Jim Les

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Jim Les

Title Head coach
College Bradley
Sport Basketball
Team record 105-90 (.538)
Born August 18, 1963 (1963-08-18) (age 44)
Place of birth Niles, Illinois, U.S.
Career highlights
Playing career
1981–1982
1983–1986		 Cleveland State
Bradley
Position Point guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1993–1994
1999–2001
2002–present		 Omaha Racers (asst.)
Sacramento Monarchs (asst.)
Bradley

James (Jim) Allen Les (born August 18, 1963 in Niles, Illinois) is an American basketball player and coach, a former NBA basketball guard. He was picked in the third round (seventieth pick overall) of the 1986 NBA Draft out of Bradley University.

Les began his collegiate basketball career playing at Cleveland State University, but transferred after the 1981–1982 season to Bradley.[1] While attending Bradley University he was a member of the Accounting Student Association and the Delta Upsilon fraternity.[1] When he left college in 1986, he had compiled the second most assists in NCAA history in a combined playing career with Cleveland State and Bradley.[1]

A 5'11" point guard, Les played seven seasons in the NBA, from 1988 to 1995 for four franchises. The highlight of his career came during the 1990-91 season with the Sacramento Kings, when he reached career highs in scoring average (7.2 PPG), assists (5.4 APG), steals (1.04 SPG) and field goal percentage (.444), while also leading the league in three-point field goal percentage (.461). The following year, he was runner-up to Craig Hodges in the AT&T Long Distance Shootout contest.

Following his NBA career, Les became an assistant coach for three years for the WNBA's Sacramento Monarchs. In 2003 he returned to his alma mater as head coach, where he led Bradley to an improved record in each of his first two seasons. The Bradley Braves advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament in 2006. The following year the Braves exceeded expectations to make it to the NIT. In 2008, the Braves participated in their third consecutive postseason tournament when they were invited to the first annual College Basketball Invitational tournament. The Braves advanced to the CBI finals, defeating Cincinnati, Ohio University and Virginia, while losing two games to one to Tulsa in the CBI championship round.

His older brother Tom played for the Bradley Braves from 1972–75 and is the school's all-time assists leader.[2]

[edit] Head coaching record

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Bradley (Missouri Valley Conference) (2002 — present)
2002–2003 Bradley 12-18 8-10 T-5th
2003–2004 Bradley 15-16 7-11 T-6th
2004–2005 Bradley 13-15 6-12 8th
2005–2006 Bradley 22-11 11-7 T-5th NCAA Sweet 16
2006–2007 Bradley 22-13 10-8 4th NIT 2nd Round
2007–2008 Bradley 21-17 9-9 T-5th CBI Finals
Bradley: 105-90 51-57
Total: 105-90

      National Champion         Conference Champion         Conference Tournament Champion


[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b c Jim Les' 2006–2007 Media Guide bioPDF (99.0 KiB), Bradley University, released January 12, 2007
  2. ^ BU moved closer to valley than hilltop during 1970s, July 21, 2002

[edit] External links

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Bradley Braves Head Basketball Coaches

Brown • Olsen • Brown • Allen • Robertson • Anderson • Vanatta • Orsborn • Stowell • Versace • Albeck • Molinari • Les