[paradox]

Shaw:

I really can't respond to any of your comments because you seem to have a large imagination with regard to things that you think that I've said.

I was more upbeat about next season all along, and was very concerned with our lack of depth in the post, and especially concerned about our lack of a real play maker. I, like everyone else was hoping that Brew could make a successful transition over to the point gaurd position, but that obviously did not materilaize. I'm certain that you cannot win on this level without consistancy and leadership from the point gaurd position.

Bannister and Brewington have the potential to be the most potent senior backcourt in Big South history. Will we get to see it? What about our 7-foot Nigerian? Will we get to see him play?

[paradox]

I'm not predicting doom and gloom and I'm hoping for the best possible outcome. But the reality is there nonetheless. We may lose key players and may need to take several steps back before we start to more forward again.

Some of the most impatient of Dunton-bashers stated during the season that they want Dunton out so that they can see a Big South championship here before they graduate. How ironic. We may have been closer than you thought. Maybe you all can come back as alumni and witness one someday.

Having said that, if we can keep a core group of players that includes Bannister, Brewington, Mclean, Smith, Jenkins, and Baker, then I'm confident that LU can make it back to the Big Dance next season, regardless of the coach.

[Schfourteenteen]

How many times have we said were going to the dance NEXT year? to keep everything weve got just brings another year of, well, next year. good move throughout, and hopefully people will stick around, but if not we will hopefully actually be building something other than dreams.

[TallyW]

JB was brought in to create something new on the mountain. He had huge momentum with his work on the Football program and the Flames Club. He said at the beginning of the year they sat down and discussed some concerns. Roco has been a big pick-me-up of a coach who comes from an ACC school. His energy was contagious for our school and I honestly think that in addition to opinions of RD... JB knows that his tail is on the line to get this program going in the right direction. Dr. Falwell has always pushed this school to think big and to accomplish great things. The Doc has always said 'if it's Christian it should be better.'

He brought JB in to make LU better. His view is that RD wasn't the right fit for the future. I think we can all accept it and move on. Chances are we are all going to be pumped when we hear who the new coach is. Like Rocco there is a good chance we'll get a huge morale boost on the mountain because of this move.

New Bball coach, Spring game then the fall. We have a lot to look forward to.

[Casper]

Many of you are worried about some of the players we have leaving because of RD's firing. Why worry? What diference does it make? Track record shows that Dunton loses about 3 players every year that aren't seniors anyway. So the way I see it, if we do lose players, it will be about like if he were here. Let's get a coach that can not only recruit good players but keep them here and develop them. Recruiting is only half the battle.

[Sly Fox]

Once again, enough with the shots at Coach Dunton. He is gone and it is time for everyone to let it go.

[Libertine]

As I look at this, initial recruiting is the least of my concerns. Whoever JB brings in would have to be a pretty good recruiter or JB wouldn't hire him and history also shows that new coachesgenerally get a slight advantage in recruiting their first year by virtue of the fact that there's little to no "baggage" carried over from the previous year.

[Casper]

That was not necessarily a shot at RD but more of a.... "Everyone calm down and quit worrying about players leaving."

To quote the great RD, "It's a great day to be a FLAME!!"

[paradox]

Well, at least Alexis has been promoted to interim head coach for now.


This was a wise move. He absolutely needs to stay on if you want to avoid defections.

[belcherboy]

I'm not predicting doom and gloom and I'm hoping for the best possible outcome. But the reality is there nonetheless. We may lose key players and may need to take several steps back before we start to more forward again.

Some of the most impatient of Dunton-bashers stated during the season that they want Dunton out so that they can see a Big South championship here before they graduate. How ironic. We may have been closer than you thought. Maybe you all can come back as alumni and witness one someday.

Having said that, if we can keep a core group of players that includes Bannister, Brewington, Mclean, Smith, Jenkins, and Baker, then I'm confident that LU can make it back to the Big Dance next season, regardless of the coach.

Yeah, I think it is a very valid concern. We all want to see Liberty take a leap forward when getting a new coach, but there could easily be an initial setback for a year or two if Dunton's recruits walk away. On the other side, if they all stay, the next coach might just be the Big South coach of the year.

If they would have given Dunton another year to show off his new guys, I would have been good with it, but I can understand why they didn't want to renew his contract. He definitely left the program in better shape than he found it!

[Cider Jim]

He definitely left the program in better shape than he found it!

Amen--thank you, Randy.

[Purple Haize]

OXBURGER IF these current players are so good, why did we finish so poorly. If the program was where it needed to be than why were we always rebuilding? We are either good or rebuilding. It seems to change to fit the need. Coaches leave all the time, and as Casper noted, so do players. If RD can bring in players of the caliber you think he did, why worry about the next coach?

[paradox]

Haize:

I made that clear in a previous post or two.

C'mon now, you played the game. Can you win without playmaking and a consistant level of play from the point gaurd position?

Next year we get TJ Bannister, who reminds me of a D-1 version of Kenny Gunn, if you will.

[lureal]

generally it takes 3-5 years to get a program on track tht reached the depths of ours under mel. thanks for admitting where the talents stand as dunton leaves and remember he got us a championship two 2nds and a third place finish. really tough to call that lack of progress. so now let's see who it is and what he gets done. maybe jb will learn that winning in the bsc isn't as easy as you think looking out a sec window.

[Purple Haize]

lureal Take some time, look at our RPI and w - l record RD's first year and RD's last year.
A penguin in a monkey suit would have improved our team A.M. I don't think anyone would deny that. (No I am calling RD neither a penguin or a monkey suit) The stars did align just right and we did make an NCAA appearance, no one is taking that away. Where did we go from there?

[LUconn]

The stars did align just right and we did make an NCAA appearance, no one is taking that away.

Why does everyone keep saying that? You just took it away by saying "the stars did align just right". That means you think it was a fluke. I don't see why everybody has such a hard time giving the man credit for that. We were the best team that year.

[Purple Haize]

We were NOT the best team that year, but the best team does not always win. It was not a fluke, there is nothing wrong with taking advantages of situations you are presented with. I would say the same thing about UNCA's tourney appearance, and this years UNCA Lady's appearance

[LUconn]

We were NOT the best team that year, but the best team does not always win. It was not a fluke, there is nothing wrong with taking advantages of situations you are presented with. I would say the same thing about UNCA's tourney appearance, and this years UNCA Lady's appearance

We finished in 1st place in the regular season and won the tournament but you're right we werent the best team.

[paradox]

Haize & others:

You really can't complain about Lureal and others not seeing the other side when you refuse to give the man the slightest credit for his legitimate achievements.

You're certainly not on higher ground in terms of objectivity.

[Purple Haize]

BSC may have something to say about the regular season.
As far as giving him credit, I have. We have much better talent b/c of him. We went to the NCAA's. And he never made it boring.

[paradox]

BSC may have something to say about the regular season.
As far as giving him credit, I have. We have much better talent b/c of him. We went to the NCAA's. And he never made it boring.

This site is the only place where that argument is ever made about BSC?

Even Winthrop Eagle Fan mentioned that he doesn't know why some LUers are saying that.

The BSC argument is completley bogus when you take into account LU's dominance of that team during that time period and the fact that BSC finished closer to .500 than to a Big South championship the following season as they returned the exat same squad. mostly seniors.

I seriously doubt that BSC had anything to say about '04 after they fell flat on their faces with a better team in '05.

[Purple Haize]

I am just brining it up. Not saying it would have changed anything, just stating fact. BSC DID win the regular season title which would make them theoretically the best team that year. We would have been the best team in the tournament. Which is BETTER b/c that gets you the trip to the Dance (or as we say at LU, "That large social swaying event") Two differnt beasts we are dealing with

[paradox]

Deep Purple:

This is getting deep and hazy. You're trippin'. Your gettin' psychedelic on me now

What is theorectically the best? Do I need to remind you that this is supposed to be a sports conversation?

Winthrop Eagle Fan keeps the Big South stats and he indicated that both LU and BSC shared 12-4 records that year and had BSC been eligable, according to conference rules, LU would have had homecourt anyhow. LU finished off the conference that year on an 11-1 run, which included a 20 point wallop of Birmingham Southern. Clearly LU was the best team in the Big South that year. No one else doubts this except for the RD-bashing faction at LU.

Has it ever occurred to you that BSC looked so good to you and your buddies that year because every game that they played in was meaningless and bereft of any of the pressures associated with normal competition. Furthermore, they went belly-up the following season with a mostly senior squad when the games actually meant something.

The real fact is that the team that actually wins the conference tournament rightfully goes to the NCAA's.

Good record or bad, Presbyterian College will make a very good theorectical champion for years to come because there are always upsets. Just stating fact as some like to say

[jimflamesfan]

BSC actually didn't win the Big South title the year that LU went to the dance. BSC and LU had the same conference records. I believe the tiebreaker then goes to the team that has the best records against the next highest seed. With BSC and LU tied at #1...LU swept #2 High Point and BSC split with them...so LU wins the tiebreaker and actually won the regular season.

In addition...LU whipped BSC at home...while BSC won by something like 6 against LU at their place. I do believe LU was the best team that year.

I do believe JB knows what he was doing. JB did NOT FIRE RD. He simply decided not to renew his contract. RD is getting paid through December. Therefore, I think everything was done on the up and up.

I am waiting excitedly to see who the next coach will be!

[paradox]

I agree. It's time to start looking forward to a new era of LU basketball.