why we are so much better off now.

[tornado]

odd - when a player is a bust the head coach gets the blame - but if he's good then the head coach gets zero credit...bizarre, mindless logic..
if Al B is such a recruiter then shouldn't UIC be better than they are? They have only beaten DII's and absolute bottom dwelling DI's.
It's a fact that in the 3 years Al B was asst under JL BU's record was 40-49
In the next three years after he left & was replaced BU's record was 65-41....go figure..

Anyway - back to tonight's game..

- the attendance - abysmal - agree with Da Coach - smallest crowd I have ever seen in my 45 years of following BU basketball - lifeless, 1000-2000 empty seats in the lower bowl! Even the most ardent supporters of the house-cleaning never envisioned we'd be this bad and the fan base would disappear this dramatically.

- we weren't this bad even four years into the horrible Albeck era - these are repeat-horrible-losses....how could anyone possibly claim this team is a good team & deep with quality talent at every position? They have lost all objectivity & credibility. Now we are losing to teams that could finish last in the 23rd ranked conference.

- Blake zero points & zero rebounds - and Geno has him starting all year!
Barnes was billed as a guy who can really shoot it but is hitting 15% on 3-pointers this year!

- Grier 13 pts on 18 shots - and he's our best shooter?

-Tyshon is the only guy who can hit a shot even close to half the time - and we never look to get him the ball!

- Kirk Wessler used the term "putrid" repeatedly although DR keeps candy coating it and saying we're really a great team and improving. Sorry - they are wrong - this team is in shambles, the program is in shambles and those in charge had better awake from their stupor or they might as well move the games over to the Markin Center.

- when we started pressing we got a few steals and made a run & caught up ... should do it more. Ka'Darryl Bell played a good game but one can't win a game.

[bu fan 9]

Tornado you are right this is worse than the Albeck years.

[Da Coach]

Another ugly game, and another disappointing home court loss to a team we should not have lost to. I am sure the PJS writers will tell us how great IPFW really is, but they were not a good team. There is a reason they were picked low in the 23rd ranked conference, and they will finish this season with an RPI of 250+.

It was bad enough that they dominated the play and lead for nearly the entire game, but when Bradley finally did make a run near the end and pull ahead, we folded while IPFW played with poise and confidence. On Bradley's final possession, we called a timeout with 19 seconds left to call a play. But what followed instead was chaos, while Walt goes 1 on 5 for the hundredth time.

It would be nice to turn things around, but I don't know anyone who is very optimistic it will happen.

Stats-

http://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=31005

[wily coyote]

IMO, the problem isn't the talent on this team. Their biggest issue seems to be the mental side of things far more than anything else.

IMO IT IS the talent on this team. There is very little talent outside of WL and TP. Absolutely zero shooters. Thru . night team in St. L. book it. Oh did I mention WL has talent but his play just kills us. Great at getting to the basket but poor shooter and takes way to many G-D awful shots.

[tornado]

when the coaching change was made - the proponents said we'd be better right away - then they said how could we possibly be worse than before - but we were - now we are worse than any time before - I mean worse than the really bad teams of the Albeck era...
Thanks - and it could even get worse as the finger pointing and the scapegoat naming ramps up...watch it unfold...
But if cooler heads prevail - it is possible to get the kids playing good ball and at least beating some Valley teams...get in the gym, watch tape, and git-r-done

[lefty]

Tornado you are right this is worse than the Albeck years.

Not even close