its only the opener guys....

[Guinness]

relax....we'll be ok 8-)

[Chico]

Wow, aren't you everbody's hero.

[Murph]

I'm not worried, this team has some very good players on it they just need to learn how to play together.

[Big Mike]

Let's hope the nerves can calm down for the home opener..........and please can we get more minutes for DC?

[bu fan 9]

I am worried because I don't see our defense getting any better at all.

[ser_solace]

Yeah, while I'm disappointed we lost, I agree that there's a lot of basketball to play. I think the team and coaching staff will work through these issues. The only thing I hope doesn't happen is that everyone on the team doesn't lose confidence and remain positive. I guess that's where the senior leadership on the team is supposed to come to play.

[Dallas Brave]

While losing the opener is disappointing, it certainily isn't a reason to sound any death knells. This loss stings the fans more than other games, but it is still just one game in the season and we all realize that the team is not going to go undefeated.

What's most important is how the players and the coaches react to the loss. Do they adjust and come out better prepared with determination for the next opponent or do they succumb to finger-pointing and begin a downward spiral. I think this team will be fine.

[real fan]

There is a reason to be concerned as our defense has been terrible in the 3 games I have seen; UIC shot the ball so well because they were wide open shots; we did not improve from the St. Ambrose game to the Quincy game to last nights game so I believe we should be concerned as there are a lot better teams in the valley then UIC.

[BU ICEMAN]

relax....we'll be ok 8-)

When we're on the bubble and it says "Bad Losses: UIC" make sure you tell yourself to relax.

Now we have to rely on UIC to somehow pull a BU and come off of an 8th place preseason pick to the top of the Horizon to erase that.

[Bravesfan]

Wow, aren't you everbody's hero.

That response is typical of the panic ensuing on these boards after this one game.

Everyone please relax! The season is not over yet!

[Bravesfan]

When we're on the bubble and it says "Bad Losses: UIC" make sure you tell yourself to relax.

Now we have to rely on UIC to somehow pull a BU and come off of an 8th place preseason pick to the top of the Horizon to erase that.

I think not getting quality wins against good teams hurts more than an occasional bad loss, which EVERY great team has (Duke and Florida included) within the course of a season. Just ask Bradley, Drexel and Missouri St last year. They all had good records, but had very few wins combined against the elite part of their respective conferences. That hurt them more than a bad loss or two. Just ask the NCAA tournament committee.

[BradleyBrave]

When we're on the bubble and it says "Bad Losses: UIC" make sure you tell yourself to relax.

Now we have to rely on UIC to somehow pull a BU and come off of an 8th place preseason pick to the top of the Horizon to erase that.

Dude...come off the ledge. Bad losses in February are a lot less tolerable than bad losses in November. Should we cancel the season?

[houstontxbrave]

I want to reminded everyone about our Sweet 16 team from 2 years ago.

We started off the season 3-2 with losses @ Loyola and @ Butler and lost 5 of our first 7 Valley games that season.

We won at home versus Chicago State by only 10 and Western Kentucky by only 2.

Yet that same team went on to win 9 of its last 11 games including 7 straight from Feb 11 to the Valley championship.

Last night was not our best basketball and it really could have been UIC's best. Personally I would rather our best be just like 05-06, then our best for example in 04-05 when we started 7-1 yet ended with loses in 12 of our last 14 games.

[BU ICEMAN]

Dude...come off the ledge. Bad losses in February are a lot less tolerable than bad losses in November. Should we cancel the season?

I'm not on the ledge, but I've definitely got my eyes on where it's at......

Bad losses are bad losses whether they happen now or in November. It still puts a huge chink in the armor....

How's this for a question: is it better come selection sunday to have come out of nowhere or to have maybe/kinda/sorta lived to expectations because there's questionable losses you weren't expected to have? Early season projections are a double-edged sword.....

[BradleyBrave]

I'm not on the ledge, but I've definitely got my eyes on where it's at......

Bad losses are bad losses whether they happen now or in November. It still puts a huge chink in the armor....

How's this for a question: is it better come selection sunday to have come out of nowhere or to have maybe/kinda/sorta lived to expectations because there's questionable losses you weren't expected to have? Early season projections are a double-edged sword.....

I think wins over name programs like Iowa, Michigan St, Butler, and maybe even VCU, a strong conference performance, and a strong finish mean a lot more than an opening night loss to UIC. SIU lost to Monmouth, Alaska-Anchorage, and a bad SLU team a few years back in their non-con, and they danced. Creighton lost to an average Kent St team, a bad Wyoming team, and a bad San Diego team 3 years ago in their non-con and danced. We lost a road game because we couldn't take care of the ball, and UIC shot an ungodly percentage from 3. Add in bad officiating, and it's the perfect storm for a defeat. It's basketball, and these things happen. Taking care of the basketball and our opponents not shooting 70% are not difficult problems to fix. We have talented players and a competent coaching staff, and 31 more games to fix these ills. If you want to live on the ledge for 31 games, be my guest. There's no reason to spell gloom-and-doom 40 minutes into a season.