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

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By Cider Jim
Registration Days Posts
#641015
According to the ASOR article, Abii and Jackson have entered the Transfer Portal.

I liked Abii's offense and ball handling skills, but he didn't get much playing time toward the end of the season. Of course, Jackson got even less PT, though one of my sources said he was the best pure shooter on the team, and his older brother is in the NBA. Play Basketball
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#641023
ballcoach15 wrote: March 24th, 2022, 6:04 am It was always puzzling as to why both didn't get more playing time. 🏀
You shouldn't have been. It's been discussed a good bit here. The issue is mainly defense.
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By Purple Haize
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#641025
ballcoach15 wrote: March 24th, 2022, 6:04 am It was always puzzling as to why both didn't get more playing time. 🏀
A fan would be puzzled.
A coach would not
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By jinxy
Registration Days Posts
#641026
Abii was mishandled. Jackson nice guy but it was obvious a mile away this was coming. Hopefully abii finds a place that will use him.
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#641031
jinxy wrote: March 24th, 2022, 8:29 am Abii was mishandled. Jackson nice guy but it was obvious a mile away this was coming. Hopefully abii finds a place that will use him.
While I have the utmost respect for coach McKay, he is certainly subject to critique like anyone else, but that needs to be evidence based. To question his handling of Abii, you would need to have the perspective of having seen him practice.

If I were to question his judgement on anything this year it would be burning Moore's redshirt (which almost certainly played a part in Dobbs' transfer) and then not playing him.
By stokesjokes
Registration Days Posts
#641032
Yeah, I questioned the Moore situation a while back. You could argue that he should have two extra years to play based on how we handled the situation. We had him reclass to get here a year early and then burned his redshirt out of desperation.

There's a couple of failure points there for me:
1. They should have known by the fall what they had (or didn't have) with Dobbs. They had plenty of time to evaluate his ability to contribute at this level and make contingency plans.
2. Once they burned Moore's redshirt, they should have planned to integrate him, at least give him enough time to be useful for development.
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By jinxy
Registration Days Posts
#641033
I dont need to see practice. Game showed plenty. Moore situation was def mishandled as well. Hes still the Best coach weve had and excited for the future. Both can be true. Abii offered something we were sorely lacking and the defense as a whole was bad for the last month for the most part.
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By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#641034
jinxy wrote: March 24th, 2022, 7:30 pm I dont need to see practice. Game showed plenty. Moore situation was def mishandled as well. Hes still the Best coach weve had and excited for the future. Both can be true. Abii offered something we were sorely lacking and the defense as a whole was bad for the last month for the most part.
Your complaint is obviously that he did not play enough, and yet you say you 'don't need to see practice' because you can tell from those limited minutes that he should have played more. :roll:

Does he have a set of offensive skills that Blake and Shiloh do not? To some extent. Not sure why it is so hard to accept the fact that that is not the only, or even the most important thing a player needs to earn minutes in this program.
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By LUOrange
Posts
#641036
I'm not sure what happened this year with all of these guys. Dobbs goes from starting vs LSU to not playing. Moore reclassifies to redshirt, then we burn his redshirt and barely play him. Abii, IMO, was very sloppy, but had moments of effectiveness only to be pulled and not play again. IMO, all 3 were mishandled this year, as was Preston and Venzent and Peebles down the stretch.

Hopefully McKay and Friends will figure it out by November, so we can win the ASUN and make a run in our last year. We also should remember, that despite our issues, we'd still would've won the ASUN if not for the RONA hitting our boys and cramming their February.
By JK37
Registration Days Posts
#641047
Dobbs was awful. I’ve got no problem with that.

I wonder why Abii didn’t play more. But I choose to trust.

Moore situation baffles. If I were him, I’d be asking for explanation from my coach. And I choose to trust.
By stokesjokes
Registration Days Posts
#641049
As long as Moore gets a size-able role moving forward, it’ll be water under the bridge. I think he’s one that has more offense than we’ve seen so far.
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By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#641055
In light of Ritchie's track record of dipping into the D2 ranks for grad transfers, I checked into available PGs and came up with an intriguing possibility.

Sean Halloran
6'0" PG
Belmont Abbey
Averaged 14.4 ppg and 4.5 apg. and shot 53% from 3 this year
4 year starter and averaged double figure points and 4+ assists all 4 years.
Belmont Abbey is one of the most successful programs in D2, and he has contributed to a boatload of wins.

https://verbalcommits.com/players/sean-halloran
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#641080
Our last 3 non-D1 grad transfers:

Ray Chen
Keenan Gumbs
Chris Parker

All 3 are playing pro ball overseas. Chen and Parker are teammates in Taiwan, and last I heard Gumbs is in Sweden. BTW, Chen was Halloran's predecessor as PG at the Abbey.
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By Liberty_2023
Posts
#641217
Tons of SEC players in the portal right now with all the coaching turnover. Would be awesome to land 1 or 2 of those guys if they meet Ritchie's character standards.
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#641227
Liberty_2023 wrote: March 31st, 2022, 10:00 am Tons of SEC players in the portal right now with all the coaching turnover. Would be awesome to land 1 or 2 of those guys if they meet Ritchie's character standards.
Efton Reid just became the 8th LSU player in the portal, and apparently he meets the criteria, since we offered him out of HS. Still a long shot, but probably not as much as it was back then. Who knows, after getting duped by Wade he may prioritize a coach of high character.
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#641253
LSU now has 11 in the portal. 3 were 3 star recruits, 7 were 4 star, and Reid was a 5 star.
Liberty has never signed a 4 star HS recruit.

Addendum:
The other 2 players on this year's roster have declared for the NBA and all 4 of their verbals for the next 2 years have decommitted. Has to be a first.
Looks like McMahon is bringing some of his Murry State guys with him. That was a very good team, but we really are not talking about SEC talent. If they don't struggle for at least a couple of years it will be a miracle
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By Sly Fox
Registration Days Posts
#641281
I doubt Efton is looking for anything beyond NIL at this stage. But it is not crazy talk since it would get him closer to home with a staff he knows.

I wonder if he knows CB3 at all.
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#641284
Sly Fox wrote: April 2nd, 2022, 1:30 pm I doubt Efton is looking for anything beyond NIL at this stage. But it is not crazy talk since it would get him closer to home with a staff he knows.

I wonder if he knows CB3 at all.
He should. Best I can tell they were teammates on the Steward school varsity for at least a year, when CB3 was a FR and Efton was a JR (before he transferred to IMG.)
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By Cider Jim
Registration Days Posts
#641286
olldflame wrote: April 2nd, 2022, 2:32 pm
Sly Fox wrote: April 2nd, 2022, 1:30 pm
I wonder if he knows CB3 at all.
He should. Best I can tell they were teammates on the Steward school varsity for at least a year, when CB3 was a FR and Efton was a JR (before he transferred to IMG.)
Olldflame, that is BJ Williams-hiding-behind-the-bushes level detective work! :shock: Study :oldhag
By olldflame
Registration Days Posts
#641287
Cider Jim wrote: April 2nd, 2022, 2:58 pm
olldflame wrote: April 2nd, 2022, 2:32 pm
Sly Fox wrote: April 2nd, 2022, 1:30 pm
I wonder if he knows CB3 at all.
He should. Best I can tell they were teammates on the Steward school varsity for at least a year, when CB3 was a FR and Efton was a JR (before he transferred to IMG.)
Olldflame, that is BJ Williams-hiding-behind-the-bushes level detective work! :shock: Study :oldhag
I guess that's a compliment?
Manson tweeted the same thing recently, but I actually recalled it from back when we first offered Blair and were still recruiting Reid.
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By Liberty_2023
Posts
#641353
Based on article today about transfers we are interested in:

Sam Peek is really interesting
D3 All American First Team
6'7 G (really adds to the length of an already big roster)
50% from the field
35% from 3
73% free throws

Based on his highlights (link below) he seems to have a strong midrange and inside game. We could use a guy that consistently makes layups...

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By jmclaughlin
Posts
#641356
Liberty_2023 wrote: April 5th, 2022, 10:30 am Based on article today about transfers we are interested in:

Sam Peek is really interesting
D3 All American First Team
6'7 G (really adds to the length of an already big roster)
50% from the field
35% from 3
73% free throws

Based on his highlights (link below) he seems to have a strong midrange and inside game. We could use a guy that consistently makes layups...

Wasn't sold on the name or D3 tag but his video is compelling. Has some Luka shake to his game. What also jumps out is the shots he creates for himself transfer to the D1 level. Fades and defender displacements. His jumper isn't pure but has a high release. Again, ala Luka.
Nice looking prospect. Would have been a great addition for the 2021-22 team as we had 0 comp players on our roster. Rode is similar but so dang awkward in the mid range.
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By Purple Haize
Registration Days Posts
#641359
Is a D3 kid going to be an improvement? Will he make LU better then what they currently are? Or is he equal or less than what he’s replacing?
Simply put - Is he a better player than the one he is replacing?
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By Liberty_2023
Posts
#641360
Purple Haize wrote: April 5th, 2022, 1:29 pm Is a D3 kid going to be an improvement? Will he make LU better then what they currently are? Or is he equal or less than what he’s replacing?
Simply put - Is he a better player than the one he is replacing?
I understand the concern about taking a D3 guy but Mckay has proved he can find diamonds in the ruff (Keenan Gumbs). Additionally no one we bring in is Darius McGhee. I think this guy could fit in well with the pack line and then help with ball handling, getting to the Rim, and Free Throws (not that free throws were a problem this year). Just my opinion though and we might not get him.
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