Now on to the Big Valley!

[Big Mike]

This game against So Miss is what the Valley games will be like IMO.........close games with teams making runs....9-3 non-conference is more than I expected! UNI is up next with the game on ESPN2 and the time to get serious is now......make or break time .....conference time! This is what we've waited for.....time to take out some conference foes starting with UNI!The Braves have a legit chance to beat any of the teams in the Valley IMO and things are only going to get better for the Braves......we're coming together as a team...and lately when someone has an off night .....someone else has stepped up.......let's take this for all it's worth....GO BRAVES!

[tornado]

Mike- not many teams are going to shoot 65% against Bradley's defense, but this team did, and BU was able to beat them anyway.
That's how I expect it to get done, as Jim Les continues to simply change up on the opponent and outcoach just about every one of them.

[Da Coach]

Jeremy Crouch for Player of the Week (or maybe it's Jimmy Church )!

He had 21 points Wednesday in the win against Loyola. He also had 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal.--

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/boxscore?gid=200612190062

And 25 points in tonight's win against So. Miss. He also had 4 steals and played great defense.--

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/boxscore?gid=200612230062

In the 2 games, he is 18-18 from the free throw line, and now is the leading free throw shooter in the Valley.

[mexicobufan]

A chance at post season is more than I could have dreamed of. How many more wins to get into the NIT and how many more to make it back to the NCAA?

[Big Mike]

I figure the Braves will make the NIT just by winning at home! Pick up a few road wins and they should have a shot at the NCAA!

[dogsrus]

Last nite was a good game to have. We needed to get tested at home. Don't see ANY easy games from here on out. We are going to be in for some battles.

Great crowd last nite and it should now pickup for the conf. season.

The recruits have to love BU. These guys play hard and are tough.

Sam Maniscaclo has got to be pumped.....

[Big Mike]

I would think Matt Roth would also like the atmoshere of the games he's been at.......maybe we can still land him?

[BTID]

A chance at post season is more than I could have dreamed of. How many more wins to get into the NIT and how many more to make it back to the NCAA?

I think 18 wins gets us an NIT bid. 20-21 wins will put us on the NCAA bubble. Getting to the MVC tournament title game should be enough to get Bradley into the field of 65, provided the Braves finished at or above .500 in the conference regular season standings. Making the MVC semi-finals after an 11-7 or better conference season should also be good enough for BU, but there are 329 other teams trying to make an impression on the selection committees too. Finishing 10-8 or worse and losing the first game in St. Louis will knock the Braves into the NIT, unless they have a terrible stretch run in February.

[MacabreMob]

The last 10 games (how a team finishes) is gonna make an impression on the committee, like it did last year.

Not counting the MVC Tourney, here are our last 10:

Jan 24 Illinois St
Jan 27 @ Missouri St
Jan 31 Creighton
Feb 3 @ Illinois St
Feb 7 @ Southern Illinois
Feb 10 Drake
Feb 14 @ Evansville
Feb 17 @ TBA (BracketBuster)
Feb 20 Northern Iowa
Feb 24 Indiana St

[Braves4Life]

Final 10

Mac, it's possible that half of those final 10 games will be against NCAA Tourney teams

We'll need to finish those final 10 with 6-7 wins and a first round win in MVC Tourney. If we do then we're going to The Dance again. 5-5 sends us to the NIT, IMHO.

[MacabreMob]

Tell ya a game I am worried about and want....

BU starts the MVC at UNI. Then home against E'Ville and Mo St. Followed by on the road at Wichita St.

We seriously could be 1-3 at that point. Honestly, we were expected to finish 8th - so road losses at UNI and Wichita would be expected. A home loss to a good Mo St team is possible. And I expect we can beat E'Ville at home.

So....

After Wichita St, we have a road game AT DRAKE.

I don't care if we are 0-4 or 4-0 at that point.... we NEED to go into Drake and win.

We lose at Drake, we are a beaten team mentally... then host SIU followed by road games at Indy St and CU before coming home for Wichita St and ISU.

A Drake loss could cripple us til the ISU game.

I know, I know.... one game at a time.

So let's start it off right. FrostBite Falls - HERE WE COME!!!

LET'S GO GET 'EM!!!!!

[Bravesfan]

Tell ya a game I am worried about and want....

BU starts the MVC at UNI. Then home against E'Ville and Mo St. Followed by on the road at Wichita St.

We seriously could be 1-3 at that point. Honestly, we were expected to finish 8th - so road losses at UNI and Wichita would be expected. A home loss to a good Mo St team is possible. And I expect we can beat E'Ville at home.

So....

After Wichita St, we have a road game AT DRAKE.

I don't care if we are 0-4 or 4-0 at that point.... we NEED to go into Drake and win.

We lose at Drake, we are a beaten team mentally... then host SIU followed by road games at Indy St and CU before coming home for Wichita St and ISU.

A Drake loss could cripple us til the ISU game.

I know, I know.... one game at a time.

So let's start it off right. FrostBite Falls - HERE WE COME!!!

LET'S GO GET 'EM!!!!!

Oh yeah. We are one of the best teams based on our OOC schedule. But I agree, we are in no way going to be handed the Valley title. A record of 9-9 this year would still be a good season. However, confidence breeds confidence, and I think this team is capable of surprising a lot of teams.

We are playing much better on the road then we were last year at this time (outside of Michigan St), and as I stated in an earlier post, this UNI game is extremely critical to our NCAA chances. A loss will not eliminate us, but a win will set the tone for the season and be a great confidence booster for us. We will then believe that we can win anywhere in the Valley (even though that's practically impossible). Even if we lose at WSU or Creighton for example, we have to give it our all and leave everything on the floor. If we play with a great effort night in and night out, we will win a lot more games than a lot of people expected us to win.

But like you said MacabreMob, we have to take these games one game at a time. Good luck to the Braves this season!

[Braves4Life]

Les

JL will challenge the boys to hold home court -- defend your home against all comers........... I think we will!