Ray Brown

[bdrocr]

new players

look for the scholarship to go unused and look for the possibility of Ryan Thornton to come to BU next year and then have three years left

[dogsrus]

The bigger picture is Ray OBVIOUSLY has an addiction. He needs some serious help.

This has "only" cost him an education at this point. BU basketball will survive the loss of a player that hardly saw the court in 3 years.

Down the road it could cost him his career or his life.

The people that love Ray better do something quickly.

Pot is not a physicaly addicting drug, perhaps mentally addictive but even that is not very well documented. He probably does need some help and I hope he gets is. However I really have no sympothy for him.

RB doesn't need sympathy he needs help. Addicitve or not look at what its costing him. Its a "problem" at the very least and it could get MUCH worse.

[BradleyBrave]

The bigger picture is Ray OBVIOUSLY has an addiction. He needs some serious help.

This has "only" cost him an education at this point. BU basketball will survive the loss of a player that hardly saw the court in 3 years.

Down the road it could cost him his career or his life.

The people that love Ray better do something quickly.

Pot is not a physicaly addicting drug, perhaps mentally addictive but even that is not very well documented. He probably does need some help and I hope he gets is. However I really have no sympothy for him.

RB doesn't need sympathy he needs help. Addicitve or not look at what its costing him. Its a "problem" at the very least and it could get MUCH worse.

Help? What the heck has BU done with Ray for the past year? You can only help someone who wants to be helped. Obviously he didn't, and he made a fool out of everyone at BU that stuck up for him, from the staff to the athletic department to his sponsors in the scholarship society. Ray got more help than he probably ever deserved. Good riddance.

[Da Coach]

Some Bradley detractors may want to play up Bradley's "losses", suggesting that they significantly hurt Bradley's chances next year. But the significance of losing Ray Brown is probably minimal. I would have liked to see him have a chance to make a comeback, but I do not think Bradley will miss him on the court.

Here are the "losses" for Bradley this spring-
Dwight Buycks- hard to quantitate this one, but almost certainly a non-factor for next year. He likely would not have played much as a freshman, if at all.
Jeremy Fears- much was expected of him. Maybe a bit overhyped, as he was good at Ohio, but not spectacular. I have heard him described as a potential NBA talent, but also as "not a team player", and a bad outside shooter. He's another kid I would have liked to see play, but I think Jim Les has done a fantastic job recruiting talent for next year that will be an adequate replacement.
DeAaron Williams- Another one that everyone was anxious to see in a Bradley uniform. But, like Fears, he never scored a point for Bradley, and now never will. Again, I think the juco recruits will provide adequate talent to replace DW. Theron Wilson will surprise people. His numbers at a far higher level of play (High Div I juco vs. Div II) are substantially better than DW's.
Saihou Jassey- In 2 years at Bradley he played in a total of 9 games and 51 minutes (5.9 mpg), scored a total of 16 points, and averaged 1.8 ppg and 0.67 rpg, shot 23.8% overall, and 0% from three. Played only in garbage time. Bradley won't be hurt by this one.
Ray Brown- Also was at Bradley for 2 years. Played in 17 games in 2005-2006, also mostly in garbage time. Averaged 7.4 mpg, 1.8 ppg, and 1.1 rpg. Shot 29% overall, and 30% from three. I think he would have been better if he played next year, but probably would not have been a big factor next year.

The replacements have been well documented already. David Collins, Rashad Austin, Tyrone Cole-Scott, and Theron Wilson will all see a lot of minutes next year. The new guys all fill roles that Bradley really needed filled. The 4 losses (Jassey, Brown, Fears, Williams) are all similar types of players-- highly athletic, but not good shooters. Call me an optimist, but I like the trade off, and I think Bradley will be OK. This is a better "team" with these changes. This will also allow more playing time for the development of the freshmen.

[BradleyBrave]

Some Bradley detractors may want to play up Bradley's "losses", suggesting that they significantly hurt Bradley's chances next year. But the significance of losing Ray Brown is probably minimal. I would have liked to see him have a chance to make a comeback, but I do not think Bradley will miss him on the court.

Here are the "losses" for Bradley this spring-
Dwight Buycks- hard to quantitate this one, but almost certainly a non-factor for next year. He likely would not have played much as a freshman, if at all.
Jeremy Fears- much was expected of him. Maybe a bit overhyped, as he was good at Ohio, but not spectacular. I have heard him described as a potential NBA talent, but also as "not a team player", and a bad outside shooter. He's another kid I would have liked to see play, but I think Jim Les has done a fantastic job recruiting talent for next year that will be an adequate replacement.
DeAaron Williams- Another one that everyone was anxious to see in a Bradley uniform. But, like Fears, he never scored a point for Bradley, and now never will. Again, I think the juco recruits will provide adequate talent to replace DW. Theron Wilson will surprise people. His numbers at a far higher level of play (High Div I juco vs. Div II) are substantially better than DW's.
Saihou Jassey- In 2 years at Bradley he played in a total of 9 games and 51 minutes (5.9 mpg), scored a total of 16 points, and averaged 1.8 ppg and 0.67 rpg, shot 23.8% overall, and 0% from three. Played only in garbage time. Bradley won't be hurt by this one.
Ray Brown- Also was at Bradley for 2 years. Played in 17 games in 2005-2006, also mostly in garbage time. Averaged 7.4 mpg, 1.8 ppg, and 1.1 rpg. Shot 29% overall, and 30% from three. I think he would have been better if he played next year, but probably would not have been a big factor next year.

The replacements have been well documented already. David Collins, Rashad Austin, Tyrone Cole-Scott, and Theron Wilson will all see a lot of minutes next year. The new guys all fill roles that Bradley really needed filled. The 4 losses (Jassey, Brown, Fears, Williams) are all similar types of players-- highly athletic, but not good shooters. Call me an optimist, but I like the trade off, and I think Bradley will be OK. This is a better "team" with these changes. This will also allow more playing time for the development of the freshmen.

I agree with you 100% DC. I'm not worried. I think BU probably learned a lesson as far as bringing in transfers with baggage. Fortunately, we learned these lessons in April and May and not December and January. Personnel-wise, we're deeper, bigger, and more talented than last season. Last year was highly successful season. Next year should be too.

[Murph]

Some Bradley detractors may want to play up Bradley's "losses", suggesting that they significantly hurt Bradley's chances next year. But the significance of losing Ray Brown is probably minimal. I would have liked to see him have a chance to make a comeback, but I do not think Bradley will miss him on the court.

How can this hurt BU? The kid has been nothing but a disappointment since he set foot on campus, I say good riddance....

[audacious_aficionado]

it's hard to say that we'll miss him because we never really had him. he played garbage minutes as a freshman and hasn't played at all since. i, personally, liked the fact that he was a 6'6" guard and was apparently really good in high school. i thought he'd be a good option from the bench. it won't be a loss that effects our season very much.

i'm not sure if i want JL to sign another recruit this year to make it an 8 recruit class or if we should hold the scholarship for next year to make it 4 instead of 3. what do you guys think?

[Dubl R 1]

I say definitely hold the scholarship for next year. Hopefully we'll have Buycks(although my gut says no), Crawford(iffy at best), and West(verbal). If all three of these recruits come through, we need that extra scholarship to pursue Shumpert(Loooong Shot) and or Roth.

For a while, I was kind of down on Roth, but the more I think about it, the more I think every team needs that one sharpshooter to go along with the more athletic guys. Ryan Thorton may fill that role if he comes here though, not sure if a team needs two of those kinds of guys.

[real fan]

Crawford signed with B.U. because he and Ray were aau teamates so I would have to think he may change his mind but I am like Jim Les in that I only want players at Bradley that want to be here.

[Dubl R 1]

Yeah, I wondered about that. I knew Crawford and Brown were friends, I wonder if they share the same interests.

[BradleyBrave]

Crawford signed with B.U. because he and Ray were aau teamates so I would have to think he may change his mind but I am like Jim Les in that I only want players at Bradley that want to be here.

I don't think Xavier is coming here anymore, and quite frankly I am not sure I want anyone that associates with Ray Brown. I'd rather recruit kids where the staff's biggest worry is whether he'll develop into post threat instead of whether he's puffing the magic dragon.

[mexicobufan]

My problem with Roth is that he seems to using Bradley as a fall back option. For a local kid this bothers me.......I remember Jeremy coming out and saying he wanted to be at BU no matter who offered and thats why he verballed early. He could have waited for a better offer but he WANTED to be at BU. With Matt it seems like it is more of I could go to Bradley and it would be ok but I would love to be at Illinois!!!

[Da Coach]

But Mex, I wouldn't hold that against him. Many good HS kids (and even juco kids- like Rashad Austin, Charlie Coley, Wade Knapp) do this. They just want to get to the highest level to play.

[mexicobufan]

But what is the highest level? Bradley has proven it can play on the same stage as the big boys and Bradley is in his back yard. I dont hold it against him as much as I would be more excited about him if he was a little more passionate about coming to BU. He has every right to do what he is doing.........

[Stryker]

Maybe he isn't sure that he wants to go to school at Peoria so close to home. I know many kids that chose somewhere just because it was pretty far from home, and maybe Roth wants a more "real college experience" far away from where he grew up.