[olldflame]

I think most likely done for 2016 but I'm sure some back up plans are in place. Typically, I would say you probably look hard at graduate transfers but less likely for a new coach building with young players. The payoff is typically in year 3, 4 and 5 when these young guys are upperclassmen.

My guess is there will be one or two changes to the roster but maybe not. This seems like a tight knit group. If you were looking for a graduate transfer, what position would you really target?

PG - Cabbil, Barmore, Atensia, Hoffman
SG - Dawson, Kemrite, Worman, Heipler
SF - Reid, Gardner, Hicks
PF - Homesley, ETalbert
C - Maxwell, JTalbert, Koval

That is 16 guys which is too many so some guys will most likely not be back. Most of those guys can play multiple positions so it will be interesting to see where Coach plays them. I really think the lineup of Cabbil, Dawson, Kemrite, Gardner/Homesley and Maxwell may be the primary . Barmore is an X factor which could move Cabbil to the 2 a lot more. I like the looks of this group already with lots of talent on the bench. There are going to be some serious battles in the offseason and during practice which will only speed up development. Good thing is we will have size to matchup with the bigger teams and we have more depth to play smaller with most of the BSC teams. I look for 9-10 guys in the rotation next season.

5 of those players; Hicks, Hiepler, Hoffman, Koval and Worman will not have scholarships. You left out Myo Baxter-Bell, who will. That makes 12, leaving us with one available. I think there is a good chance one current scholarship player leaves. Hard to tell how many of the walkons will hang around.

We saw this year with Fields what.an asset a mature transfer can be with a bunch of young guys, and signing another Freshman would mess things up for 2017. We could just stand pat, but there is no reason to if we can being in another experienced piece or 2 for a year. I don't think Ritchie will do it unless he can find someone who will fit in like Anthony did, but if they are out there, why not?

[SumItUp]

It was decided today that a couple of those players will not be returning.

[olldflame]

It was decided today that a couple of those players will not be returning.

Are we talking about recruited scholarship players here, or the walkons who were given schollies last year because we had a bunch of them we weren't using? I think those guys knew it would probably only be for one year.

[olldflame]

Manson has announced another committment for 2016. Exactly what I said wouldn't happen.

Georgie Pacheco is a 6'2" guard who is a native of Puerto Rico currently playing for Deep Run HS in VA. He is also a member of his national U17 team. Signing Pacheco will make our 2017 scholarship situation even tighter, requiring 2 departures to sign Cuffee and Newton.

[Sly Fox]

Georgie Pacheco
6' 2" Combo Guard
Richmond (VA) Deep Run HS
AAU: Team Richmond
Hometown: Puerto Rico


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[olldflame]

It was decided today that a couple of those players will not be returning.

Are we talking about recruited scholarship players here, or the walkons who were given schollies last year because we had a bunch of them we weren't using? I think those guys knew it would probably only be for one year.

Since SumItUp either hasn't been around to read the question or is sworn to silence, it looks like we have no choice but to resort to rampant speculation.

Since this decision was just made, I'm going to rule out Hoffman and Heipler, the walkons who were given scholarships this year. That was made possible by the Spring housecleaning, and I think it was decided long ago it was a one year deal. So who are we talking about?

With the committment of Pacheco in addition to the Fall signing of Barmore, I just don't see a role for Hansel Atencia going forward. He had no meaningful minutes after Dawson became eligible, and his small stature and lack of elite athleticism make him a liability on D in Ritchie's system.

If 2 are being let go, I would say Baxter-Bell is the other likely casualty. He was on campus as a non qualifier, and the only mention I heard of him was Ritchie joking that he was the team leader at the buffet line.

[TDDance234]

I don't really see anything from Georgie Pacheco's tape that jumped out. What am I missing?

[olldflame]

I don't really see anything from Georgie Pacheco's tape that jumped out. What am I missing?

I suspect the answer mostly has to do with the thing that is always missing from HS highlight vídeo ..................... DEFENSE.

Atencia's vídeo on the other hand was impressive, but while he certainly dropped some nice dimes, they looked more spectacular because be had a couple of national top 100 guys finishing them with dunks. Of course it also didn't show that he struggles to defend D1 calibre opponents man to man.

While he only scored 11ppg for the Puerto Rican U17 team, Georgie played more minutes than anyone, which shows you what his coach thought of him. BTW, basketball is amuch bigger deal in PR than it is in Columbia, and their national teams are much better.

[Sly Fox]

The evaluations I found online all started with discussions of Georgie's perimeter defense and his long-range accuracy. He's a shooter and not a scorer who can play the point. WE all know how valuable a perimter defender is in this system.

John Dawson's Periscope the other day showed Myo having a great time with him at a Lynchburg restaurant. So I hesitate to speculate on his status. But who knows?

[PAmedic]

John Dawson's Periscope the other day showed Myo having a great time with him at a Lynchburg restaurant.

#creepyoldmanstalkingcollegedudes

[Cider Jim]

John Dawson's Periscope...

I don't even know what that is. Does Dawson have his own submarine?

[FlameFan11]

lol. u guys r cray. Too many old guys trying to stay in touch with their inner youth.

It was a little surprising to see another guard commit but the staff knows what they are looking for and what they need long term in their system.

Since we are left to speculate, one very common practice during a new coaching change like this that had so many underclassmen, is to play the young guys the first year out of necessity and then redshirt a guy the second year. With the way the roster looks, I doubt it would happen but it is always a possibility.

So, if oldflame's speculation is correct that would leave certain scholarship players as

Juniors - Dawson, Maxwell, Kemrite, Reid
Sophomores - Cabbil, Homesley, ETalbert
Freshmen - Gardner, Barmore, JTalbert, Pacheco

That gives us 11 guys that are definite. That leaves current guys Atencia, Hoffman, Hiepler, Worman and Bell as non-scholarship as well as incoming guys Koval and Hicks.

Add in the two verbal commits for 2017 in Barber and Cuffee (definite scholarship).

The cupboard is full and with no seniors this should be the roster for the next two years unless someone jumps ship. That also means very unlikely to take on a graduate transfer. Although if they do not give any of those "other" guys a scholarship next season, they would have one left for 2016 that Cuffee would take in 2017.

[olldflame]

I chortle audibly.. u guys r cray. Too many old guys trying to stay in touch with their inner youth.

It was a little surprising to see another guard commit but the staff knows what they are looking for and what they need long term in their system.

Since we are left to speculate, one very common practice during a new coaching change like this that had so many underclassmen, is to play the young guys the first year out of necessity and then redshirt a guy the second year. With the way the roster looks, I doubt it would happen but it is always a possibility.

So, if oldflame's speculation is correct that would leave certain scholarship players as

Juniors - Dawson, Maxwell, Kemrite, Reid
Sophomores - Cabbil, Homesley, ETalbert
Freshmen - Gardner, Barmore, JTalbert, Pacheco

That gives us 11 guys that are definite. That leaves current guys Atencia, Hoffman, Hiepler, Worman and Bell as non-scholarship as well as incoming guys Koval and Hicks.

Add in the two verbal commits for 2017 in Barber and Cuffee (definite scholarship).

The cupboard is full and with no seniors this should be the roster for the next two years unless someone jumps ship. That also means very unlikely to take on a graduate transfer. Although if they do not give any of those "other" guys a scholarship next season, they would have one left for 2016 that Cuffee would take in 2017.

It almost never happens that a recruited player who has been on scholarship will stay as a non scholarship player. If Atencia and/or Baxter-Bell do not have schollies next year, don't expect them to be on the team.
I'm not sure I'm clear on what you meant about Barber and Cuffee, but Barber will not be on an athletic scholarship. He will have free tuition as the child of a Liberty employee, just as Ethan Layer did. We need to have 2 schollies available for Cuffee and Newton in 2017. Signing one or 2 graduate transfers for 2016 would not affect that, and there is no real reason not to do it.

[FlameFan11]

I agree that they are unlikely to stay as a non-scholarship player. I guess that was my point. Looking at the 11 guys who are certain to have a scholarship for 2016, it most likely knocks out all of those "other" guys including Atencia and Baxter-Bell. With the scholarship for Cuffee and no seniors that would be 12 scholarship players for 2017. That does not include Newton. (I was counting Barber as non-scholarship).

Maybe I am wrong but NCAA D1 still is 12 full scholarships. Right? If so, that leaves one scholarship for 2016 with those 11 guys. Cuffee will be taking that 12th schollie in 2017. So, they can scholarship one of Atencia, Baxter-Bell, etc or look for a graduate transfer for 1 year since the schollie is already taken for 2017.

[Sly Fox]

Attrition is a given.

[olldflame]

I agree that they are unlikely to stay as a non-scholarship player. I guess that was my point. Looking at the 11 guys who are certain to have a scholarship for 2016, it most likely knocks out all of those "other" guys including Atencia and Baxter-Bell. With the scholarship for Cuffee and no seniors that would be 12 scholarship players for 2017. That does not include Newton. (I was counting Barber as non-scholarship).

Maybe I am wrong but NCAA D1 still is 12 full scholarships. Right? If so, that leaves one scholarship for 2016 with those 11 guys. Cuffee will be taking that 12th schollie in 2017. So, they can scholarship one of Atencia, Baxter-Bell, etc or look for a graduate transfer for 1 year since the schollie is already taken for 2017.

The scholarship límit is 13.

[thepostman]

Ritchie loves his guards. That's for sure.

[olldflame]

Ritchie loves his guards. That's for sure.

His track récord at LU says he loves whoever is getting the job done. Early this year it was Maxwell and láter he went with Reíd, and a small lineup.. Next years roster will have 5 p!ayers 6'7" or taller and 4 more in the 6'4"-6'5" range who will primarily be SFs. Only 4 true guarda on scholarship plus walkons.

[thepostman]

I wasn't bring critical. At this level that it is much easier to land talented "smalls" as opposed to talented "bigs"

[olldflame]

I wasn't bring critical. At this level that it is much easier to land talented "smalls" as opposed to talented "bigs"

What you said is true. He recruits a balance of players, but when it comes time to decide who playa, it's all about producing. His bigs haven't been consistant enough, so he goes with the guards/swing players.

[thepostman]

I am pleased with how maxwell has developed. I hope it continues. I talented big is very valuable in our league.

[olldflame]

Hayden Koval and his CHANT team won the home school 6a Gold Ball national championship. Not sure exactly what that is, but maybe our resident homeschool expert Sly can fill us in.

[Sly Fox]

The Gold Ball goes to the winners of the top divisions at the Homeschool National Championships that are every spring at Evangel College, Baptist Bible College and Missouri State all in Springfield, MO. The tourney has been going on all week but I can't find any results including the CHANT boys. There are a ton of DI signees on both the boys & girls sides playing in this tourney. Several boys have played in McDonalds All-American games the past few years.

[olldflame]

We have offered another shooting guard for 2017; 6'5" Keegan McDowell from Moeller HS in Cincinnati. He is the teammate of Isaiah Payton, the 2018 PG we offered a few months ago.

http://verbalcommits.com/players/keegan-mcdowell

Keegan also has an offer from App State. If the name McDowell sounds familiar, his brother Quinn played for W&M and scored 11 points as a Freshman in the epic double overtime Liberty win over the Tribe in 08. He went on to score over 1600 points at W&M, and is now playing pro ball in Latvia.

Incredible family. Pretty much all of the McDowell kids have gone on to play D-1 sports. Quinn was a tremendous talent at W&M. Their dad, Dave McDowell, played football at W&M (if I'm not mistaken) and is the Director of Development with Athletes In Action. The McDowell's have always been impressed with LU, would be great to land Keegan!

Keegan's primary recruiter is RMK, which at first glance seems to be overkill for a player who is not likely to be a "program changer". I suspect it's more a matter of using Ritchie's time efficiently. We have also offered Keegan's teammate Isaiah Payton, a 2018 PG. With each trip he makes to Cincinnatti he can impact 2 recruiting clases.

[FlameFan11]

March Madness had me checking out our recruiting class and thinking a lot about next season plus what it will take to get us to that level. I posted some of the info I found on some individual players. There is no question our roster next season is going to be as strong as it has been in a very long time.

Hypothetical question.....with re-classification happening more for high school kids, what would our scholarship situation look like if Elijah Cuffee was able to re-classify as a 2016? I'm not sure of his HS situation and if it would be possible but I did hear mention of it once so I thought I would throw it out there.