[PAmedic]

I'm sure we had a thread on him but darned if I can find it.

anyway- a nice piece on him here by CHRIS
http://newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellit ... th=!sports

Blair's resolve keys LU's upset

By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
February 22, 2006

The losing was wearing on Liberty guard Larry Blair. He said as much after the Flames lost in overtime to UNC Asheville at home two weeks ago.
But he refused to give up.

Even when the Flames made a trip to Birmingham-Southern for a game they had little chance of winning, Blair was spinning positive yarns. One LU official overheard Blair talking about how cool it would be to play in the NCAA tournament's play-in game.

Blair's message was simple: Twenty-loss seasons aren't fun for anyone, but keep your head up, because there are still things to play for.

Blair had every reason to go the other way during this difficult season for the Flames. He's been sparring back and forth with Radford's Whit Holcomb-Faye for the Big South scoring lead all year, and he had every right to become petulant and problematic. He could have blasted his teammates for their poor play and been a divisive force in the locker room.

Instead, he put all of his energy into lifting them up, and that's a big reason why the Flames pulled off their signature win of the season Monday night at home against league-leading Winthrop.

"That's just his character," LU coach Randy Dunton said. "Larry Blair can't quit. He doesn't know how to quit. He's never going to quit. I appreciate his positive attitude.

"We've got weaknesses that we wish we didn't have, but those are circumstances beyond everyone's control. What we can control is our attitude and our effort toward every performance. ? And that's been the message."

After Liberty's tumultuous offseason, Blair knew he would have to go from pure scorer to unquestioned leader in the bat of an eye. Guard David Dees transferred to Louisiana-Lafayette. Elijah Miller was removed from the team and forward Rashad Robinson left school in September. Plus, two other starters from last season graduated.

Suddenly, Blair was the only true known commodity on the roster.

His talents are obvious. He's scoring 22.4 points per game and has hit the 30-point mark five times, including the 37 he dropped on Winthrop Monday. The most impressive aspect of that game, Dunton said, was that Blair hit only one 3-pointer. He played all 40 minutes and went 13-for-23 from the field and 10-for-11 from the free-throw line. Most of his points came on penetration and mid-range jumpers.

"That's an incredible stat for me to look at," Dunton said. "That means Larry Blair is now a force inside the arc. He had 34 points inside the arc. That's a tremendous job of him driving. When you get to the place where you're mature enough physically and confident enough to penetrate that basketball, you can literally put a lot of pressure on everybody's defense."

Blair's performance got national attention Tuesday when he was named the Baller of the Day by The Mid-Majority, a Web site run by ESPN.com correspondent Kyle Whelliston that focuses on mid- and low-major college basketball.

Blair's biggest impact, though, may have been felt from within the Liberty locker room and at Liberty practices. Had Blair shown any quit on the season, which would be natural considering Liberty's 6-20 record heading into the Winthrop game, his teammates would surely have followed.

Blair has been careful after losses to not say anything potentially disparaging about his teammates. He's gladly spoken to the media after every game, win or lose, because he knows he's the public face of the team. He's not afraid to put in extra work, as he showed Monday after LU's morning shootaround when he stuck around with Liberty director of facilities Keith Keener to shoot extra jumpers. That sort of unspoken commitment rubs off on LU's younger players.

"He keeps his head up, and that keeps us going," Liberty freshman Anthony Smith said. "It lets us know we still have a chance. That's been real good for us."

Thanks to Blair's guidance, Smith has turned into a more aggressive force. He took 16 shots Monday, and even though he made only five, he drew enough defensive attention to open up Blair just enough to torch the Eagles.

It goes back to that leadership. Instead of getting down on Smith when he struggled with his aggressiveness early in the year, Blair encouraged him, worked with him and helped him become a more confident player.

That aspect of Blair's game has been invaluable.

"I stay composed and focused on what we need to do, and I still have faith in my teammates," Blair said after Monday's win. "The outcome of our past games doesn't change the outlook. I see how hard they work at practice each day. I know we were playing hard, but the games were going against us. That's why it feels good to get this one."

[PAmedic]

this is great! http://www.midmajority.com/

(LB even has a stat sheetup on here)

I'll try to link the article, but it will probably be gone shortly:

http://www.midmajority.com/mmbod.php

February 20, 2006
22 Larry Blair - Liberty G, Jr.

Dr. Jerry Falwell might be tempted to explain Liberty's worst-beats-first win over Winthrop (18-7, 11-3) as evidence of the divine, but the Big South upset special was likely a combination of two very secular factors: fatigue from the Eagles' double-overtime BracketBuster victory and the uplifting play of team leader Blair, who hasn't had much assistance during the Flames' lost season (6-20, 3-11) but put it all together last night in Liberty's biggest win of the year. He led his team in scoring for the 16th consecutive game, and his 37 came one short of his season-high of 38 against High Point. And if he hadn't hit all those free throws, Liberty likely wouldn't have had a prayer in this one.

[grm]

That's all great stuff. He's a special player, in a special program.

Your posts are always great, PA.

[PAmedic]

GRM: you are a wonderful, insightful man, with obviously impeccable taste in journalism.

[TIMSCAR20]

Medic you are right about a thread discussing Larry but I don't know if it was dedicated to him. Here is where I stand on Larry's legacy. Right now he is already in the top 5 as a Jr IMHO because he has a Big South Championship, rookie of the year, 1st team all conference, second team all conference, 2 preseason 1st team 1st team All-State as a soph and a host of other accolades including a ceremonial tournament MVP. He and Dees were the 1st, 1st team all state performers since Aluma. He has a chance to become only the second Liberty player to win the scoring title (Aluma in 96). He would be the 1st Liberty player since 1990 (Bailey Alston) to average 20 plus in a season. He currently has 1507 points for his career and could get to 2000 which would be the most ever during division 1 play. Alston scored over 2100 points (in only 3 seasons!) but his 1st season we played conference games in division II and most of our non Conference were division I. He is one of the most likeable individuals you will ever meet that is for sure (That helps in American Idol voting so why not here ). He will probaby have 2 more 1st team selections in the regular season (this year and next) and possibly 2 MVP's (this year and next). I don't think he will get MVP but he could. His resume is unparralled especially if he gets to 2000 which is very attainable at this point. He was under 1000 when the season started and didn't get there until 5 games in. He will probably get another 50-150 depending on how far we go in the tournament. So he may need only 400 points going into his senior year! I know I don't have him at the top of my list just yet but the story is not completely written yet.

[Guest]

He is certainly worth the price of admission and a shining example of Liberty basketball. Why doesn't the board respond to a positve story with the same intensity as a potantial negative one?

[TIMSCAR20]

Thats a good question Larry Blair, I mean Guest . Really we all know the answer to that one. Negativity sells. Even though we are mostly men and many of us Christian men, gossip is what gets people going, right or wrong. I hope more folks get their thoughts heard on this subject because it is a fun topic.

[LUconn]

Here is my thoughts: He is unstoppable.

Sure he may have an off night here and there, but that's just one of those days. If it's not one of those days, there is absolutely nothing you can do to prevent him from scoring whenever he wants. How many times has the guy hit a last second shot this season when the defense had 100% certainty that he was going to get the ball? That's rhetorical but I think it was at least twice. Both 3 pointers. That's ridiculous. Speaking of ridiculous, did you see that shot the other night? Towards the end of the game the guy does a pumpfake. Pumpfake is such an understatement. It was a mid-air pumpfake where the ball came down to his waist (possibly lower) to avoid a stray hand before he brought it back up to get off a clean shot. What in the world? I literally could not think after he did that. I was more confused than excited. I can't can't how many times he is in the air turned upsidown (ok I'm exagerating a tad) and I've thought, "he's trapped" only to see him fling the ball in the air without squaring up and the darn thing goes in. Sometimes I think he's got some kind of psychokenetic powers where he guides the ball with his mind.

[TIMSCAR20]

LB is a contortionist for sure. I talked about his dexterity and balance a lot the other night during the telecast. He is an exceptional athlete in terms of agility and what have you. Some of the shots he takes (and I know this from asking him many times) are just an afterthought. In other words he is reacting to what the defender did in order to get the shot off. Truth be told I can only think of a few guys that have ever played at Liberty that can get those types of shots off and make them look routine. I was one of those guys (though not even close to as often as he does because I didn't shoot it as much), Alston was certainly like that, Darryl Williams, Keith Ferguson and believe it or not Hildo used to take and make shots that had you scratching your head sometimes. The amazing thing about all the guys I named is that we are all between 6-3 and 6-6 whereas LB is barely 6-0.

[TIMSCAR20]

Also the fact that he is an undersized 2 guard and his unselfishness. Believe me he doesn't want to take all those shots all the time. Don't get me wrong there isn't a player alive that doesn't want a green light but when shooting becomes a burden and you are trying to carry a struggling team and everyone knows you are coming at them, it is not fun. Again, the journey is not over for Larry but I think he is quickly starting to build towards being considered at or near the top of the GOAT list.

[PAmedic]

hey SCAR at least you didn't miss an opportunity there to pump up your rep!

[TIMSCAR20]

BTW I may be changing my avatar to me interviewing my new favorite player I ever interviewed! fsn32 I know you have to have some picks of me and LB right? (I am trying to get this post count up so people will read it and chime in).

[PAmedic]

please- he couldn't come up w/ any pix of Gado for me, I doubt he has any of you and LB!

[TIMSCAR20]

Medic, just trying to give historical perspective...I used to drive coach Meyer banana's with the crazy shots I took. Ask Jerry Edwards, he knows....fsn has to have some pictures of me and LB when I interviewed him after the HPU game. Come on fsn you gotta come through. Also Medic, go on Facebook and get some really cool shots from Gado's pictures.

[LUconn]

Who are you interviewing in that picture? Some sort of truck driver?

[TIMSCAR20]

That's funny LUConn. He drives alright but it is mostly to the basket in South Philadelphia.

[PAmedic]

Broad & Pattison baby

[Sly Fox]

He's certainly not driving to NBA titles. Someday he may even add a pass or two to his reportoire.( which would be nice for alleged PG).

[Hold My Own]

Dont forget Scar's not the only one with AI on his avatar...I'll pack some heat and earn some street cred for my boy!

THUG LIFE

[SuperJon]

I'll post this is the thread about backgrounds but since I just finished it up, thought you guys might like it:

[Hold My Own]

that's sick SJ

[PAmedic]

http://newsadvance.com/servlet/Satellit ... th=!sports

After Blair, Liberty's cupboard was bare

By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
March 3, 2006

Larry Blair's leadership role didn't end when the buzzer sounded at the end of the Flames' season-ending, 93-52 loss at Winthrop Tuesday.
In a smallish interview room at Winthrop Coliseum, he had to take over as Flames' point guard Evan Risher struggled to find an answer to the question of what went wrong in the 2005-06 season.

Instead of leaving his teammate hung out to dry, Blair jumped in and broke the silence, offering an explanation.

It was a fitting moment. Blair came to the rescue, much like he did in Liberty's four wins this season against Division I teams. Blair averaged 30 points in those victories, none of which came easily.

Blair was the one breath of life in an otherwise miserable season. The Flames finished 7-23, their worst record since going 5-25 in 2001-02. They went 4-23 against Division I teams and were winless on the road.

Liberty was dealt a bad hand before the season even started when forward Rashad Robinson and guard David Dees left school. Elijah Miller was booted from the team. Freshman forward Tyler Baker had to redshirt due to a nagging foot injury.

Blair was defiant though when asked if that attrition played a role in Liberty's struggles. Though the losses clearly hurt, Blair wouldn't use them as an excuse.

"You can't play with the players you don't have," Blair said. "I have a lot of trust in my teammates. It was just a tough road. We struggled with inexperience."

Blair was the Flames' top offensive option and the only Liberty player to average double figures in scoring. He had six 30-point games. And if he was unspectacular, Liberty had very little chance to win.

But the games in which he flat took over - his showings against High Point, Winthrop and UNC Asheville at home were examples - he showed why he was one of the best players in the Big South.

"He's a better person than he is a player," Dunton said. "You never see this guy act like a prima donna when he's frustrated.

"He is the best player in the Big South. There is no one who can guard him one-on-one. He is unguardable."

The problem was that Blair rarely got help, and one-man shows generally tend to falter at some point because opponents wise up and throw their entire defensive package at that one man.

Blair did well against trick defenses all season, but he couldn't win games alone.

Liberty had no presence in the post, meaning it was easy for opponents to defend the perimeter heavily. That made it difficult for Liberty's guards to get dribble penetration for drives and dishes.

As a result, Liberty's offense was generally stagnant. The Flames scored 60 or fewer points 13 times.

Along the way, though, many Liberty players learned that they didn't show enough of a commitment in the offseason. Risher, for one, pleaded guilty as charged.

"Coach talked to us about that before the game and all through the season," Risher said. "He said you don't want to go through the season, and when the season was over, say 'what if?'

"What if I did this? Now, I wish I was in the gym for a couple more hours shooting. I wish I could have done a lot of things differently. I'm going to work on shooting and just being in the gym every day, getting better."

There are reinforcements on the way. Forwards Armon Jones and Alex McClean will have to make an immediate impact in the post, and explosive Providence College transfer Dwight Brewington will be eligible after the fall semester ends.

Fans seem to be willing to give Dunton a pass for one really bad season, but impatience will grow if Liberty doesn't show improvement next year. The Flames have just one winning season in the last nine years.

"Everything is going to be evaluated," Dunton said. "We've got young men that need to show responsibility to the program. We're not playing basketball for intramurals at Liberty. We're playing to win."

[PAmedic]

Blair came to the rescue, much like he did in Liberty's four wins this season against Division I teams. Blair averaged 30 points in those victories, none of which came easily.

Blair was the Flames' top offensive option and the only Liberty player to average double figures in scoring. He had six 30-point games. And if he was unspectacular, Liberty had very little chance to win.

"He's a better person than he is a player," Dunton said. "You never see this guy act like a prima donna when he's frustrated.

"He is the best player in the Big South. There is no one who can guard him one-on-one. He is unguardable."

There are reinforcements on the way. Forwards Armon Jones and Alex McClean will have to make an immediate impact in the post, and explosive Providence College transfer Dwight Brewington will be eligible after the fall semester ends.

Fans seem to be willing to give Dunton a pass for one really bad season, but impatience will grow if Liberty doesn't show improvement next year. The Flames have just one winning season in the last nine years.

"Everything is going to be evaluated," Dunton said. "We've got young men that need to show responsibility to the program. We're not playing basketball for intramurals at Liberty. We're playing to win."

[LUconn]

This isn't about Larry Blair but that last quote, to me, seem directed at a few players, who shall remain nameless, that seem to have sky high potential but has yet to show anything on the court. We know which one(s).

[PAmedic]

yeah, there was a thread a little while back where some names got dropped- or close to it. I hate to see somebody lose an opportunity to get an education, but by not contributing- they are depriving others of a similar opportunity.

I see 2 guys not being asked to return but will hold off on the names for now.