If roundball is your blood, this is the place to discuss the Flames as they move into the Ritchie McKay era for the 2nd time.

Moderators: jcmanson, Sly Fox, BuryYourDuke

By FlameFan11
Posts
#501179
Updates heading into Christmas break.......

Brock Gardner - team is 5-0, ranked #10 overall in AZ, Brock is #2 in state in scoring and #4 in rebounding according to maxpreps. http://www.maxpreps.com/list/stat_leade ... l&state=az Averaging 27.0 pts, 12.6 reb, 3.6 ast, 2.6 stl while shooting 64% FG, 52% 3s, and 72% FT.

Xzavier Barmore - team is 5-0, ranked #2 overall in SC, Xzavier is 5th in SC in scoring and #1 in steals. http://www.maxpreps.com/list/stat_leade ... l&state=sc Averaging 24.0 pts, 3.8 reb, 5.8 ast and 6.2 stl while shooting 44% FG, 35% 3s, and 62% FT.

Josiah Talbert - team is 4-1, ranked #7 overall in KS, Josiah hasn't played a game yet due to a foot injury

Hayden Koval - team has 20-1 record, ranked #37 overall in TX, only stats listed are Hayden 2nd on team in scoring at 11.9 per game

2017 - Elijah Cuffee - team is 3-0, ranked #14 overall in WV, no overall stats entered yet but scored 21 pts in recent 60-53 win.

Troops are coming. Good to see strong start to the season by all of these guys!
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#501751
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.
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#501764
Cuffee had an outstanding tourney against quality competition at the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, which is annually one of the top HS holiday invitationals.

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By LUnpretty11
Registration Days Posts
#501797
olldflame wrote: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!
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By Cider Jim
Registration Days Posts
#501800
olldflame wrote:We have offered another shooting guard for 2017; 6'5" Keegan McDowell from Moeller HS in Cincinnati.
A Cincy product? If we sign him, Sly will be dancing in the street and celebrating with some Skyline chili.
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By Purple Haize
Registration Days Posts
#501829
Sly Fox wrote:That would be Gerry Faust doing the dancing, CJ. But I am always down with Skyline even when it is out of can down here in Texas.
Some nice man gave CJ a can of it once....
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By Cider Jim
Registration Days Posts
#501836
^ Two cans! Thanks again, Purple, for introducing me to the finer things in life. :clapping
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By LUnpretty11
Registration Days Posts
#501859
Cider Jim wrote:
olldflame wrote:We have offered another shooting guard for 2017; 6'5" Keegan McDowell from Moeller HS in Cincinnati.
A Cincy product? If we sign him, Sly will be dancing in the street and celebrating with some Skyline chili.
I feel the occasion would call for Graeter's for everyone!
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#501936
Well, the recent discussion of the 2016 class has been limited to progress reports on our Fall signees (most of them very promising) and with good reason. Although we still have one scholarship available, we currently have no open offers. In addition, with no Seniors on next year's projected roster, the early commit we have from Elijah Cuffee for 2017 already puts us at the limit for a class where we have at least one prospect (Brendan Newton) we really, REALLY want.

As flamefans self-appointed lead basketball recruiting geek, let me be the first to predict that before this year is over we will almost certainly see some attrition from the current roster. Unlike last Spring, I don't believe it will be initiated by Ritchie, and will not likely have to do with the type of issues which led to that house cleaning. McKay bit the bullet really hard to let some talented players go for the greater good, and it looks like those remaining are really solid.

Too early to mention names IMHO, but in looking at the way the playing time has been going, it's not too hard to see that there are a couple of scholarship players on the roster who's prospects for seeing any significant time on the court going forward are probably not very good if they stay at Liberty. Playahs wanna play, and as much as ballcoach may hate it, they have the right to look for a place where they will get the opportunity. If they do, look for us to sign 2 more this Spring.
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By BJWilliams
Registration Days Posts
#501952
Purple Haize wrote:Every year every team has a player or two leave the program
Such is the circle of life in college athletics.
By TIMSCAR20
Registration Days Posts
#502018
Purple Haize wrote:Every year every team has a player or two leave the program
Every game I have done in the past week had at least 1 team with at least 1 player that was dismissed or quit. It is QUITE common DURING the season but certainly after.
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By alabama24
Registration Days Posts
#502023
SCAR wrote:
Purple Haize wrote:Every year every team has a player or two leave the program
Every game I have done in the past week had at least 1 team with at least 1 player that was dismissed or quit. It is QUITE common DURING the season but certainly after.
Which is really sad considering how small a bball team is... but bball players tend to be less team minded than in some other sports.
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#502235
This tweet from our 7' 2016 signee Hayden Koval may give us some idea as to how he could walk away from a scholarship offer at Oral Roberts to be a preferred walk-on at Liberty.



He will arrive on the mountain riding in style!
By FlameFan11
Posts
#502486
Great to see Josiah back to playing well after an injury like that. Here is the article from the game you mentioned. 5 made 3s from Talbert. 6-9 muscular guy knocking down 3s. Very nice.


This was no ordinary regular-season game. For Lawrence High boys basketball players, games against Olathe East always mean a little extra.

With emotions running high and momentum swinging every minute in a matchup between two teams ranked among the top five in the state, the Lions stepped up with key plays in crunch time and earned a 69-61 victory on Friday in the Jungle.

Trailing by a point with under a minute left, LHS senior point guard Justin Roberts was fouled on a three-point attempt and drained all three free throws.

On the ensuing inbounds, Roberts stole the ball and fired a pass to senior forward Fred Brou while he was falling out of bounds. Brou found senior forward Price Morgan for a layup for a 65-61 lead, high-stepping to mid-court out of excitement.

Nearly 30 seconds later, Morgan added a layup-and-the-foul bucket to turn the crowd’s roar into a fever pitch. Morgan, who had 17 points, let out a scream along the baseline, and senior guard Anthony Harvey flexed for the student section.

“That’s one of the best games I’ve ever played in, really,” said Roberts, who scored a team-high 24 points. LHS players said the only game that matched the atmosphere, outside of City Showdowns, was last year’s sub-state title victory.

Every time there was a big play, there was an even bigger play on the other end. On two straight missed shots by Olathe East, the Lions grabbed a rebound and flung full-court passes to wide-open teammates. A pass from junior guard Jackson Mallory resulted in a layup by Harvey, and a pass from Roberts turned into a two-handed slam by Brou.

Olathe East, playing without senior starters Dion Union and Cedric Roland because of disciplinary reasons, responded with a layup-and-the-foul bucket by senior Kameron Barnes, then five straight points for a 61-60 lead with 1:48 remaining.

That set the stage for Roberts’ free throws and steal in the final minute, giving the Lions their most emotional win of the season.
“He always steps up in the biggest moments,” Brou said of Roberts. “There’s not a bigger moment than that.”

The Lions (9-1, ranked No. 5 in Class 6A) led by seven points midway through the second quarter before it turned into the Josiah Talbert show. Olathe East’s 6-foot-9 senior forward scored a game-high 31 points on 12-of-15 shooting. He scored on putbacks, pick-and-pops, knocked down threes and everything in between.

“Every single game that he plays against Lawrence High, he goes off on us,” Roberts said of Talbert, an AAU teammate in the summer. “I was not surprised.”

The Lions, who only committed two turnovers, trailed by six points during the third quarter when Talbert scored 13 points, including nine straight in one stretch. Olathe East senior Cameron Hunter added 19 points.

But in the fourth quarter, the Lions tightened their defense on Talbert and the Hawks (7-2, No. 3 in 6A) were held scoreless for long stretches. They shot 3-for-12 in the fourth quarter, including a crucial turnover on an inbounds pass.

“Near the end there when it was close, my emotions were going — everybody’s were,” Brou said. “It was a great game to be a part of.”

OLATHE EAST (61)

Kameron Barnes 2-9 2-3 6, Jack Hiller 1-4 0-0 3, Brandon Mills 0-0 0-1 0, Cameron Hunter 7-11 5-7 19, Josiah Talbert 12-15 2-4 31, Simon Bondank 1-2 0-0 2, Connor Churchill 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 23-43 9-15 61.

LAWRENCE (69)

Justin Roberts 6-16 8-8 24, Price Morgan 4-7 9-10 17, Fred Brou 3-6 0-0 6, Anthony Harvey 3-6 4-5 11, Jackson Mallory 2-6 0-0 5, Braden Solko 1-3 0-0 2, Noah Butler 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 21-48 21-23 69.

O-East 16 16 18 11 — 61

Lawrence 17 19 9 24 — 69

Three-point goals: Olathe East 6-15 (Talbert 5, Hiller); Lawrence 6-18 (Roberts 4, Harvey, Mallory). Fouled out: Hiller, Mills. Turnovers: Olathe East 8, Lawrence 2.
By FlameFan11
Posts
#502487
Looks like Brock Gardner also had a big performance this week. Very nice to see our 2016 guys producing. Here is an article from a game Thursday. Gardner's team faced off against another undefeated team. Gardner finished with 27 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists and His teammate 2017 Nigel Shadd had 24 points, 20 rebounds and 10 blocks according to maxpreps. Wow!


Tri-City Christian Stays Undefeated With Big Win Over Skyline Prep
by Anthony Ray | Posted on Thursday, January 14th, 2016

It was the biggest game of the year in the Charter School League in the state, as the two top teams in the state faced off at Tri-City Christian Academy in Chandler, Arizona. In front of a standing room only home crowd, Tri-City Christian would look to stay undefeated on the season, and defeat an undefeated visiting Skyline Prep Academy team for bragging rights.

Skyline Prep (9-1) has been dominant this high school season. Led by the play of star 6-foot sophomore guard Amari Hudson and talented 6-foot-7 junior forward Seth Mason, Skyline came into Thursday evening's match-up focused on proving that Skyline is the new power among the charter schools (CAA) in the state - an important honor.

Tri-City Christian Academy (8-0) has also been dominant this high school season, led by the superb play of terrific 6-foot-7 senior forward Brock Gardner (Liberty University signee) and developing 6-foot-8 junior post Nigel Shadd. Gardner has been the top overall player and prospect for some time among all players in the CAA, and Thursday evening would be another opportunity for Gardner to prove just how special he is as a player.

The intensity for the game was at an all-time high and was infectious for all fans in attendance, as fans poured into the gymnasium early - creating a standing-room only atmosphere for the game. This would be one of the most exciting games our Arizona Preps' staff has ever seen in the state of Arizona, and well-worth the price of admission.

Tri-City was come out very confident from the start, and would develop a 17-14 first quarter lead behind the strong play of Amari Hudson, as Hudson would almost bully his way to the basket over and around defenders consistently. Brock Gardner would come out possessed in the game, scoring almost at will off the dribble and from the perimeter, while Nigel Shadd would dominate the paint defensively - blocking shots and rebounding hard over a smaller Skyline team.

After an inside basket and then an offensive rebound and put-back by Shadd, consecutive baskets, Tri-City Christian would gain momentum late in the first half - erasing an early first half lead by Skyline. A back-door cut and basket inside by 5-foot-10 senior guard AJ Brown would tie the game at 22 all with 2:17 left to play in the first half. After an Amari Hudson driving layup would give Skyline back the lead, Brock Gardner would drive hard to the basket and dunk the basketball with authority over a defender to tie the game. But Hudson would come right back with a three-pointer from the corner, and then a steal and a transition layup as the halftime buzzer sounded - giving Skyline Prep a nice 30-24 lead at the half.

The third period would tell the story and would be big for Tri-City, as Brock Gardner would take over the game, and prove why he is considered by our Arizona Preps' staff as possibly the state's most dominant player. With 5:30 left to play in the period, Gardner would take off on the break in transition and throw down a strong one-handed dunk over a defender. He would then score strong back-to-back baskets inside. After another offensive rebound and put-back by Nigel Shadd, Gardner would post up inside and score on a strong post move after being fouled on the play. Gardner's three-point play would give Skyline Prep a 40-38 lead at the end of the third period - changing the momentum of the game considerably.

In the fourth period, Tri-City would continue their strong play as a team, and after a three-pointer from the corner by 6-foot-2 junior guard Grant Jones, after a nice assist from Gardner, Tri-City would take their biggest lead of the game - 57-47. Amari Hudson would convert a three-pointer late in the fourth period to keep Skyline Prep close, but after another nice assist to Nigel Shadd from Gardner late in the game, Tri-City would hold off Skyline Prep - winning the game, 68-59.

In the win, Gardner would prove just how good he is and how dominant he has been over a four-year span at the school. While there is definitely less overall competition in the CAA from top to bottom, Gardner has been terrific in this league and against national competition throughout the spring and summer. His performance on Thursday evening was as strong of a performance that I have seen in the state in some time, leaving everyone in the gym gasping that Liberty University got a flat-out steal.

These two teams will meet again in early February at South Mountain JC next time, and, of course, in the state playoffs at the end of the season. You don't want to miss the next match-up.
By FlameFan11
Posts
#502488
Xzavier Barmore is also playing well. Couldn't find any articles but according to maxpreps, his team is now 12-2.
Barmore had a huge performance in a 67-64 win on Jan 9th. Scored 28 points (8-15 from 3), 5 rebounds and 5 assists in the close win.
By FlameFan11
Posts
#502489
One interesting stat about all of these guys is their ability to shoot 3s. There is no doubt with our current roster and these guys joining that we are going to be seeing some 3s go up over the next few years. The HS season is not quite halfway but here are some interesting #s.

Brock Gardner - 16/30 from 3 (53%), 30 of his 133 total FGAs are 3s (22.5%)

Josiah Talbert - 8/16 from 3 (50%), 16 of his 44 total FGAs are 3s (36.3%) - fewer game sample due to injury

Xzavier Barmore - 27/95 from 3 (28%), 95 of his 257 total FGAs are 3s (37%)

2017 Elijah Cuffee - coach does not enter stats on maxpreps

Definitely clear to see the ability to shoot the 3 is a major factor in the type of player that Coach McKay is looking to recruit.

Current #s from the team this season, 454 of our 1022 shots have been 3s. So, 44.4% of our shots this season have been 3s. Josiah Talbert leads the team in individual % at 43.6 (17-39)
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By Cider Jim
Registration Days Posts
#502491
Is the high school 3-point line the same distance in college, or is it closer in high school? :dontgetit
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#502493
FlameFan11 wrote:One interesting stat about all of these guys is their ability to shoot 3s. There is no doubt with our current roster and these guys joining that we are going to be seeing some 3s go up over the next few years. The HS season is not quite halfway but here are some interesting #s.

Brock Gardner - 16/30 from 3 (53%), 30 of his 133 total FGAs are 3s (22.5%)

Josiah Talbert - 8/16 from 3 (50%), 16 of his 44 total FGAs are 3s (36.3%) - fewer game sample due to injury

Xzavier Barmore - 27/95 from 3 (28%), 95 of his 257 total FGAs are 3s (37%)

2017 Elijah Cuffee - coach does not enter stats on maxpreps

Definitely clear to see the ability to shoot the 3 is a major factor in the type of player that Coach McKay is looking to recruit.

Current #s from the team this season, 454 of our 1022 shots have been 3s. So, 44.4% of our shots this season have been 3s. Josiah Talbert leads the team in individual % at 43.6 (17-39)
Last I checked, Josiah is still in Kansas, but Ezra will do for now. :wink:

We may not have stats for Cuffee, but he has a rep as a shooter and was a finalist in the 3 point shootout of the Beach Ball Classic against top competition from literally all over the country. Barmore's % is down from last year, which is a little concerning. I expected his scoring to go down because of the talent the team added, but that is a different matter. He has been a terror on the defensive end, averaging 6 steals a game.

The 2 walk-ons we have signed are also 3 point threats. Brody Hicks may be the best Cave Spring has had since JJ was there, and even the 7 footer Koval can shoot it.
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