All-Conference Picks

[Braveman]

Here is what preseason list was...

Nate Funk - CU
Jamaal Tatum-SIU
Tony Young- SIU
Anthony Tolliver- CU
Blake Ahearn- MSU
Grant Stout- UNI

Honorable Mention- PJ Cousinard & Kyle WIlson- WSU

Preseason POY- Nate Funk

What changes would you make?

My picks would be:

Nate Funk, Will Franklin, Blake Ahearn, Jamaal Tatum and either Ajay Calvin or Randal Falker as first teamers...

Danny Ruffin, Grant Stout, Kyle Wilson, Tony Young & Tolliver as second teamers

[Da Coach]

I would agree with 9 of your 10. I would leave Tony Young off. Other than playing well against Bradley, he has not had as good a year as he did as a sophomore. I think I'd put Matt Webster on the 2nd team in his place.

[RyanP]

I agree I would take Funk as POY

[collegehoopjunkie]

I agree that Funk will be the POY but only because I am convinced that those who vote have already made up their minds. I pesonally would vote for Tatum ahead of Funk, and I recall this post detailing how Funk gets to pad his scoring stats by playing right to the end of 20 point blowouts, and was even still launching 3-pointers with a 24 point lead and only 2 minutes to go.

http://www.bradleyfans.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=5264

[DannyCooksey]

Funk or Falker for POY

[ceflentroy]

All Conference and POY

I agree with your first and second team picks, with the exception of (2) things. First, if you can't decide on the first team between Falker or Calvin, then which ever one you chose for first team, the other one should automatically go to the second team. Second, that should leave Tony Young completely out the fold. As it relates to POY, and I know this will sound a bit bias, but Will would be my POY, simply because in the beginning Bradley was pick to finish at the very bottom or close to it, because we lost so much talent, as they say from last year. I definitely agree that we lost a lot of talent, but I never agree with the fact that we would not contend to go as far as we did last year, because I recognize talent and I knew if we played hard and together, we would put ourselves in contention to go just as far, if not farther this year. With that said, Will has been the most consistent player, night in and night out throughout the season for the Braves. Please respond!

[tornado]

Yes..I will respond.
I feel Will should be considered as a top candidate for POY.

He appears at the top of MORE statistical categories than anyone else.

How many times has Will made the play at the end of a game that wins it for BU?

Will is certainly a 1st team All Conference, but I think he's the most valuable in the league.
Creighton won even without Funk, SIU won without Tatum, but I wonder how BU would do without Will!

[Da Coach]

CE- I would pick Will for my POY, and I am sure he will be first team All MVC. But the people doing the picking are the coaches and the media representatives from each of the 10 cities. They have a tendency to pick the player who was the favorite (Funk), or the best player from the #1 team (Falker or Tatum).
So I wouldn't be disappointed if Will didn't get POY, because I know how it works. But IMO, there has not been a better player with more consistency, and clutch play than Will. No wonder he was the one to take the last shot last night!

Let me ask you this CE- did you anticipate that Will would turn out this good for Bradley this year? I have to admit I am surprised a little at how well he's playing. But it couldn't happen to a nicer kid!

[amckillip]

As much as I hate to say it, I understand the arguement for Will, but man, Funk looked like he was a level above our team when Creighton came to Carver. Seriously, Funk's got ice in his vanes as well, I don't think he ever misses a crucial free throw.(A second from Will last night would have given us more breathing room). Will, by no doubt should be first team All MVC, but trying to be objective, I think I may have to cast my vote for Funk.

[Braveman]

In the 15 categories that the MVC keeps for individual stats, Will can be found in the Top Ten of 8 of them... the next closest players are Tatum & Falker from SIU and AJ Calvin with 5.. Funk appears in only 3!

Will is 3rd in scoring, 9th in FT%, 6th in 3pt%, 7th in assists, 6th in steals, 2nd in minutes played and 5th in Assist/Turnover ratio!

All from a kid who averaged less than half as many points last year....

[amckillip]

This conversation brings up an interesting point, to me at least. To do you guys distinguish between MVP and POY, I guess using my definition Will probably would be the leader for POY, and Funk For MVP. I guess when I think about the two, POY is much more stat driven and more depends on tangible quantities. However and MVP to me is someone who has good stats but really bring the intangibles to the table. For as good a Will is, I can't say he is the leader of our team -- I still think that title goes to DRuff. For that reason, I would say Will has a strong case for POY, but if it was MVP I think it has to be Funk.

[tornado]

In the 15 categories that the MVC keeps for individual stats, Will can be found in the Top Ten of 8 of them... the next closest players are Tatum & Falker from SIU and AJ Calvin with 5.. Funk appears in only 3!

I beg to differ....

Daniel Ruffin appears in the Top 10 of SIX categories,
(scoring, assists, steals (#1), 3-pt FG made, Assists to Turnovers, and minutes played)

Crouch also appears in five (scoring, FT%, Steals, 3-pt FG%, 3-pt FG Made) and Zach appears in four.

[ceflentroy]

Da Coach

Da Coach, please do not take me as a parent who thinks that their kid is something that he really isn't. I am not that kind of person, and anyone who knows me, knows that I call a spade a spade. If Will was not as good as he is, I would be the first to tell him and other, simply because I believe in honesty. With that said, not only am I not surprised, but I know without a doubt that Will, given the opportunity would do the same thing for any team in this country. So, again to answer your question straight out, no I am not surprised at all. Will has had to travel the long way around to get to DI basketball via Junior College, because he did not get playing time in high school until his senior year. The coach that coached him his sophmore and jr. year for some reason never played Will. It was very hard to deal with knowing that Will was the best player on the team, especially his jr. year. Since that time that same coach has commented that out of his 30 plus years of coaching, Will may have been his biggest coaching mistake. Coach Les, recruited Will as simply a backup to Daniel; therefore, he did not recognize the qualities of Will either. Will continue to be overlooked by the so called pundits. I forget who it was earlier this year that posted a thread that read Will continues to be the Rodney Dangerfield of the basketball world.

[tornado]

CE-
some see how good Will is, and some also see the quality of young man that he is.
I really love Will, and enjoy hearing hm speak and seeing hm interact with the kids well before the game during the shotaround.
He will be missed when he's gone, that's for sure.

[Braveman]

In the 15 categories that the MVC keeps for individual stats, Will can be found in the Top Ten of 8 of them... the next closest players are Tatum & Falker from SIU and AJ Calvin with 5.. Funk appears in only 3!

I beg to differ....

Daniel Ruffin appears in the Top 10 of SIX categories,
(scoring, assists, steals (#1), 3-pt FG made, Assists to Turnovers, and minutes played)

Crouch also appears in five (scoring, FT%, Steals, 3-pt FG%, 3-pt FG Made) and Zach appears in four.

And I differ back... according to stats as of this morning. DRuff, Zach and JC weren't mentioned because I was using the preseason list compared to my picks now...