• Welcome to BradleyFans.com! Visitors are welcome, but we encourage you to sign up and register as a member. It's free and takes only a few seconds. Just click on the link to Register at the top right of the page, and follow instructions. If you have any problems or questions, click on the link at the bottom right of the page to Contact Us.

Forget the Mid-Major Top 25, here's the USA Today Coaches' Poll Top 25!!!

OMG-- when was the last time Bradley got votes in the NATIONAL preseason polls??
It has to be at least a decade!!

Bradley, if you recall, did get a couple votes last season in the AP Poll of 11/20/06
but that was after BU looked impressive beating DePaul then FAMU & UIC.

Then in the poll of 11/27/06, BU got 3 votes.
BU continued to get votes until early December despite losing to UIUC, Tenn Tech, and Michigan State, but then fell out of the polls for good after that miserable performance on national TV against MSU.
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1980
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2080
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2166
 
A couple more observations......

Both Florida and Ohio State (they finished last season as the #1 and #2 teams) have dropped out of the Top 25.

The BOARD OF COACHES who vote on this polls for ESPN includes
Dana Altman, Creighton AND 25 other mid-major coaches among the total
of 31 head coaches voting. That's 26 of 31 voters who are NON-BCS guys!!
I wonder why the voting board is so heavily stocked with mid-major coaches, but I'll bet the other polls don't give teams like Bradley, SIU, Davidson, Xavier, and Butler as much note.
http://sports-ak.espn.go.com/ncb/rankings?poll=2&year=2008&week=1
 
tornado said:
OMG-- when was the last time Bradley got votes in the NATIONAL preseason polls??
It has to be at least a decade!!

Bradley, if you recall, did get a couple votes last season in the AP Poll of 11/20/06
but that was after BU looked impressive beating DePaul then FAMU & UIC.

Then in the poll of 11/27/06, BU got 3 votes.
BU continued to get votes until early December despite losing to UIUC, Tenn Tech, and Michigan State, but then fell out of the polls for good after that miserable performance on national TV against MSU.
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1980
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2080
http://bradleyfans.com/vb/showthread.php?t=2166
Click to expand...


I think we got votes when Dye and Roberson were seniors.

If we can beat the number 8 team in the country at home we will be ranked!!
 
Lakeview Brave said:
I think we got votes when Dye and Roberson were seniors.

If we can beat the number 8 team in the country at home we will be ranked!!
Click to expand...

If we are undefeated going into the MSU game, we will be ranked in the top 20. Look at the schedule - It's a possibility. UIC is bad, Iowa St is bad, Florida-GC and MD-Eastern Shore are terrible. There's no excuse not to be 4-0 heading into the Iowa game, and they're one of the worst teams in the Big 10. Our toughest game SHOULD be the game with either Vanderbilt or Utah St. Both teams should be NCAA-caliber, but both certainly beatable. The return games are at Loyola-CHI (biggest trap game on the schedule IMO), and home against SEMO. It's a very realistic possibility that we could be 8-0 when Sparty comes to town. If that's the case, we could be in the top 15-20.
 
NINE new players, nobody has seen them play and we are already talking getting votes....
ahem.....I sure hope nobody gets a big head yet...
:) :)
 
tornado said:
NINE new players, nobody has seen them play and we are already talking getting votes....
ahem.....I sure hope nobody gets a big head yet...
:) :)
Click to expand...

Great point. We can all the talent in the world, and if they're willing to make personal sacrifices, and not playing together for a common goal, we can be back to muddling mediocrity in a heartbeat. I love the hype and the respect, but at the same time it worries me.
 
BradleyBrave said:
If we are undefeated going into the MSU game, we will be ranked in the top 20. Look at the schedule - It's a possibility. UIC is bad, Iowa St is bad, Florida-GC and MD-Eastern Shore are terrible. There's no excuse not to be 4-0 heading into the Iowa game, and they're one of the worst teams in the Big 10. Our toughest game SHOULD be the game with either Vanderbilt or Utah St. Both teams should be NCAA-caliber, but both certainly beatable. The return games are at Loyola-CHI (biggest trap game on the schedule IMO), and home against SEMO. It's a very realistic possibility that we could be 8-0 when Sparty comes to town. If that's the case, we could be in the top 15-20.
Click to expand...

I agree that 8-0 is a very real possibility with Vandy/Utah St. being the toughest game! It would be nice if Michigan St. could pull off wins against UCLA (or Maryland) and NC State on their way to Peoria!
 
Sorry but no road game ever is a certainty, no matter how poor we believe UIC will be its a road game, opening game and with 7 new players if Loyola is a trap which it certainly is, UIC is equally questionable. For as excited as we all are regarding this team, BU has a very long history of laying large eggs on the road.. TT last year is about as all of a reminder we all should need to be very cautious regarding UIC.
 
houstontxbrave said:
Sorry but no road game ever is a certainty, no matter how poor we believe UIC will be its a road game, opening game and with 7 new players if Loyola is a trap which it certainly is, UIC is equally questionable. For as excited as we all are regarding this team, BU has a very long history of laying large eggs on the road.. TT last year is about as all of a reminder we all should need to be very cautious regarding UIC.
Click to expand...

Agree 100%.

FYI - Jim Les has never lost a season opener (4-0 home, 1-0 road).
 
houstontxbrave said:
Sorry but no road game ever is a certainty, no matter how poor we believe UIC will be its a road game, opening game and with 7 new players if Loyola is a trap which it certainly is, UIC is equally questionable. For as excited as we all are regarding this team, BU has a very long history of laying large eggs on the road.. TT last year is about as all of a reminder we all should need to be very cautious regarding UIC.
Click to expand...

I like taking the wait and see approach as well. It isnt as fun I know... I just hope that this team comes out of the gate with a take no prisioners approach and makes a few statements!
 
BradleyBrave said:
Great point. We can all the talent in the world, and if they're willing to make personal sacrifices, and not playing together for a common goal, we can be back to muddling mediocrity in a heartbeat. I love the hype and the respect, but at the same time it worries me.
Click to expand...


I agree, the hype is starting to worry me, but I think I'd rather have it than not.
 
amckillip said:
I agree, the hype is starting to worry me, but I think I'd rather have it than not.
Click to expand...

Agreed. After worrying about being ranked, not living up to expectations, etc, I always ask myself "Well, would you rather picked 7th and have people laugh when you suggest that the team might be good?" I'm sure Jim Les would rather have the bar raised and expectation level high, and I would too.
 
BradleyBrave said:
Great point. We can all the talent in the world, and if they're willing to make personal sacrifices, and not playing together for a common goal, we can be back to muddling mediocrity in a heartbeat. I love the hype and the respect, but at the same time it worries me.
Click to expand...

well I think we will find out tonight at the Red/White game and finally get a chance to see...

on another note: the Insight Media package looks great if you haven't seen it yet! It is great that we will now be able to watch most of the away games on tv when we can't make it!
 
Great to see the Braves at least getting some national consideration in the preseason talk. We have to start somewhere and then live up to the hype, which will be a bit challenging at first as all of our new players try to mesh into the system. But all hopefully should be fine by the end of the season for us!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top