UNI 79 BU 70--Post game thoughts?

[MacabreMob]

I'd also like to complain about all the timeouts in short sequence with each other. You simply can't get in a rhythm having 3 or 4 timeouts within 2 minutes of game play with about 5 minutes left to play.

Jason

Jason - I agree with you and know what you are referring to.

But maybe just for an explanation.

While approaching the 4 minute mark, and Bradley trying to rally, looking worn out and frustrated, Coach Les took a time-out and used his Full TO (60 secs). Then, not much longer, at the 1st dead ball under 4 minutes (I think it was like 3:56), the Media TO is taken (which last like 2:15). Then some time ran off the clock before Bradley FINALLY scored (JJ hit a 3, I think) and Coach Les took a 30 sec time-out.

[ER3]

Not that it had anything to do with the outcome...but that was the worst turnout for a conference home game that I have seen in a while. Students? It looked like an "end of the Molinari era" student section tonight...maybe 80-100 students at the most...and empty seats all around the place. An embarrassing, awful turnout for a team that deserved much better than this after winning a big game on the road this weekend.
And here's an idea, Paul Herzog...if the team you're announcing for gets themselves into a position where they may be considered for an at large bid for the tourney...just shut your stupid mouth about it. Don't bluther on and on about how Bradley is "now on the bubble for an NCAA Tourney bid because of their win at VCU on Saturday night"...and "they made the tourney last year and if they make it this year it will be the first time since when that a BU team made the NCAA tourney in consecutive years?"....here's an idea...just shut up, Paul...because they will never make it to the NCAA Tourney again if you continue to bring this crap up in the middle of important basketball games...this "Bubble Talk" is not meant to be conducted over the 1.21 jigowatt sound system in Carver Arena during a Bradley game...just shut up and let BU win the games and then Seth Davis, Digger Phelps, and Jat Bilas can wow us with the nuances of the NCAA bubble...maybe I'm just superstitious, but as soon as I heard him talking about 'the bubble' during this game, I knew our bubble was going to burst...just like when he pointed out that BU has not lost to Tulsa in the last x meetings before a BU-Tulsa game...and then BU proceeded to get monkey-stomped at home...just like every time he starts talking about BU's RPI and the MVC's RPI before a game...Just stop, Paul...it isn't what we want to hear.

[Scouter]

Not that it had anything to do with the outcome...but that was the worst turnout for a conference home game that I have seen in a while. Students? It looked like an "end of the Molinari era" student section tonight...maybe 80-100 students at the most...and empty seats all around the place. An embarrassing, awful turnout for a team that deserved much better than this after winning a big game on the road this weekend.
And here's an idea, Paul Herzog...if the team you're announcing for gets themselves into a position where they may be considered for an at large bid for the tourney...just shut your stupid mouth about it. Don't bluther on and on about how Bradley is "now on the bubble for an NCAA Tourney bid because of their win at VCU on Saturday night"...and "they made the tourney last year and if they make it this year it will be the first time since when that a BU team made the NCAA tourney in consecutive years?"....here's an idea...just shut up, Paul...because they will never make it to the NCAA Tourney again if you continue to bring this crap up in the middle of important basketball games...this "Bubble Talk" is not meant to be conducted over the 1.21 jigowatt sound system in Carver Arena during a Bradley game...just shut up and let BU win the games and then Seth Davis, Digger Phelps, and Jat Bilas can wow us with the nuances of the NCAA bubble...maybe I'm just superstitious, but as soon as I heard him talking about 'the bubble' during this game, I knew our bubble was going to burst...just like when he pointed out that BU has not lost to Tulsa in the last x meetings before a BU-Tulsa game...and then BU proceeded to get monkey-stomped at home...just like every time he starts talking about BU's RPI and the MVC's RPI before a game...Just stop, Paul...it isn't what we want to hear.

I hope you can sleep better now.

I'm superstitious too, but I don't think PH announcing that during the game had any affect on the outcome. And if you honestly believe that, you've got some serious issues. As for Seth, Digger and Jay being the only ones who should talk about being "on the bubble," you obviously weren't on this board between Saturday and tonight.

I will agree that the student section (and rest of the crowd for that matter) was pretty disappointing. After all the excitement from Saturday, we get a slimmed down student section and barely more than 9K total? That's unbelievable. I guess everyone was out for dinner on Fat Tuesday.

[jasonpeoria911]

Good lord, I just saw the box score on yahoo. Absolutely the worse defensive outing of the year. Not the most points given up on the year but the tempo was slowed down a little. Bradleys offense was actually about its norm, it just all came in the first half. However BU's D was horrible the whole game. Allowing 63% FG and 80% for 3 pointers. Thats just unbelievable. Only 3 forced TO's as well when they normally average 10-15 forced TO's a game. Got outrebounded by 10 but hard to get many rebounds when other team is getting a ton of open shots and making them. Maybe Les was so worried about stopping the big men that he couldn't get the crew to adjust enough during mid game? I want another rematch with NIU down in STL, BU can take them there and blow them out by 20....hopefully lol.

Jason

[BU Bill]

Here are the Journal Star articles for today

http://pjstar.com/stories/022107/BRA_BCEOLAN5.077.php

http://pjstar.com/stories/022107/KIR_BCEOLC98.077.php

[ser_solace]

A disappointing loss. I agree about the home crowd. Maybe because I was in the rafters, but the crowd was hardly cheering on the team at all. I was pretty much the only one screaming, "defense," and such along with the cheerleaders.

Let's end this regular season on a high note, BU, and take down Indiana State! Hopefully the crowd will be better then.

[it's boogie time]

Bradley didn't seem to mix up the defenses against UNI. They gave them the same look most of the game.

Jeremy didn't many touches in the first half and Will is in a funk at the moment.

[OrangeandBlack74]

Bradley didn't seem to mix up the defenses against UNI. They gave them the same look most of the game.

I agree with your comment about the defense. It was apparent in the 2nd half that UNI was successful in spreading the floor and controlling tempo by running the shot clock down against BU's man-to-man. I think JL should have switched to a zone, which would have prevented the dribble-penetration to the basket that UNI was using so effectively.

Shooting a higher percentage would have helped too!

[Dallas Brave]

Bradley didn't seem to mix up the defenses against UNI. They gave them the same look most of the game.

I agree with your comment about the defense. It was apparent in the 2nd half that UNI was successful in spreading the floor and controlling tempo by running the shot clock down against BU's man-to-man. I think JL should have switched to a zone, which would have prevented the dribble-penetration to the basket that UNI was using so effectively.

Shooting a higher percentage would have helped too!

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your perspective), I didn't have a chance to watch the game. I'm surprised and disappointed to hear BU went man-to-man on D. While these guys hustle their buttss off, they just do not match up well man-to-man against anyone. The zone D has proven to be a key success factor for this year's team, especially for keeping Zach out of foul toruble.

I love JL, but I do have to question whether or not he had the team ready to play a pi$$ed-off UNI team that got beat badly on national television.

[real fan]

I missed the game because of the flu also; first of all what does it take to get 10000 fans to show up as this team has been fun to watch; I was dissappointed in the loss but it has been a great season and a win sat. night puts us in 4th place which is 4 places better then predicted; N. Iowa is a huge matchup problem for us because we cannot stop coleman or stout unless we double up on them which gives them a wide open shot from the outside; I believe we will have similiar problems next season if we cannot find a center that can defend and rebound and you can"t count on freshmen to do this against the likes of a Coleman or a Falker.

[tornado]

BU just ran into a team last night that hit well both inside and outside.
It happens, and when it does, you're just going to lose some of 'em.


ISU played well down at Redbird arena a couple weeks ago, but we did the same thing to them and beat them with great , timely shooting.

It isn't going to hapen often, and I welcome a chance to play them again...

[BUBraves2006]

It definitely was just one of those games ...

I was listening to the game again and noticed some little things that occurred.

How often does a team that scores as easily as we do go on two long scoring droughts for over 8 minutes? (From 14:30 to 11:11 as well from 8:02 to 2:13). That just doesn't happen too often.

The reason behind that was a complete inability to make any shots. We hit 4 of our first 7 shots in the second half. That means over the course of the last 16 minutes of the game, we made only 23.% of our shots (5 of 21).

We only scored 8 points from the 12 minute mark to the two-minute mark. Sometimes, they just don't fall.

Let's also remember that UNI is a good team! So is the rest of the Valley...every team has had a ton of games that they've left their head shaking how a good team lost to a bottom-feeder or vice versa.

Indiana State should be really afraid for Saturday!

[Bravesfan]

It definitely was just one of those games ...

I was listening to the game again and noticed some little things that occurred.

How often does a team that scores as easily as we do go on two long scoring droughts for over 8 minutes? (From 14:30 to 11:11 as well from 8:02 to 2:13). That just doesn't happen too often.

The reason behind that was a complete inability to make any shots. We hit 4 of our first 7 shots in the second half. That means over the course of the last 16 minutes of the game, we made only 23.% of our shots (5 of 21).

We only scored 8 points from the 12 minute mark to the two-minute mark. Sometimes, they just don't fall.

Let's also remember that UNI is a good team! So is the rest of the Valley...every team has had a ton of games that they've left their head shaking how a good team lost to a bottom-feeder or vice versa.

Indiana State should be really afraid for Saturday!

Yup, UNI is a good team that has underachieved a bit this year. But they may have played their way back into NIT contention with this win.

And yes, Indiana St will not pull the upset this Saturday! That's guaranteed!

[Bravesfan]

BU just ran into a team last night that hit well both inside and outside.
It happens, and when it does, you're just going to lose some of 'em.


ISU played well down at Redbird arena a couple weeks ago, but we did the same thing to them and beat them with great , timely shooting.

It isn't going to hapen often, and I welcome a chance to play them again...

Ditto from me. It happens. But it's still amazing to read some of these posters who think that the team just decided not to show up last night, or that Les did a poor coaching job! Puhleeze!

Bradley is probably a step below the league leaders in terms of talent, but only because they lost so much from last year's Sweet Sixteen team, and they therefore lack depth. But the fact that they are at least NIT bound is a testament to the coaching staff and the effort the players have shown all year. I highly doubt that they "decided" to take a day off last night. They are too experienced a team to downplay a game like this. They just ran into a buzzsaw last night, a very good team that has unperformed at times, but still very experienced up front. Those things happen, but Bradley will be okay. They can still make a run in the Valley tournament, and/or whatever postseason tourney they play in. Either way, everyone should be very proud of this team!

[TheHeemyMonster]

we were also waaaaay out of control the last 5 minutes of the game... it was one shot and done and the one shots were just AWFUL.... all around by will, jeremy and daniel.... JL has to coach this team better at teh end of the games and make sure the get a good look. .... He did call a few TO's at the end but still never got a good look at the basket...

I guess you have to credit UNI for their defense.... I dont know why but we dont match up with them well for some reason...

I completely disagree. This was not Jim Les' fault. BU called a timeout when the game was still within reach, ran a play that set a couple screens for Crouch and he drove to the hoop and had a wide open shot from the free throw line and clanked it. Adams missed some open threes, Franklin bricked a few open shots...

Agreed! Jim Les does not shoot the baskets or set the screens. He calls the plays, and they were good calls. The ball would just not go through the hoop tonight.

The last thing we want this to become is Valleytalk part two, with the "let's fire Jim Les" thread!

We just have to put this one behind us, and absolutely, unequivically get this last game against Indiana St to at least gurantee a home NIT game or two, and to give us momentum heading into the Valley tournament.

we did NOT get as many open looks as you think. I can think of plenty of bad shots we had in the last 5 mins of the game. I am not blaming it on JL that much if any, but crouch ruffin and franklin all took shots in the end with guys right in their faces and never looked to shoot besides a 3 on 75% of the hots at the end of the game and NEVER got the ball inside to Zach when he was having a great game down low