Coach Les gets a raise

[tornado]

UCD has 11 wins - only a couple dozen DI programs have more - and virtually all of those are solid, major programs whose coaches aren't going anywhere...
so UCD is in the 90th percentile....and
if a solid midmajor program is looking to hire a new coach next year will they possibly come calling?
Probably depends on whether UCD gets to the post-season and has success there.

[Buesch N Chips]

that idea was doomed to failure right from the beginning because of who was picking the next coach

I agree. Not every coach would agree to work under the conditions at BU.

[Da Coach]

I agree. Not every coach would agree to work under the conditions at BU.

Even in 2011 Scott Sutton, Rob Jeter, Sidney Johnson, Dan Monson, Paul Lusk, Dave Rice, and several others were not interested when asked.

[Vent]

As I've said before, I started following BU basketball during the 1963-64 season. I remember watching BU play in the 60's when they were ranked in the Top 10 on a regular basis and every year had player on the team that was drafted into the NBA. There is no question I've seen more embarrassing loses, by 20 points or more in the last 4 years, than I have during the previous 50+ years. The Journal Star has not been as negative as some may like. I also believe if they were negative as of today, nothing would change at the hilltop. I don't believe BU will make a change or has made changes in the past due to what is or has been written in the Journal Star. It may add fuel to the fire when they do write negative articles, but I don't think the reporters at the Journal Star have a vote on what goes on at BU. Actually a negative article is written everyday, when you look at the standings. The Journal Star will turn negative in the very near future as the season unfolds.

[AZ BU Fan]

Nothing, and I mean nothing, gets DC and T going faster than
support of JG or a post perceived as a knock on JL.

It is as predictable as the tides!

Every now and then I like to have some fun and throw one across their bow, just to see if I can get past their radar, and, to help elevate their BP (doctor's orders)...

OK, I admit, Az BU is such a





Since I am not an alum, and don't contribute much, my stakes aren't as
high in the current winter of our (BU) despair...


I hope no one skips the MVC Regular Season Game Pick Em Contest here on bf.com!

Thanks for the shameless promotion DC!


...

[Da Coach]

UC Davis plays a big game tonight against Long Beach State on ESPNU.

Here is a tweet from Coach Les as he prepares for the game, and one of Bradley's recent great players stopped by for a visit-

https://twitter.com/CoachJimLes/status/554018432828461057

[tornado]

UC-Davis beats Long Beach State to go to 12-3 and 2-0 in the Big West and they sit alone at the top of the conference.
Corey Hawkins had 28 pts, 10 rebs

they drew over 5,000 - which would have placed them among the top teams in the MVC

[Da Coach]

UC-Davis beats Long Beach State to go to 12-3 and 2-0 in the Big West and they sit alone at the top of the conference.
Corey Hawkins had 28 pts, 10 rebs

The UC Davis-Long Beach State game was televised nationally on ESPNU, and it was a fantastic game, unlike any we've enjoyed here in Peoria for 3 1/2 years! We can only hope that someday, Carver Arena will see that kind of excitement and home-team satisfaction among fans again.

The attendance was 5,089! And they were raucous. The game stayed pretty close throughout regulation. Senior star Corey Hawkins caught fire down the stretch to help UCD tie the game and send it to overtime.
Hawkins, who would have been playing his senior season at Bradley this year if not for the 2011 coaching change, scored another 7 points in OT to finish with 28 points and 10 rebounds and to put the game away for UC Davis.

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/boxscore?gameId=400595947

By the way, Andrew Warren was there at the game, and apparently had a great time-

https://twitter.com/drewwarren24/status/554169671742537728

[Da Coach]

ESPN was apparently impressed enough with the UC Davis game they televised Saturday night that they have just announced they will televise another UC Davis home game on ESPNU on January 31 at 9:00 PM CST against Cal-Poly.

https://twitter.com/UCDavisAggies/status/554677290005581824

[Chico]

Watched the entire game and have a couple comments. First of all, it was a great crowd but being on National tv always brings out the students to be seen and put on a show nationwide. Even Bradley students do it, but not on the same scale as the Davis kids did. 2nd I don't believe they are a very good team without Hawkins. He is an amazing talent, just like his dad. Looking forward to January 31. All Bradley fans should watch this game to see what we are missing.

[tornado]

with the success they have had - I wouldn't be surprised if Coach Les dips into the DI transfer market again this spring...

[Da Coach]

I also watched the game, and if I had to critique, I'd say I don't think they are a very good defensive team. Maybe they are saving their energy for the offensive end. They compensate by being a very good offensive team, though. The shoot the ball extremely well. They are still shooting over 50% on the season, which is top 10 in the country. I think they would still be fairly good without Hawkins, but obviously they will lose a lot when he graduates. They will also lose their 6'10" big man Josh Richart. But they are redshirting a couple pretty good players, they have a couple very good 2015 recruits, and Jim continues to recruit the state of Illinois hard, and tells me he is close to landing an outstanding shooter.
Overall, they will probably fall back a little next year, but the visibility they continue to get by being at the top of their league and being on ESPNU will benefit their recruiting and I think they can become a regular contender in the Big West.

[Da Coach]

UC Davis had another great offensive game last night on the road at Cal State Fullerton, and won 79-68. They swept a 2-game Southern California road trip to Riverside and Fullerton, and have now won 6 road games this season (as many as Bradley has won in the last 4 seasons combined).

http://scores.espn.go.com/ncb/playbyplay?gameId=400595957

UC Davis never trailed, shot 53.1% from the field, and 47.4% from three. Corey Hawkins scored 26 points and had 10 rebounds.
Their season FG% remains over 50% and ranks 5th in the country, and their 3 point % is 44.1%, which is #1 ranked in the NCAA.


On the season, UCD is now 14-3, and 4-0 in the Big West Conference. Their 14 total wins and 6 road wins match the all-time record best for the UC Davis program since becoming Division I, and their 4-0 Big West record is the best conference start in their history.

http://www.ucdavisaggies.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/011715aab.html

[tornado]

.. their 4-0 Big West record is the best conference start in their history...

Bradley has started the Valley season 4-0 on multiple occasions - the last time was 2009, and we did it one other time last decade..

[Da Coach]

UC Davis, 14-3 and 4-0 in the Big West, now has their RPI up to # 81-

http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2015/conference/Big%20West

Only Wichita State, Northern Iowa, and Loyola have better RPI's in the MVC-

http://warrennolan.com/basketball/2015/conference/Missouri%20Valley

Their next game is a tough road game at Hawaii on Thursday night. Jim Les' team is on track for the first winning season UC Davis has ever had as a D1 school. The rebuilding he has accomplished there at UCD, which was one of the worst D1 schools in the country, and had never had a winning record, is remarkable and proves a lot of critics wrong, who predicted he would fail.

But a few posters here predicted he would build UCD into a winning program before we would ever see a winner here at Bradley, and they were right.

UCD continues to lead the entire country in 3-point shooting by a significant margin over everyone else with 44.1%-

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

Their 50.1% overall FG percentage continues to rank in the top 5 nationally-

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/stats/teamsort/NCAAB/SCORING/regularseason?&_1:col_1=7