Kirk Wessler column touting new recruits

[Da Coach]

New recruits bring fresh optimism for Braves

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140503/SPORTS/140509714/10962/SPORTS

Kirk says-
...it has been a decade since Bradley had such a promising collection of new talent. In their second season together, that group — Daniel Ruffin, Patrick O’Bryant, Boogie Wright, Tony Bennett, Jeremy Crouch — wound up in the NCAA Sweet 16.
Dare we dream so big again?


But, Kirk admonishes fans-
Fans are advised to reserve judgment on recruits until we’ve seen them play, seen them adjust — or not — to each other and the rigors of Division I scouting. But there is a lot to like about the potential of this group, largely because of the emphasis Ford and his staff placed on traits beyond sheer talent. ...

Optimism should be tempered by reality. Half the roster hasn’t played with each other. Six Bradley players have yet to play a Division I minute. It defies what we know about modern college basketball at large, and recent Bradley history specifically, to believe every one of these recruits will maximize his potential here.


I agree, but sorry to bring up this reminder, the most over-the-top proclamations about last year's recruits were not from the fans, but from our friends at the PJ Star.

[Big Mike]

Good read!

[patrick_o'brian]

Cunningham is a huge get, no doubt, but I am very excited about Morgan!

[bravetime33]

Good read!

Sounds like leadership,cohesiveness, and team accountability will not be an issue.
When a new manager,leader or, coach inherents a group then incorporates his idea of successful people to an existing culture of people who were recruited by a previous manager or coach sometimes it takes time to click, sometimes it never clicks I have experienced this in the business world but I don't know if there is a correlation between BU basketball and the corporate side but people are people
Now that Geno has all of his people here the real test will start
I hope the uppers at bu do not micromanage him and allow Geno and his staff to reach their full potential after all he has demonstrated success in the past and when it happens here it will not be a fluke

[tornado]

Well, I certainly like this team better than what we started last year with....although way too many new guys and untested guys to expect Bradley will be picked at the top by the experts.

one thing is unfortunate...and I know this is getting picky but I want throw a little defense up for the sake of a few guys that this column seems to belittle....
In his statement "the Braves couldn't score" - he really should have stated it this way..
"the Braves Geno recruited couldn't score" since the Braves left behind in the cupboard - Walt, Will Egolf, Dyricus, Taylor Brown - all were double digit scorers...

well, if I notice a couple things different from the past couple years - it's that this year -
--despite actually having better talent - Kirk is reluctant to conclude they are game-changers, difference makers, and recruiting successes - he does caution fans on optimism...although as Da Coach said it was he & his colleagues who have bubbled with so much over-the-top optimism the past few years that it's like the pot calling the kettle black.
Then he quotes guys like Poneman sorta predicting Bradley's the best D-I team in Illinois...hmmmm.
Culpable deniability - so if we aren't so good he can blame Poneman instead of taking the blame himself.

--and that he seem to hint that Geno "misjudged during recruiting" several of the players.

...
Now that Geno has all of his people here the real test will start
I hope the uppers at bu do not micromanage him and allow Geno and his staff to reach their full potential after all he has demonstrated success in the past and when it happens here it will not be a fluke

well, the uppers have been the driving force in all of BU Athletics for the past 5-6 years - an interval in which virtually every sport Bradley sponsors has plummeted towards last place..
and isn't this excuse about Geno not having enough time to get his own players exactly what we heard LAST YEAR...
and in his 3rd year he had the chance to replace everyone and had almost 90% of the roster was of his own choosing...
...can't wait 'til this effort to place all the blame in the past ends....

[Da Coach]

Sounds like leadership,cohesiveness, and team accountability will not be an issue.
When a new manager,leader or, coach inherents a group then incorporates his idea of successful people to an existing culture of people who were recruited by a previous manager or coach sometimes it takes time to click, sometimes it never clicks I have experienced this in the business world but I don't know if there is a correlation between BU basketball and the corporate side but people are people
Now that Geno has all of his people here the real test will start
I hope the uppers at bu do not micromanage him and allow Geno and his staff to reach their full potential after all he has demonstrated success in the past and when it happens here it will not be a fluke

Still trying to blame everything that's gone wrong on the previous coach? When will the lame excuses end? And still trying to claim any success was merely "a fluke"? I hope Bradley's fortunes are about to pull out of the unprecedented string of Thursday night losses, but fans aren't stupid, and there is a reason thousands of them have disappeared. And if winning 20+ games 4 years in a row (and not against 300+ SOS's), and a total of 102 games over a 5 year stretch is "a fluke", I think fans would take flukes all day over what they've seen lately.

[bravetime33]

Still trying to blame everything that's gone wrong on the previous coach? When will the lame excuses end? And still trying to claim any success was merely "a fluke"? I hope Bradley's fortunes are about to pull out of the unprecedented string of Thursday night losses, but fans aren't stupid, and there is a reason thousands of them have disappeared. And if winning 20+ games 4 years in a row (and not against 300+ SOS's), and a total of 102 games over a 5 year stretch is "a fluke", I think fans would take flukes all day over what they've seen lately.

That was not my point in blaming everything on Les. And not that sweet 16 was a fluke
The point was it is hard to integrate two different cultures. Les recruited a certain type player with different backgrounds, values, and mind sets. He built a team and a program on that model. Geno is bringing together the mindset and character of players he has seen demonstrate success at the d1 level before. Unless you have not been through an integration and trying to meld two different cultures together it is very hard and sometimes impossible to achieve teamwork and synergy I Have been through it
Don't take this so personally everyone can argue and have different opinions I try to suppress my ego and respect everyone's opinion and do not have an agenda

[Da Coach]

Nobody wants Geno to succeed more than I do. And everyone I have talked to is energized by the recent recruiting successes, so hopefully things will turn around.

[Buesch N Chips]

That was not my point in blaming everything on Les. And not that sweet 16 was a fluke

I didn't see either of those in your post. I knew you were talking generally about any coaching change and the longing for continued success. People see what they want to see.

[Da Coach]

Yes, they do.

[Canton BU fan]

It's all George W. Bush's fault!

[LittleBrave]

Although there will be a lot of pressure on Geno this year, I think he is not really on the "hot seat" (not that anyone suggested that) given that if he left, we would likely lose a lot of our new recruits.

I still think that if we finish .500 or less and worse than 5th place this year would be a major disappointment.

[tornado]

LB - I agree with you I want to see how this current group of guys play with each other without the demands to have to get it done this year.
If we show improvement and promise, then virtually everyone comes back in 2015-16 -

[FortyTwo]

Given Bradley's dismal financial state, I can't imagine a scenario where they let Geno go and eat the required buyout of his contract regardless of performance this year. And if they do decide to go this route for some reason, I can't imagine them spending anywhere near market value for a coach to replace him, so let's all hope for a successful season.

[tornado]

if that happened they might save money like they did with women's basketball & promote from within along the lines of what Dave Reynolds has strongly recommended.
Seems the lack of any significant head coaching experience was no longer of importance ..

http://blogs.pjstar.com/pressrow/2014/04/30/bu-basketball-opening-should-go-to-pittis/