Dave Reynolds Northern Iowa tribute article

[Da Coach]

Dave Reynolds: Northern Iowa sews seeds of its success

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20141211/SPORTS/141219770/10962/SPORTS

Nice article about the tremendous success Northern Iowa has had this season.
But as I read it, I have a couple thoughts- why not Bradley? When, if ever, will other teams' beat writers extol the virtues of the Bradley Braves? And why not? There is simply no reason why Northern Iowa can have success year after year, and yet for the last 4 seasons, Bradley has seen no semblance of success.

What Dave doesn't say is that even though their 9-0 start is unprecedented in their D1 history and worthy of note, Northern Iowa didn't just get good this season. This will be their 12th straight winning season, and 9th straight under Ben Jacobson. They have won 240 games in slightly over 11 seasons, for an average of over 21 games per season. Yet there is no logical reason Northern Iowa should be able to attract better recruits than Bradley, and no reason they can attract better coaches than Bradley, especially since we spend millions more on our recruiting and coach's salaries!

One question- the Peoria Journal Star sports people love to try to get creative with puns in their headlines, but can anyone explain the pun attempt with this headline?:
Northern Iowa sews seeds of its success


BTW- Dave's tribute article about Northern Iowa reminds me of an article written 4 or 5 years ago by Kirk Wessler in which he heaped praise on the Creighton team and program. However, I notice one big difference- Kirk ended his accolade-filled article about Creighton by ripping the Bradley team, players, and coach by saying:
"Creighton: Better team, better players, better coach"

I think it says volumes that Dave heaps endless accolades on UNI, but unlike the KW article, he never seems to notice how awful Bradley has become.

[tornado]

but you "sow" seeds....you don't "sew" them...

[Buesch N Chips]

The Wessler article was written as a direct shot at Les.

[Da Coach]

The Wessler article was written as a direct shot at Les.

Bingo!

Yet the program is infinitely worse off now than at any time during that last coach's tenure, and yet neither Dave nor Kirk have ever pointed out the real problems, and instead we keep being told how great things are, how we are light years better, how the recruiting is bringing in impact players who are as good as former Bradley Hall of Famers, and 1st round NBA players, and how fans just need to keep being patient because our staff is "doing things the right way".

[Biff]

For $800,000 year, couldn't we have gotten Ben Jacobson?
Did we even try?

[Buesch N Chips]

Bingo!

Yet the program is infinitely worse off now than at any time during that last coach's tenure, and yet neither Dave nor Kirk have ever pointed out the real problems, and instead we keep being told how great things are, how we are light years better, how the recruiting is bringing in impact players who are as good as former Bradley Hall of Famers, and 1st round NBA players, and how fans just need to keep being patient because our staff is "doing things the right way".

To be fair, both DR and KW have had their moments this year calling the basketball bad. It's not all sunshine and lollipops.

[Da Coach]

To be fair, both DR and KW have had their moments this year calling the basketball bad. It's not all sunshine and lollipops.

But it doesn't take a Pulitzer prize winning writer or even an Illinois Sports Writer of the Year to recognize and report that the team is bad. My point was that they had no hesitation pinning the cause on the coach a few years ago, and now they strictly avoid blaming anyone. Instead we get a long string of endless lame excuses- recruiting misses, injuries, rebuilding takes time, too many young players, too many "D1 virgins", takes time to mesh, fans are too impatient, etc.

[tornado]

...too many "D1 virgins"....

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20080718/News/307189834

actually, almost every year or two going back more than a decade,
the PJ Star has had a long column extolling how great some other team is and why aren't we like that...
I think it's a fair topic - but there's always someone out there who is better so it gets tiring seeing these columns...

....I can recall such a column about Creighton, about Butler, about Wichita, now about UNI...they've even given interviews with the Creighton media telling them how much better their program is...

note how when interviewed about Bradley by the Creighton people - he kinda opens up and slams his own team!

"Jim Les has never done a good job developing depth."
"Bradley is just a bad rebounding team."
"..lack of offensive weapons."
"..defense. That was one of Les??™s biggest shortcomings as a coach"
" Walt Lemon Jr. ....I thought he was a wasted scholarship."
..plus numerous other blatant attempts to blame everything on you-know-who.

..then he claims the drop in attendance (8,000) is a powerful reason to fire Jim Les!
"Can they afford not to buy him out?"
OMG - don't we wish we had 8,000 now!!!!

http://whiteandbluereview.com/from-the-other-side-peoria-journal-stars-kirk-wessler-3/

http://whiteandbluereview.com/from-the-other-side-peoria-journal-stars-kirk-wessler-2/

http://whiteandbluereview.com/from-the-other-side-peoria-journal-stars-kirk-wessler-4/

[Da Coach]

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20080718/News/307189834

That was the "too many jucos" critique against Jim Les' juco recruits that helped Bradley win 20+ games 4 years in a row, and carried them to an NIT and an NCAA Sweet 16. It is relevant now, because each of the last 2 seasons, Bradley has had as many or more jucos as any of those Jim Les teams ever had, yet we have never seen anyone from the PJ Star point that out or criticize it.

Here is the article written by Kirk Wessler October 19, 2008, criticizing Jim Les for being too optimistic about his upcoming season, and criticizing him for having "too many D1 virgins" (they had 5 D1 virgins that season but went on to win 21 games, and were 10-8, 4th in the MVC).

http://www.pjstar.com/x1937572332/WESSLER-BU-core-has-been-there-done-that

But last season when we had 7 D1 virgins, and this season when we have 6 D1 virgins, the same PJS people were thrilled about and touted all the incoming talent as if it guaranteed success and national prominence. But then conveniently, when the team fails, they use it as an excuse that we had too many "D1 virgins". Anyone else notice a pattern of hypocrisy?

[midstateknowitall]

I would say the difference between UNI and Bradley over the last 10 years has been the stability of the Coach and connection they have in their recruitment of players. Obviously success helps recruiting, but the majority of their roster is from Iowa, WI, and MN, with occasional IL guy here and there. They recruit those areas extremely well every year and do not venture much outside that. Bradley has had anything they consistantly tap into the last 10 years. BU gets guys from all over the place. Chin has brought some stability in the Chicago recruiting scene but thats about it.

Iowa does not have a Chicago like city, UNI recruits that whole state. BU recruits Chicago and really doesn't have much presence anywhere else in the state. There is so much talent in IL and it seems like they don't look anywhere besides Chicago. Central Illinois might be the most under recruited area in the Midwest... Im not saying all these guys would be Bradley guys but a lot of these guys didn't even get a sniff from Bradley recruitment wise. Where they all would if they were in Iowa-UNI would have recruited most of them to a certain point.

Just look at the last 2014 & 2015 classes.
Michael Finke (U of I)
Marcus Bartley (Saint Louis)
Peyton Allen (Texas A&M)
Ethan Happ (Wisconsin)
Keita Bates Diop (Ohio St)
Larry Austin (Xavier)
Darius Austin (UMKC)
CJ Rivers (Drake)
Jalen Henry (SIUE)
CJ Carr (SIUE)
Max Cook (UMSL)
Shea Feehan (Lewis)
Derreon Reddick (Tennessee St.)

Obediah Church (Missouri St)
Dylan Miller (NDSU)
Christian Williams (Still Available)
Gavin Block (Ohio)
Alex O'Neill (Still Available)
Tyler Seibring (Elon)
Cole Harper (Minnesota St)
Bryan Heath (Michigan Tech)
Jake Reinhardt (Lewis)
Tyler Hall (Montana)

[bradleyfan124]

Maybe if we read between the lines what Dave may be saying, " This is what happens when you do things right"

[tornado]

.... a lot of these guys didn't even get a sniff from Bradley recruitment wise.
Just look at the last 2014 & 2015 classes.
Michael Finke (U of I)
Marcus Bartley (Saint Louis)
Peyton Allen (Texas A&M)
Ethan Happ (Wisconsin)
Keita Bates Diop (Ohio St)
Larry Austin (Xavier)
Darius Austin (UMKC)
CJ Rivers (Drake)
Jalen Henry (SIUE)
CJ Carr (SIUE)
Max Cook (UMSL)
Shea Feehan (Lewis)
Derreon Reddick (Tennessee St.)

Obediah Church (Missouri St)
Dylan Miller (NDSU)
Christian Williams (Still Available)
Gavin Block (Ohio)
Alex O'Neill (Still Available)
Tyler Seibring (Elon)
Cole Harper (Minnesota St)
Bryan Heath (Michigan Tech)
Jake Reinhardt (Lewis)
Tyler Hall (Montana)

that is astounding - we sure haven't had any real prowess trying to recruit on the national scene - so it amazes me that we aren't at least stumping hard among all the fine local players...

[Buesch N Chips]

But it doesn't take a Pulitzer prize winning writer or even an Illinois Sports Writer of the Year to recognize and report that the team is bad. My point was that they had no hesitation pinning the cause on the coach a few years ago, and now they strictly avoid blaming anyone. Instead we get a long string of endless lame excuses- recruiting misses, injuries, rebuilding takes time, too many young players, too many "D1 virgins", takes time to mesh, fans are too impatient, etc.

Again, to be fair, they are not the only ones who have changed their tolerance, expectations, and/or place of blame with a new coach.

[lefty]

Again, to be fair, they are not the only ones who have changed their tolerance, expectations, and/or place of blame with a new coach.

good point

[Da Coach]

Again, to be fair, they are not the only ones who have changed their tolerance, expectations, and/or place of blame with a new coach.

The bottom line is that regardless what any of us feel about this, the last coach lost his job for a team performance that was far better than what we are now getting.
Plus he filled the arena with 9,000-10,000 fans, and lead the program to record setting revenues and academic and graduation rate successes.

I get it that a few people weren't happy with where we were, and that the current administration wanted to make their own hires in every sport and put their own stamp on every program. But all that was good is squandered now, and we are seeing the media lecture fans that they still just need to be patient. How can anyone deny a stark double standard from our media friends and the fans who wanted a change from the last regime, and who now seem delighted to support the current state of miserable failure.

BTW, I just received a mailing from Bradley today that included a pack of vouchers good for free tickets to any upcoming Bradley game. Apparently, from talking to a number of other season-ticket buyers, it was mailed out to all the season-ticket holders. So now apparently fan interest and ticket sales are so far down that Bradley has resorted to giving away free tickets to any game.
These thousands of free tickets vouchers, combined with the 1,000 grade school kids who were given tickets to the North Carolina A&T game, will make our attendance average look a bit better than it would otherwise look. But who would have ever thought Bradley would have to resort to giving away tickets to get people to come?