Final score: Loyola 70 Bradley 50

[Vent]

I don't understand how at this point in the season we have absolutely no consistent player rotation in games. None. It is like every game is like a crap shot. We're getting beat worse in year two than a year ago and have a weaker schedule.

[KillerB]

I can understand why season ticket holders are frustrated and may choose not to renew. But I have seen glimmers. We won a road game this season. Some of these double digit losses were actually close games until the last few minutes. Teams have to learn how to win, especially young teams. Brown, a freshman, scored 30+ in a game and averages in double digits in scoring. Hodgson, another freshman, appears to be earning more PT running the offense and he has shown ability to hit the 3. Van Bree scored 20 in a game where he asserted himself. I think Bar could be serviceable in the middle. Of course there are the negatives. Brown and Hodgson have made countless horrible passes. Van Bree is horribly inconsistent and is maybe a 6th man at best. But I think these players at the very least should give you some hope the building blocks are starting to take shape.

But I really do not understand what many of you expected. The bottom line is there are no quick fixes. These first two years, and probably next year's as well, are all about trying to identify a player or two who will be "plus" valley players. If you get one or two a year, then by season 4 maybe you can start to really make things happen.

Remember our first year was basically an entire recruiting class of guys no one else wanted. This past class was based on only one year of recruiting. The next two years are the ones that you can truly hold the coach accountable for.

I expect next year to be rough as well, but with a well defined core of players starting to emerge and more glimmers of good things to come.

For those of you who keep calling for a JC fix, look no further than SIU. JC guys are for when you are ready to make a run and you can identify that one guy who might make the difference. They are not for building a program. They never have been and never will be.

Maybe I am being overly optimistic, but that's how I see it.

[carter]

Rotation

Vent,I totally agree with you on having a consistent rotation.Wardle gives these token starts to players and within 2 min he is subbing.He needs to take lessons from coaches like Greg Marshall and better yet Dana Altman,a fantastic coach

[lefty]

Vent,I totally agree with you on having a consistent rotation.Wardle gives these token starts to players and within 2 min he is subbing.He needs to take lessons from coaches like Greg Marshall and better yet Dana Altman,a fantastic coach

Pretty sure if he had their players he wouldn't be subbing in 2 minutes either

[carter]

Well Lefty,it's his job to find those players,that's the coaches job.If Greg Marshall can find them,we should be able to get them too.

[Chico]

Well Lefty,it's his job to find those players,that's the coaches job.If Greg Marshall can find them,we should be able to get them too.

Easier for him. Wichita don''t fire successful coaches and ruin a program.

[DeanMartin]

Well Lefty,it's his job to find those players,that's the coaches job.If Greg Marshall can find them,we should be able to get them too.

That's a fact Carter! I don't buy the excuses that others want to make about Wichita, ISU or any other team's coach in this league having a recruiting advantage over BU. We have an excellent academic institution to sell, great facilities, great tradition, former NBA stars, nice city, hungry fan base, etc...it shouldn't be hard to get top tier MVC level talent to BU. Maybe the head coach & his assistants could focus real hard on mastering in recruiting in the local area, the entire state of Illnois, and all of the bordering states that boarder Illinois; (Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kentucky, & Iowa), instead of traveling outside the US border, and bringing back inferior players from 5 or more continents that would be a great starting point. You can't tell me that we couldn't find better than what's been dragged across the US boarder right here! Some guys just have a much better set of eyes for identifying real basketball talent that will fit right in with the system they have or want to run. The great one's don't make or look for excuses, they just go outwork the others and get it done! That's what Versace & his staff did!

[lefty]

That's a fact Carter! I don't buy the excuses that others want to make about Wichita, ISU or any other team's coach in this league having a recruiting advantage over BU. We have an excellent academic institution to sell, great facilities, great tradition, former NBA stars, nice city, hungry fan base, etc...it shouldn't be hard to get top tier MVC level talent to BU. Maybe the head coach & his assistants could focus real hard on mastering in recruiting in the local area, the entire state of Illnois, and all of the bordering states that boarder Illinois; (Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kentucky, & Iowa), instead of traveling outside the US border, and bringing back inferior players from 5 or more continents that would be a great starting point. You can't tell me that we couldn't find better than what's been dragged across the US boarder right here! Some guys just have a much better set of eyes for identifying real basketball talent that will fit right in with the system they have or want to run. The great one's don't make or look for excuses, they just go outwork the others and get it done! That's what Versace & his staff did!

I guess I don't understand what you expect.....I've heard from some on this board that it is hard to get top level to BU....grade requirements as well as some degree offerings I've read as reasons.
You don't like going overseas for players but yet lots of teams have done and had some success. I think starting after the season is over and expect to recruit a bunch of great players(local or otherwise) isn't realistic....We aren't a high power that can go land a top kid at the last minute...it's just not going to happen.
I have no idea how Altman or Marshall handled their teams the first two years.....neither started from scratch though. Marshall took over for Turgeon who went to Texas A&M after a 17 win season and 3 20 win seasons before that.....heck even Versace won only 9 games his first year after Stowell was 14-14 the year before.......like it or not it takes time. I have no idea if Wardle will do good or not. I'd like to think he will. I'm sure Reynolds thinks he will...but I think you have give him 4 years to see.


We didn't get into being a poor basketball program overnite and we won't get out of it overnite either

[BRADLEY FAN 49]

I've made a few negative comments myself this year and in the past.

I realize this board is just peoples opinions, but I would like to see a little
background on people making comments to know how much belief to put in their comments.

I've been going to Bradley games for 56 years now, I don't claim to be anything
resembling a basketball coach.
I was a season ticket holder until Jim Les was fired.
I played high school basketball.
I go and watch a lot of high school games in the Peoria area.

[pfcmsh]

About Me

I only played basketball in grade school and at the park
I lack knowledge as a coach or as real player
I've been following Bradley from 3 hours away any way that I could, This includes having people video tape games for me, subscribing to the PJS, purchasing press guides, listening to barley discernable am radio (non internet) and recently WMBD internet
This forum is fabulous compared to other methods of following
I've been to Bradley games at Robertson and Carver
I am not a season ticket holder, but I am considering it
I know the rules
I am very proud of Bradley basketball and want them to return to being a top mid major program

[Da Coach]

Been a basketball junkie since high school, and got hooked on Bradley basketball as a student in the mid-Joe Stowell years. I've been to almost every home game since 1967, and to hundreds of road games all over the country and even some out of the country.
I have gotten to know all the past Bradley coaches in my time and many of the players and still keep in touch with and count some of them as friends.
I have a huge collection of Bradley memorabilia, and I have every yearbook or media guide since the late 1940's.
I am not a coach, despite my screen name (which was created many years ago as an homage to Coach Versace), but I think I know enough to have opinions. Don't we all?

In case some don't know, I started BradleyFans.com despite knowing nothing more about computers than how to turn one on and off. I had absolutely no knowledge of programming, domain registration, website creating, web hosting, website administration, databases, software, updates, writing code, etc., and despite the fact that buying server space and software, and hiring website designers back then were quite expensive (it is cheap now). Bradley was the only MVC school at that time without a dedicated fan website, so I learned what I needed to and put it online in January, 2005. Other than a few software updates, and the addition of ads a couple years ago once everyone was using high-speed broadband and we felt ads wouldn't slow things down, it's pretty much the same, except for a lot more traffic. It's been fun!

[Bradleyfan1]

I'm 33 and wanna coach . Love hoops . My heart is with BU because at age 5 my grandmother and grandfather started taking me when I was 5 had season tickets for years. Been on road trips put together by Ken Goldin and co, such as Terre haute against the sycs with a lunch at Larry Birds place. To Hawaii for a ofer trip, road the wave to auburn hills for the wins against Pitt and Kansas made the trip to Oakland to lose to Memphis. I saw us take Izzo nitezel and co to the brink in Peoria. I saw deons espy nominee. I started with Mo. he was coach when I first started goin.I consider myself a student of the game. Playing wise my biggest accolade would be a 2nd place finisher in the Macker. Cut from the 8th grade team so that's far as it goes with it n common with Jordan lol. I love the Bradley basketball program probably more than I should. I know the game , the city and surrounding cities. Been in sales most my life. With some labor work scattered here and there. I have a wife and 4 kids. Future braves of course . Last but not least In Wardle I Trust. My fav coach of ours. Les. Fav Player Cellus barely over Crouch and Warren and Roberson.

[Prexy IX]

Final score: Loyola 70; Bradley 50

I've never played organized basketball, but I have hired two Division 1 basketball coaches--both of whom were named, "Jim". The first Jim took his University to the first three NCAA Tournaments in its history. Jim number two took his University to the NCAA Sweet 16.