Bradley's 2018-19 Schedule

[tornado]

They have no basketball fan base, no fan website or message board, and draw one of the worst home averages in DI - only about 900 per game are reported but I suspect it's even way worse than that - LINK
so, they're probably thinking, let's not spend the money it would take to get rid of this guy.
...from what I can tell, he's on the final year of his current contract so they can make a new hire next year without even spending a cent on a buyout.

but get this....
they had one guy who took 516 shot attempts (tops in the conference by far) but they also finished 351st out of 351 DI teams in ASSISTS per game!!
What??? That is horrible coaching - just have one guy hog all the shots and nobody passes the ball?
Montgomery predicts that they will be better next year because that guy is coming back but I don't think so...

[64NIT]

Here's NIU's fan message board:

https://csnbbs.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=468

If NIU's athletic department did to the basketball team what was done to the football team by hiring Joe Novak, someone who turned the team around and, for the most part, it has stayed dominant, the basketball team would be a mid-major power. Instead, it just languishes. For some reason, no one cares about the basketball team.

[tornado]

Here's NIU's fan message board:....

I had found that but it is a combined FOOTBALL & all other sports-board...and not a lot of basketball content..
they need to get a bright young guy like they did 30 years ago with Molinari

[64NIT]

not a lot of basketball content..

Yep, probably a reflection of the state of the sport at NIU.

they need to get a bright young guy like they did 30 years ago with Molinari

What they need to do is get someone who has been a long-time assistant to an expert of the game. Someone of Bruce Weber's caliber comes to mind. He was an assistant to Gene Keady at Purdue for nearly 20 years. He went to SIU, had a winning season his first season with a patchwork of players, then started SIU on the best run in their history. Then he went to Illinois and took them to the Final Four. NIU needs to pick up someone like this on the cheap and he would need to be someone who would stay at NIU longer than two years, as did Molinari, who used the previous coach's players to go the NCAA tourney.

[Da Coach]

.....

What they need to do is get someone who has been a long-time assistant to an expert of the game. Someone of Bruce Weber's caliber comes to mind. He was an assistant to Gene Keady at Purdue for nearly 20 years. He went to SIU, had a winning season his first season with a patchwork of players, then started SIU on the best run in their history. Then he went to Illinois and took them to the Final Four. NIU needs to pick up someone like this on the cheap and he would need to be someone who would stay at NIU longer than two years, as did Molinari, who used the previous coach's players to go the NCAA tourney.

I think that is what they were hoping Mark Montgomery would be that guy when they hired him in 2011. He had been a top assistant under Tom Izzo at Michigan State for 9 years, came highly recommended, and was said by many to be an outstanding choice, with a great pedigree, and someone destined for success.

But it hasn't worked out for them. Montgomery has had only 1 winning season out of 7, and his record has gotten worse each of the last 2 years. And has never had a winning record in the MAC. He's never come close to an NCAA or NIT bid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Montgomery_(basketball)#Head_coaching_record

There can some times be a problem firing someone like Montgomery, who has powerful backers like Izzo. A similar thing happened a couple times over at Indiana State in the past when they had to fire Royce Waltman in 2007 and Tates Lock in 1994. Both had been closely associated with Bobby Knight, and Knight had a lot of power and influence in the state of Indiana. It probably hurt their recruiting after each guy was fired.

[it's boogie time]

It's too bad that a series with NIU isn't much of a possibility. All their eggs are into football. Otherwise, it would seem beneficial with the Amir & Armon connection and the location of DeKalb being a short tollroad away from many BU alumni & potential recruits in the SW suburbs.

[Mikovio]

I wouldn't say all their eggs are in football. The Convocation Center is a fairly nice, newish arena. MM was Tom Izzo's associate head coach and considered a good hire at the time; NIU paid him a good salary ($300k) to lure him. He just for various reasons can't get the job done and, unlike here at Bradley, there isn't the money to buy him out. But it's not like they're just running a shoestring program.

If SIU fires Hinson (ill-advisedly IMO), that might be a good candidate to interview assuming MM gets fired too.

[Da Coach]

The Cancun Challenge confirms that Bradley will host Jacksonville State at Carver Arena on Wednesday, November 14.

Bradley will open the Cancun Challenge at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya on November 20 against SMU at 6 PM Eastern (5 PM Central).
The they will play on November 21 against either Wright State or Penn State at either 6 PM Eastern (5 PM Central) or 8:30 PM Eastern (7:30 PM Central)-

https://www.cancunchallenge.net/news/tourney-officials-announce-eight-team-field-matchups-for-2018-mens-cancun-challenge

And note this part of the release from Bradley- Bradley seems to say that one additional game (in addition to the Jacksonville State game and the 2 games in Mexico) will be played in Peoria. That opponent has not yet been named (a team other than the remaining 3 Cancun Challenge travelling teams [Mayan Division] Southern Miss., North Florida, or Western Carolina).

"Bradley will play one additional game as part of the tournament against a team from outside the field of eight that is traveling to Cancun."

[Mikovio]

Looks good to me. Jacksonville St is decent enough and whoever this mystery opponent is can??™t be much worse than North Florida or Western Carolina. Southern Miss was bad last year but is on the way up, and my guess is they and BU just couldn??™t find a date that would work.

[tornado]

some of the Cancun games are certain now...

(Events in RED are confirmed & on the calendar)

Preseason:
Between July 9 - July 19, Bradley TBT team "Always a Brave" will be practicing & scrimmaging
Saturday July 21,2018 - #5 seed Always a Brave faces #12 seed Primetime Players at 7:15am Central time in Columbus OH Capital Center
If they win, they advance to play the winner between Big X & Chattanooga Trenches on Sunday July 22 at 4pm
The Super 16 will be July 26-29 in Atlanta at Georgia State University & Championship semifinals & final will be Aug. 2-3 in Baltimore at Morgan State University.

Sunday July 29 at 5pm - the final day of the last DI recruiting Evaluation Period
Tuesday July 31 - Saturday August 4, 2019 - FOREIGN TOUR to England & Netherlands, two games in London & Amsterdam

Tuesday September 25 - Basketball practices CAN begin but it depends on the date of the the first scheduled game.
Teams are allowed to begin practicing six weeks (42 days) before the date of their first scheduled game - LINK

WEDNESDAY October 17, 2018 - ISC "Smoker" at The Warehouse
ITOO Supper - yet to be scheduled
Red-White scrimmage - yet to be scheduled

SATURDAY October 27, 2018 at 5pm Bid for the Braves Auction @ the Renaissance Coliseum. (Halloween Costume party) - LINK

Non-Conference:
Season officially begins Tuesday November 6 - earlier than ever before - LINK - but like last year, not all teams will have games scheduled on that date

Wednesday November 14, 2018 - Bradley hosts Jacksonville State- Time TBD - they were one of the best teams in the OVC

Somewhere between Nov. 6 - Nov. 17, 2018 - we should be hosting Southern Miss or some other team as part of the Cancun Challenge
(Tuesday Nov. 6 is the earliest a DI team can begin their season)

Tuesday November 20, 2018 - Cancun Challenge - Bradley vs. SMU in Game 1 (confirmed) @ 6pm
Wednesday November 21, 2018 - then Bradley vs. either Penn State or Wright State in game 2 @ 6 or 8:30pm
Games played @ Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya Convention Center in Cancun
Bradley will also get one other non-conference home game TBD

November 28, 2018 - Wednesday Bradley @ IUPUI
November Tournament is being planned - details pending
-Home game vs. Chicago State (with probably another one in 2019)
-Home game vs. SEMO
-Home game vs. Eastern Illinois?* - *There is a report of a home game with EIU but I have never seen that confirmed as a 2-for-1
-Away game vs. Georgia Southern & maybe UALR
-reports of a November Tourney

-SATURDAY December 1, 2018 (time to be determined) Home game - MVC/MWC Challenge- New Mexico at Bradley


Conference:
-18 game Conference schedule then MVC Tournament in March 2019

[tornado]

updated with more details from European Tour


(Events in RED are confirmed & on the calendar)

Preseason:
Between July 9 - July 19, Bradley TBT team "Always a Brave" will be practicing & scrimmaging
Saturday July 21,2018 - #5 seed Always a Brave faces #12 seed Primetime Players at 7:15am Central time in Columbus OH Capital Center
If they win, they advance to play the winner between Big X & Chattanooga Trenches on Sunday July 22 at 4pm
The Super 16 will be July 26-29 in Atlanta at Georgia State University & Championship semifinals & final will be Aug. 2-3 in Baltimore at Morgan State University.

Sunday July 29 at 5pm - the final day of the last DI recruiting Evaluation Period

Sunday July 15, 2018 - Bradley begins a 2-week period in which they can have 10 practice days. They also get practices on their off days while on the tour.
Sunday July 29, 2018 - Team departs for London
Tuesday July 31, 2018 - 1st exhibition game against opponent from British Basketball League
Thursday August 2, 2018 - depart for Amsterdam
Friday August 3, 2018 - 2nd exhibition game against AMSTERDAM SELECT
Saturday August 4, 2018 - FOREIGN TOUR to England & Netherlands, two games in London & Amsterdam

Tuesday September 25 - Basketball practices CAN begin but it depends on the date of the the first scheduled game.
Teams are allowed to begin practicing six weeks (42 days) before the date of their first scheduled game - LINK

WEDNESDAY October 17, 2018 - ISC "Smoker" at The Warehouse
ITOO Supper - yet to be scheduled
Red-White scrimmage - yet to be scheduled

SATURDAY October 27, 2018 at 5pm Bid for the Braves Auction @ the Renaissance Coliseum. (Halloween Costume party) - LINK

Non-Conference:
Season officially begins Tuesday November 6 - earlier than ever before - LINK - but like last year, not all teams will have games scheduled on that date

Wednesday November 14, 2018 - Bradley hosts Jacksonville State- Time TBD - they were one of the best teams in the OVC

Somewhere between Nov. 6 - Nov. 17, 2018 - we should be hosting Southern Miss or some other team as part of the Cancun Challenge
(Tuesday Nov. 6 is the earliest a DI team can begin their season)

Tuesday November 20, 2018 - Cancun Challenge - Bradley vs. SMU in Game 1 (confirmed) @ 6pm
Wednesday November 21, 2018 - then Bradley vs. either Penn State or Wright State in game 2 @ 6 or 8:30pm
Games played @ Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya Convention Center in Cancun
Bradley will also get one other non-conference home game TBD

November 28, 2018 - Wednesday Bradley @ IUPUI
November Tournament is being planned - details pending
-Home game vs. Chicago State (with probably another one in 2019)
-Home game vs. SEMO
-Home game vs. Eastern Illinois?* - *There is a report of a home game with EIU but I have never seen that confirmed as a 2-for-1
-Away game vs. Georgia Southern & maybe UALR
-reports of a November Tourney

-SATURDAY December 1, 2018 (time to be determined) Home game - MVC/MWC Challenge- New Mexico at Bradley


Conference:
-18 game Conference schedule then MVC Tournament in March 2019

[The Old Guy]

Im looking forward to the BU/UNM game. I graduated from UNM in 1963 and my first exposure to BU basketball was in the 1964 NIT Tournament when UNM played Bradley, Despite the presence of Ira Harge in the middle and Bob King as UNM coach, BU behind Joe Strawder and LaVern Tart managed to beat the Lobos fairly easily. Little did I know at that time that in 1967 I would join the BU faculty and become an avid and long-time BU basketball fan.
Many Albuquerque Journal readers are disappointed with this scheduled game, claiming that UNM should be playing better teams. This is an opportunity for BU to repeat the 1964 game and show the Lobos that the Braves are a team on the way up. Go Braves!!!!!

[Chico]

Im looking forward to the BU/UNM game. I graduated from UNM in 1963 and my first exposure to BU basketball was in the 1964 NIT Tournament when UNM played Bradley, Despite the presence of Ira Harge in the middle and Bob King as UNM coach, BU behind Joe Strawder and LaVern Tart managed to beat the Lobos fairly easily. Little did I know at that time that in 1967 I would join the BU faculty and become an avid and long-time BU basketball fan.
Many Albuquerque Journal readers are disappointed with this scheduled game, claiming that UNM should be playing better teams. This is an opportunity for BU to repeat the 1964 game and show the Lobos that the Braves are a team on the way up. Go Braves!!!!!

It??™s a shame that teams think that way about a program that had so many glory years before certain people tore it apart. I remember that game.

[64NIT]

Im looking forward to the BU/UNM game. I graduated from UNM in 1963 and my first exposure to BU basketball was in the 1964 NIT Tournament when UNM played Bradley, Despite the presence of Ira Harge in the middle and Bob King as UNM coach, BU behind Joe Strawder and LaVern Tart managed to beat the Lobos fairly easily. Little did I know at that time that in 1967 I would join the BU faculty and become an avid and long-time BU basketball fan.
Many Albuquerque Journal readers are disappointed with this scheduled game, claiming that UNM should be playing better teams. This is an opportunity for BU to repeat the 1964 game and show the Lobos that the Braves are a team on the way up. Go Braves!!!!!

I remember that game and watching it on TV. I seem to remember BU taking UNM apart in the second half and running the floor as if BU was the only team on it. I became a full fledged BU hoops fan that season. I mean, look at my user name.

[BUBraves 33]

Schedule release

Hey guys, is there a date that the schedule is actually released? Or a time frame in which it is typically released officially? Should we expect any surprises on there or are we thinking we pretty much know the whole thing at this point?