All-MVC Predictions

[TylerDurden]

The MVC certainly with a giant "screw you" to Missouri State on the way out the door! No Bears honored across the leagues 8 all-conference teams. Figured Dez White would get something as a Top 15 scorer in the league and a newcomer.

It's not a "screw you." Missouri State was the worst team in the league. When you suck, you don't typically win awards.

[bluebird0306]

And unless Bradley wins on Sunday paying Deen to come back got you nothing but an NIT bid.

This is the comment someone makes when their only definition of a successful season is NCAA tournament or bust. Why even bother being a fan of a mid-major? You're gonna be miserable most years.

You bring back guys like Duke Deen and Darius Hannah because they put you in a position to compete for championships. There's also the program building aspect. Bradley leads the league in attendance and will have the most fans at Arch Madness this year. That doesn't happen because they were good this year. It happens because they've been good the past several years and people want to support the team.

So you think it will be a successful season if you don't make the NCAAT?

[tribecalledquest]

And unless Bradley wins on Sunday paying Deen to come back got you nothing but an NIT bid.

This is the comment someone makes when their only definition of a successful season is NCAA tournament or bust. Why even bother being a fan of a mid-major? You're gonna be miserable most years.

You bring back guys like Duke Deen and Darius Hannah because they put you in a position to compete for championships. There's also the program building aspect. Bradley leads the league in attendance and will have the most fans at Arch Madness this year. That doesn't happen because they were good this year. It happens because they've been good the past several years and people want to support the team.

So you think it will be a successful season if you don't make the NCAAT?

To me - successful season? Yes. As good as I think it should/could have been? No. Both things can be true.

[chitown fanatic]

And unless Bradley wins on Sunday paying Deen to come back got you nothing but an NIT bid.

This is the comment someone makes when their only definition of a successful season is NCAA tournament or bust. Why even bother being a fan of a mid-major? You're gonna be miserable most years.

You bring back guys like Duke Deen and Darius Hannah because they put you in a position to compete for championships. There's also the program building aspect. Bradley leads the league in attendance and will have the most fans at Arch Madness this year. That doesn't happen because they were good this year. It happens because they've been good the past several years and people want to support the team.

So you think it will be a successful season if you don't make the NCAAT?

I'll jump in on this one but will be interested in bradleytownie's take as well but in a year we have as many seniors as we do, yes, if we dont dance i would consider it a disappointment. But its also true what townie said...no longer are we wishing to just make it out of the 4-5 game which was the case for over a decade...we have strong fan support because we've been good for 6 years now and fans will support a winner. Although 24-7 is better than I predicted, we still got housed by a team full of D2 guys for the reg season title. i hope that burns a fire in our guys this weekend. NIT would be a disappointing consolation...to almost all of us I'm sure

[squirrel]

And unless Bradley wins on Sunday paying Deen to come back got you nothing but an NIT bid.

This is the comment someone makes when their only definition of a successful season is NCAA tournament or bust. Why even bother being a fan of a mid-major? You're gonna be miserable most years.

You bring back guys like Duke Deen and Darius Hannah because they put you in a position to compete for championships. There's also the program building aspect. Bradley leads the league in attendance and will have the most fans at Arch Madness this year. That doesn't happen because they were good this year. It happens because they've been good the past several years and people want to support the team.

So you think it will be a successful season if you don't make the NCAAT?

Whatever -

Yes. It may not be the season targeted or desired, but let's not forget the Bradley staff also chose to roll the dice wasting scholarships on guys like Linke, Biliew and a previous walk-on, rather than try to add additional players to the mix. That may have been a mis-calculation on their part, but I don't think anyone expected the field to do what it did, either, which is actually GREAT for the league, big picture.

That said, this is a Bradley program that has been better under Wardle, but it has still been down most of this century, if we are being realistic. The 24 regular season wins before conference tournament is something that hasn't happened since Hersey Hawkins played (2x) and happened just two additional times with Dick Versace before that. Then you have to go all the way to when Bradley was routinely competing for national championships to see it.

The Bradley team this year is all but guaranteed a postseason slot in the NIT (probably as a seeded host) or in the probably higher profile made-for-FOX conferences Crown tournament.

Is it perfect if they don't Dance? No. But it is absolutely and without hesitation a successful season.

It also ignores the legacy and re-writing of the all-time record books this current edition of the Braves has done.

[chitown fanatic]

It also ignores the legacy and re-writing of the all-time record books this current edition of the Braves has done.[/quote]
But to play devil's advocate, 24-7 with weak non con schedule pales compared to 27-3 with wins over vandy and kstate...it just does

[tribecalledquest]

It also ignores the legacy and re-writing of the all-time record books this current edition of the Braves has done.

But to play devil's advocate, 24-7 with weak non con schedule pales compared to 27-3 with wins over vandy and kstate...it just does[/quote]

Yeah - touting the overall win # does nothing for me these days. Schools play more games than they used to and much of it is schedule specific. Win #'s are things coaches use when trying to get new jobs or extensions.

[bradley_townie]

And unless Bradley wins on Sunday paying Deen to come back got you nothing but an NIT bid.

This is the comment someone makes when their only definition of a successful season is NCAA tournament or bust. Why even bother being a fan of a mid-major? You're gonna be miserable most years.

You bring back guys like Duke Deen and Darius Hannah because they put you in a position to compete for championships. There's also the program building aspect. Bradley leads the league in attendance and will have the most fans at Arch Madness this year. That doesn't happen because they were good this year. It happens because they've been good the past several years and people want to support the team.

So you think it will be a successful season if you don't make the NCAAT?

To me, a successful season as a mid-major in a mostly one-bid league (let's be realistic where the MVC has been the past 5+ years) is playing meaningful basketball games in February. That usually means you have a realistic path to winning the regular season championship with a handful of games to go.

Winning the league title, getting an at-large bid, or winning Arch Madness would be a wildly successful season.

[ValleyFAN]

The MVC certainly with a giant "screw you" to Missouri State on the way out the door! No Bears honored across the leagues 8 all-conference teams. Figured Dez White would get something as a Top 15 scorer in the league and a newcomer.

It's not a "screw you." Missouri State was the worst team in the league. When you suck, you don't typically win awards.

It's definitely a "screw you". Dez White averaged more ppg than Pierre did. Belmont finished 4th. Pierre is first team and White gets nothing? Not even on the newcomer team?

Zaxton King averaged more PPG than TWO of the guys on the all-freshman team but gets nothing either.


I'm not advocating for a bunch of honors for the last place team but zilch on any of the 8 all-conference teams is glaring. And btw, I get it. They're leaving the conference. It's understandable. But it is glaring nonetheless.

[squirrel]

But to play devil's advocate, 24-7 with weak non con schedule pales compared to 27-3 with wins over vandy and kstate...it just does

Yeah - touting the overall win # does nothing for me these days. Schools play more games than they used to and much of it is schedule specific. Win #'s are things coaches use when trying to get new jobs or extensions.

Play devil's advocate and get off on Drake all you want - it still doesn't make Bradley's season unsuccessful.

I remember a time when Bradley fans were desparate just to sniff a third place finish. I am certainly not going to kick a 2nd place league finish in a top 10-12 league to the curb. Again, that mentality is a large reason why we've been such a trainwreck most of this century.