Drake @ Bradley Post Game--DU 69 BU 68

[ser_solace]

Man, that's a heart breaker to lose at the last second like that. Couldn't pull in that darn rebound!!!

[CrouchsCrusaders]

first game i missed all year. good thing!

[mrcoachdude]

was our 7 footer in at the end? or did we still have our 4 guards in?

[chitown fanatic]

no, he doesn't play cuz he has bad practices and doesn't know our system. Meanwhile, the guys who do know our system have set the all-time record for home losses in a row at Carver. No rebounding again tonight- when will these guys learn?

[Dallas Brave]

According to Coach on the post-game show, BU out-shot DU in FG%, 3 PT FG % and FT %. DU had 12 offensive rebounds .. Bradley had a woeful 5 offensive rebounds. DU's two guards continuoulsy drove to the hoop in the last 5-6 minutes to close the gap and eventually win the game.

Can we agree that we are not going to beat many teams with a small lineup. What is it going to take for the coaching staff to play a bigger lineup?

SM had a heck of game. He is a player!

[peoriakid]

"Couldn't pull in that darn rebound!!!"

We didnt even need to pull in that rebound, we just needed to bat it away and time would have expired.

[Rusty 54]

What lineup was in at the end? I know Sam M and TW, but who else was out there?

[Dallas Brave]

DU did not play very well in the first half. We were up 2 at the half, but with a different rotation could we have been up 10-15 points and taken more advantage of DU's poor first half? I guess we'll never know. :-| I hate to specualte like this, but I have seen the small ball lineup lose too many games to feel confident in our chances when we go with that game plan.

[DUBrave5]

I really didn't think rebounding was that big of a problem tonight but then again I haven't seen the final stats. I think people are upset over rebounding because we tried to swat away the final shots instead of going for a board. I do agree that the line-up was not ideal for the situation. No matter how they may practice, it can't be that hard to tell them to get in there and when the shot goes up, go get a rebound. I think that Collins and Egolf should have been in the lineup for that last possession. I thought that the biggest problem tonight was the sloppy performance by both teams. They'd turn it over and then we would and then they would. It looked like a three ring circus for a while.

I will give Bradley some credit though for keeping it that close and for making some huge shots. Warren looked good tonight shooting, JC was hot in the 1st half, and Sam Maniscalco, well I just can't help but be impressed with how he is playing. He has stepped up so much more than any of us could have anticipated and you can see that he will be a HUGE part of our team in the coming years. The way he stepped up and took that shot and knocked it down with a guy in his face speaks wonders for how good of a player he is and will be in the future. I think he proved tonight that he can be somebody trusted with the ball in his hands with the clock running down and us needing a last second shot to win.

It is a shame that we lost this game and I personally don't think he got the winner off but we didn't give up and we played a heck of a game.

[Dallas Brave]

On the good side, we did see our players play with a lot of heart. I was impressed with their effort.

Congrats to Drake. They came away with an ugly win which is what you need to be able to do every now and then if you are going to put together a memorable season like they are in the process of doing.

[AE Braves Fan]

STATS:

http://www.bubraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=19332&SPID=1498&DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=1370086

[ghunt]

Man, that's a heart breaker to lose at the last second like that. Couldn't pull in that darn rebound!!!

As I watched the game over the web, I just could not believe that last 6 minutes. I cannot help but keep this post much shorter than my usual ones, so I'm using bullet-points, and much less well-thought out and tactful language. However, the logic is apparent.

1. Sam M is a competitor--ice in the veins with that shot, but he cannot help it, but he is slow, and cannot play one-on-one defense. That has shown all year. It's not his fault--he tries, but most guys can take him to the basket. Why in the h*** did Les defend that way? Sure, if guys bailed, they may have left one of Bulldogs open for a three, but that was ridiculous. Heck, a zone or half-court trap would have helped, or gee, a player over 6'7"?
   
2. Ok, everyone knows to be careful of the the follow-up shot, but that was too easy and too many tries. If you have to play the friggin little line-up, teach them to box-out--they cannot be that stupid.
   
3. If they are too friggin little, then play bigger players.
   
4. If the real 4 and 5 players we have cannot box out, then teach them.
   
5. If the real forwards and centers cannot be taught to box out, and hence cannot be played, then who recruited them?
   
6. You cannot just live by the three, so you need to establish something of an inside game.
   
7. Even if you must use 4 guards and a forward, you to run posts and screens down on the blocks.
   
8. If the players are too small, then play the real 4 and 5 players that were recruited.
   
9. If they do not play like they are the size they are, coach them.
   
10. If they cannot be coached, then who recruited them?
    
11. If the head-coach cannot coach and cannot recruit, get help.
    
12. If the help worked, left, then the head coach cannot coach again, but bring him back, not a proven losing coach, but the guy that worked before, but this time as the head coach?
    
13. If the help won't return, get a new coach?

[Rusty 54]

DUBrave were you at the game and see who was in at the end? I know Sam M and TW but who were the other 3?

[Big Mike]

I need to see a box score to be sure but I thought coach Stowell said TW had 9 t/os tonight? I mean thats the worst inbound plays.....2 steals at the end of the game to get them back the ball of inbound passes being blocked? Not good....great game by SM....and good game by AW tonight! So close yet the last 10.3 seemed to last about 15 secs...3 shots put up after bring down the ball?

[Big Mike]

At the end of the game was TW,AW,SM, JC and MS!