[Cider Jim]

You know that now we are both in the ASUN, Liberty should be able to easily out recruit Lipscomb. Most of Liberty's players that won the championship on Sunday were originally recruited as Big South players.

[LUOrange]

The Heat: A Rivalry Is Born

http://www.aseaofred.com/the-heat-a-rivalry-is-born/

"They're soft. They play soft." I wonder if Alexander would say that now. That statement indicates one of 2 things. He was blind/stupid or he was lying. I don't think he was blind or stupid. Now why a coach would feel the need to lie to his team is a question he would need to answer.

When Newton gets in a game I would love to see him bang bodies and go to the hoop hard when he gets the ball down low.

I thought that Newton played well against NJIT, when he came in around the 3 minute mark of the first half when James and Baxter-Bell were in foul trouble. I hope he gets more minutes next year. I'd like to see how we'd do with Newton at Center and James at Power Forward.

[olldflame]

Not everybody is as classy as our coach. It is ok. We won because of our superior coach.

I am good with that.

I also love how there is legit heat between the two programs. If Lipscomb can rebound from losing so much this year this could turn into a fantastic rivalry.

But Alexander is the coach of the year!

I expect Lipscomb to rebound, but it likely will take a couple of years. I think it's too much to expect them to come close to this season's results next year with what they lose. The rivalry between the 2 schools/teams has been every bit as intense on the recruiting trail as it has on the court. Next year we will have 2 players who were offered by both and they will have 1.

[olldflame]

If the roster were the same otherwise, I would expect Brendan to get more PT next year. The problem for him is that Blake Preston is coming off redshirt and we add Rode and Robinson. RMK is on record as saying Preston would have been ahead of Newton in the depth chart this year if we had not redshirted him.

[A Sea of Red]

Georgie's shot will forever live in Liberty lore

http://www.aseaofred.com/georgies-shot- ... erty-lore/

[thepostman]

I wouldn’t question Alexander’s integrity or coaching in any way.

It’s a basketball game, and it was a particularly tense one. People say things in the heat of the moment for any number of reasons, or none at all. I didn’t point what he said out to impugn him, only to show just how intense the competition between the two teams was.

For sure. That is why I made sure to make the statement about not questioning the man's faith. It was a heated game and stuff happens.

I for one love it because it makes this kind of rivalry even more entertaining.

[Purple Haize]

I wouldn’t question Alexander’s integrity or coaching in any way.

It’s a basketball game, and it was a particularly tense one. People say things in the heat of the moment for any number of reasons, or none at all. I didn’t point what he said out to impugn him, only to show just how intense the competition between the two teams was.

For sure. That is why I made sure to make the statement about not questioning the man's faith. It was a heated game and stuff happens.

I for one love it because it makes this kind of rivalry even more entertaining.

But all that naughty language gave me the vapors

[thepostman]

I seem to remember a former head coach of ours who often used some fairly colorful language. Hmmm

[rogers3]

I seem to remember a former head coach of ours who often used some fairly colorful language. Hmmm

If you aren't careful, you'll invoke Jeff Meyer...

[JK37]

Seriously? We can’t get the name right of the greatest men’s basketball coach in Liberty history?

[Purple Haize]

Seriously? We can’t get the name right of the greatest men’s basketball coach in Liberty history?

Dale Gibson

[Jonathan Carone]

Seriously? We can’t get the name right of the greatest men’s basketball coach in Liberty history?

What does Ritchie have to do to earn that title?

[JK37]

Seriously? We can’t get the name right of the greatest men’s basketball coach in Liberty history?

Dale Gibson

My bad.

(Well played.)

[JK37]

Seriously? We can’t get the name right of the greatest men’s basketball coach in Liberty history?

What does Ritchie have to do to earn that title?

Keep winning.

[Purple Haize]

Seriously? We can’t get the name right of the greatest men’s basketball coach in Liberty history?

What does Ritchie have to do to earn that title?

Keep winning.

Only one coach has won a National Championship

[Jonathan Carone]

Seriously? We can’t get the name right of the greatest men’s basketball coach in Liberty history?

What does Ritchie have to do to earn that title?

Keep winning.

Thanks ballcoach.

[thepostman]

Ritchie is the greatest coach in LU history. He became that this season. I don't see how that could be argued.

[rogers3]

Seriously? We can’t get the name right of the greatest men’s basketball coach in Liberty history?

That's embarrassing.

[olldflame]

Seriously? We can’t get the name right of the greatest men’s basketball coach in Liberty history?

Dale Gibson

Dale did an amazing job during the time he coached our team, and set aside his own career goals to do it. However, if you were to ask him, he would tell you he was not really a basketball coach. My source on this? Dale Gibson. I certainly didn't know him well like Purple, but I was working for the school at the time he resigned the coaching job, and I had the occasion to talk with him. He told me that with the demands of building the brand new Sport Management program, he realized that looking at where the school wanted to go (D1) they needed a full time career coach, and he wasn't the guy. That guy was Jeff Meyer.

For the record, Ritchie has already won a lot more games at Liberty than Dale did, and of course at a much higher level.

The comparison with Jeff Meyer is basically apples and oranges. Jeff deserves way more credit than he gets for transitioning the program from NCCAA/NAIA to D2 and then to D1 and perennial conference contenders with an NCAA bid in 1994. Personally, I would still say he has done more for our basketball program than anyone, but the direction Ritchie has us going is getting pretty close to changing that.

[thepostman]

RM inherited a dumpster fire that was sitting at the bottom of almost every ranking system there was and now we are in the big dance and have had our best season ever. I know a lot of you guys are loyal to JM but RM has surpassed him in my eyes.

[Cider Jim]

Dale did an amazing job during the time he coached our team...

When I first read that, I thought you meant Layer (and not Gibson).

[Jonathan Carone]

RM inherited a dumpster fire that was sitting at the bottom of almost every ranking system there was and now we are in the big dance and have had our best season ever. I know a lot of you guys are loyal to JM but RM has surpassed him in my eyes.

I'd argue Ritchie is one more NCAA berth from taking that title. There's an argument for both of them right now and I'd say they're tied. They both have done significant builds that led to NCAA appearances. If Ritchie can get the second one, he'll take the lead.

[thepostman]

Fair enough. It is certainly debatable but he has already surpassed JM in my eyes.

I fully realize that I have a bit of a bias and I can admit that, haha.

[olldflame]

RM inherited a dumpster fire that was sitting at the bottom of almost every ranking system there was and now we are in the big dance and have had our best season ever. I know a lot of you guys are loyal to JM but RM has surpassed him in my eyes.

The dumpster fire that Ritchie took over also had by far the best facilities and the most money of anyone in our conference and better/more than the vast majority of programs at our level. People that were not around at the time have no clue as to the pitiful conditions JM had to work with for the first several years he was there.

IMHO it's a close call at the moment. A win in the tourney would probably swing my vote. Failing that, if we are as good next year as I think we will be, I can see us winning 30 games, and making a repeat trip to the dance, and that would also probably put Ritchie over the top in my mind.

[Purple Haize]

Seriously? We can’t get the name right of the greatest men’s basketball coach in Liberty history?

Dale Gibson

Dale did an amazing job during the time he coached our team, and set aside his own career goals to do it. However, if you were to ask him, he would tell you he was not really a basketball coach. My source on this? Dale Gibson. I certainly didn't know him well like Purple, but I was working for the school at the time he resigned the coaching job, and I had the occasion to talk with him. He told me that with the demands of building the brand new Sport Management program, he realized that looking at where the school wanted to go (D1) they needed a full time career coach, and he wasn't the guy. That guy was Jeff Meyer.

For the record, Ritchie has already won a lot more games at Liberty than Dale did, and of course at a much higher level.

The comparison with Jeff Meyer is basically apples and oranges. Jeff deserves way more credit than he gets for transitioning the program from NCCAA/NAIA to D2 and then to D1 and perennial conference contenders with an NCAA bid in 1994. Personally, I would still say he has done more for our basketball program than anyone, but the direction Ritchie has us going is getting pretty close to changing that.

I know. I just like goofin. I miss the big red head. And how many miles he’s swum