How will Bradley do in 2015-16?

[tornado]

How do you think we'll do in Coach Brian Wardle's first season at Bradley?

[Old Coach]

I voted "about the same", but I mean that in record only. For me, the entire focus of this coming season should be on player development, and determining who can be a part of something special 3-4 years from now.

[tornado]

I think you hit it on the head - the fans will be pleased if we see players improve, develop, get better as the season wears on, and follow the game plan and learn to play as a team.
We have been way, way at the bottom of the league for too long in shooting pct, FT shooting, assists, turnovers, getting outrebounded, allowing open 3's, bad screens, and blowout/embarrassing losses.

[Biff]

How would you measure improvement? Total wins? MVC wins? RPI?


Bradley was 3-15 in the Missouri Valley. That is the number we should be comparing against. Not the 9-24 overall record against a very weak non-conference schedule in which there were no quality wins.


This year's non-conference schedule is brutal for a team with 9 freshmen, so I don't expect many wins. But, I don't see any possible way this team doesn't win twice as many MVC games as last year's team.

[Chibearsfan10125]

Honestly, with so many new peices, I have no idea where we finish. Until we see how the new players adapt to D1 basketball, it's tough to project. I think we'll be slightly better than last year, but that's mostly just optimism. We won't compete with the top valley schools, but I feel like we can finish ahead of SIU, and be at the same level as MSU and Drake. Both ISU's are wild cards. I think 7th is the best we can hope for, with 8th or 9th being more realistic. I know wins aren't that important this year, but I just don't want to see another 10th place season.

[Old Coach]

How would you measure improvement? Total wins? MVC wins? RPI?


Bradley was 3-15 in the Missouri Valley. That is the number we should be comparing against. Not the 9-24 overall record against a very weak non-conference schedule in which there were no quality wins.


This year's non-conference schedule is brutal for a team with 9 freshmen, so I don't expect many wins. But, I don't see any possible way this team doesn't win twice as many MVC games as last year's team.

I'll be very impressed if this team wins 6 MVC games. I think that would be a fine accomplishment, and likely be a very good indicator of future success.

[Da Coach]

I tend to agree with Biff in that there seems to be no way we won't win more than 3 games in the MVC. There are going to be 3 or 4 other very weak MVC teams. Coach Wardle will have a much tougher group of kids, even if they are inexperienced. I think we can get to 6 wins against teams like Drake, SIU, Missouri State, and Indiana State and I'd like to think we could maybe steal a win against the better teams like Loyola, Evansville, and possibly ISU.

[tornado]

well, if we go 0-32 I'd still be happy as long as the kids are playing hard & developing because then I'd know it's the period we have to go thru to get to success....
.. and I would bet we'd still fill more seats that the disaster of the past few years...

[Tommy]

Record wise, we should be about the same as last year. With a team full of freshman and leftover bench players, it's hard to imagine us having a ton of success right out of the gate. I think we all expect a slow progression with a young team, and I'm sure the coaching will be much improved.

If we see one pick and roll, that will be more offensive plays than we saw all last year. I'm just hoping to see some good effort, and to say goodbye to the street ball I've been watching for the last few years.

[AZ BU Fan]

Assuming everyone shows up and stays healthy, I think BU will surprise a few teams in the MVC this coming season. I think 5-6 MVC wins is not out of question.

Can they get to 8 MVC wins?

Only if they play lights out defense and hit the boards with intensity.

Since some of the team may be playing for the opportunity to continue at BU in 2016-17, there should be plenty of motivation to play their sneakers off this winter.

[Chico]

Happy with 0-32? Get serious T. Wouldn't have 1000 fans at Carver. Don't even think such a record.

[tornado]

I did not say happy to be 0-32 - but it was hyperbole to say that this year's record will not deter my allegiance to this team and to what Coach Wardle is doing...
No matter what record in 2015-16 it will not bum me out as long as...
(and I stated it clearly....)
" .... the kids are playing hard & developing because then I'd know it's the period we have to go thru to get to success...."

We're going to struggle at times. but we probably won't lose to any DIII's!



Here's a success story I just heard today...a friend attended UNC Pembroke, a DII school in North Carolina.
Their previously solid basketball program hit on hard times about a decade ago and they had a horrible 7-8 year run...
In fact there was a 6-year span that they won only 25 games total! That included one season of 0-28 and two more with just 3 wins!
Finally they hit the nail on the head by hiring a former Barry Hinson/Missouri State guy who was also a Kansas assistant under Bill Self.
Ben Miller took over a horrible situation with zero talent - and won only 6 games his first year - but fans did not panic because they could see improvement.
Then he was a little better in year two, then in year 3 he won 18 games, and then better each year - with 25-6 this past season!

[Chico]

I wouldn't be happy with 0-32 if the kids are playing hard or not. Wouldn't deter my allegiance either. I've sat through many a disappointing season.

[basketball nut]

I wouldn't be happy with 0-32 if the kids are playing hard or not. Wouldn't deter my allegiance either. I've sat through many a disappointing season.

I really don't know a lot about these players that we brought in but if Coach is as good as he is suppose to be I would think there is some decent talent on the team this year. Saying that, I would be real disappointed if the team is 0-32 but I, really, think T was being tongue in cheek.
From some things I have heard I really think this team could pull off a surprise or 2 in the Valley and w/ the pre season schedule they have they should have built up some toughness as a group. I'm being cautious but really could see them winning more then 5 MVC games this year, but then again it all comes down to how fast they gel as a team.

[tornado]

I really don't know a lot about these players that we brought in but if Coach is as good as he is suppose to be I would think there is some decent talent on the team this year. Saying that, I would be real disappointed if the team is 0-32 but I, really, think T was being tongue in cheek.....

BUT I already see a BIG difference from the "rebuild" in 2011 compared to now....

I recall from 2012 thru 2014...
even tho we had just come off Bradley's WORST SEASON IN HISTORY...
a 25-loss debacle in which just about every example of bad play imaginable was seen repeatedly...
games where our guys just gave up and didn't bother to even try..
games where even the coach seemed to give up...
there were MULTIPLE 20, 30, and nearly 40 point blowouts -

and yet I can still recall certain fans saying this...
-this was JL's fault not Geno's, Geno deserves more time and MUST be allowed to get his own players, that this debacle was just a bottoming out and that we'd be far better in the next couple years...
...they touted "improvement" where it did NOT exist - we heard endlessly about how we were one of the MOST improved teams in the solar system but smart fans saw otherwise.

Well...of course we weren't better- the record was a tiny bit better when we softened the schedule with the likes of UTPA, IUPUI, Georgia Southern, UT-Martin, Mississippi Valley State, etc...
and of course we rode the talent of guess who...JL's players ...who accounted for five of the only six players who could score squat.

BUT the BIG noticeable factor was....
that the promise of better recruits, better players, better shooters, more hustle, better coaching - none of that ever came, the restocking every spring with talentless jucos and transfers, the lack of shooting ability & hustle, and it was obvious to all of us except those few "certain fans" who also ultimately gave up on Geno.
(man, am I glad that those "fans" were not part of the rebuild in 2015 - they still think JG was the best Prez ever)
Nope- I see a HUGE difference right off the bat - I am confident we will get there - I am willing to take some hits because we have so many freshmen -