Waiting for info on our new coach, and more on Sammy, Remy, and other MVC & Illinois news...

I am still not 100% satisfied with the explanations we have heard and am still unhappy the way the firing of Coach Les went down.
Of course I am still a lifelong Bradley fan and anxiously awaiting the hiring of the new Bradley basketball coach.
we have chance to hit a home run -- and a similar chance to whiff ...so let's hope we get the job done right.
Obviously I am not alone in feeling that the firing was done poorly, as the University is apologizing a bunch -- but someone there has little regards for how badly this all looked in the press and among some of the Braves' boosters.

Here's the guy at the extreme top who may want to know how people feel.

Mr. Michel A. McCord, Chairman
Chairman - Bradley University Board of Trustees
c/o Illinois Mutual Life Insurance Company
300 SW Adams
Peoria, IL 61634

Mr. McCord is the new Chairman as the previous Chairman, Gerald Shaheen is no longer Chairman. Shaheen was the one who brought in and hired Dr. Glasser -- but recall that the campaign and the raising of the funds that largely built the new practice facilities and the Renaissance Arena were spearheaded before that and Jim Les is largely to be credited.



A nice premium story on the Illinois Rivals site went into detail about Sammy Maniscalco and his getting the release from Bradley.
Sources at both Bradley and with the Maniscalcos are quoted...here are just a few short blurbs...
"Maniscalco's statement on his release....."I am very thankful Dr. Cross has granted my request to speak with other institutions as I pursue my post-graduate options. Bradley University is a wonderful place and I've had an amazing four years here, but I have the opportunity to explore other options as a graduate student. I simply want the chance to gather as much information as possible, talk with my family, and make the best possible decision for my future."
http://is.gd/FuIWHp

Meanwhile Illinois opens the NCAA Tourney against ex-Illini coach Lon Kruger and UNLV.



You prob saw this..
http://is.gd/HzheMe

Obviously Remy Abell is blowing up big time...and we may lose him because of the way things were bumbled.
then this...
"My opinion: He's MUCH better than .....Eastern's Remy Abell hasnt asked for release from Bradley right now"
http://is.gd/uBd1pV

Also -- as I predicted, Butler knows they missed big time by not offering Remy...
and now they want Remy bad -- they now see they missed the best kid on that team...
http://is.gd/XHghVu
http://is.gd/f8XjSH



One of the BEST NIT matchups is Wichita State getting to HOST Nebraska!
Nebraska will be Big Ten next year and this is a home date for the Shockers who would love to play BCS schools like this but the big boys won't bite!

Creighton is hosting San Jose State -- an easily winnable game for them



Here's an interesting connection between Coach Jim Molinari at WIU and Bradley.
One of WIU's top incoming recruits, Obi Emegane, is from Edmond, Oklahoma Memorial HS -- the same high school Bradley's redshirt freshman Andrew Davis was form.
Obi's Edmond Memorial squad just won the Oklahoma 6A State Championship!!
http://is.gd/eNVZJN

Speaking of Andrew Davis, he was nowhere and apparently did not accompany the team in St. Louis.



Is it any surprise that this year the NCAA selection Committee gave out a few more at large bids to mid-majors, and presto -- everyone who's a BCS defender is ripped and criticizing!



Breaking news -- Oklahoma's Jeff Capel -- just fired....
Same with Loyola's Jim Whitesell...
Continued rumbles that Bruce Pearl will be out as soon as Tennessee's season ends.



Here's an interesting link -- use it next time someone says the athletic departments are self sufficient and don't run off student fees, tuition, and taxpayer revenue...
only a few big time BCS schools are self sufficient.
Note...these are just the BCS and FBS schools..so a lot of smaller schools are not listed but they draw even MORE of taxpayer money, except the private schools.
http://is.gd/VpfR2o

Note, for example, that UNLV gets nearly $20 million directly from "University subsidy" -- which is just taxpayer money funneled through the school's general fund into Athletics!
NIU gets over $4.3 million in state university funds PLUS over $8.3 million in "student fees" - meaning they take money directly from what students pay in tuition -- and most of those students have no clue that even if they couldn't care less about sports, lots of their tuition payments are funneled to Athletics!

Note Rutgers takes $18.4 million in state money plus $8.4 million more in tuition funds and with all that money they still suck big time, and the state of New Jersey is going under!!



Latest rumble on coaching changes....with Arkansas firing John Pelphrey they will go hard after Missouri's Mike Anderson or Minnesota's Tubby Smith..

also some rumors of who may leave the Illini team to open some scholarships...Bertrand?? Griffey?? Head??
If Illinois gets bounced really early and if they take in - say a juco PG -- then could Sammy see the writing and avoid UIUC like a plague??



Anyone wonder how Anthony Davis did in the IHSA State Tourney?? Recall Davis is ranked by many as the top player in America...
Shouldn't his team have done some butt kicking in the State Tourney against all those teams laded with kids who'll never play ball beyond high school?
Davis' Chicago Perspectives squad got whalloped in their own regional by Chicago King, 63-48. King then got clobbered by Chicago Hope, who in turn got beat by Chicago Lindblom.
Lindblom faces Chicago Brooks Tuesday and doesn't have a whole lot of hope to beat the 27-3 Brooks squad.
In his loss to King -- Davis filled the stat sheet -- 30 pts, 19 rebounds -- but you wonder how he'd have done if he wasn't playing every minute and taking every shot on his woeful team.

You have to admire Davis' loyalty in sticking with his team...as it was said...
"The decision (not to transfer and play at a bigger or better school) cost Davis a chance at experiencing a winning season and competing for a state title. It cost him winning ESPNChicago.com’s and the Chicago Sun-Times’ player of the year honors. It’ll probably cost him Illinois’ Mr. Basketball, too."



Hmmm..noted an interesting surge of referral traffic coming from a particular page on the PJ Star board...
it never ceases to amaze me that people can find such simple words to be so hard to under stand...
Like when I give a link to a private blog on the IU Hoosier site and say that it is private, yet the PJS reader thinks I am talking about the BUBravesBlogger blog being private.
And I made a little joke about all the players on Tennessee all wearing their gangsta-style headbands...and one guy wants to argue that Tennessee is an adidas school so somehow that means something....
Oh well ...thanks for the referral anyway....maybe some day if traffic is high enough I'll cash in and sell advertising space like most other boards and sites do.



Speaking of the PJ Star...looks like the exodus is beginning -- now that some there are eligible for a buyout -- they are taking it and running -- a couple of long time writers are leaving...
Is this like the Coaching Carousel -- and will there be more??
http://is.gd/RCXZ2i