[FlamesHighontheTide]

Does anyone have patience anymore? Old flame's last post is a great reminder that this program during the layer years was an absolute garbage heap. What was is 86 losses in 4 years? That is just mind-blowing, but it does happen. Also, the pack-line defense has improved our defense over these last 3 years just look at the stats the last two years we have had a top 20 scoring defense in ALL of college basketball!!! Our free throw shooting this year is in the top 10!!! Further, the pack-line defense is like getting a phd at a ivy league school and takes time to see it all work together. Next years defense will be even more smothering. Give it time fellas.

I for one have enjoyed watching the growth and progression of this team. Think about this year for a moment: We beat Wake Forest by 13! We swept Winthrop, We beat Asheville! Yes, there were some games we should've won, but that happens to every team in college basketball. Just ask Duke and Villanova who lost to St. Johns! Or UNC who lost to Wofford. All I am driving at is we need more patience. McKay has us going in the right direction and we are seeing the fruit of his labor year in and year out.

[Jonathan Carone]

Think about this year for a moment: We beat Wake Forest by 13! We swept Winthrop, We beat Asheville! Yes, there were some games we should've won, but that happens to every team in college basketball.

This is a great example of what's wrong with one side of our fanbase. They take a little criticism and questioning of decisions and freak out thinking everyone is against the team. It happens in football all the time.

Big wins over prominent programs aren't as meaningful if the overall season is a disappointment.

I'm 100% in Ritchie's camp and I like what he's doing. However, if we finish the season below 4th place then the regular season was a disappointment. We are currently below 4th place so yes, people are going to be disappointed.

[thepostman]

I'm also fairly certain RM and the rest of the team are disappointed as well.

Nobody is calling for anybody to be fired but if you aren't disappointed by how the conference schedule has played out then i don't know what to tell you.

We showed great progress in non conference play but consistency is something we have struggled with. This team could easily make a run in the conference tournament as they have proven they are capable of that but it's going to be a tough road.

[FlamesHighontheTide]

Jonathan,

I don't think what I wrote is what is wrong with the one side of our fan base. I know that I am a half glass full kind of guy and sometimes more than that. Which, I know is not always realistic and annoying at times just ask my wife . Yet, that is who I am.

I simply wrote what I did because I felt like perspective and patience need to have it's day in athletics. If we were 6 years into McKay's 2nd tenure and these kind of performances were continuing to happen then I can definitely see yall's point clearly. But we are year 3 with a team that is 70% underclassman of the 10 man rotation for this team. And of those underclassman, only Baxter-bell, Homesly and Georgie had a year of the Pack-line under their belt, the other 4 are in their first year in this kind of difficult defensive scheme.

I will agree that if we finish lower than 4th that I will be a little disappointed, however that disappointment will be erased if we can win the tournament or get a bid into another post-season tournament like last year. Extra basketball is always a nice thing to have.

[jinxy]

Jon and Postie yes yes and yes and more please.

You can say it until your blue in the face. Some people just wont get it. It gets so mind numbing having to restate the same things over and over and over or else your a hater.

You can be on the right path but need to make changes. It happens all the time in the business world. Gill has chosen to ride his sinking ship down all the while acting cluelezs. Mckay on the other hand speaks with passion and is trying new things for instance going zone occassionally.

Change adapt and grow or regress.

[Jonathan Carone]

I don't think we have to abandon the pack line to have success. However, it may have to be tweaked and changed to have success at our level.

The Big South is consistently won by teams with quality guards who can shoot. With the rise of Steph Curry, younger kids are starting to shoot further and further away from the basket. The NBA line used to be a long three and it's becoming more common to see it shot from there. I don't know the intricacies of the pack nearly enough to say it with any authority, but if we're seeing teams consistently beat us by shooting long shots, it makes sense to think we might need to change things up at times.

Ritchie made a great call moving to zone one game earlier this year. He's shown he's willing and able to adapt to needs. My hope is after this season when they have time to evaluate the good and bad of this year, they'll be able to come up with a plan for a secondary defense when needed.

[olldflame]

I don't think we have to abandon the pack line to have success. However, it may have to be tweaked and changed to have success at our level.

The Big South is consistently won by teams with quality guards who can shoot. With the rise of Steph Curry, younger kids are starting to shoot further and further away from the basket. The NBA line used to be a long three and it's becoming more common to see it shot from there. I don't know the intricacies of the pack nearly enough to say it with any authority, but if we're seeing teams consistently beat us by shooting long shots, it makes sense to think we might need to change things up at times.

Ritchie made a great call moving to zone one game earlier this year. He's shown he's willing and able to adapt to needs. My hope is after this season when they have time to evaluate the good and bad of this year, they'll be able to come up with a plan for a secondary defense when needed.

We don't know how many minutes a game Brendan Newton will be playing next year, but when he is in the game, the defense will be different, utilizing the "rim protector" version of the pack line. This should allow perimeter players to come out a bit further and close out faster on 3 point shooters. We may also be able to do some of that with Blake Preston, who is blocking almost 5 shots a game this year in HS.

[PAFlame]

Make no mistake, this program is lightyears ahead of what that man (Dale Layer) did to almost completely destroy the program between non-coaching and recruiting some of the worst-behaved Liberty students on-court and on campus I saw when I attended (Carter McMasters, Evan Gordon, Evan Maxwell, and Andrew Smith). McKay is a godsend to what we had and I said earlier I like some stuff in his version of pack line he took from Bennett, but I definitely think some stuff is not where it should be.

[flamehunter]

Make no mistake, this program is lightyears ahead of what that man (Dale Layer) did to almost completely destroy the program between non-coaching and recruiting some of the worst-behaved Liberty students on-court and on campus I saw when I attended (Carter McMasters, Evan Gordon, Evan Maxwell, and Andrew Smith). McKay is a godsend to what we had and I said earlier I like some stuff in his version of pack line he took from Bennett, but I definitely think some stuff is not where it should be.

Look back at UVa's timeline under Bennett and it took several years to get consistent with the pack-line. We are in year three and a majority of the players have less than two full seasons in it. I think we need to sit back and trust the process for a couple more years.

[olldflame]

Make no mistake, this program is lightyears ahead of what that man (Dale Layer) did to almost completely destroy the program between non-coaching and recruiting some of the worst-behaved Liberty students on-court and on campus I saw when I attended (Carter McMasters, Evan Gordon, Evan Maxwell, and Andrew Smith). McKay is a godsend to what we had and I said earlier I like some stuff in his version of pack line he took from Bennett, but I definitely think some stuff is not where it should be.

Carter was actually a McKay recruit, but your point is well taken. Add to those the 4 players Ritchie let go before he coached his first game (Andoh, Theo Johnson, Retic and Dembley) because he did not believe they would fit in the culture he wanted to build. All 4 had been starters at some point, and Johnson was our best player and with his length and athleticism would have been awesome in the pack line. You can also bet that he has passed on a talented recruit or 2 in the last couple of years for the same reasons. He is more concerned with doing it right than doing it fast.