What's wrong with this picture??

[thefish7]

Right on, BradleyBrave... I've never played competitive basketball, and became a fan of the sport late in my college days (thanks to Bradley). I'll be the first to admit that I don't know much, and perhaps my comments reflect that. I do, as a fan, have a right to discuss the games, the players, the coaches, and their strategies. I also have the right to be frustrated when "my" team isn't playing to expectations for the season, and even if those expectations were unrealistic, as BradleyBrave said, losing streaks at home are always going to be unacceptable for this program in my opinion.

In any case, I try to avoid getting negative or personal about the personnel involved in the program (they're "my" team after all, and I support them win or lose), but will criticize what I see, and will choose to have an opinion.

[Braves4Life]

Wow....everyone of you guys are totally qualified to coach anywhere! Jeezzz...don't you think that JL knows his players, sees them EVERYDAY in practice (where you fans do NOT see) and knows the nessesary personnel that has the chance to be the most successful on that floor. Everyone for the past few weeks has been trashing his coaching decisions...and yes everyone makes judgement mistakes...but come on. Coaching is about so much more than what the general public realizes.

And for you people who critize the concept of playing the players who practice the hardest...YOU are rediculous! If a coach didn't do it this way- he'd lose control of his players very quickly.

Some of you need to get some common sense.

Couldn't have said it any better Yeldarb! Great post!

[buballer82]

I just don't understand why Austin only played 3 minutes. He has 6 points and 4 rebs in 16 minutes against UNI and plays 3 minutes against Drake. Unbelievable!!!! I guess Salley's production is just too much to consider sitting him: 2 pts 8 rebs in 27 minutes against UNI and 4 pts 3 rebs in 24 minutes against Drake. Oh yeah, and lets not forget the missed layups!!!! Salley is just not getting it done. Yeldarb, with your logic for practice hard = playing time, does that mean that the walkons should play over scholarship players if they "practice the hardest"? Playing time is all about skill level. Salley is obviously overmatched in every game so why not try playing someone else?

[real fan]

This question is for Yeldarb10 ; Why are we losing when we have 3 of the top scorers in the conference in Warren,Crouch, and Maniscalco ? Whose fault is it as someone has to take responsibilty for this? I am only asking for your opinion which is what this board is all about.

[Yeldarb10]

Just because we have 3 of the top scorers in the conference doesn't automatically result in wins. There are other areas that are JUST as important (case in point at the Drake game...REBOUNDING in those last 10 seconds).

I'm not saying we can't all voice opinions about what should be done but at the end of the day you've got to understand that JL (you know, the same coach who had an awesome playing career at Bradley, in the NBA and took this team to the Sweet 16) knows a lot more about strategy than any of you people. Yes, JL's past doesn't give him a free pass...but he knows what he's doing. And yes, the team has underachieved but that isn't soley on the shoulders of coaching.

And the practice= playing time subject...if a WALK ON out preforms a scholarship player in practice on a CONSISTANT basis then why not play him!? Anyone remember Danny Adams?

[basketball nut]

This question is for Yeldarb10 ; Why are we losing when we have 3 of the top scorers in the conference in Warren,Crouch, and Maniscalco ? Whose fault is it as someone has to take responsibilty for this? I am only asking for your opinion which is what this board is all about.

It is combination of several things and one is the fact that best big man who would have been a senior is now sitting on the bench in the pros collecting millions of dollars ( by the way I don't blame him at all as I would have probably done the same thing). When you are coaching you need to recruit players that can contribute at each position and JL had done that but when you bring in 7 new players at one time it takes that year or two to get acclamated to the system. Can you blame the coach? Sure you can but it is not the coach who plays out of position or does not jump and can't time a rebound correctly. It is not the coach who shoots the ball that does not go in the basket (ask Majerus after SLU scored 20 points for the game). The coach only teaches but the players are the ones who have make the effort and learn the system.
We have some big guys who are going to be a force but not for a year or two. This is a good year for getting experience but it is also a growing year for the team.
We can only dream of what we would have had if POB would have stuck around for all 4 years but that didn't happen and we ended up w/o a big guy. You can say that the coaching staff did a poor job of recruiting but XC would have been a junior this year and would have helped out a lot. We could go on about the 2 guys that were here all last year only to go somewhere else (Fears & Brown). I could go on but we have to go w/ what we have been delt and JL does see these guys everyday in practice and has to go w/ the ones that have been doing the things that the coaching staff wants done day in day out. So as to your answer you can blame the coach because that is what everyone wants to do but he does not play he only puts the guys on the floor, so in reality there is only so much he can do although he is the one to always get the blame. (by the way from someone who has coached,and not even close to this level, the coach usally blames himself enough w/o others having to blame him-most coaches can tell you about the close losses a lot more then the close wins because they dwell on what they could have done differently to win the game but the wins they dwell on the victory.

[buballer82]

Yeldarb you missed my point entirely. In your post you were referring to those who practice the hardest. There is a difference between practicing hard and playing good. I could go to a Bradley basketball practice, practice as hard as possible, give it my everything and puke my guts out. Does that mean I should play? Absolutely not. The skill level is just too far apart. Yes Danny Adams was a walkon, as was Aaron Zobrist but there is a reason that MOST walkons are walkons. My point is just because a guy gives his all in practice doesn't make him the most qualified to play in real games. What makes him the most qualified to play in real games IMO is that he produces in real games.

[ER3]

Yeldarb you missed my point entirely. In your post you were referring to those who practice the hardest. There is a difference between practicing hard and playing good. I could go to a Bradley basketball practice, practice as hard as possible, give it my everything and puke my guts out. Does that mean I should play? Absolutely not. The skill level is just too far apart. Yes Danny Adams was a walkon, as was Aaron Zobrist but there is a reason that MOST walkons are walkons. My point is just because a guy gives his all in practice doesn't make him the most qualified to play in real games. What makes him the most qualified to play in real games IMO is that he produces in real games.

It is silly to think that Jim Les actually bases playing time solely on who practices 'the hardest'...No coach in America would do that. Coaches will reward minutes to the players that show them the most of what they want to see in practice...This would include hustle, intensity, and effort...but it also includes skill level, physical ability, and having an understanding of the offensive and defensive sets...
I think some of you are taking this whole 'practicing hard earns playing time' thing way too literally.

[Yeldarb10]

Thank You ER! I didn't realize I had to specifically describe what "practice hard" meant. OBVIOUSLY that includes skill too. Wow...no common sense!

[basketball nut]

Thank You ER! I didn't realize I had to specifically describe what "practice hard" meant. OBVIOUSLY that includes skill too. Wow...no common sense!

Yelder10 you seem to have a great undeerstanding of the game and of the team. I was wondering if you are part of the team, but then again, you may not want to devulge that information.

[Yeldarb10]

I'd just like to think of myself of a somewhat knowledgeable Braves fan...

[real fan]

Why didn"t you answer my question on whom is at fault?

[ph]

Why didn"t you answer my question on whom is at fault?

What more of an answer do you want?

Either

the coach is at fault by not :
coaching to the strenghts of players we have this year,
did not recruit the proper players (and not even the greatest of recruiters in the game, including coach K, can always recruit great)
not ideally developing the players we do have. (Is former national COY Bruce doing a better job of this down 74?)

Or

The fans are at fault for having too high of expectations.

[Da Coach]

Why does fault need to be assigned to anything that has happened this year? Every team faces risks of having to go through unexpected circumstances.

If a tree falls and causes a power outage, which leads to a traffic jam and you are late for work, who's fault is it? Some things just happen, and are not necessarily all the fault of an individual.

Daniel Ruffin's unfortunate injury is the single biggest reason Bradley is struggling and where it is now in the MVC. If we had DR we would be in contention for the MVC now.

[Rusty 54]

I ran out of gas. I, I had a flat tire. I didn't have enough money for cab fare. My tux didn't come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts. IT WASN'T MY FAULT