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Not happy...

D

dogsrus

New member
I'm not happy witht he way things are shaping up. Try not to torch me I'm just expressing my feelings...honestly. Maybe "not happy" should be replaced with "I have some concerns".

I don't like the direction this program is headed. It seems, sans a nice sweet 16 run, that we are mired in mediocrity.

I get grilled on this EVERY time but I STILL don't see the impact recruits I expected following the Sweet 16 run. Some point out AT but didn't we get guys like him (POB) before the run? I keep seeing our names on some 3\4 and I think I saw a 5 star recruit but have we got one yet? I have yet to see a recruit as good as POB, Granger, MS or any better then Boogie, WIll, TB.......

I realize Jucos often can blossom in year two but after some good ones JL, so far, seems to have missed the "gamble" with this years crop.

Another year of an injury and apparently not enough depth or quality to fight through it. We get on a roll only to take a dive against two straight road teams at least ONE of which we had NO excuse losing to. We CAN'T dig that big of hole and expect this team or ANY team to have to win 7-8-9 in a row to recover...its just too hard.

I honestly don't see us winning against CU Sat., Nor do I see us beating DU at DU and as long as I'm on a roll SIU scares me also.

So the short term future is bleak to me and I really don't see any future that is that much brighter. I have learned NOT to count on newbies so our current recruits me nothing as far as next years success and I haven't seen anything from anyone not named Theron or Sam from the new group.

The egg we layed at InSU really hurts. If we lose to CU like I expect then what?

I HOPE I'm just suffereing through a down period. I will be at all the games and as loud as usual....probably embarassingly loud against CU knowing how BIG a game it is.

I just write this to promote some conversation more then anything but I am concerned about where we are headed......am I mistaken or are my concerns legit?
 
Dogs--

As one optimist to another, take solace in the fact that Bradley now has a President that demands success and will do everything in her power to see that it happens whatever that may be, whenever that may be.
 
I agree dogsrus, and I think that alot of fans think the same thing at this point. I think our mood swing was due to the fact that we had gone on a huge run when Ruffin came back. Frankly when we were 0-4 in conference I kind of gave up on the season. Then we all got some hope back, only to get taken away again this past week. I really don't know what to expect.

My main shining light I am looking forwards to is Andrew Warren's Senior year. I think we will be DOMINATE that year with this line-up:

McCain
Maniscalco
Warren
Egolf
Thompson
 
The Indiana St game doesn't hurt as much if we take care of business in the 2nd half against Wichita St on January 5. I know that throughout a season, one can pick just about any loss and say 'that one hurt'. But all things considered, that game is one that there was absolutely no excuse to lose whatsoever. We're still feeling the effects of it now, from the overall record (14-12 v 15-11) to the conference record (7-7 v 8-6) to the BracketBuster selection (likely cost us 20 or so RPI spots and a real TV game). A month and a half later, I think that loss is the one that's truly ruined this season.
 
BradleyBrave said:
The Indiana St game doesn't hurt as much if we take care of business in the 2nd half against Wichita St on January 5. I know that throughout a season, one can pick just about any loss and say 'that one hurt'. But all things considered, that game is one that there was absolutely no excuse to lose whatsoever. We're still feeling the effects of it now, from the overall record (14-12 v 15-11) to the conference record (7-7 v 8-6) to the BracketBuster selection (likely cost us 20 or so RPI spots and a real TV game). A month and a half later, I think that loss is the one that's truly ruined this season.
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THAT was a huge loss...no doubt.

We could also throw in the tip against CU but the close wins vs UE and ISU cancel that out as we could have lost those as well.
 
Stryker said:
I agree dogsrus, and I think that alot of fans think the same thing at this point. I think our mood swing was due to the fact that we had gone on a huge run when Ruffin came back. Frankly when we were 0-4 in conference I kind of gave up on the season. Then we all got some hope back, only to get taken away again this past week. I really don't know what to expect.

Very true.....like I stated, the InSU loss was a back breaker and a game you hoped we could steal as we should have IMO. Now it just magnifies other losses like DU and WSU at home AND puts HUGE pressure on them to win Sat.
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Along those lines BradleyBraves... if I step back and think about it, at least we're mad that the team isn't performing to our expectations. I'll be a BU fan come hell or high water, but it's nice to be in a position to care... even if I'm not particularly enjoying "the journey" right now. :) So, I'm with ya, be there on Saturday for sure.
 
dogsrus said:
I get grilled on this EVERY time but I STILL don't see the impact recruits I expected following the Sweet 16 run. Some point out AT but didn't we get guys like him (POB) before the run? I keep seeing our names on some 3\4 and I think I saw a 5 star recruit but have we got one yet? I have yet to see a recruit as good as POB, Granger, MS or any better then Boogie, WIll, TB.......
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I agree with most of your concerns...especially on the recruiting front...after the Sweet 16 run, we were told that it would significantly boost our recruiting efforts...It didn't, at least in terms of the players we have got to sign with us. Yes, we may have gotten in the door with some 4 and 5-star recruits, but they are not coming here...and it's not like we are suddenly getting all 3-star guys that have BCS interest here in their place. We're still "beating out" Pacific, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana-Lafayette, etc. for the same 2-star "diamonds in the rough" that we have always gotten, it seems to me. So where are these recruiting improvements after our Sweet 16 season?
But now we are told to wait for the new facilities...then we'll get those 4 and 5-star guys...sorry, but I don't see that happening...4 and 5-star guys won't come here unless: A) the Valley creates its own cable network to televise its games or signs a TV deal with ESPN/CBS, etc...(not gonna happen) B) Bradley goes on a run of 3 or 4 conference championships and successful NCAA runs (unlikely...) or C) Les turns the program dirty and starts handing out brown paper bags full of $$$ to prospective recruits (don't wanna see that happpen).
 
Dallas Brave said:
Somedays ya gotta take your mind off the matter at hand and come back in a day or two.

This story will take your mind off of BU basketball and maybe give you a smile or two :D
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/li...ews.html?in_article_id=513820&in_page_id=1811
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Hahahaha, oh man thats great. He does look photo-shopped in for those pix with the regular sized guy, especially the one where the little guy is being held by the big guy, but hilarious none the less. definitely a good find dallas brave.
 
squirrel said:
Dogs--

As one optimist to another, take solace in the fact that Bradley now has a President that demands success and will do everything in her power to see that it happens whatever that may be, whenever that may be.
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Squirrel, in your opinion what is her threshold for that success?
 
I'm glad someone brought it up because I've been harping on this for years. The sweet 16 run was awesome and I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. It also wouldn't have happened without TB, 'Cellus, Franklin, or Boogie. The schools that have built perennial powers in the Valley, however, (CU, SIU) do not rely on JuCo transfers all the time. These schools have players that have been there since freshmen and invest in the program and learn the right way to play. Around here it seems like every year is a re-building year because we have a disproportional amount of JuCo's.

Along the same lines, we don't have anyone who has either a) been here long enough, or b) cares enough about the program to be a leader. I know Daniel leads with his actions but we need someone who'll get in someone else's face sometimes. The game in Terra Haute was a perfect example...it was like a funeral march just to get back to the huddle. If we had some guys who have played with each other for awhile and invested themselves in the program we might see a little more fire (ex: Mullins and Shaw).
 
J Money said:
I'm glad someone brought it up because I've been harping on this for years. The sweet 16 run was awesome and I wouldn't trade that experience for anything. It also wouldn't have happened without TB, 'Cellus, Franklin, or Boogie. The schools that have built perennial powers in the Valley, however, (CU, SIU) do not rely on JuCo transfers all the time. These schools have players that have been there since freshmen and invest in the program and learn the right way to play. Around here it seems like every year is a re-building year because we have a disproportional amount of JuCo's.

Along the same lines, we don't have anyone who has either a) been here long enough, or b) cares enough about the program to be a leader. I know Daniel leads with his actions but we need someone who'll get in someone else's face sometimes. The game in Terra Haute was a perfect example...it was like a funeral march just to get back to the huddle. If we had some guys who have played with each other for awhile and invested themselves in the program we might see a little more fire (ex: Mullins and Shaw).
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J Money...You da bomb dawg.....:mrgreen:
 
Take a look back at some of the Sweet 16 cinderella teams and the past and compare those teams to where they are now. Some teams turn the corner and make an impact (Gonzaga) while others return to mediocrity (Valpo).
 
squirrel said:
Dogs--

As one optimist to another, take solace in the fact that Bradley now has a President that demands success and will do everything in her power to see that it happens whatever that may be, whenever that may be.
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Question: What has the new president done during her short tenure to enable you to have this opinion? So far the only thing I see, is that she has made appearances at the games.
 
I'm just tired of seeing guys come in as JuCo transfers, learn the system for a year, and then maybe contribute their senior year and then leave. As much as I love Franklin, he was a decent role player two years ago, one of the best guards in the Valley last year, and now he's gone. That's the best-case scenario; worst-case is Matt Salley...never contributing except for taking up a roster spot. He may be more athletically gifted than Sam Singh and he may have been here a year longer than Rashad, but he should be our number 3 option in the paint right now (probably number 4 behind DC but I won't even go there).

I just want to see freshmen learn the system, get some minutes their sophomore year (with some becoming good enough to contribute right away of course) and then be solid performers their junior and senior years.
 
Beninator said:
Question: What has the new president done during her short tenure to enable you to have this opinion? So far the only thing I see, is that she has made appearances at the games.
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Thats what I was wondering, maybe Squirrel knows something we don't.
 
Beninator said:
Question: What has the new president done during her short tenure to enable you to have this opinion? Sor far the only thing I see, is that she has made appearances at the games.
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1) Already one coaching change.
2) There have already been administrative changes.
3) There will in all likelihood be more administrative changes.
4) She is redirecting the upcoming development effort.
5) The fact she is a fan shows she understands the program's importance to the university's image and visibility.

As for your question Murph, I don't want to pretend to know what she's thinking, but. . .

She gets it. She has all the leadership qualities that have been evident in Bradley's former leaders that have led it to success through the years. I have a gut feeling we are going to see a tremendous change and future at Bradley in the immediate timeframe.

And knowing that makes me feel comfortable.
 
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