[pointguard4christ]

You still need a variety on offense. If you're playing something that is not working against the other team's defense you need to switch it up and run something else, not sit there and pass it around the perimeter and just move the defense every time.

[fsn32]

I will agree that we have a problem... I wish I knew what it was... hopefully it will work itself out in the next week.

To say that we are being outcoached is a reach... would have anyone said that 2 years ago? Has Carey forgotten how to coach since then? He is still one of the best coaches at this level of basketball in the country.

We have some execution problems... we have a bit of a sophomore slump, unfortunately the core of our team is sophomores... we have had some nagging injuries all year... BUT having said that we still should be better.

Someone questioned whether they work on this in practice... nope, they spend the entire practice watching American Idol and playing with their easy bake ovens... I can assure you that they are working hard in practice.

As far as Coach Green overusing the complacency card... I have only heard him say that a couple times all year.

The conference is better and we have struggled... a bad combination that has dropped us into the cellar of the standings (or tied for first, but who is counting).

Like I said there is something wrong... is it all on the coaches... no, is it all on the players... no. I'm not going to call out any specific players... that is unfair and unprofessional... but maybe there hasn't been 100% effort. I'm not sure and I am as frustrated as the rest of you but to say that we have no talent or that we are being outcoached is off base. If we had no talent, we couldn't have played basket for basket with #8 GW or Pitt or even JMU on the road. Those teams blow out talentless squads.

One last thing... the next to last possession against UNCA wasn't run well but to say we gave the ball to a "turnover machine" is a bit much... Allyson hit the game sealer against HP last year. Most people would be comfortable with her running the offense. I'm pretty sure the play was also drawn up to get to Megan but was slow in developing and the turnover killed any chance of getting her a shot.

If we win the t-ney all this will just be a part of the learning experience... if we don't then it will be motivation for next season... and btw, we do have some recruits coming in that will help the cause, but let's not give up on this year yet.

Sorry for the novel... I just wanted to add a little positivity to the gloom and doom. I swear some people would find negative in winning the lottery b/c it would mean they had to pay more taxes. Things aren't great but the sky isn't falling either.

[thesportscritic]

The turnovers have been a problem this season we had 26 against UNCA and 23 tonight and that is unacceptable. If we even make it to the NCAA's that will blow up in our face big time. I don't think the conference has gotten that much better. i think we have not improved that much since last season. I will credit the Big south teams for exploiting our weaknesses.

[fsn32]

The bottom 3 are much worse this year than last but the top 5 (other than us) are better this year.

[thesportscritic]

The bottom 3 are much worse this year than last but the top 5 (other than us) are better this year.

but not that much better.

[Bronx Bombers]

While High Point is not considerably better than they were last year, they are better. Radford is most certainly a huge improvement this year, which will most likely land Jerri Porter the Coach of the Year honor. Asheville has been improving for a couple years now, and they continue to get better. The biggest difference I see this year is that other teams are no longer "afraid" or "intimidated" to play Liberty. The teams that have beaten us have done so because they won't lay down for us. Maybe that is the problem with the team this year. They have gotten so used to winning in years past and played so close and beat really good teams in the non-conference that they just assumed they would roll through Big South. It hasn't happened yet, and it certainly won't happen with the tournament being in Asheville.

As far as turnovers being a problem, that has always been an achilles heel for the Lady Flames, and they have actually been down this year apart from the last couple games...so as FSN said, lets not get caught up in the moment.

I also agree with FSN that execution has been a problem. That much is obvious to even the most unknowing eyes. However, I can assure you that the plays being run right now are the same plays that were run by Elena Kisseleva, Sharon & Sarah, Katie Feenstra, Kristal Tharp and on down the line of all the players that have played for Carey Green. Basically its going to come down to our girls taking enough pride in their team to prove to everyone in the conference that we are the best team (talent-wise and coaching-wise we are superior). It is going to be up to them to realize that because if they don't there are 7 other teams out there that would love to go to the NCAA tournament for the first time.

[Bronx Bombers]

btw sportscritic, if you are such a huge flames fan then why do you have the Carolina logo with pictures of Roy Williams and Sylvia Hatchell in your post. Shouldn't you have the eagle head with pictures of Carey Green and Randy Dunton...just a thought.

[fsn32]

It doesn't take much to swing the pendulum... last year we only beat UNCA by 7 , Radford by 8, Coastal by 7 in one game and 9 in the other and lost to HP. Even in the year we went to the sweet 16 Coastal played us within 9 and UNCA 12 in Vines and we lost to HP.

I still think we are the best team in the conference... we just haven't played up to that potential.

[fsn32]

btw sportscritic, if you are such a huge flames fan then why do you have the Carolina logo with pictures of Roy Williams and Sylvia Hatchell in your post. Shouldn't you have the eagle head with pictures of Carey Green and Randy Dunton...just a thought.

I think if Carey would have had UNC's team there is no way he would have lost the NCAA title... I have never been a fan of Sylvia. Roy's OK.

Sorry... back to topic.

[thesportscritic]

btw sportscritic, if you are such a huge flames fan then why do you have the Carolina logo with pictures of Roy Williams and Sylvia Hatchell in your post. Shouldn't you have the eagle head with pictures of Carey Green and Randy Dunton...just a thought.

one i am a heels fan and 2 since i go to this school i have a passion for flames sports. if you don't like it then sorry i am not taking it down anytime soon.

[Bronx Bombers]

I don't like Sylvia, Roy is a great coach...like I said, just a thought

[Go Flames]

Some teams run predictable offenses because that offense is unpredictable. You may know that the team you are playing is going to run a motion offense, but if that offense is designed to take advantage of the weaknesses found in any defensive strategy, that offense will be able to create its own advantage.

If you remember the Michigan State team that won the national championship with Majic Johnson, then note that they started off the season very poorly because of an offense that was basically just like we run. Every play was called from the bench. Every player was supposed to be in his designated place at the designated time. Creativity was not permitted. The coach called all the shots. After their terrible start, the players got together and went to the coach and asked if they could change a few things.....like thinking for themselves.....and using their instincts. The coach decided there was nothing to lose since things were going so bad, so he told Majic to give it a try. The remainder of the season was amazing. A coaches offensive strategy does make a difference. If our girls don't seem to have the spark, I believe it's because the game has lost its "fun" aspect.

[thesportscritic]

I don't like Sylvia, Roy is a great coach...like I said, just a thought

i guess you will have to look at her face everytime i post. Too bad you don't like her as a coach. She has won at every level of her coaching career and so has roy williams.

[Purple Haize]

btw sportscritic, if you are such a huge flames fan then why do you have the Carolina logo with pictures of Roy Williams and Sylvia Hatchell in your post. Shouldn't you have the eagle head with pictures of Carey Green and Randy Dunton...just a thought.

I think if Carey would have had UNC's team there is no way he would have lost the NCAA title... I have never been a fan of Sylvia. Roy's OK.

Sorry... back to topic.

Don't let Mrs Purple hear you say that. Otherwise no more pizza rolls for yoU!!!

[bigsmooth]

fsn i love ya man, but pointing out the wrongs on this team in necessary. i think you and hazie drink the same kool-aid i know you are on the LU payroll, and you have to spin things positively, and i understand that but i think sometimes carey green has been anointed the next coming, and this year is clearly his worst. now things can change in a hurry, but turnovers have been a problem all year, and he has used complacency quite a bit...ask your radio cohort. i realize the players have carry out what the coach is preaching, but this teams reliance on megan, the constant turnovers, and lack of getting up for games falls on the coaching staff. and if these young ladies cannot muster up enough guts to get up for games and quit making the same mistakes over and over, then that too falls on the coaching staff because what type of player are they really recruiting? again, im not a coach killer, i think carey green is the man for our program, but sometimes you have to look in the mirror and maybe change some things.

[fsn32]

i think sometimes carey green has been anointed the next coming, and this year is clearly his worst.

I am assuming we are going by outcome and that is not the case...

2000-01 = 19-11 RPI 146
2006-07 = 15-10 RPI 112

That team in 2001 would have lost to GW and Pitt by 20 points.

fsn i love ya man, but pointing out the wrongs on this team in necessary.

I did... I pointed out several "wrongs" but my point is that we are not as bad as some are making it out to be... not as good as we should be... but not as bad as all the gloom and doom. I'm sure there are things Carey would go back and do differently... I'm not saying he is perfect... but I would put him against any coach in the country when it comes to game prep. If he has a shortcoming it may be that he is not a rah rah motivational speaker or a screamer. Maybe some of us could volunteer to come blow some hot air at the team to get them fired up... there is plenty of it in some of us... myself included.

I just post because someone has to counter the abject negativity on this board... I thought it was bad on the baseball and men's basketball threads but now we are throwing the most successful team* in the history of the school under the bus because of 3 losses and being in a tie for first place.

*tied with track... but watch out coach Tolsma, the Big South has caught up with you on the women's side... attacks on you may be coming.

[fsn32]

Some teams run predictable offenses because that offense is unpredictable. You may know that the team you are playing is going to run a motion offense, but if that offense is designed to take advantage of the weaknesses found in any defensive strategy, that offense will be able to create its own advantage.

If you remember the Michigan State team that won the national championship with Majic Johnson, then note that they started off the season very poorly because of an offense that was basically just like we run. Every play was called from the bench. Every player was supposed to be in his designated place at the designated time. Creativity was not permitted. The coach called all the shots. After their terrible start, the players got together and went to the coach and asked if they could change a few things.....like thinking for themselves.....and using their instincts. The coach decided there was nothing to lose since things were going so bad, so he told Majic to give it a try. The remainder of the season was amazing. A coaches offensive strategy does make a difference. If our girls don't seem to have the spark, I believe it's because the game has lost its "fun" aspect.

To give Magic Johnson free reign is understandable... in my opinion he is the best player to suit it up in regards to "winning" and making his teammates better. To compare that to LU women's basketball is a stretch... we don't have any Magic Johnsons. Even MJ and Kobe had to run Phil's triangle to be successful.

If players had their way, you would play street ball... I believe that Carey has proven that his system works... sure maybe he needs to tweak things here and there but this has worked for him and if the players play well they and the coaches coach well... we will win and nothing is more fun than winning.

(BTW... that Michigan State team started 9-1... not sure about the analogy.)

[Go Flames]

The 78-79 Michigan State Spartans were 4-4 in conference play at the end of January. After Heathcote's decision to change the offense, the team responded with a vengeance in an overtime victory over league-leading Ohio State that sparked a 10-game winning streak and secured a share of the Big Ten crown.

Heathcote's decision to change the offense not only reinvigorated the Michigan State team, it revolutionized the game of basketball.

Sure, Michigan State had the horses, but the coach had them penned up. Many coaches have looked back after the season was over and asked themselves, "What was I thinking?"

What could it hurt to try a motion offense and see what the girls can do? What would it hurt to establish the team's identity and start the same 5 players for a few games? I believe the girls deserve a chance to show what got them to this level. Liberty Unversity is not where they learned to play the game. Let's see what they've got.

[TIMSCAR20]

I agree with everything FSN has said. He types exactly what I am thinking most of the time when it comes to this board's negativity esp in the women's basketball forum. I really believe this team is good enough to win the big south tournament. Time will tell of course. 3 conference losses? High Point Men's team lost 3 games in conference this season and it was by far the best season in their brief division 1 history. Liberty's men have never lost less than 3 games in conference since becoming division 1 and that includdes my last season as a coach when we were 23-9. Conference games are tough because teams know your tendencies and they know your players esp since we have the exact same team as last season.

[Sly Fox]

I don't see why anyone would rule out us running through the conference tourney. Monday's game should show you what we are capable of when we are focused. Saturday's game in Radford should be a great barometer of the team's focus heading to the tourney in Asheville.