Coach Les gets a raise

[Da Coach]

Just to be provacative. DC I agree with you on many things but I would seriously look at hiring him back. Good coach, good connections to the Midwest, and good connections to Bradley (severe understatement). If he would have us I would welcome him back with open arms. He above all others would work to get us back to where we need to be.

He would not come back, so it probably is a moot point.

There are many other great coaching candidates out there, but right now, we have a coach and will have for at least another couple months.

I can't blame anyone for wanting to start the discussion, and I will have some names myself eventually.

[Vent]

Boy it feels good to exhale. I would like to see BU bring someone in as an interim president, that can mend fences with the faculty and community as well as generate revenue to buy out Ford, in a hurry. I would also hope the interim president would form a committee to assist in the interview and hiring of the next basketball coach. That committee should consist of people familiar with BU basketball, high school basketball throughout the state of Illinois and locally, and the game in general. I'm tired of bean counters making athletic decisions. It just doesn't work anymore that coaches making academic decisions or insurance agents making medical decisions. Lets hope for the best and clean this quagmire up.

[AZ BU Fan]

It's just a shame JL couldn't have built on the post season success he had in 2005-6, or even the success he is having so far at UC-D.

BU didn't let a coach go who finished in the top 3 of its conference during his 9 year tenure at BU. Didn't let go a coach who won a MVC Regular Season or MVC Tourney during his 9 year tenure. They let go a coach who went 76-88 in the MVC during his 9 years at BU. A coach whose last 3 records in the MVC were: 10-8, 9-9 and 4-14. A coach whose last 3 seasons went 21-15 (thanks UIC, Florida Gulf State, East Tennesse State, SE Missouri St, SIU Edwardsville, and Wisconsin Milwaukee), 16–15 and 12–20.

Ironically, the same comments were being about JL as are being made about GF... can't coach (remember inbounds plays and endless offensive weave up top then a chuck or comical drive and throw off backboard), can't teach (every loss was on JL per him, and couldn't recruit (David Collins, Anthony Thompson, Rashad Austin, David Collins, Jake Eastman, Milos Knecivic, Andrew Davis, Nate Wells).

I will give JL credit for bringing back bb alum and boosters, and for being a great fundraiser (particularly at the start of his BU career). He is very likeable and respected (except for MVC officials who tired of his "footstomp"). He recruited well early and always had a knack for finding shooting guards and tweeners who ended up playing small forward or 3rd guard. He was at the helm for a miraculous NCAA run after a season going no where until the MVC Tournament and 4 invites to the Dance by the NCAA. Got new facilities built, which ironically may result in BU moving out of Carver Arena back to a JC arena on campus.

No, BU didn't make a mistake letting JL go, but made huge mistakes in the way he was let go, and, totally missing on a replacement coach (but curiously who had some of the best coaching credentials of any coach who joined BU since Stowell).

The Prez and AD deserve to take the fall for these two huge mistakes.


...

[Da Coach]

Don't forget to add that the MVC was a tougher league between 2004-2010, than is is now. The conference RPI's clearly shows that, but anyone can see that losing Creighton and taking Loyola in as a replacement makes the league significantly weaker. A 4th place finish when Wichita State, Creighton, and UNI were ahead of you looks a lot better than what teams in the MVC face now.

I also don't agree entirely with your judgement that Jim Les would never have gotten Bradley higher than 4th place. We'll never know now, but I am certain he would have done a better job than we have gotten these last 3 1/2 years, and I believe he would have done a far better job rebuilding after that injury-plagued season in 2010-11.
And a team with Corey Hawkins and Remy Abell, mixed with Taylor Brown, Walt Lemon, Dyricus Simms-Edwards, Will Egolf, and other recruits that would have been here (including All MVC juco Tyler Brown who was committed to Bradley before JL was fired) would have been a Top 3 program, IMO, maybe competing for the top spot.
It would have been nice to have seen what that group could have done.

[Vent]

We need to get rid of Ford as soon as possible. I for one would not want Les to come back to Bradley. We've read that book once. Enough time has past, enough divisions have been created among BU fans because of it. The last thing we need is to revisit it. It's done, it's over with and we need to move past it, whatever your position is.

The thing BU fans must realize is this. The MVC and Bradley is nowhere near the great job or conference it was 15-20 years ago. It is just another mid-major job, that can be a stepping stone for the next coach, if he succeeds.

It is a difficult school to recruit to. Most kids in high school have never heard of it and the last few years haven't helped.

Today BU took the first step, towards a long way back not only in athletics but also in academics. The Board of Trustees got rid of the president, but that doesn't mean they are any more qualified to get somebody better, than they did the last time. Let's hope they've learned their lesson and have put people in positions on the Board of Trustees, that can make changes for the better. Not just getting rid of people, but getting quality people to replace them. If they haven't, we haven't accomplished a thing. Remember, this whole mess was created by the Board of Trustees and only they can make it better.

[Da Coach]

Here is a stat some might find interesting- it is Offensive Efficiency- it is the number of points per offensive possession. Usually if a team's Offensive Efficiency is over 1.000, they will rank above about half the other teams in D1. If they are over 1.100, it is usually among the top 20 teams, and over 1.200 is a rare occurrence.

http://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/stat/offensive-efficiency

Note that UC Davis is at 1.094, which ranks 25th in the country, and makes for a very entertaining style of basketball.
That is better than every team in the MVC! The top MVC team is Wichita State at 1.089, 28th in D1.
And Bradley is at 0.899, which ranks 309th in D1, and is by far the worst in the MVC!

[Tulsa Brave]

Here is a stat some might find interesting- it is Offensive Efficiency- it is the number of points per offensive possession. Usually if a team's Offensive Efficiency is over 1.000, they will rank above about half the other teams in D1. If they are over 1.100, it is usually among the top 20 teams, and over 1.200 is a rare occurrence.

http://www.teamrankings.com/ncaa-basketball/stat/offensive-efficiency

Note that UC Davis is at 1.094, which ranks 25th in the country, and makes for a very entertaining style of basketball.
That is better than every team in the MVC! The top MVC team is Wichita State at 1.089, 28th in D1.
And Bradley is at 0.899, which ranks 309th in D1, and is by far the worst in the MVC!

When the numbers are adjusted for strength of schedule, Wichita State's jumps to 1.144, which is 16th nationally. UC Davis is 1.087. Bradley's adjusted OE is bad as we all know at 307th nationally. We are 138th in adjusted DE though, but were in the top 100 until the past couple games.

[Da Coach]

UC Davis shot extremely well again last night at Hawaii- 52.3% overall, and 60% from three, but they couldn't handle the 40 minute full-court pressing defense of Hawaii, and lost 84-76. Hawaii rarely loses at home.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400595962

With a 60% night from three, UCD Davis widened their lead over the rest of D1 in 3-point percentage-

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/stats/teamsort/NCAAB/SCORING/regularseason?&_1:col_1=13

[molar50]

Hawaii rarely loses at home. The local refs have a reputation for helping their favorite teams. Ask Dick Versace.

[Chico]

Hawaii rarely loses at home. The local refs have a reputation for helping their favorite teams. Ask Dick Versace.

Ah, the good old days.

[tornado]

UC-Davis' Corey Hawkins has now moved into 4th all time in UC-Davis history in career scoring...(1,462 points)

and remember - Corey has only played 2 1/2 years so far at UC-Davis....
Of course - since moving to D-I, virtually all the scoring records are already Corey's...

But, if his production continues, he could play perhaps 15 more games (at 20ppg) and score roughly 300 more points...
The all time career scorer at UC-Davis has just over 1,700 points, so that all-time career record is within reach!

http://www.sacbee.com/sports/college/article8135040.html

[tornado]

UC-Davis beat UCSB 70-64 to stay in 1st place in the Big West at 5-1
Corey Hawkins had a great nite, 28 points - going 9-16 and 6-8 from beyond the arc - plus 6 rebs, 3 asst, 2 steals, moving his season stats to
21.2 ppg, 51.3% FG shooting, and #1 NATIONALLY - 52.7% 3-pt shooting

[tornado]

UC-Davis sets more records - and even did it with injury problems - and their best big man & 2nd best player sitting out
including their all time DI record for total wins - and they still have 12-14 or possible more games remaining to build on that!
..looks like their rebuilding success is being done the right way!

http://www.davisenterprise.com/sports/ucd-men-set-new-school-d-i-era-win-record/

http://www.sacbee.com/sports/college/mens-basketball/article8612144.html

[LongTimeFan]

I think the big question for them is how to replace Hawkins next year. Players of that caliber do not come along very often.

[Chico]

I think the big question for them is how to replace Hawkins next year. Players of that caliber do not come along very often.

Teams like Duke can replace his kind of player but will be hard for Jim to come up with someone to take his place.