New Blood in Old Peoria

One of the best aspects of college athletics is that when an athletic program is successful, it brings students, faculty, alums, and a community together in a way that almost no other cause can. This is perhaps no more evident than in Wichita, Kan., where their beloved Wichita State Shockers have brought great pride to a blue-collar town who turns every home-game into a passion-laden frenzy. The reason for such enthusiasm is their team’s disciplined game, which has catapulted the basketball program—and the school—into the living rooms of so many people around the country.

Meanwhile, in Peoria, the local team continues to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, losing winnable games and playing an embarrassing and undisciplined style of basketball. In turn, Bradley is lucky to fill half of a once-raucous, sold out Carver Arena.

Bradley basketball was once Wichita State. In the 50s and 60s, Bradley was a national basketball power, winning championships on a regular basis. Bradley games were the must-see event in town.

It is time for Bradley basketball to restore its winning tradition and the pride that so many once had for the basketball program, and the university as a whole.  For those who have had the misfortune of watching Bradley basketball over the past few years –argueably the worst in program history—two things are abundantly clear: Geno Ford is not the man for the job, and the team’s undisciplined approach is holding the program back.

Perhaps no one embodies discipline in college basketball quite like Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, the winningist college basketball coach in Division I history.  While many established head coaches and rising assistant coaches would never consider the BU gig, I believe it would be the perfect fit for “Coach K’s” promising assistant coach Jon Scheyer, a winner at every level of basketball that he has been a part of.

As an Illinois high school basketball legend and Duke All-American, Scheyer would bring instant credibility that few could match.  Undoubtedly, Scheyer would raise the regional and national recognition of the university and its basketball program. While some may believe Scheyer, 27, would be way too young and inexperienced for a Division I head coaching position, there are plenty of examples of young head coaches succeeding in college basketball. Consider that Bob Knight began his first coaching job at Army at the ripe old age of 24 (and took over Indiana at age 30). Krzyzewski himself became a head coach at 28 and took the Duke job at 33. Jeff Capel, another Duke assistant coach to Krzyzewski, became VCU’s head coach at 27. A year later, VCU earned a berth in its first NCAA tournament in eight years. Wouldn’t it be nice if Bradley could match that feat, much less, field a competitive team in that amount of time?

 The youthful Scheyer likely would be relate to his players and recruits more than an experienced coach, given that he was in their shoes not too long ago.  What Scheyer lacks in coaching experience can be found by veteran assistants who are willing to mentor a rising star and help lead a program back to its glory days. It is clear that Geno Ford is not going to lead Bradley to championships. It is time for some new—and young—blood on the Hilltop. 

Bradley Basketball 2012-13: season update

Last season (2011-2012)was unequivocally the worst season in Bradley men's basketball history. It was ugly, and at times, the Braves barely resembled a Division I basketball team. In Coach Geno Ford's first season, the Braves finished with a 7-25 record, which marked a program low. While the team had a few talented players, there was no one on the team that really scared opponents and the Braves especially struggled with their shooting and committed a lot of turnovers. Also, Bradley lacked depth, especially among their big men.

Going into this season, obviously, conventional wisdom says that there is no way the team could get worse. However, I think this season has going much better than most Bradley fans would have hoped for, myself included. Before the season started, I had told myself that I would have been happy with a 13-win season, which would have still been a significant improvement. With four regular season games to go, Bradley has an overall record of 15-12 and is in a tie for 5th place in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 7-8 record. The Braves are simply one of the most improved teams in college basketball. Last year at this point (15 games into the 18-game MVC schedule), Bradley was already assured of a last place finish in the conference (7-20 overall, 2-13 in the Valley).

The season started out on a very good note for the Braves. The team sat at 5-1 when Michigan (#3 in the country at the time) came to Peoria for a rare non-conference road trip. The game was very close and Michigan was never really able to pull away, edging the Braves 74-66. Although they did not win, the Michigan game showcased some of the improvements that the team has made this season. Later in December, the Braves struggled in back-to-back games against Virginia Tech and Portland, which were part of the Las Vegas Classic. Although the team has improved, they still do not have the depth of Wichita State or Creighton, the top two teams in the MVC. For this reason, I find it hard to believe they could win three games in a row during the conference tournament and secure a bid to the NCAA Tournament (more on BU's post-season prospects later). With the lack of depth (Bradley plays primarily eight guys), it is hard to see Bradley pulling off this feat.

Moving on to the MVC schedule, Bradley has mostly shown an ability to compete with most of the teams in the league. However, when they are not shooting well in league games, they tend to come out flat both offensively and defensively. Bradley's lowest score in a winning outcome is 66 points, so it is unlikely that the team will be able to grind out games with scores in the 40s and 50s. They have struggled with Northern Iowa, where in both games, the team surrendered huge first half deficits and was unable to climb out in the second halves. Conference play has also showcased the improvement of Dyricus Simms-Edwards and Walt Lemon Jr. into all-conference caliber players. This pair is the leading scoring backcourt in the conference, but has also shined on the defensive end. Simms-Edwards ranks among the top 5 nationally in steals, and Lemon Jr. is second in the MVC in steals.

Going forward, Bradley has a road game at Drake tonight. This game is really important to win because unlike last season, Bradley's final position in the standings is still up in the air. Losing to Drake would leave the Braves in a tie for seventh place in the MVC. Because the top six teams receive a first round bye in the conference tournament, seventh place is a perilous spot to be in. A win would also be important because Bradley has struggled tremendously on the road over the past two seasons. In fact, Bradley has not won a Valley road game outside of a win at SIU since Feb. 6, 2010 (a 24-game skid). Drake is currently in ninth place (11-15, 5-10), so this isn't exactly the biggest challenge ever.


With four games remaining, I still feel good about Bradley reaching the postseason, even if it is not the NCAA Tournament. I think it is realistic that the Braves can take three of their last four games or at least a split, which would leave them at 18-13 or 17-14. With a win the MVC tournament, I think Bradley could make it into the NIT and even with a loss, Bradley would still be eligible for the CIT or CBI, two newer, lower-tier tournaments, which would provide Bradley's younger players with more practice time and game experience. Not too shabby for a team picked to finish second to last in the Missouri Valley.

As a fan, I have been very pleased (and presently surprised) with Geno Ford as the head coach. People tend to forget that other than a few weeks in March 2006, the Jim Les tenure was very mediocre. Les (154-150 in nine seasons) never led Bradley to higher than a fourth place finish in the conference. With a fifth place finish in the MVC this year, something still very possible, Geno Ford isn't too far off of Les' peak in just his second season with the Braves. As a fan, I have been very pleased (and presently surprised) with Geno Ford as the head coach. People tend to forget that other than a few weeks in March 2006, the Jim Les tenure was very mediocre. Les (154-150 in nine seasons) never led Bradley to higher than a fourth place finish in the conference. With a fifth place finish in the MVC this year, something still very possible, Geno Ford isn't to far off of Les' peak in just his second season with the Braves.

On Paying College Athletes

Whether or not to pay college athletes is a debate that never goes out of style. Even ESPN.com jumped on board this summer with "Pay For Play" , a week-long feature on this very topic.

The debate is fascinating to me, as college football and basketball generate huge amounts of revenue for individual schools yet the student-athletes do not get a cut of the revenues, a la the NFL. Of all the sports followed by a large amount of American sports fans, college football and basketball remain on the last frontiers of amateurism. Yes, technically NCAA student-athletes are amateurs, but improper benefits, especially in big-revenue sports have been given to select athletes for decades.

I have found that when "Pay for Play" is discussed in the media, it almost exclusively revolves around college football and basketball programs, their athletes, and the multi-billion dollar contracts that these sports generate. Less often discussed is the fact that most athletic departments actually lose money due to operational costs of the entire department. Also drawing less mention is the fact that if you are going to pay the star quarterback, due to Title IX, you also have to pay the female swimmer as well (This is not an indictment of Title IX, which protects both men's and women's sports. Most men's sports too, do not make revenue for their schools).

In one of the "Pay For Play" articles, Michael Wilbon writes that
that some college athletes deserve to be paid. However, he fails to outline a plan for even the limited number of athletes to be paid. With the expense of running a college athletic program and the revenues where they are at, how could there ever be an effective solution for paying all college athletes. Even in a fantasy world, where all college athletes were just paid a small amount of money per week (say, $120/week), this wouldn't stop the high profile athletes from obtaining or being offered improper benefits.

I don't think the current "compensation" system should be changed. I also don't think its perfect either, specifically, there are hardship cases where it seems like reasonable amounts of money can be provided. A lot of focus goes to the "1 and done" athletes in college basketball and select football players who don't make the most of their education. Behind the scenes, many college athletes are making the most of their education and definitely making do with what they are provided with. College sports are incredibly time consuming and difficult, but in exchange college athletes receive many benefits not offered to other college students.

For its impracticality, the ineffectiveness it would have at cutting off improper benefits, and the benefits afforded to student-athletes, college athletes should not be further compensated.

Check out Pre-Snap Read

If your looking for some in-depth coverage in to college football, I would reccomend visiting Pre-Snap Read , an independent blog dedicated to college football. The blog is edited by Paul Myerberg who can be followed on Twitter @PreSnapRead. My favorite thing on the blog is their on-going Season Countdown where they preview all 120 teams in FBS football, descending in rank from the worse team at No. 120 to No. 1. Every team report is remarkably in-depth, even for some of the lower-level Sun Belt and Conference USA teams. At the end of each report, Paul gives a clue about who the next team is; for some readers, guessing the next team is their favorite part of the blog. Today, Pre Snap Read is on No. 86,Wyoming. I check this blog pretty regularly, so the longer "Northwestern" doesn't show up on the Countdown, the better.

Fallout in Columbus

I was dissapointed to hear about the amount of lying and covering up Jim Tressel did over the past few months, ultimately costing him his job last week. In the coming months, it seems like Ohio State will get hit with signficant penalties, including the loss of scholarships and a possible bowl ban. Ohio State has owned the Big Ten over the past decade, so as a fan of another team, it would be easy to be happy about an apparant "changing of the guard." I do not necessarily feel this way. When one of the conference's marquee teams is down, like Michigan the past few seasons, the brand of the Big Ten suffers.

In the past week, many have compared the issues with Ohio State football to that of USC last year. USC was 8-5 last season after dealing with the initial shock of the Reggie Bush scandal and its accompanying penalties. It was pretty clear that once Tressel covered up for his players, that he would eventually lose his job and Ohio State would face penalties. However, I beleive OSU's penalties will be much more severe than USC.If USC's sanctions were largely the result of improper benefits to just two players, Reggie Bush and O.J. Mayo, how can Ohio State not have a smaller penalty admist the reports that have circulated?

The current issue of Sports Illustrated includes a special investigative report into the violations of OSU players under Tressel. SI reported that 28 players, 22 more than what had previously been stated, had traded or sold memorabilia dating back to 2001. The fact that the memorbillia-for-tattoos culture has penetrated several recruiting classes indicates that this wasn't just restricted to a superstar player here and there like at USC.

For Ohio State to get to its typical 10-2/11-1 season, it would take a heck of a coaching job, by a rookie head coach, dealing with all the distractions. Even the most jaded Buckeye fan would admit they are not as confident in this season as in the past. It would not shock me if Ohio State lost three of the four games against Miami, Wisconsin, Michigan State and Nebraska. Despite everything, I would still be suprised if the Buckeyes had a worse season than 9-3.

As far as Tressel is concerned, I honestly can't see Jim Tressel coaching college football again at the BCS level. Maybe at a smaller division of college football, but after all the penalties blow up, no school is going to want to be associated with Tressel. If interim coach Luke Fickell does well, the interim tag will be removed. If not, a host of great candidates will emerge in 2012.

2011 ABC/ESPN CFB Primetime Schedule

College football is practically here! Well, not quite yet. However, The World Wide Leader has released its Big Ten prime-time schedule for the 2011 college football season:

•Sept. 1:UNLV at Wisconsin, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
•Sept. 10:Notre Dame at Michigan, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
•Oct. 1:Nebraska at Wisconsin, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
•Oct. 1:Notre Dame at Purdue, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
•Oct. 8: Ohio State at Nebraska, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2
•Oct. 22:Wisconsin at Michigan State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN
•Oct. 29:Wisconsin at Ohio State, 8 p.m. ET, ABC or ESPN or ESPN2

Significance of Games:
Every game involves at least one team in ESPN's College Football Live preseason top 25...all three of the Big Ten co-champions from 2010 (OSU, MSU, and Wisconsin) will be covered at least once...The Wisconsin-UNLV game is a Thursday season-opener...The Notre Dame-Michigan will be the first ever-night game in Michigan Stadium...Nebraska's first two Big Ten conference games, Oct. 1 and Oct. 8, will be carried in prime-time...The MSU-Wisconsin game last year was Wisconsin's only loss of the season...The Wisconsin-OSU game last year was Ohio State's only loss of the season
(Courtesy of ESPN Media Zone iPhone App).

The Big Ten typically gets six primetime games on the ESPN "Family of Networks," but an exception was made for the seventh game. This schedule also doesn't take into account the Big Ten Network's list of prime-time games yet to be released.

UPDATED: Pat Fitzgerald Contract Extention

Updating a previous story, Northwestern extended the contact of Coach Pat Fritzgerald through the 2020 season. The former All-American linebacker at Northwestern finished his fifth season as head coach and has a record of 34-29. His previous contact ran until 2015, so basically, Fitzgerald is getting a new 10 year deal which starts in 2011. The 10 year contract, is the first of its kind in NU athletic history.

This demonstates NU's increasing committment to athletics. Fitzgerald himself, has remained committed to his alma mater in the face of potential offers (Michigan, Notre Dame, and Stanford all rumored to have interest during their recent coaching searches). Fitzgerald was first approached with the extension in January, but he held off until assurance that NU would improve its athletic facilities in order to remain competitive with recruiting.

According to Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune, the contract is worth $1.8 million (NU isn't obligated to release its finanical data).


Previous Story:
The Northwestern blog, Sippin' On Purple, is among several outlets reporting the impending announcement of a contract extension for Pat Fitzgerald. His current contract runs out at the end of the 2015 season.

The NU football coach has led the Wildcats to a record of 34-29 in his five seasons at the helm. Yes, the record doesn't seem terribly impressive, but consider that Coach Fitz is the first coach in school history to lead a team to three consecutive bowl appearances. Also, Fitzgerald will enter the 2011 season only 15 wins shy of tying the NU all-time record for coaching victories. Oh, and he's only 36, still one of the youngest (and most charismatic) coaches in college football.

Considering these facts and the team's past futility, NU is clearly enjoying its best years. While Fitzgerald's extension has been in the works for several months, the details will finally be revealed today during a press conference. (Of course, since Northwestern is a private institution, it is not obligated to release the amount of the contract).