Next year

[Big Mike]

To me the quickest way to replace TB, MS, & LW is to stay with JUCO's! I know that a lot of folks do not like this route but the way JL and staff bring in JUCO's who can contribute right away and play compared to bringing in a freshman who will be in shock for a year or 2 (unless we get someone above the kids who normally wouldn't consider Bradley) the way things have been! WF is a player....ZA is a player....I totally trust the coach's on the JUCO player's! Get PO'B (who I think is coming back) some beef inside to help out and another atheletic forward and we're back in business! What do you think will happen to the last 2 rides?

[brebeuf06]

YOu vastly underestimate Andrew Warren. Take it for what you will and you may think I am a "homer" but Andrew will be earning major minutes for you guys next year. He is an extremely hard worker and will do his best to help the program. I find it interesting some seem to have forgotten about him when discussing your teams prospects next year recently.

[MacabreMob]

I haven't forgotten. I look forward to AW. I have reminded a few fans I know about him.

But on the flip side, I guess we are a little cautious. We want "instant coffee". Ray Brown was supposed to be out of this world. Now, it is too bad we didn't redshirt him. And there have been rumours of him transferring.

Bradley needed a deadly 3pt shooter all season this year. And not just a 3pt'er, but a flat out SHOOTER!

I hope AW is the man.

Otherwise, go the JC route and get us a shooter. In fact, I think Coach Corn has one that might fit for us.

[Big Mike]

B...........in the above post.......I'm talking about the last 2 rides the Braves have to offer next year.......with AW & XC already being true freshman I think we need to bring in some Juco help......that's not saying anything bad about anybody ...but if you follow D1 ball very close you'll find it's rare for a true freshman to give big minutes to a program...or in other words it's not the norm....everybody the Braves recruit can play good H/S ball..........they have had 4 years to become the player they are.....but so much more enters the college game....for 1 classes are a lot harder.......you no longer live at home........you are given so many choices that do not present themselves in your natural surroundings that hit you in college. Now add in that the ball is that much harder to play....I guess I mean more of a business! That's a lot to take in when your 18 or 19 years old! It effects everyone different...that's why I think bringing in 4 freshman at this point is not the best thing to do! This is no-knock against any one player but as a whole....I do not put any added pressure on the incoming kids until I see how they handle the whole scene!

Prime example is Ray Brown from Minn.....he was in the running for Mr. Basketball and yet has had to learn the D1 game......and I think next year he will break out......to me it's unfair to think or put heavy pressure on a freshman......if one does produce right away it's a Big Bonus!

[tornado]

We need a big time shooter, and I'd love to see Lance Stemler come back to Bradley.
Lance and his team play for 5th place at the Division I NJCAA Finals today vs. Howard College, who won yesterday over Arizona Western 72-49.

There are still many unsigned seniors around the state such as TJ Marion, Patrick Beverley, Thijin Moses, Blake Mishler, Ryan Thornton, and Billy Rush.

[bu fan 9]

We can do a lot better than Stemler he is lost at the next level. He is way to slow to play defense the speed of the game is to fast for him shoot.He could not even beat Crouch out last year and Crouch can't get much time this year so way would we want to take 2 steps bakwords?What you have to remember is that there is not much defense being played at the JUCO level so the numbers are kind of misleading.

[it's boogie time]

I like the mixure of jucos and 4 year recruits. Bradley has 3 guys that will have 4 years (XC,AW & Jassey), so I could see the last two rides going to jucos.

Bradley basketball finally has an identity with the pressure defense away from the basket. I don't think Stemler fits into that plan.

[BuBraves55]

just a question- is d.a. done?

[SFP]

I thought DA had one more year but is schedule to graduate this year and without a scholarship why pay to play!

[tornado]

I thought DA had one more year but is schedule to graduate this year and without a scholarship why pay to play!

I Jim Les does not find anyone to give one of the two remaining scholarships for this fall to (3 if anyone leaves), then come Sept., he might just use it to keep DA around for another year.

[Big Mike]

How long will it take to get another verbal for the Braves? I was thinking with all the positive attention the program has recieved lately that someone might be stepping up real soon as not to be left out? Or will the staff be up-grading on some players they might not have had a shot with before the tourney? What does everyone think? Isn't the next signing period coming up in April?

[MacabreMob]

I think the ace in the hole for our recruiting is J Les and the fact that this is his 'destination job'. He will NOT be leaving for a BCS program. Being the 'closing the deal' recruiter that he is, his longevity at BU will sell along with the success we had this year (and hopefully years to come).

So my next question is... actually 2 questions:
A) What is the extension to his contract and when will it be announced?
B) Following A, who are the 'big donators' and when do they break ground on a new on-campus arena?

[dogsrus]

For anyone "worried" about Brown read todays PJS. Says he was one of the first to contact JL about this years individual workouts assignments for next year.....

Good for Ray..

[TheHeemyMonster]

As of now here is what we have for all the positions next year

4/5 - POB/Andrews/Singh/XC/Jassey
2/3 - Tauai/Ray Brown/ Crouch/Andrew Warren
1 - Ruffin/Franklin

with 2 scholarships to give out, what kind of positions should we go for??

IMO i still think we could use one more big man. POB's future is up in the air for next year even though i still think he will be around for at least one year but you never know. Andrews isnt much of a scoring threat, and i think he is best used off the bench. Singh could be huge in the next few years, however, his injury problems worry me and im not sure if he could be a legitmate scoring threat either. XC ive heard mixed things from him not being ready to play next year, to him possibly being another POB in the future. Finally Jassey, no one really knows what this can do either. Ive heard he has improved a lot of his skills but im not really sure if he can contribute. Im hoping he can fit the Lawrence Wright hole we have next year but hes questionable as well for me as of now. For all these reasons I would think 1 more big man wouldnt be a bad idea especiallly since I could see POB and obviouisly Andrews be gone after next year.

I do think getting 2 big men would be a huge mistake. We obviously need another outside scorer that can hit a 3 consistantly to take the pressure off POB. Hopefully Ray can develop, and Crouch can come back to his freshman days. I think Andrew Warren, from what Ive been hearing, could be this guy so hopefully he will. JC's future is still in somewhat in question as well so we might not be that deep in the 3 point scorer as I would hope

A PG right now seems out of the question to me. We have 2 very solid PG's, and after Will leaves next year, we have Sam to take over Ruffins back up for another year. We need to wait at least one year if not 2 (depending on Ruffins eligibility) to attain another PG IMO

If im Jim Les, I go for another scoring threat big man and a deadly 3 pt shooter that Bradley has been lacking for a few years.

[it's boogie time]

I was hoping Ray Brown would play a little bit more during the year, but I wasn't that surprised. From seeing him play a couple times at the RiverPlex, it looked like he needed to improve his game. That crossover dribble wasn't going to work against the guards in the Valley. He has the talent, he just needs to put in all together. There's a spot open at that wing position if he is willing to put in the work.