Bradley-MSU postgame thread

[BUBraves2006]

I get so sick of hearing about these "MARQUEE WINS" and RPI, and everything else. Has the NCAA changed the rules? If I remember correctly, win your conference tournament and you make the NCAA tournament right? LET'S JUST DO THAT! Also, to close my rant. Thumbs down to all the people that with 8 min remaining before tip off and the Bradley team taking the court, the whole lower bowl was basically empty. Nothing but shirts on chairs. That's all I am going to say about the fan portion. THANK GOD US DIEHARDS IN THE $8 SEATS WELCOMED OUR TEAM TO THE COURT.

Did you actually just criticize the fan support from yesterday? Wow. That's stunning.

I'm sure the team really needed to get pumped up for layup drills ...

"Thumbs Up" to everyone from tipoff to the end, especially those "older fans" who stood for the whole game!

[Beninator]

Imo, the fans got to their seats a bit later as a result of the outside rally. I know that is what happened to me as I usually like to see the shoot around before the game. Just had to warm up the vocal chords with an extra free beer before the game started!
Last nights crowd has to be one of if not the best crowd that I have seen at a Civic Center game. Very reminiscent of a fieldhouse crowd.

[BU ICEMAN]

If a team is pounding you on the boards, what is wrong with playing a zone to try and protect the rim on missed shots? If even for a possession or two.

Heckuva question Houston.....woulda liked to have found out an answer.

We've seen the 1-3-1 make a cameo a couple of times, asd it seems like we've got the personnel to really make it work....Ruffin can clearly run the top and harass everybody out there and Crouch is smart enough to know what to do on the baseline. I think other personnel that we have can step into those spots, too, and make it work.

I'd like to see this more often too. As far as last night went, we may have forced MSU into some crummy shots, but them grabbing the O-board was just the same as a good pass into the post. Our man defense was working....but not 100%. The zone might've given us a better shot at the defensive board...or maybe not.....but we'll never know. That's the misery of it.

[AE Braves Fan]

I think zones usually don't work for rebounding because you aren't assigned someone to guard and therefore won't have the job of sealing out against anyone in particular either. You have to "find" someone to block out.

But what do I know...

[Beninator]

A zone with players like Neitzel et al would have been a one and done attempt.imo

[egib52]

Real quick...I am just getting to the Board since the game...that was by far one of the most energetic and roaring crowds I have ever seen at any sporting event. In fact if you check out just about any article even nationally that has been written about the game they mention the crowd and how fantastic it was. It would be spectacular if every game was like that so Carver got even greater national attention as being tough to play in.

As for the actual game...I am not going to delve into breaking it down because that has been handled. Just a couple key points...MSU showed why they are an elite team this year by dealing with the deficit and the crowd and fighting back. Most teams would have been done by the second half. As for the Braves, it was a great game, but all of the glaring weaknesses we have seen during the season came back to bite us at the end (lack of size inside, lack of rebounding, too reliant on the outside shooting, and no one who can take it to the rim). Being realistic if the Braves bring this kind of a fight in the Valley we will be near the top all year.

I want to thank anyone who was at the game for making the drive down from Chicago worth it by having the type of crowd I had hoped for.

[ph]

BU has too many new guys to run a zone. Les is spending 99% of his defensive proctice time teaching the trademark high-pressure man to the new guys. We coudl do more zone last year as most of the players already knew the man.

[BradleyBrave]

I don't know about anyone else, but I still haven't recovered from losing that game Tuesday. Man does that one sting.

[Les is More]

I don't know about anyone else, but I still haven't recovered from losing that game Tuesday. Man does that one sting.

not because of a birthday or anything though, right?

[ph]

Agreed. I still feel worse than I thought I'd feel if BU lost.

Especially that last year the comittee allowed teams with weaker overall profiles than BU into the tourney because the weaker teams happened to pull an upset over a top 10 team. This was our chance, and we almost had it....

[BradleyBrave]

not because of a birthday or anything though, right?

No. I'd feel the same either way. I felt like this after the SIU loss in St. Louis last year, and it took quite a while to get over it.

[Chucky T's]

I don't know about anyone else, but I still haven't recovered from losing that game Tuesday. Man does that one sting.

I agree...I am more upset now than I was Tuesday night. I'm really getting tired of these close calls against the "big teams" or "big games" and then having to tell the "we played well but just fell a little short" stories the following day. In order for BU to take the next step toward more national recognition (ala Gonzaga) we have to start winning more of these types of games.

[dogsrus]

I don't know about anyone else, but I still haven't recovered from losing that game Tuesday. Man does that one sting.

As good as everything was......the BEST thing is missing...the W. I try not to dwell because everyone associated with this game including the fans, coaches, players and the Civic Center did an absolute wonderful job.

Its tough to sit here and say, if only, but a Win would have been something that got us national attention and we would have talked about this as long as BU played basketball.

The thing is (up 9 points) it was ours to win......OUCH.

[BradleyBrave]

As good as everything was......the BEST thing is missing...the W. I try not to dwell because everyone associated with this game including the fans, coaches, players and the Civic Center did an absolute wonderful job.

Its tough to sit here and say, if only, but a Win would have been something that got us national attention and we would have talked about this as long as BU played basketball.

The thing is (up 9 points) it was ours to win......OUCH.

Yup. And if I knew that Michigan St, Illinois, UCLA, or any other Top 10-20 program was going to be coming to Peoria on a semi-regular basis, I might not be as bothered by the loss. But knowing how long it's been since, and how long it may be again before a team this caliber comes back to Peoria, the way we lost that game is just really tough to take.

[VromanFan]

Yup. And if I knew that Michigan St, Illinois, UCLA, or any other Top 10-20 program was going to be coming to Peoria on a semi-regular basis, I might not be as bothered by the loss. But knowing how long it's been since, and how long it may be again before a team this caliber comes back to Peoria, the way we lost that game is just really tough to take.

That's exactly why the Illinois loss hurt me so much. I know they probably won't play us for another decade.