A Sea Of Red

Much has been said about how important this recruiting class will be to the future of the program. With 3 verbals now on board, I think we have enough to go on to get a discussion started.

I know there is a lot of scepticism about the big kid, Evan Maxwell because of his numbers in HS and the video we have. Keep in mind the video is from his sophomore year, and he played very Little as a junior for a HS team that went something like 27 and 3. HS coaches want to win, and they can be funny when it comes to playing a big kid who may have upside but has a hard time working in their system when they have kids who´s game is further developed and can do the things they want to do right now. Apparently he showed a lot more game in AAU, but the main reason I am cautiously optomistic is the fact that our staff had the opportunity to work with him directly in camp.

Stavian Allen looks like a potential fan favorite with his ability to play above the rim. He needs to put on some muscle, but that should come with maturity and a D1 weight training program. Same for Ezra Talbert, who is the same size with a different skill set. Interesting correlation IMHO between these 2 and Gielo and Smith on the current roster. Both look like really solid gets for us with fewer question marks than Maxwell.

With 3 schollies left, looking at the prospects out there, I see a couple of kids I think we should be targeting. The first is Shawn Lipscomb, a combo guard from Durham, NC. Here is his Flamesnation profile.

http://www.libertyflamesnation.com/2014 ... -lipscomb/

The kid has been a scoring machine in HS and would arrive just in time to fill part of the void that will be left when Davon and JC graduate. I think the fact that it appears he is transferring to VES for his senior year and the frequent references to his faith on his twitter account bode well for us.

Another NC player who we apparently have not yet offered, but apparently is friends with Lipscomb and would fill a need is wide body PF Phillip Haynes at 6´7¨and 240.

http://www.libertyflamesnation.com/2014 ... ip-haynes/

I would expect the other schollie to go to a guard, but don´t have any feel for where we might go with that. Here is a link to the FlamesNation prospect list.

http://www.libertyflamesnation.com/bask ... prospects/

I know the football opener is just 2 days away, but it´s an important time for basketball right now as well. I´d be interested in hearing what some of the other FF hoops junkies are thinking.

Very good discussion. We will have more today and later this week on the commitments and the recruiting class as a whole.

Just as an FYI, Lipscomb is going to Flora Macdonald in Red Springs, NC this season (http://www.floramacdonald.org/). While I have nothing concrete to verify this, it is my opinion that Lipscomb is very high on Liberty, but is holding out for bigger offers. He currently has offers from Liberty and Columbia.

A big year down there could get him some of those offers he seeks. Id of recommended a place like Hargrave or Fork Union if I was advising him of his prep school options

jcmanson wrote:Very good discussion. We will have more today and later this week on the commitments and the recruiting class as a whole.

Just as an FYI, Lipscomb is going to Flora Macdonald in Red Springs, NC this season (http://www.floramacdonald.org/). While I have nothing concrete to verify this, it is my opinion that Lipscomb is very high on Liberty, but is holding out for bigger offers. He currently has offers from Liberty and Columbia.

My son has worked out with coach bond a couple of times,a really good program they won a state title that got revoked about 2 seasons ago for recruiting violations.FMA has had a few players for the past couple of years to go play D1

If Lipscomb is really holding off hoping for a high major offer, I can´t see him signing in November. With summer ball over, the big boys have seen everything they are going to see until HS ball starts up again. He apparently has made this transfer for an opportunity to see for himself and demonstrate to recruiters what he can do against tougher competition.

There's a kid at Hargrave now who could give us a nice post presence......but we have v.never contacted him so I won't hold out hope.
Just my bias I know. But it would be nice to have a couple of back to the basket folks. Burress won't be around forever.

I would concur with that PH...Hargrave gets some real good kids in their postgrad program. Varsity not as much but its certainly something worth checking out as well

Here's a quick recruiting update - http://www.libertyflamesnation.com/bask ... ng-update/

Liberty is looking at SG Devin Smith - http://www.libertyflamesnation.com/2014 ... vin-smith/

The Flames are also checking in on SG Robert "Trey" Williams III as they look to finish their 2014 class - http://www.libertyflamesnation.com/2014 ... liams-iii/

olldflame wrote:If Lipscomb is really holding off hoping for a high major offer, I can´t see him signing in November. With summer ball over, the big boys have seen everything they are going to see until HS ball starts up again. He apparently has made this transfer for an opportunity to see for himself and demonstrate to recruiters what he can do against tougher competition.

Meet Lipscomb tonight at FMA,seems like a real nice fellow very well spoken.we talked about his visit to Liberty.he also spoke about VCU,Rhode Island ,NC State and Charlotte.

LocklearGT2 wrote:

olldflame wrote:If Lipscomb is really holding off hoping for a high major offer, I can´t see him signing in November. With summer ball over, the big boys have seen everything they are going to see until HS ball starts up again. He apparently has made this transfer for an opportunity to see for himself and demonstrate to recruiters what he can do against tougher competition.

Meet Lipscomb tonight at FMA,seems like a real nice fellow very well spoken.we talked about his visit to Liberty.he also spoke about VCU,Rhode Island ,NC State and Charlotte.

Did he say whether he had OFFERS from any of those programs? The only offers I am aware of are LU and Columbia. Certainly if VCU and NC State are genuinely interested, the stakes have gone way up.

olldflame wrote:

LocklearGT2 wrote:

olldflame wrote:If Lipscomb is really holding off hoping for a high major offer, I can´t see him signing in November. With summer ball over, the big boys have seen everything they are going to see until HS ball starts up again. He apparently has made this transfer for an opportunity to see for himself and demonstrate to recruiters what he can do against tougher competition.

Meet Lipscomb tonight at FMA,seems like a real nice fellow very well spoken.we talked about his visit to Liberty.he also spoke about VCU,Rhode Island ,NC State and Charlotte.

Did he say whether he had OFFERS from any of those programs? The only offers I am aware of are LU and Columbia. Certainly if VCU and NC State are genuinely interested, the stakes have gone way up.

I think he said that he had 2 more offers according to him,coach Hurley from Rhode Island and coach Davis from middle Tennessee State

Great intel. Thanks for sharing!

Forgot to post the link here yesterday, but Liberty is looking at 2014 PG Braxton Bonds out of Nashville, TN - http://www.libertyflamesnation.com/2014 ... ton-bonds/

He was here for an official visit this past weekend

jcmanson wrote:Forgot to post the link here yesterday, but Liberty is looking at 2014 PG Braxton Bonds out of Nashville, TN - http://www.libertyflamesnation.com/2014 ... ton-bonds/

He was here for an official visit this past weekend

He calls some guy who used to be a pretty fair baseball player ¨Uncle Barry¨.

olldflame wrote:

jcmanson wrote:Forgot to post the link here yesterday, but Liberty is looking at 2014 PG Braxton Bonds out of Nashville, TN - http://www.libertyflamesnation.com/2014 ... ton-bonds/

He was here for an official visit this past weekend

He calls some guy who used to be a pretty fair baseball player ¨Uncle Barry¨.

Yes he does

Commit #5 came in Thursday night from Braxton Bonds - http://www.libertyflamesnation.com/libe ... rom-bonds/

Profile page - http://www.libertyflamesnation.com/2014 ... ton-bonds/

I like the way this class is shaping up.

Bonds has been the floor leader for 2 straight state championship teams, with 3 other D1 prospects on last years team including Jalen Lindsey, a 6´7¨SF who is a top 50 player nationally and has committed to Providence.

He has an offer from LSU, but that may be misleading. LSU wanted his teammate Lindsey pretty badly, and may have tried to improve their chances by offering his favorite PG, It didn´t work, and Lindsey has transferred to Huntington Prep for his senior year.

was at flora macdonald this week and was told that shawn lipscomb has moved back home to play at bull city prep

I'm not sure you want to recruit a kid from Bull Crap City Prep, sounds a fly by night situation. Just saying.

Bigsouthking wrote:I'm not sure you want to recruit a kid from Bull Crap City Prep, sounds a fly by night situation. Just saying.

That's just a dumb thing to say. Just saying.

If you knew anything about High School education in North Carolina you would agree with my comment.

It's pointless because Liberty is no longer recruiting Lipscomb.