[BJWilliams]

The thing with local talent (at least from the 434) is that the talent pool is limited to players who probably might get on at a D2/D3/NAIA school and you maybe get 1 or 2 D1 quality guys (and we are talking about 30+ high schools in the Lynchburg/Roanoke/Danville area and associated counties). the 757 has I think the same problem these days (having grown up in that area). Back in the 90s and first part of the 2000s, it was an area ripe with D1 talent, but to be frank, there really has only been 1 blue chip D1 prospect (McAdoo) in the last 5+ years. The basketball in South Hampton Roads just isnt as good as it used to be. ODU only has three players from that area on the roster (If you extend to the Peninsula it increases to 5), Hampton only has one (plus two from the Peninsula). Norfolk State only has three from that area.

I'll defer to PH to go into more detail about this area, but the point is that if you had to pick between offering a scholarship to a player from EC Glass and one from...say...Oak Hill or Fort Bend Travis, chances are theyll offer the kid from the latter two schools

[RVAparks]

I'm not referring to Campbell County or anything. More of Richmond, NOVA, and Hampton Roads. I think you're selling the Tidewater region really short, Devon Hall and Anthony Barber are good examples. I mean obviously Liberty isn't in competition for blue chippers.

Like I said the average is 28%. That would be 3 or 4 players for Liberty (I'm not including Layer b/c frankly I don't think that counts, haha). But it seems like Liberty isn't even trying in-state whether it be Danville, Richmond, or Alexandria. I have a lot of friends who are high school coaches and when I ask about Liberty they say they never see them in the gym. I just think its odd and that you're missing out on some low hanging fruit. I mean look at the talent Radford has found in-state.

[Purple Haize]

RVA it is the opinion of most people on this board that we are 'bigger' than Virginia and taking a recruit from Virginia would be a step down. I agree more with your line of reasoning and know that we have had several players who could play and contribute in the Lynchburg/Roanoke/Danville/Valley area. We just don't feel we need to put the time into it. I'm baffled but I'm also not on staff
I think that every school should know our staff and have at least met them and granted NCAA limits that. Still if you are looking at players 8-15 on your roster IMO you are missin the boat if you don't have kids from your area or at least State on the roster

[ballcoach15]

The Roanoke area usually has a D1 prospect or 2 each year, and Danville area every couple years. Like a previous poster said, LU doesn't seem to recruit locally. I spent 14 years as a high school assistant coach, and I never saw a LU coach at any game, in Central Va area, even though there were players in the gyms that eventually went D1.

[olldflame]

The Roanoke area usually has a D1 prospect or 2 each year, and Danville area every couple years. Like a previous poster said, LU doesn't seem to recruit locally. I spent 14 years as a high school assistant coach, and I never saw a LU coach at any game, in Central Va area, even though there were players in the gyms that eventually went D1.

Did those D1 prospects play for your team? If not, you have no way of knowing if our coaches scouted them or not. Chances of them being there the one or 2 games they played against you are very Slim.

I agree with the basic premise that we need to be looking at local players who are good enough and fit in at LU. I reject the idea that we are not. The pickins are slim. I will say that there have been a couple of times we had a ¨spare¨schollie because a signee didn´t qualify, and we have taken a last minute flyer on a borderline kid like Asaad Woods, and I suspect Wesley Altegere. In a case like that I would be all for bringing in a local kid if there was one available.

[RVAparks]

The Roanoke area usually has a D1 prospect or 2 each year, and Danville area every couple years. Like a previous poster said, LU doesn't seem to recruit locally. I spent 14 years as a high school assistant coach, and I never saw a LU coach at any game, in Central Va area, even though there were players in the gyms that eventually went D1.

Did those D1 prospects play for your team? If not, you have no way of knowing if our coaches scouted them or not. Chances of them being there the one or 2 games they played against you are very Slim.

I agree with the basic premise that we need to be looking at local players who are good enough and fit in at LU. I reject the idea that we are not. The pickins are slim. I will say that there have been a couple of times we had a ¨spare¨schollie because a signee didn´t qualify, and we have taken a flyer on a borderline kid like Asaad Woods, and I suspect Wesley Altegere. In a case like that I would be all for bringing in a local kid if there was one available.

The pickins are slim? We are in one of the most talent rich states in the country. Radford and Longwood combined have signed 11 kids out of Virginia alone the past two years. The pickins certainly aren't slim and I'm not just referring to the Lynchburg/Roanoke area. I have friends who coach at both public and private schools in the Richmond and Hampton Roads area and they say they basically never hear from Liberty. I just think its weird.

[LUconn]

I don't know that bragging about how 2 teams that were under .500 in one of the worst conferences in the country had Virginia laden squads is doing much for your argument. Then again, we were right down there with you, so who knows if our approach is any better.

[RVAparks]

I'm not bragging about it. But these are freshman and sophomores we're talking about. You don't think YaYa Anderson, RJ Price, or Javonte Green would have made a positive impact on Liberty's roster.

I'm not saying one approach is better than the other. I'm just wondering why Liberty doesn't recruit in-state? It seems to me that their is a good opportunity with the Eaker vacancy to get someone that could open up that market.

[Sly Fox]

For the record ... we did pursue YaYa. Both of the other two were on our radar but there are always going to be players you miss and some that simply aren't anxious to adjust to our culture.

[Purple Haize]

For the record ... we did pursue YaYa. Both of the other two were on our radar but there are always going to be players you miss and some that simply aren't anxious to adjust to our culture.

Yippee we have proof we pursued 1 End the discussion. We should be good for another 3 or 4 years

[RVAparks]

Haha, I will say there has been an uptick in Boo Williams guys and Liberty interest. I don't know if Judas Walden has something to do with that or not.

Liberty did throw their hat into the ring with Jaylen Hinton here in Richmond, but its kind of a lost cause when he has two Ivy League offers.

Just a point of discussion...put the shields down.

[Purple Haize]

Haha, I will say there has been an uptick in Boo Williams guys and Liberty interest. I don't know if Judas Walden has something to do with that or not.

Liberty did throw their hat into the ring with Jaylen Hinton here in Richmond, but its kind of a lost cause when he has two Ivy League offers.

Just a point of discussion...put the shields down.

Says the guy with the shield on his avatar ...

[RVAparks]

Haha pretty solid point

[BJWilliams]

I'm not referring to Campbell County or anything. More of Richmond, NOVA, and Hampton Roads. I think you're selling the Tidewater region really short, Devon Hall and Anthony Barber are good examples. I mean obviously Liberty isn't in competition for blue chippers.

Like I said the average is 28%. That would be 3 or 4 players for Liberty (I'm not including Layer b/c frankly I don't think that counts, haha). But it seems like Liberty isn't even trying in-state whether it be Danville, Richmond, or Alexandria. I have a lot of friends who are high school coaches and when I ask about Liberty they say they never see them in the gym. I just think its odd and that you're missing out on some low hanging fruit. I mean look at the talent Radford has found in-state.

The thing that has to be considered is not only do we want good players (no one in their right mind wants bad ones), but they need to fit in the coach's philosophy and system as well as the university's mission. I would like to see the coaches visiting some of the Southeastern and Eastern District games (I think that is where a lot of your top teams in the area have come from on the boys side) and some of the private schools in the area as well, but being from the area, the talent pool isnt as deep as it had been in the 1990s.

I mentioned it in another discussion, but its a two way street many times in recruiting. If the coaches from schools like Glass and Heritage and Rustburg and JF and Fleming and PH-Roanoke and GW-Danville reached out to Liberty and said "hey Ive got a kid I think you should check out", then that establishes (within NCAA guidelines I would believe) a relationship and then they will not only get to check out the recruit they were told about, but also could get a look at others they may not have known about. As I said in the other discusion, if they dont hear from them, they can only assume that they dont a) have anyone worth looking at or b) dont want to potentially forge a relationship with said coach/school. They probably could stand to do some work but they cant do all the lifting as far as recruiting goes

[LUconn]

Wasn't Bill Weaver from Eastern VA somewhere? And he had an offer from Brown. A lot of people can't afford to go to Ivy League schools.

[BJWilliams]

Kecoughtan if memory serves me correctly...or maybe Phoebus...he was from the Peninsula are

[TIMSCAR20]

BJ Jenkins was from that area too.

[ballcoach15]

Over the past few years during my travels around the state, I have came in contact with coaches from UVA and Virginia Tech, but not LU.


Not basketball but, I know of football players right now that UVA and VT are "looking at", but not LU.

[birchbark]

Looking forward to next season. I think LU has the right kind of talent to see another Big South Championship and go beyond that.

[Purple Haize]

Looking forward to next season. I think LU has the right kind of talent to see another Big South TOURNAMENT Championship and go beyond that.

FIFY. We were far from regular season champs

[ALAFlamesFan]

With the late signing period underway is there anyone still on our radar for this year? A big guard or athletic 3 maybe? Are we expecting any late signees?

[olldflame]

With the late signing period underway is there anyone still on our radar for this year? A big guard or athletic 3 maybe? Are we expecting any late signees?

We have at least one scholarship available and possibly more. Layer has shown he is not one to hold a schollie for a year, so expect one or more signings this Spring.

We have already signed a big guard in Kemrite. I expect the focus to be on an athletic 3 and possibly a PG. Here is the 2013 prospect list from FlamesNation.

http://www.libertyflamesnation.com/p/blog-page.html

[Purple Haize]

Does anyone know if Layers contract was extended?

[BJWilliams]

Its not like its a matter of public record if it is or not. If he has been, there will be a release in due time, but if not and he isnt coming back in 2014-15, then that's AOK too.

[Purple Haize]

Its not like its a matter of public record if it is or not. If he has been, there will be a release in due time, but if not and he isnt coming back in 2014-15, then that's AOK too.

So, No, you don't know.