Post by PAmedic on Nov 17, 2005 17:32:53 GMT -5
(SLY, feel free to move this if there's a better spot for it)
Liberty men's basketball preview
The LU show stars Blair and a new cast of players
Liberty men's basketball preview
The LU show stars Blair and a new cast of players
By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
November 17, 2005
The lineup card doesn't lie.
The yellow piece of paper that Liberty University staff handed out to fans and media at the Vines Center Monday before the game had a whole lot of slashes on it.
As in "Last year: -."
Larry Blair realizes this. He also understands that opponents will throw just about every junk defense in the book at him this season in hopes of shutting down the Flames. Traps, zones, box and ones.
Bring it on, Blair says. The Flames have reinforcements.
Even with David Dees gone to Louisiana-Lafayette, Blair doesn't expect to have to shoulder all of the scoring load for the Flames this season. There's no doubt he'll be the first option on offense. But Damien Hubbard, a transfer from Frederick Community College (Md.), is an athletic complement to Blair in the backcourt who can play small forward or run the point when Evan Risher needs a rest.
"I had confidence in him even before the season started," Blair said of Hubbard, who scored 19 points and had four assists and no turnovers in Liberty's 87-71 exhibition victory over Glenville State Monday night. "We played together all summer."
Blair is the only returning player who averaged more than four points last season, so it won't surprise him when opponents list him at the top of scouting reports as the man to stop at Liberty.
Opponents may not find that to be easy, even if they sag and double-team the quick and athletic Blair.
"The thing about Blair is that he's just so darn athletic that you're not going to stop him from getting shots," LU coach Randy Dunton said. "The guy's got like 10 different release points. He does not need to be a rhythm shooter who shoots in a particular form to score."
Scoring shouldn't be the Flames' main concern, Blair said. Instead, Liberty will need to learn how to be a tougher defensive team if it hopes to compete with heavily favored Winthrop for the Big South regular-season championship.
That is no more apparent than in the interior. It was just one game, and an exhibition at that, but Glenville State tore up Liberty's post defense. With Leo Lightbourne, Glyn Turner and Rashad Robinson gone from the frontcourt, it's up to sophomores Russell Monroe, Rell Porter and Doug Stewart, along with junior college transfers Eric Bigby and Jeremy Eck, to give the Flames life in the post.
Porter is an athletic, active defender who has the potential to block a lot of shots.
"Rell would be a person I'd hate to play against, because he works so hard," Blair said. "Luckily, he's on my team."
The other posts will need to be more physical to succeed, especially once the Flames reach the Big South portion of the schedule.
Monroe, the starting center, and his backup Eck combined for 14 points and 17 rebounds against smaller Glenville State. If Dunton can get that sort of production out of the five spot on a nightly basis, he'll be happy.
Dunton has worked hard to instill a physical mindset into his forwards, using pad drills (pounding players with foam pads as they go to the basket) to hammer home the point.
"It kind of makes you mad and makes you want to go a lot harder," Monroe said. "It's made me more aggressive."
In the backcourt, Hubbard, Blair and Risher figure to get some help from impact freshman Anthony Smith, an athletic 6-foot-4 wing from Plano, Texas. Smith elevates well on his jump shot and has the potential to be a dogged defender. The same can be said for freshman point guard Justin Holland, who will spell Risher once he gets healthy. (He's battled a nagging groin injury throughout the preseason.)
Until then, Hubbard will switch from small forward to point guard when Risher needs a rest, something that can be a positive for the Flames, Blair said. Hubbard is six inches taller than the 6-0 Risher and gives the Flames a different look.
Dunton is simply hoping to see growth during the non-conference schedule. Liberty opens Friday at Virginia and faces Cincinnati Christian at home Monday before heading to Rupp Arena for a game with Kentucky the day after Thanksgiving.
The Flames will play another SEC power, Mississippi State, in the San Juan Shootout and go nearly a month between home games before beginning Big South play. They host tough MAC foe Buffalo Dec. 6 and won't play at Vines Center again until the conference opener with High Point on Jan. 3.
"I'm a realist with this group," Dunton said. "There's some talent that I appreciate on this team. There are some pieces to the puzzle. How quick we can bring along this group to a place where there's some maturity on the defensive end, that's key."
Lynchburg News & Advance
November 17, 2005
The lineup card doesn't lie.
The yellow piece of paper that Liberty University staff handed out to fans and media at the Vines Center Monday before the game had a whole lot of slashes on it.
As in "Last year: -."
Larry Blair realizes this. He also understands that opponents will throw just about every junk defense in the book at him this season in hopes of shutting down the Flames. Traps, zones, box and ones.
Bring it on, Blair says. The Flames have reinforcements.
Even with David Dees gone to Louisiana-Lafayette, Blair doesn't expect to have to shoulder all of the scoring load for the Flames this season. There's no doubt he'll be the first option on offense. But Damien Hubbard, a transfer from Frederick Community College (Md.), is an athletic complement to Blair in the backcourt who can play small forward or run the point when Evan Risher needs a rest.
"I had confidence in him even before the season started," Blair said of Hubbard, who scored 19 points and had four assists and no turnovers in Liberty's 87-71 exhibition victory over Glenville State Monday night. "We played together all summer."
Blair is the only returning player who averaged more than four points last season, so it won't surprise him when opponents list him at the top of scouting reports as the man to stop at Liberty.
Opponents may not find that to be easy, even if they sag and double-team the quick and athletic Blair.
"The thing about Blair is that he's just so darn athletic that you're not going to stop him from getting shots," LU coach Randy Dunton said. "The guy's got like 10 different release points. He does not need to be a rhythm shooter who shoots in a particular form to score."
Scoring shouldn't be the Flames' main concern, Blair said. Instead, Liberty will need to learn how to be a tougher defensive team if it hopes to compete with heavily favored Winthrop for the Big South regular-season championship.
That is no more apparent than in the interior. It was just one game, and an exhibition at that, but Glenville State tore up Liberty's post defense. With Leo Lightbourne, Glyn Turner and Rashad Robinson gone from the frontcourt, it's up to sophomores Russell Monroe, Rell Porter and Doug Stewart, along with junior college transfers Eric Bigby and Jeremy Eck, to give the Flames life in the post.
Porter is an athletic, active defender who has the potential to block a lot of shots.
"Rell would be a person I'd hate to play against, because he works so hard," Blair said. "Luckily, he's on my team."
The other posts will need to be more physical to succeed, especially once the Flames reach the Big South portion of the schedule.
Monroe, the starting center, and his backup Eck combined for 14 points and 17 rebounds against smaller Glenville State. If Dunton can get that sort of production out of the five spot on a nightly basis, he'll be happy.
Dunton has worked hard to instill a physical mindset into his forwards, using pad drills (pounding players with foam pads as they go to the basket) to hammer home the point.
"It kind of makes you mad and makes you want to go a lot harder," Monroe said. "It's made me more aggressive."
In the backcourt, Hubbard, Blair and Risher figure to get some help from impact freshman Anthony Smith, an athletic 6-foot-4 wing from Plano, Texas. Smith elevates well on his jump shot and has the potential to be a dogged defender. The same can be said for freshman point guard Justin Holland, who will spell Risher once he gets healthy. (He's battled a nagging groin injury throughout the preseason.)
Until then, Hubbard will switch from small forward to point guard when Risher needs a rest, something that can be a positive for the Flames, Blair said. Hubbard is six inches taller than the 6-0 Risher and gives the Flames a different look.
Dunton is simply hoping to see growth during the non-conference schedule. Liberty opens Friday at Virginia and faces Cincinnati Christian at home Monday before heading to Rupp Arena for a game with Kentucky the day after Thanksgiving.
The Flames will play another SEC power, Mississippi State, in the San Juan Shootout and go nearly a month between home games before beginning Big South play. They host tough MAC foe Buffalo Dec. 6 and won't play at Vines Center again until the conference opener with High Point on Jan. 3.
"I'm a realist with this group," Dunton said. "There's some talent that I appreciate on this team. There are some pieces to the puzzle. How quick we can bring along this group to a place where there's some maturity on the defensive end, that's key."
