Bradley (10-18, 3-13 in Missouri Valley play) and Illinois State (11-17, 3-13) square off tonight in Bloomington-Normal, IL for the return game of the "War on 74" series between the two rivals. Tonight's game might be remembered for the wrong reason, as the loser of the game will be locked in to the No. 10 seed for Arch Madness and most certainly finish in last place in the MVC.
Last Game:
Bradley traveled to Tennessee-Martin as part of the BracketBusters series and rallied to beat Tenn-Martin 81-75. Without point guard Dodie Dunson, freshman Walt Lemon started and scored a career-high 20 points, including four made three pointers. Fellow freshman Jordan Prosser recorded his first double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Last Game vs. ISU:
The first game between the rivals this season was a heart-breaker for Bradley, suffering a 79-78 overtime loss to the Redbirds. In that game on Jan. 26, the Braves had jumped out to a big lead, 23-8, and even lead 61-52 with 2:40 left in the game. It appeared that Bradley would win its first MVC game. This was not to be, and the Braves fell to 6-15.
Analysis:
Bradley and ISU come into this game in opposite directions. Bradley has won four of its last six games and has looked like a completely different team from the one that lost its first 11 MVC games. ISU has lost its last six games. While winning this game wouldn't appear to be that big of a deal, it would be a huge boost for Bradley not to end up as the No. 10 seed. Hopefully, Dodie Dunson will be able to return to the lineup. One of the big differences, I think, will be the fact that Bradley is no longer the Andrew Warren show. Bradley has other options and I expect Dyricus Simms-Edwards and Jordan Prosser to continue to preform at a high level.
Prediction:
Bradley 75, ISU 66.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Weekend College Basketball Review (2/12-2/13)
Its been a pretty good weekend of college basketball, and there are no longer any undefeated teams. #1 Ohio State lost on the road to Wisconsin and Jordan Taylor. Taylor scored 27 points and is having a breakout season, yet somehow, was not named a finalist for the Bob Cousy award for the nation's best point guard. I still think that Ohio State should keep the #1 ranking as the loss came in a really tough environment, and there are only a handful of teams in college basketball with one loss. #2 Kansas, by comparison, suffered their only loss at home.
Northwestern (14-10, 4-9) lost pretty badly to Penn State today, 65-41, which makes two bad, ugly losses in a row for the Wildcats. I haven't seen either of the past two games (fortunately), but it seems like there hasn't been a ton of effort from NU anyway...
It's kind of telling that I would rather watch Bradley (9-17, 3-12) who beat the hottest team in the MVC, Evansville (had won 5 of their last 6) pretty impressively and displayed a lot of effort and teamwork. Dyricus Simms-Edwards continues to emerge as up and coming star for the Braves, recording a career-high 25 points and eight rebounds in the win. Jake Eastman added seven rebounds and took four charges, the kind of energy and effort you need to win.
Andrew Warren, who passed 1,500 career points in the win, was featured in a an Indianapolis Star article written yesterday
Next up for Bradley: a home game this Tuesday against Northern Iowa
After profiling Valparaiso yesterday, they took care of business and beat Wright State in a close game yesterday. They are in good shape to claim that double-bye as one of the top two teams in the Horizon League tournament. Their next game, this Wednesday at Wisconsin-Milwaukee is probably the toughest of their four conference games left. They also have the BracketBusters game next Saturday when they host Missouri State.
Speaking of the Horizon League, Cleveland State's Norris Cole had a ridiculous game yesterday, recording 41 points and 20 rebounds. Cole's 40-20 game was the first in college basketball since Blake Griffin in February 2009. What makes it even more impressive is that Cole is a 6-foot-2 guard.
Northwestern (14-10, 4-9) lost pretty badly to Penn State today, 65-41, which makes two bad, ugly losses in a row for the Wildcats. I haven't seen either of the past two games (fortunately), but it seems like there hasn't been a ton of effort from NU anyway...
It's kind of telling that I would rather watch Bradley (9-17, 3-12) who beat the hottest team in the MVC, Evansville (had won 5 of their last 6) pretty impressively and displayed a lot of effort and teamwork. Dyricus Simms-Edwards continues to emerge as up and coming star for the Braves, recording a career-high 25 points and eight rebounds in the win. Jake Eastman added seven rebounds and took four charges, the kind of energy and effort you need to win.
Andrew Warren, who passed 1,500 career points in the win, was featured in a an Indianapolis Star article written yesterday
Next up for Bradley: a home game this Tuesday against Northern Iowa
After profiling Valparaiso yesterday, they took care of business and beat Wright State in a close game yesterday. They are in good shape to claim that double-bye as one of the top two teams in the Horizon League tournament. Their next game, this Wednesday at Wisconsin-Milwaukee is probably the toughest of their four conference games left. They also have the BracketBusters game next Saturday when they host Missouri State.
Speaking of the Horizon League, Cleveland State's Norris Cole had a ridiculous game yesterday, recording 41 points and 20 rebounds. Cole's 40-20 game was the first in college basketball since Blake Griffin in February 2009. What makes it even more impressive is that Cole is a 6-foot-2 guard.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Team to Watch: Valpo Basketball
This year hasn't exactly been the best year of college basketball in Illinois and the Greater Chicago area. The state's two Big Ten teams, Illinois (16-8, 6-5 in the Big Ten) and Northwestern (14-9, 4-8), are not living up to their preseason expectations. Several of the Chicago schools are in the middle of rebuilding projects such as UIC (7-19, 2-12) and DePaul (6-17, 24 losses in a row in the Big East), and Chicago State (6-19). All three of those schools have first year coaches. In the Horizon League, Loyola (13-12, 4-10) is barely better than UIC.
In the MVC, Bradley (8-17, more here) has suffered injuries, and ISU (11-14, 3-11) has taken a step back. Southern Illinois, who has made several NCAA tournaments in the past decade, ditto (11-14).
Across the state, as you can see, teams are struggling. Two teams in the Chicago area, albeit in Indiana, Notre Dame and Valparaiso are having very good seasons. Notre Dame gets plenty of attention as the #7 team in the country, improving to 21-4 after beating South Florida today . Under the radar, Valparaiso, (18-7, 10-3 in the Horizon) is in first place and in control of their destiny.
During the preseason, the Crusaders was picked to finish fourth in the Horizon, which was expected to be dominated by Butler again who won last year's Horizon League regular season and tournament. After losing to Butler in the season's first match up, Valpo beat the Bulldogs for their first win over Butler since joining the Horizon League in 2007-08.
Lead by guard Brandon Wood (16.3 ppg), Valpo ranks 23rd in the nation in assists per game, and 24th in field goal percentage. Valpo is also receiving votes in the national polls for the first time since 2002, and could potentially finish the season as a Top 25 team if they keep winning.
Valpo plays host to Wright State tonight, as they look to improve their lead in the Horizon League. One of the cool things about the Horizon League Tournament is that the top two teams get a double-bye into the semifinals (in most conferences, the best teams just get a single-bye), which will make the Crusader's chances of making an NCAA tournament even easier if they finish the season strong.
Next Saturday, February 19th, Valparaiso will play Missouri State at 4 PM on ESPN2, as part of its BracketBusters series, which matches up teams from strong non-BCS conferences.
In the MVC, Bradley (8-17, more here) has suffered injuries, and ISU (11-14, 3-11) has taken a step back. Southern Illinois, who has made several NCAA tournaments in the past decade, ditto (11-14).
Across the state, as you can see, teams are struggling. Two teams in the Chicago area, albeit in Indiana, Notre Dame and Valparaiso are having very good seasons. Notre Dame gets plenty of attention as the #7 team in the country, improving to 21-4 after beating South Florida today . Under the radar, Valparaiso, (18-7, 10-3 in the Horizon) is in first place and in control of their destiny.
During the preseason, the Crusaders was picked to finish fourth in the Horizon, which was expected to be dominated by Butler again who won last year's Horizon League regular season and tournament. After losing to Butler in the season's first match up, Valpo beat the Bulldogs for their first win over Butler since joining the Horizon League in 2007-08.
Lead by guard Brandon Wood (16.3 ppg), Valpo ranks 23rd in the nation in assists per game, and 24th in field goal percentage. Valpo is also receiving votes in the national polls for the first time since 2002, and could potentially finish the season as a Top 25 team if they keep winning.
Valpo plays host to Wright State tonight, as they look to improve their lead in the Horizon League. One of the cool things about the Horizon League Tournament is that the top two teams get a double-bye into the semifinals (in most conferences, the best teams just get a single-bye), which will make the Crusader's chances of making an NCAA tournament even easier if they finish the season strong.
Next Saturday, February 19th, Valparaiso will play Missouri State at 4 PM on ESPN2, as part of its BracketBusters series, which matches up teams from strong non-BCS conferences.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Bradley Basketball in 2010-11
Not having homework this year means that I can follow college basketball more closely, and one of the teams I follow closest is Bradley, naturally.
Bradley's basketball season thus far has fallen short of preseason expectations. As it stands, the Braves are 8-17 overall, and 2-12 in Missouri Valley action. In the past several seasons, the Braves have entered the MVC conference tournament as a four or five seed, but this year the Braves will be playing in the Opening Round of "Arch Madness" as a team seeded anywhere from seven to ten. If Drake wins again, the best Bradley can finish is 8th.
There is a silver lining to Bradley's record. Bradley narrowly lost to the co-conference leaders Missouri State, and won their two previous MVC. The record also doesn't indicate that the Braves have played their entire season without two of their three players, honored before the season as preseason All-MVC candidates, Taylor Brown and Sam Maniscalco.
Both players are sitting out the season with medical redshirts and their losses have been a big blow to the Braves. Brown, a small forward led Bradley in rebounding last year and was named the conference's most improved player. Brown is sitting out the season for a mandatory 90-day rest period necessary to evaluate a heart condition. Maniscalco, Bradley's starting point guard during the past three seasons, is sitting out the year due to ankle issues. The loss of Brown and Maniscalco has been a big blow to the team, and you can't simply replace players like that. Both players should be eligible to return next year, which means Bradley could have a vastly improved record next season.
The third of the preseason award candidates, Andrew Warren, has been the biggest bright spot for the Braves. Warren was always a great shooter, but this season he has become a complete player and one of the best in the MVC (full disclosure: Andrew and I have the same major, so we had several classes together). Andrew leads the MVC in scoring (19.0), free throw percentage (.886), and three point field goals (59). I think he's a shoo-in to be named to the MVC's First Team All-Valley.
Since Bradley beat Creighton during Snowpocalypse, the team has been playing a lot better (the two wins, and the close game at MSU). As of late other good options have emerged around Warren, Dyricus Simms-Edwards has emerged as a legitimate scoring threat in his second season at Bradley, and could be the type of player to lead Bradley in scoring during his next two seasons. Freshman Jordan Prosser is also emerging as a good option in the post, and I could see him averaging at least 10 pts, eight boards in the near future. Jake Eastman, a reserve guard for now, is a solid defender and developing a consistent three-point shot. Also, freshman Walt Lemon, is learning how to harness his athleticism and could develop into a top-level guard in the MVC.
As bad of a season as its been, I don't think head coach Jim Les will be fired, no do I believe he should. It's almost impossible to overcome the loss of two of your three best players. Additionally, he is bringing in a solid recruiting class, led by guard Remy Abell from Louisville, the best player on the top ranked high school team in Kentucky (basketball is kind of a big deal there). Besides, there is always the issue of who would you replace Coach Les with. I think next year if Bradley doesn't finish in the top of the MVC, then his job should be in question.
Down the stretch, Bradley has a pretty favorable schedule, and Northern Iowa is the only game against a team near the top of the MVC. Bradley plays host to Evansville on Saturday, and I think they can definitely win 4 of the final 5 games on the schedule. Bradley is definitely the type of team no one will want to face at Arch Madness. Without a powerhouse team in the MVC, Bradley could make a little run in St. Louis.
Bradley's basketball season thus far has fallen short of preseason expectations. As it stands, the Braves are 8-17 overall, and 2-12 in Missouri Valley action. In the past several seasons, the Braves have entered the MVC conference tournament as a four or five seed, but this year the Braves will be playing in the Opening Round of "Arch Madness" as a team seeded anywhere from seven to ten. If Drake wins again, the best Bradley can finish is 8th.
There is a silver lining to Bradley's record. Bradley narrowly lost to the co-conference leaders Missouri State, and won their two previous MVC. The record also doesn't indicate that the Braves have played their entire season without two of their three players, honored before the season as preseason All-MVC candidates, Taylor Brown and Sam Maniscalco.
Both players are sitting out the season with medical redshirts and their losses have been a big blow to the Braves. Brown, a small forward led Bradley in rebounding last year and was named the conference's most improved player. Brown is sitting out the season for a mandatory 90-day rest period necessary to evaluate a heart condition. Maniscalco, Bradley's starting point guard during the past three seasons, is sitting out the year due to ankle issues. The loss of Brown and Maniscalco has been a big blow to the team, and you can't simply replace players like that. Both players should be eligible to return next year, which means Bradley could have a vastly improved record next season.
The third of the preseason award candidates, Andrew Warren, has been the biggest bright spot for the Braves. Warren was always a great shooter, but this season he has become a complete player and one of the best in the MVC (full disclosure: Andrew and I have the same major, so we had several classes together). Andrew leads the MVC in scoring (19.0), free throw percentage (.886), and three point field goals (59). I think he's a shoo-in to be named to the MVC's First Team All-Valley.
Since Bradley beat Creighton during Snowpocalypse, the team has been playing a lot better (the two wins, and the close game at MSU). As of late other good options have emerged around Warren, Dyricus Simms-Edwards has emerged as a legitimate scoring threat in his second season at Bradley, and could be the type of player to lead Bradley in scoring during his next two seasons. Freshman Jordan Prosser is also emerging as a good option in the post, and I could see him averaging at least 10 pts, eight boards in the near future. Jake Eastman, a reserve guard for now, is a solid defender and developing a consistent three-point shot. Also, freshman Walt Lemon, is learning how to harness his athleticism and could develop into a top-level guard in the MVC.
As bad of a season as its been, I don't think head coach Jim Les will be fired, no do I believe he should. It's almost impossible to overcome the loss of two of your three best players. Additionally, he is bringing in a solid recruiting class, led by guard Remy Abell from Louisville, the best player on the top ranked high school team in Kentucky (basketball is kind of a big deal there). Besides, there is always the issue of who would you replace Coach Les with. I think next year if Bradley doesn't finish in the top of the MVC, then his job should be in question.
Down the stretch, Bradley has a pretty favorable schedule, and Northern Iowa is the only game against a team near the top of the MVC. Bradley plays host to Evansville on Saturday, and I think they can definitely win 4 of the final 5 games on the schedule. Bradley is definitely the type of team no one will want to face at Arch Madness. Without a powerhouse team in the MVC, Bradley could make a little run in St. Louis.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Today is College Football Signing Day!
Around the country, today marks one of the most significant days in the college football calendar. Today is National Signing Day, which marks the beginning of the national signing period for high school prospects to sign a National Letter of Intent (NLI). While many prospective players have given verbal commitments, nothing is binding until the NLI is signed by a player. Basically, once a player signs an NLI, no other NCAA school can recruit said player.
To the casual or non-sports fan, today might not seem like such a big deal. However, to coaches, recruiting and the ability to re-stock the team's depth chart is equally as important the coaching during the season. The recruitment period is just as big of a deal to fans as well. If don't believe that, check out ESPN's College football recruiting page and the amount of stories and information devoted to talent speculation and trying to determined which 17 or 18 year old will win the Heisman in 2014.
The amount of information about college football recruiting is justifiably so. When each college announces their Class of 2011 today, these are the players who will make up a core part of each roster. While schools can add players after today (the signing period ends April 1st), today's basically college football's equivalent "free agency," except the big signings aren't as spread out as other sports, like MLB or the NBA.
With that said, many of the top recruits have not yet signed, and are specifically waiting to announce their decisions today or are not quite ready to make their decisions. Several outlets, both television and online are airing coverage of college football signing day, including ESPNU's National Signing Day Special, which extends to a record 10 hours running from 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. ET today.
For more information on the recruiting cycle in general, I'd recommend Bruce Feldman's Meat Market: Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting, which profiles a the yearlong recruitment cycle of Ed Orgeron, then the Ole Miss head coach.
To the casual or non-sports fan, today might not seem like such a big deal. However, to coaches, recruiting and the ability to re-stock the team's depth chart is equally as important the coaching during the season. The recruitment period is just as big of a deal to fans as well. If don't believe that, check out ESPN's College football recruiting page and the amount of stories and information devoted to talent speculation and trying to determined which 17 or 18 year old will win the Heisman in 2014.
The amount of information about college football recruiting is justifiably so. When each college announces their Class of 2011 today, these are the players who will make up a core part of each roster. While schools can add players after today (the signing period ends April 1st), today's basically college football's equivalent "free agency," except the big signings aren't as spread out as other sports, like MLB or the NBA.
With that said, many of the top recruits have not yet signed, and are specifically waiting to announce their decisions today or are not quite ready to make their decisions. Several outlets, both television and online are airing coverage of college football signing day, including ESPNU's National Signing Day Special, which extends to a record 10 hours running from 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. ET today.
For more information on the recruiting cycle in general, I'd recommend Bruce Feldman's Meat Market: Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting, which profiles a the yearlong recruitment cycle of Ed Orgeron, then the Ole Miss head coach.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)