Postgame thread-- VCU 79 Bradley 64

[MacabreMob]

Wilson is wild at times

It should usually find him at the FT line when he 'goes wild' and hangs in the lane for about 3 seconds moving his body and the ball all around drawing all kinds of contact.

The guy has got some hang time. And he CAN shoot FT's... he had one bad game (shooting ft's, like a 3-9 night), but I think he is getting more focused.

[Beninator]

People rail on Matt Salley and I will agree he is bad offensively- but he is a gamer....

Overall, Salley was decent tonight, but his help defense was really bad.

[Grassman]

Stats--

http://www.bubraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=19332&SPID=1498&DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=1355872

Attendance: 11,117

This raises the average for 6 home games to 10,033 per game.

After tonights sham, this will fall precipitously!

[ER3]

Cole-Scott had a couple of good passes that led to easy buckets in the first half. I really just think he needs a chance. He's the fastest player on the team, and we know from his past that he can score. If he gets his confidence back and makes some good shots, I think that he could have an impact on the way we play during the valley season.

Please tell me you are kidding...Tyrone Cole-Scott just needs a chance? Give me a break. He has gotten far more chances this year than his production on the court should warrant. Is he quick? Sure...but so what. He cannot defend, he is not a good ball handler, his shooting mechanics are horrid, he is soft and cannot finish when he gets to the rim...
Maybe in the JUCO game he could have his way blowing by a bunch of non-DI athletes, but he is completely overmatched right now by Div I basketball...and I don't see that magically changing as we move into the Valley season...The Valley teams will only need to watch 2 minutes of film on TCS to see that there is no reason to defend him on the perimeter... So teams will just play off him and take away his dribble-drive, and then what do you have? An undersized, defensive liability that can't do a single thing on the offensive end...That doesn't sound like a guy that I want getting more minutes on my team.

[Da Coach]

Grassman, I never quite pegged you as one of the alarmist, "sky is falling", gloom and doomers. This was one bad game.
In fact, Bradley was competetive with VCU for the time that Daniel Ruffin was in there, and things fell apart when he was out.
I suspect the opposite might have happened if Eric Maynor went down with an injury in the first half, and didn't play in the second half.

You are entitled to your opinions, but this team is not as terrible as you think. They will bounce back next game.

[Grassman]

Grassman, I never quite pegged you as one of the alarmist, "sky is falling", gloom and doomers. This was one bad game.
In fact, Bradley was competetive with VCU for the time that Daniel Ruffin was in there, and things fell apart when he was out.
I suspect the opposite might have happened if Eric Maynor went down with an injury in the first half, and didn't play in the second half.

You are entitled to your opinions, but this team is not as terrible as you think. They will bounce back next game.

I hope we do "bounce back the next game" against a team who just LOST at home tonight against a 7-4 Nevada team and has an RPi of 134 .They also, have an SOS of 222.
Hey Coach, we were very-very bad tonight, in ALL aspects of the game. Ruffin or not!

[ph]

Overall, Salley was decent tonight, but his help defense was really bad.

Only hearing the radio call, but when Dave says nobody is guarding Salley during some possessions, and he still only scores 8....

If we had 4 other guys always scoring ~15ppg, then we could stand for the limited points we are getting from the 5.

[squirrel]

And so did 1/2 of Carver.

Then mass exit with about 1:20 to go when VCU called a time out to get some subs in.

1 thing definitley missing tonight was the Student Body.

There may have been talk before about trying to get the students more involved... but I think it has kinda flip-flopped a little. Yea - packed house and lots of cheers in the first 1/2... but after that? I don't think the Student Body woulda been as quiet as the crowd tonight.

I would even estimate about 250-300 fans left when Bradley called the timeout after VCU had their run to open the 2nd.

You know. . .I was impressed with how loud Carver was tonight in the first half for an interim game.

Atmosphere can make a big difference for the home team. Perhaps students could've helped the second half for awhile, but the team has to do something to sustain the noise generally. And let's be frank, the Braves were incapable.

[squirrel]

Jim needs to stop calling out the fans when his team fails to deliver.

We got beat by a better team tonight, plain and simple. A healthy Ruff and this game comes down to last couple of minutes. Do we win? Who knows. No Ruffin, and we saw the result.

Are there some people seriously getting on Sam Maniscalco? Honestly, what were you watching?

I am concerned about our turnovers too...uggh...it's gonna be a long week sitting on this one...

The fans gave the team more than it usually gets during break, both in numbers and in noise. I was alarmed at people leaving as early as they did in the 2nd half (some after Bradley burned its timeout after the VCU run in the first couple minutes).

I am a little bit worried about Ruffin's injury though now. I have hesitated to say this, but why did he play the Butler game? IMO, that was the throwaway game. . .this game and conference play were what you needed him for.

I haven't seen tonight's efficiency numbers yet, but on the year before tonight, we are turning it over on nearly 1 out of every 4 possessions. Tonight should be right in line if not worse.

I don't know why Les had Maniscalco guard Maynor to start the second half, IMO that was the game, even though he quickly fixed the matchups with the timeout, we never made a serious run.

I think Maniscalco will be a tremendous player for us. In the preseason my concern was that he was a step to slow for the style we play (I was expecting us to be more like last year) and thought a redshirt would bring him up to speed. However, he does it all and looks to be an exciting part of the program the next few years.

[Da Coach]

Hey Coach, we were very-very bad tonight, in ALL aspects of the game. Ruffin or not!

Grassman, I don't deny we were bad in the 2nd half tonight. But one game doesn't determine the entire season, or define an entire college basketball program.

If we would have won tonight, you would be excitedly claiming how great were are, but we lose one game and you say ridiculous stuff like "We suck", and "With this fan base, attendance, dollars, and support, we deserve so much more!" (those are your quotes!).

What is it that we are entitled to? I appreciate that the guys played hard without their leader and best player. Recall that Bradley had as much as a 9 point lead when Ruffin was playing, and the reason we came apart in the 2nd half was directly due to his absense. As I said elsewhere, if Eric Maynor had left the game for the 2nd half, I suspect we'd be celebrating a solid Bradley victory. How can you blame the coaches or players for circumstances beyond their control?

Since you feel the season is a total waste and the team "sucks", let me know if you want to get rid of your tickets.

[real fan]

The most disappointing thing to me was our help defense as no one was willing to leave their man in the lane and get in front of the person driving and draw a charge.

[shaunguth]

Only hearing the radio call, but when Dave says nobody is guarding Salley during some possessions, and he still only scores 8....

If we had 4 other guys always scoring ~15ppg, then we could stand for the limited points we are getting from the 5.

My thoughts exactly! Collins is averaging the same six points/game that Salley is and he's doing it in about half the minutes! This team seriously needs more DC in the middle playing alongside Salley, Wilson, JC, and Ruff. Let AW be the first one off the bench with SM and see what happens with that! What could it possibly hurt? I was seriously expecting a new starting lineup last night, but the lineup/substitutions were identical to the rest of the season. I just don't get it.

[shaunguth]

The most disappointing thing to me was our help defense as no one was willing to leave their man in the lane and get in front of the person driving and draw a charge.

That was the most obvious thing to me during the entire game! No matter who was down low (Salley, DC, Singh), they seemed to just step out of the way when VCU drove to the basket. That is inexcusable!

[BI_Brave_alum]

last nite

Maynor was eating Sam up trying to guard him, all Maynor had to do was drive, draw two or three braves to him, then he would dish off to someone else for an easy dunk. VCU must have done that 3 or 4 times in a row down on their end.

Me and my buddies were wondering why Ruff wasn't playing in the 2nd half. Give VCU credit they came in, put the smack down on us and took the crowd out of the game.

[Grassman]

Grassman, I don't deny we were bad in the 2nd half tonight. But one game doesn't determine the entire season, or define an entire college basketball program.

If we would have won tonight, you would be excitedly claiming how great were are, but we lose one game and you say ridiculous stuff like "We suck", and "With this fan base, attendance, dollars, and support, we deserve so much more!" (those are your quotes!).

What is it that we are entitled to? I appreciate that the guys played hard without their leader and best player. Recall that Bradley had as much as a 9 point lead when Ruffin was playing, and the reason we came apart in the 2nd half was directly due to his absense. As I said elsewhere, if Eric Maynor had left the game for the 2nd half, I suspect we'd be celebrating a solid Bradley victory. How can you blame the coaches or players for circumstances beyond their control?

Since you feel the season is a total waste and the team "sucks", let me know if you want to get rid of your tickets.

I can't! My wife would divorce me!