[LU'sbestmanager]

i was just thinking about how good we look on paper and what we really need to do to get where winthrop has been the past couple of years... the ncaa tournament.

i think big keys this year are going to be:

1. LB and dwight share the ball good and shoot good from the field

2. smitty steps up and plays like the player he's been working so hard this summer to be, and also be the defensive stopper that he was last year.

3. a good bench. meaning that players like j- holland, tyler baker, and russel step up with the minutes they get

4. the freshmen big men rebound and forces on the defensive end

5. whether it's justin, BJ, or dwight, we need a good pg. someone who is going to be a general on the court

5. russel to be a good force on defence and use that nice jump shot he has

6. alex mclean to be a good offensive option and damien hubburd to relax and let the game come to him, so he can be one of our leaders as a senior

just my 2 cents.. what do you guys think

[SuperJon]

Win the conference tournament.

[PAmedic]

Beat Winthrop

[PAmedic]

SJ, you musta had me by about 3 seconds on that one.

[ATrain]

Medic...that was supposed to be #7

[thesportscritic]

winning some games would be nice.

[SuperJon]

We need to win games before we even think of making the NCAA tourny. Yes, we have talent, but talent doesn't necessarily win the games.

[A.G.]

We need this collection of talent to buy into RD's balls to the wall defensive mentality. If that happens, it will be a joyous March in the Burg.

[WinthropEagleFan]

I think the key for LU will be if they can find someone to score in the paint. Guys like Blair, Smith, and Hubbard were forced to take alot of tough shots last year because there wasn't anyone reliable in the paint for them to get the ball to. If someone like McLean or Russell or Jones or Porter can become a scoring threat, it will open things up a little more for the guards. LU's shooting percentage last year wasn't good at all, so if they can find ways to get easier looks at the basket, then that should help out the Flames alot.

And LU needs to play alot better on the road too, though I'm not sure if I can put my finger on exactly why the Flmaes were so bad away from home last year...

[PAmedic]

... though I'm not sure if I can put my finger on exactly why the Flmaes were so bad away from home last year...

same reason they were bad AT home, I suppose. This fall will be different!

looking for a real revival on the court this year, esp in conference play!

[WWJFD]

Start to become accustomed to playing with each other during OOC schedule. Welcome Brew in Dec. Win a game or 2 in Provo, then shoot for a 2 or 3 seed in conference and see what the Big South playoffs play out.

HEALTH WILL BE HUGE AND KEEPING THE ROSTER TOGETHER!

1st half will be adjusting to new players, will be exciting to see how the conference games go.

[TIMSCAR20]

I say shoot for home court in the Tournament. #1 seed has won the tournament every year since the instituted the home court format (3 seasons).

[thesportscritic]

hopefully win a game first before worrying about the playoffs.

[LUconn]

well, technically, with BSC not fielding a team, we don't need to do that.

[Stevev]

The keys are winning some early season games OOC and hanging tough vs the Florida's and the Oklahoma's ( I am assumming they are still on our schedule) should prep us for Winthrop and the rest of the BSC.


Personnel wise: How Larry Blair meshes with the newcomers. Brew/Franklin and McLean are keys since their postions were our weaknesses last year (point guard and center).

Win some OOC games without Brew.

Maintain our fan base (5K to 6K) per game in the conference.

I give Coach Dunton credit, he is putting a lot of effort in trying to put a competitive team out there in the players he is signing this and next year. I hope that his effort pays off.

[Purple Haize]

Like any team at this level LU is going to need a few things to be successful.

1. LUCK - Can't get around it this plays a HUGE factor into this. There are a lot of things that can go wrong that the team has no control over. If they get some breaks, that will be huge.
2. Chemistry - Every team needs this. Even less talented teams can really succeed if they mesh well. How will all these new parts fit into the whole? Will there be enough basketballs? Will players assume other roles? Sure they will SAY they want to but will they?
3. Inside presence. At this level, guard play is at a premium and everyone has good guards. But, do we have an "enforcer"? Someoene who owns the paint defensively and can throw in 8-10 pts a night to go with 10 boards?
4. Mental Toughness. This doesn't mean putting up with RD's hysterics or his "balls to the walls" defense. This has to do about how they respond to adversity. What happens when they start droping some games in the OCS? Will they have a "here we go again" mentality? Will any jealousy devlop over who is getting the most shots? Will the team stand around and watch LB?

Those are my two cents. Pretty generic but you can apply them to specifics if you wish

[LU'sbestmanager]

i think damien can come back rebound well like he did last year and at the same time, get 8-10 pts for us. also rell will be a really good defender and rebounder as usual. Alex Mclean's body looks great. wait until you guys see him. he came to LU at about 245 and began to work really hard with me at night, and getting up every morning and running. he's down to 235 (muscle) and wants to stay there. he will be a very good presence on the offensive side of the ball and a good rebounder. Russel had a really good spring. he finish on a good note, working really hard with coach jones. in open gyms he looked like he had it in his mind to get better. his jump hook is really coming along with both hands, and he's excited to come back this year and make a run.

[thesportscritic]

did i say win a game already? well we need to win a game first