Bradley basketball notebook for Feb. 11, 2008

[Da Coach]

From BUBraves.com
Bradley basketball notebook-- Feb. 11, 2008--

http://www.bubraves.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3400&ATCLID=1387130

Note--

Saturday Redout
• Bradley will sponsor its third t-shirt giveaway of the season Saturday and is promoting a “Redout” for the MVC-TV game versus Creighton.
• Fans are encouraged to wear red Saturday, but to enhance the environment, everyone in attendance for the 1:05 p.m. game Saturday versus the Bluejays will receive a red Bradley Basketball t-shirt.
• Bradley won its two “Redout” games during the 2006-07 season and averaged 11,262 fans in convincing wins versus DePaul (78-5 and Illinois State (88-67).

And Bradley does not have any easy games left.
Here is the remaining schedule. After tomorrow's game, the remaining conference games are all against teams seeded ahead of Bradley--
Tuesday, Feb 11 at Indiana State
Saturday, Feb. 16 at home against Creighton
Tuesday, Feb. 19 at Drake
Saturday, Feb. 23 at home against Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Tuesday, Feb. 26 at home against SIU
Saturday, March 1 at Creighton

[mexicobufan]

We MUST win all our home games and pick up at least one of the road games and then let the MVC tournament get started. We have as good a chance as winning the tournament as anyone does......

I am ready for a recruit to commit...it beed a long time.

[Long-Hair's Lunatics]

IMO, Gotta win at Drake or at Creighton.....

[houstontxbrave]

IMO, Gotta win at Drake or at Creighton.....

Either of those would be great but the must win is at Indiana State on Tuesday. A loss there and we are back into the play in conversation.

[BradleyBrave]

Either of those would be great but the must win is at Indiana State on Tuesday. A loss there and we are back into the play in conversation.

Eh, I am not sure we head back to Thursday talk. We're still a game up on UNI, and 2 up on the Trees and the Bears. However, with a loss we do start getting dangerously close to locking in the #6 seed, which might as well be the death knell for this season. #6 seeds are 1-17 all-time at Arch Madness (#6 UNI over #3 MSU in 2006), and 3-31 all-time in the 31 year history of the MVC Tournament.

[real fan]

We need to win at Ind. State and win the rest of our home games in order to get a 4 or 5 seed.

[mexicobufan]

Real Fan , we are on the same page. As I said at least one road win and win out at home. If we do that we will be in pretty good shape for the MVC tournament.

No one wants to touch the recruit part of my comment? I want a verbal!!!!!!!!!

[BradleyBrave]

Real Fan , we are on the same page. As I said at least one road win and win out at home. If we do that we will be in pretty good shape for the MVC tournament.

No one wants to touch the recruit part of my comment? I want a verbal!!!!!!!!!

I'm kinda concerned about the recruiting thing too. I'd like an impact big and an impact wing, preferably of the 4 year variety. We've got 2 scholies to use. I'd like to get some good news sooner than later.

[ER3]

I'm kinda concerned about the recruiting thing too. I'd like an impact big and an impact wing, preferably of the 4 year variety. We've got 2 scholies to use. I'd like to get some good news sooner than later.

Yep..I'm concerned too...If we want to start having the sustained success that programs like SIU and Creighton have had in the Valley over the past ten years, we have to start recruiting at a higher level than we have been over the last few years...
Don't get me wrong, we've gotten some nice players recently (Maniscalco, Warren, Thompson, and Wilson appear that they will be nice pieces for next year's team and beyond...)...but we simply aren't bringing in the same level of recruits that other Valley schools are right now...hopefully the improvement in facilities will help Les win some of those battles...
But we will need to start getting our own P'Allen Stinnett, Kenton Walker, Anthony Booker, Kevin Dillard, Osiris Eldridge, etc. type of recruits to sign with BU if we hope to have some sustained success in the Valley as a program.

[BradleyBrave]

Yep..I'm concerned too...If we want to start having the sustained success that programs like SIU and Creighton have had in the Valley over the past ten years, we have to start recruiting at a higher level than we have been over the last few years...
Don't get me wrong, we've gotten some nice players recently (Maniscalco, Warren, Thompson, and Wilson appear that they will be nice pieces for next year's team and beyond...)...but we simply aren't bringing in the same level of recruits that other Valley schools are right now...hopefully the improvement in facilities will help Les win some of those battles...
But we will need to start getting our own P'Allen Stinnett, Kenton Walker, Anthony Booker, Kevin Dillard, Osiris Eldridge, etc. type of recruits to sign with BU if we hope to have some sustained success in the Valley as a program.

I personally don't think the level of talent has been the issue. We've always been on-par talent-wise with the rest of the league IMO, even CU and SIU.

[houstontxbrave]

Eh, I am not sure we head back to Thursday talk. We're still a game up on UNI, and 2 up on the Trees and the Bears. However, with a loss we do start getting dangerously close to locking in the #6 seed, which might as well be the death knell for this season. #6 seeds are 1-17 all-time at Arch Madness (#6 UNI over #3 MSU in 2006), and 3-31 all-time in the 31 year history of the MVC Tournament.

We lose to Indy State we are right on the verge of Play In Talk. An Indiana State win puts them at 6-8, UNI beats WSU, they go to 7-7 and we fall to 7-7 with CU twice, and at Drake. This game at ISU on Tuesday is huge, because we could very quickly fall right into 7-9.

There still is a lot of basketball to play and our schedule heading home allows us to control our own destiny but Tuesday is very important.

[Scouter]

I personally don't think the level of talent has been the issue. We've always been on-par talent-wise with the rest of the league IMO, even CU and SIU.

Then why haven't we won a conference title in how many years now? Hmmm...

[BradleyBrave]

Then why haven't we won a conference title in how many years now? Hmmm...

As I said in another thread, there are a variety of reasons. IMO talent hasn't been one of them. Maybe I am wrong, but with the number of all-conference selections we've had (and those who've gone on to other schools and excelled), I don't think talent has been the issue.

[mexicobufan]

Would you rather win the MVC or go to the sweet 16? And this is a question not a smart a-- reply. I have to give Jim at least the credit level of an MVC championship for the Sweet 16 run. My comment wasnt that I have a problem with the talent level that has been picked up over the last two years, I am just concerned that its been some time from out last commit and time is running out. I would like to see at least one verbal in the next month abd it needs to be a major get.

[BradleyBrave]

Would you rather win the MVC or go to the sweet 16? And this is a question not a smart a-- reply. I have to give Jim at least the credit level of an MVC championship for the Sweet 16 run. My comment wasnt that I have a problem with the talent level that has been picked up over the last two years, I am just concerned that its been some time from out last commit and time is running out. I would like to see at least one verbal in the next month abd it needs to be a major get.

My comments about the lack of a conference title for 10+ years isn't really directed at Jim Les. Yeah, he's been the coach for part of it, but there was another coach before him too. It's not just a 'Jim Les' problem.

Since you asked though, I would rather contend for and win conference titles year-in and year-out than make a fluke Sweet 16 run. A conference title means you were the best team in your league for the entire season. Heck, even a conference tournament title says you were at least the best for a weekend. That could be considered a fluke as well, but history has shown that the winner of the MVC Tournament traditionally isn't a fluke team (Top 3 seeds have won it 15 of 17 years in St. Louis). That 2006 season was ridiculously frustrating until the last month and the tournament. Don't get me wrong, I loved the last month or so of that season, but it needs to be taken in context of the entire year. As great as it was, I would trade that one Sweet 16 for annual one-and-done NCAA appearances that were the result of conference titles. The exposure of being in the NCAA year after year is a lot greater than one week of exposure 2 years ago. Most kids we're recruiting now have probably forgotten about that run.