[Schfourteenteen]

\
Any of the three new gaurds coming in can easily surpass 9 pts per game if they are allotted 30-plus minutes at the 2-gaurd spot.

Thats not true if the offense never runs through them. Last year you had go to guys in Ace and Smitty. K.O. and Anderson just ran to a spot and stood there, and TeeJay just took the ball and dribbled till he could do a jump pass to somebody. I dont really think the offense was ever adjusted to BJ's strenghts offensively.

Also, find me a SG in the mix we have who will get rebounds like BJ has.

[paradox]

I think that Sanders grabbed nearly 10 a game, playing point gaurd. I'm not sure about Stephene's credentials as a rebounder, but he's very athletic, nonetheless. And Seth is getting taller by the day and may end up close to his Dad's stature when he stops growing. So, I'd imagine that he'd be a canidate to grab his share as a gaurd.

You may be right about the offense not playing to his strengths, but 9pts per game, while shooting around 30% from the arc, and a flat 40% from the field isn't very hard to surpass. In fact, it falls short of what is needed, if your goal is to win.

Like it or not, LU has an opportunity to get better as a program with the new guys. I happen to agree with this direction and I'm looking forward to the outcome.

[jcmanson]

I was defining "care" as "having to pay attention to". At LU, an athlete may not have to pour their heart into a lot of things outside of sports but there are a lot of things outside of sports that they have to pay attention to and deal with they may not necessarily have to worry about at other places. That includes, yes, the Liberty Way but also convocation, personal social responsibility and, in some cases, even academics.

Well, I agree with this statement. I was defining “care” as something your heart yearns after

[paradox]

Let's face it, anyone can attend LU and exist off campus and do as he or she wishes, without stirring the indignations of Dean Wormer, Douglas Neidlemeyer, the dreaded double-secret probation, and, of course, the Liberty Way.

[jcmanson]

Anyone who thinks we will be better NEXT year w/o BJ is lying to himself. It may end up being more beneficial to the team down the road, but not in 08-09.

[Knucklehead]

Manson. I don't disagree with you, but just as an exercise do me a favor. Describe the irreplacible (sp) (08-09) characteristics of Mr. B.J. the player.

[LUconn]

2 years of experience playing Division 1 NCAA basketball.

[jcmanson]

2 years of experience playing Division 1 NCAA basketball.

Without him we have a combined total of 7 years of experience (1 of those being Kyle in 06-07 where he only had mop-up duty), and ZERO for anyone with decent handles.

[Schfourteenteen]

2 years of experience playing Division 1 NCAA basketball.

Boy that was difficult

[Knucklehead]

That's it, that's all you've come to the table with? Weak!

[LUconn]

I think anyone who thinks we'll be good next year is underestimating what it is to be a freshman. Sometimes you get one who can immediately step up and play like a vet. And maybe we will. But those players are 1 in 500. Multiplied by the fact that we don't need 1 of them to step up like that. We need 3 or 4 to. I'd say the odds are very slim that we're able to pull that off.

[Knucklehead]

My point exactly. I kind of see next season as a re-building year with or without B.J. SO I was asking what would he bring to This team for next year that they will not have without him?

[jcmanson]

Not having BJ, a proven quantity on the court, will just multiply the necessity of freshman having to step up. With BJ we would have a proven, veteran ballhandler which is priceless at our level. Without him we will have to rely on ALL freshman to bring the ball up the court and set the offense up. Also, whenever the shot clock runs down, he would have been a great asset in his ability to get to the rim. Our only proven scorer now is Anthony, and I haven't seen much out of him as far as being able to create shots. It's just not his game. BJ is able to.

[SuperJon]

Next year was going to have its ups and downs before this, but now it's going to be even harder. Will the freshmen have the talent? Quite possibly. How will they handle the learning curve is the question. Until you've played Division I ball, you don't know what to expect. These players coming in may eventually be better than BJ, but for next year, his experience trumps their potential.

[paradox]

Not too long ago, LU won a big south title and a trip to the NCAA's with two freshman, a walk-on, and a second year transfer. I wouldn't write anything off at this early juncture.


If you're good, it doesn't usually take that long to adjust. I think that some of the doubters are gonna be pleasantly surprised with what emerges next season.

[jcmanson]

The two freshman that year were role players. There were several seniors on that team including Gabe Martin, Sarchet, Sneed, and Mantlo. Comparing the 03-04 team to the 08-09 team is apples and oranges. Yes, 2 very good freshman were on that team, but they were not relied upon to get there. Without those freshman, we would have still competed for the championship, and may have still won it. The same cannot be said about this year's team.

[paradox]

Blair, Dees, and Martin comprised about 80% of the scoring down the stretch. We can do something similiar with two freshman and Anthony.

Everyone's forgetting about MVP candidate Anthony Smith, a healthy Jeremy Anderson, and a very dependable Kyle Ohman. Here are three fundamentally sound players who can play and help guide the new guys along.


And let's also not forget about another upperclassmen: Sammy Jackson

[jcmanson]

I hope that's the case dox, but I don't know if it can happen. Not only did Blair and Dees have Martin to guide them but the others I mentioned and Woodson and Lightbourne even Monceaux had more game experience than our supporting players are going to have next year.

[Knucklehead]

Don't get me wrong I liked BJ. I however was never a fan of his occasional bull in the china shop lay up attempts.

[checkmate]

Next year was going to have its ups and downs before this, but now it's going to be even harder. Will the freshmen have the talent? Quite possibly. How will they handle the learning curve is the question. Until you've played Division I ball, you don't know what to expect. These players coming in may eventually be better than BJ, but for next year, his experience trumps their potential.

Which players are going to be better than BJ? You are under appreciating what he got done.

[Knucklehead]

I didn't say any freshmen would be better. As a matter of fact i said they wouldn't. BJ was a good ball handler.

I guess I'm coming about this like a rookie NFL quarterback. I feel like sometimes if the team is going to be down anyway it may be better to start the rookie QB and get him the reps so he and the team can be better the next year. So if BJ is gone and the Freshmen get thrown in the fire in an already sub par team that will be that much better the next year.

[Schfourteenteen]

Next year was going to have its ups and downs before this, but now it's going to be even harder. Will the freshmen have the talent? Quite possibly. How will they handle the learning curve is the question. Until you've played Division I ball, you don't know what to expect. These players coming in may eventually be better than BJ, but for next year, his experience trumps their potential.

Which players are going to be better than BJ? You are under appreciating what he got done.

BJ Senior year
versus
Seth Curry his Senior year

Its not a stretch

[SuperJon]

Next year was going to have its ups and downs before this, but now it's going to be even harder. Will the freshmen have the talent? Quite possibly. How will they handle the learning curve is the question. Until you've played Division I ball, you don't know what to expect. These players coming in may eventually be better than BJ, but for next year, his experience trumps their potential.

Which players are going to be better than BJ? You are under appreciating what he got done.

You are trying to turn this on me and make me say that losing BJ isn't a huge loss. You want me to bash BJ. I'm not doing that. However, the freshmen coming in have a ton of potential. If you'd read and put your vendetta aside, you would see that I said they may eventually be better than BJ. I didn't say it was definite. I didn't said it would happen next year. That isn't that far of a stretch to say.

[prototype]

Come on guys - Losing BJ is a big deal no matter how you slice it. If we have learned anything in the past, it has to be that you can't count of Freshman. We could have the best talent on paper in the country, but until they get here and show that they can play at this level - they will be little help to us. Anthony Smith is going to see double teams every night and we are still going to lack a true center with size. I'm personally not a fan of "one dimensional Anderson, and without experience on the court - he won't get a lot of good open looks. Ohman is a very emotional player and I'm not sure he is going to respond well coming out being the man next year.

[checkmate]

Next year was going to have its ups and downs before this, but now it's going to be even harder. Will the freshmen have the talent? Quite possibly. How will they handle the learning curve is the question. Until you've played Division I ball, you don't know what to expect. These players coming in may eventually be better than BJ, but for next year, his experience trumps their potential.

Which players are going to be better than BJ? You are under appreciating what he got done.

You are trying to turn this on me and make me say that losing BJ isn't a huge loss. You want me to bash BJ. I'm not doing that. However, the freshmen coming in have a ton of potential. If you'd read and put your vendetta aside, you would see that I said they may eventually be better than BJ. I didn't say it was definite. I didn't said it would happen next year. That isn't that far of a stretch to say.

A personal vendetta? How about consistency and facts. In our eight BSC wins BJ averaged 13 ppg, an incredible 6 rebs and 4 assist. Those are tremendous numbers for a sophomore.

It appears that you go to any length to cast a negative on anybody who disagrees with your positive framing of issues. Our insight is always tainted and your is always enlightened. This program took a big hit. Those numbers are not easily replaced especially when BJ had two years remaining and most likely would have only gotten more consistent in performance.

I have no vendetta just an opinion. The consistency of my opinion is that good men were wronged. It happened to me many years ago in a "christian organization" and if it happens to you one day your understanding will be enlightened as to the tough side of the these actions.