- August 16th, 2016, 10:27 pm
#514572
I wanted to share some of my thoughts from the Costa Rica trip. The opportunity for the team to get the extra practices and bond early was invaluable. Most of the staff brought their spouses and children with them. I had the opportunity to interact with everyone on the trip. As an alum, I was extremely proud of the entire team/staff and the way that they represented our school. It’s great to have Coach RMK leading the way.
Here is my non-professional player by player analysis from the team roster listed on the site. This was taken from a small sample size, but I hope it will add some perspective. There is no inside track on my playing assumptions and I may be way off. I’m just sharing my opinions and taking a stab at it. One professional scout that had seen the team last year and saw them in CR mentioned how the veterans were more polished and the newcomers added athleticism that was not there in the previous season. The team was playing with limited offensive plays and the newcomers looked a little overwhelmed at times by our defensive schemes. Defensively, I loved the excitement by the entire bench when we made defensive stops. By the time that conference play begins, there could be 3 or 4 freshmen/newcomers in the starting lineup. The two players that surprised me more than any others were Caleb and Myo. I’m not sure how it will shake out, but a number of last year’s players will have trouble hanging onto their minutes. We will have talented players that will have a difficult time seeing the floor.
Xzavier Barmore – “Zay” is explosive and plays with a lot of confidence. Good ball handler, but was a little erratic at times. He will have to work hard to break into the rotation, but possesses the talent to do it.
Myo Baxter-Bell – Don’t be fooled by his size as an inside presence. Myo trimmed up this year and has great foot work. He will see a lot of minutes and I expect him to be one of the starters. Wild prediction – 30 –point game this season
Lovell Cabbil – solid player with great defensive skills and solid three-point shooting. I think he’ll have others challenge for some of his minutes.
Ray Chen – newcomer senior transfer that has winning experience. He will provide leadership to the younger players, but the floor time may be limited to practices. Ray arrived in CR, but had VISA issues and had to stay overnight in the airport and go back to the US and then returned to CR the following day. He also only had the opportunity to practice a few days with the team before the trip.
John Dawson – I thought he was the go to player last season. As a senior, this is his last opportunity in a Flames uniform to finish on top. JD will lead the way, but will have more opportunities to rest in spurts during the games.
Zach Farquhar – He was not on the trip
Brock Gardner – Great addition to this year’s team that will definitely be in the rotation. Athletic and plays with confidence. When he gets near the rim, he wants to finish with authority. He will be exciting to watch as he develops over the next couple of seasons.
Ryan Hiepler – Hard worker that will have a difficult time matching his playing minutes from last season due to the logjam at the guard position
Caleb Homesley – He could become the GOAT for Liberty basketball. He grew a couple of inches this year and took his game to another level. If he does not become complacent with his success, he has a playing career after college. All-Conference is possible this season. Caleb wins the FLOW award for best hair and my kids also call him Junior Asparagus.
Scottie James – I'm excited about this guy. He won’t be able to play this season due to the transfer from Bradley, but he will be an exciting addition to the team next season. With a year of practicing with the team and working out with Henry, he will be ready to push someone out of the rotation next season.
Ryan Kemrite – He was not on the trip, but based on what I saw from the others, his minutes could be decreased dramatically.
Jorge Pacheco-Ortiz – Steady player that I think will start at the point if he learns the offensive and defensive schemes.
A.C. Reid – When he’s hot, give him his shot. Likely sparkplug off the bench that will see a lot of minutes on nights when he’s hitting 3’s.
Ezra Talbert – He plays 90 mph all the time. It will help when he learns to tone it down a little and pick his spots to accelerate. Ezra shows more confidence this season. Ironically, little big brother may be the one that takes some of his minutes this season.
Josiah Talbert – Good size and good feet. He has a confident shot with range out to the 3-point line, but is not afraid to mix it up inside. Due to his size, he’s almost assured of minutes. If he can be aggressive on the boards, he may be hard to get off the court.
Henry Barrera – He’s the difference maker. Richie and his staff have the game strategy (Thank you Coach Bennett for the defensive upgrade!) and are recruiting the athletes. Henry loves the players and they love him. He pushes them to be their best in all areas of their training. He has an athletic vision that will help propel our team to the next level.
Last year, we were the youngest team in all of Division 1 basketball. We’re still young, but greatly improved. Some of these guys will be different players by the time that conference play begins. There will be some ups and downs, but I expect that this team will be making a championship push this season.