[Cider Jim]

http://www.libertyflames.com/index.cfm? ... 4&TeamID=6 (bottom right corner of the web page)

A vote for "other" is a vote for SCAR, which means he is leading the voting.

Favorite all-time player?

1 %
Karl Hess

1 %
Peter Aluma

1 %
Bailey Alston

2 %
Matt Hildebrand

44 %
Larry Blair

51 %
Other

2057 total votes

[LUconn]

What a slap in the face to Gabe Martin.

[Hold My Own]

seriously who are these people voting for...who's left off this list that is making people vote other?

[SuperJon]

Maybe they're voting for Gabe Martin.

[TIMSCAR20]

There are probably too many other players to like. Chris Caldwell, Larry Jackson, Julius Nwoso, Jeff Riber (believe me he was a LOT of people's favorite player). I agree about Gabe. He was an extraordinary player. I miss having him around.

[olldflame]

Maybe they're voting for Gabe Martin.

Could be. I would say he, Mark Chafin and Julius Nwosu were the most worthy players not listed. I think the vast majority of those voting had no idea who any of them were except Larry. A lot of them voted for him, and some may have just voted "other" because they think (IMHO incorrectly) that Larry was a selfish player. I'm sure there were also some current students who voted "other" for Smitty or Ace. let's face it. as a whole, our fan base doesn't have much sense of history.

I voted for Bailey. Me and Knucklehead make at least 2.

[SuperJon]

let's face it. as a whole, our fan base doesn't have much sense of history.

I agree with that, but feel that it has nothing to do with this question. The question is "favorite," not "best." Many people, especially students, weren't around when the people you're mentioning are. Believe it or not, our students look at the athletic site a lot and it's likely many of them voted in the poll. Larry was one of the "least favorite" on the team last year, not because he wasn't good, but because the students liked others better. Alex, Smitty, and Russ come to mind in terms of fan favorites. This poll is just a popularity contest.

[olldflame]

I would agree with that analysis SJ, and the more I think about it, it was a silly poll. Obviously your "favorite" player is going to be someone you have seen play, and when you take into account the demographic of the likely voters, to have Larry along with 3 players who go back a minimum of 10 years (Aluma was a senior in 97) and "other" makes no sense. Let's face it; any poll where the winner is "other" is not thought out very well.

[DutchyNY]

the reber mania of the big south championship season was something else...the student section would explode whenever he got in...gotta say i never really was all about it myself-but it got the noise level up for the last 2 minutes of out of hand games so why not......reeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-berrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
someday when liberty is a hundred years old or so reber will be to us what rudy is to notre dame
on an unrealated note does anyone else find it funny that our campus sings in unison 3x a week in convo but doesnt have the rhythm to do the clap thing right or chant defense together?

[truedrewdawg87]

No Glyn Turner, Leo Lightbourne, Brian Woodson or Louvon Sneed votes? UNBELIEVABLE.

I'll NEVER forget Brian Woodson looking me dead in the eyes during an interview after his last a game at Liberty, and telling me one of his goals during his last season was to be remembered as the guy that made Evan Risher the best point guard in the Big South. I guess it was one of those moments you had to be there for, but coming from a guy who missed as many games as he played in b/c he couldn't get his rear end to class, it came across pretty cocky.

[TDDance234]

I voted for other, for Leo, simply because he was just fun to watch. He was so bouncy and always threw down a dunk to get the crowd pumped when they needed it.

However, the best player I ever watched was absolutely Blair. I wasn't around for the earlier days but I do remember Reber-mania. Vines would go absolutely ape-crap everytime he got on the floor, I don't get it.

[Rocketfan]

No Glyn Turner, Leo Lightbourne, Brian Woodson or Louvon Sneed votes? UNBELIEVABLE.

I'll NEVER forget Brian Woodson looking me dead in the eyes during an interview after his last a game at Liberty, and telling me one of his goals during his last season was to be remembered as the guy that made Evan Risher the best point guard in the Big South. I guess it was one of those moments you had to be there for, but coming from a guy who missed as many games as he played in b/c he couldn't get his rear end to class, it came across pretty cocky.

Glyn Turner???? - thanks for that laugh.

[Sly Fox]

I think we are overlooking the obvious other choice ... #20.

[fan00]

I even have a Jeff Riber FAN CLUB T-shirt left over from my LU days...loved that kid!

[Sly Fox]

Thanks to Scar, a number of the guys mentioned in this thread drop by here from time to time.

[TIMSCAR20]

I think we are overlooking the obvious other choice ... #20.

Hildo? He is in the poll?

[LU FISHIN FOOL]

Us oldtimers like to remember Ed Vickers and Steve Issacs. Big bodies we could use today!! My vote went to Karl Hess the best pure shooter Liberty has ever had!!

[Stevev]

Cliff Weber was the best I saw in person. My favorite all time would be Marcus White. Outstanding point guard for the 2 best years LU ever had.

[paradox]

I would rate the Hildebrand, Coleman, Juice, Aluma, Williams, Dixon, Toomer years above any other.

During the Hildebrand era, LU went from the bottom of D1 and ascended into a respectable D1 program that was competitive in the NCAA's and put a major scare into #1 ranked UNC. With a more favorable seeding, the '94 team had the potential to be a sweet-sixteen team. That's why Hildebrand still reigns as the all-time MVP, as far as I'm concerned.

[TIMSCAR20]

Great group for sure Paradox. I am more partial to the White, Aluma, Jackson, Boykin, Boo Graham, Sorensen, Reed, team of 96-97. Won a school record 23 games. Lost to top 25 Eastern Michigan by 2 on a controversial clock malfunction. Very competitive regardless of who they played. If that one Saturday in March had gone another way, there would be no doubt about the best Liberty team ever. It wouldn't even be up for debate but without a bs title, your Hildo arguement rings true.

[paradox]

Great group for sure Paradox. I am more partial to the White, Aluma, Jackson, Boykin, Boo Graham, Sorensen, Reed, team of 96-97. Won a school record 23 games. Lost to top 25 Eastern Michigan by 2 on a controversial clock malfunction. Very competitive regardless of who they played. If that one Saturday in March had gone another way, there would be no doubt about the best Liberty team ever. It wouldn't even be up for debate but without a bs title, your Hildo arguement rings true.

I would have liked to have seen a little more of Boo Graham at the four on that '97 team. If I remember correctly, we had Aluma in the post with very little depth. White/Jackson was a nice backcourt.

Also, the game that sticks with me from that group was the close loss to a top-10 Va Tech team in late January or early February. Of course, the disappointing loss in the Vines against CSU in the conference final seemed to help bring an unfortunate end to the Meyer era.

[TIMSCAR20]

Great group for sure Paradox. I am more partial to the White, Aluma, Jackson, Boykin, Boo Graham, Sorensen, Reed, team of 96-97. Won a school record 23 games. Lost to top 25 Eastern Michigan by 2 on a controversial clock malfunction. Very competitive regardless of who they played. If that one Saturday in March had gone another way, there would be no doubt about the best Liberty team ever. It wouldn't even be up for debate but without a bs title, your Hildo arguement rings true.

I would have liked to have seen a little more of Boo Graham at the four on that '97 team. If I remember correctly, we had Aluma in the post with very little depth. White/Jackson was a nice backcourt.

Also, the game that sticks with me from that group was the close loss to a top-10 Va Tech team in late January or early February. Of course, the disappointing loss in the Vines against CSU in the conference final seemed to help bring an unfortunate end to the Meyer era.

We were up by double digits for most of that game until the zebras got involved. We played 10 solid players that year and sometimes 11. Gabe Caldwell, Che' Lugo and Adam Hopkins all played significant minutes.