pawball wrote:Aargh wrote:Bradley has a great history and I think they're the sleeping giant in the Valley that's just waiting to wake up. I think Ford will wake them up. Everything is looking like it's going in the right direction for the Braves.
I think BU could become the replacement for CU as one of the top Valley teams. Then any team that's added only has to do what BU has done in their down years to maintain the Valley's overall level of play.
Stop this crap. Far as I know, Bradley's main claim to fame is Chet "The Jet" Walker. Phe-nomenal player.
80 years old.
Then you don't know much. Bradley is one of the 30 winningest programs in the country, and no that's not all the Jet's doing. BU was one of 6 teams invited to the first NIT in 1938, and
-Invited to both the NIT and first NCAA in 1939 (went to NIT, made F4 while an Oregon team they beat won the first NCAA),
-1947 NIT (the more prestigious tournament) Elite 8,
-1949 NIT semis (Final Four),
-1950 final #1 AP ranking and NCAA and NIT title games,
-1954 NCAA title game (lost to Tom Gola-led LaSalle),
-1955 NCAA Elite Eight,
-1957 NIT champions,
-1959 NIT title game,
-1960 NIT champions (#4 in final AP Poll),
-1962 NIT quarters,
-1964 NIT champions,
-1982 NIT champions,
-1986 last undefeated MVC season, NCAA second round (lost to eventual champ Louisville in 2nd round but won 32 games and cracked top 10)
-1988 upset first round by Auburn but Hersey Hawkins won national POY honors en route to #11 ranking
-2006 Sweet 16
That's all leaving aside ordinary conference title seasons with early exits. We have the facilities and we hired away the back to back MAC coach of the year to rebuild the program and are paying him appropriately. Bottom line, BU has more tradition than the non-WSU Valley programs put together and should turn the corner fairly soon.