[Cider Jim]

Lang's TIP-INS in the local fishwrap (no link yet, I checked):

"Blair's father was in attendance, as was Virginia Tech star Dell Curry and his won Seth."

I wonder if Seth brought his SG high school teammate to watch us play?

[bigsmooth]

the article was online at 6am, but it's gone now. what the??

[LUconn]

So that was a difficult game to watch, in more ways than 1. The first way, obviously was the way both teams played. Is that the Winthrop we've all come to fear? They looked pretty subpar. I had to keep reminding myself of who they've already beaten this year. Our team disappeared for long stretches. The day after an article about how flexible Ritchie is, he makes no half time adjustments for the offense? Or at least it didn't look like it. We looked baffeled as to how to get a shot off every time down the floor. And of course it was also difficult to watch because MASN has apparently never heard of putting graphics up on the screen. How many fouls does that guy have? Who knows, the sound is off and the won't put it on the freaking screen. I guess it just makes you appreciate FTN.

[jcmanson]

First of all, why are we shutting down the other thread titled Liberty Big South Champs? That's ridiculous. We lost 2 road games, to perhaps the best 2 teams in the league this year by a combined 11 points. Whippdee freakin doo. If you thought we could be Big South Champs a week ago, nothing should have changed to make you feel any different. All you have to do to be champs, is get hot for 3 games at the right time.

Coming into this game, we led the conference in Free Throw shooting. So, I don't expect that to be a problem every night. Rebounding killed us, noone could get a board but McLean and occasionally Smitty.

Smitty was the best player on the court last night, hands down.

Our defense is what kept us in the game. We played a triangle and 2 for the most part, and when we did Jenkins and Gaynor were completely taken out of their offense. Go back and watch the tape, they would just stand in the corner and it was up to the other 3 guys to score.

We just need to regroup and get these next 3 home games. Won't be easy, but it needs to be done.

[bigsmooth]

here is the game wrap from the N&A

LU keeps it close, but falls below .500
By Chris Lang
Lynchburg News & Advance
January 16, 2008

ROCK HILL, S.C. - A throng of students at the north end of Winthrop Coliseum chanted, "You need Larry!" toward the Liberty bench before Tuesday night's Liberty-Winthrop game, a not-so-veiled reference to the No. 2 all-time scorer in the Big South Conference, Larry Blair.

http://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Sate ... th=!sports

interesting comments by tee-jay on ace:

"He's got to understand that he's a big target," said Bannister, who had nine assists and scored eight points. "Everybody knows he can score down low, so they don't play him one-and-one at all. He basically needs to kick it out of the double team, and we need to execute after that."

[thesportscritic]

because TTL jumped ship already after one loss

[bigsmooth]

it was shut down because TTL took his comments of big south champs off to what it is now, so i saved him the ridicule.

[LUconn]

a mercy locking.

[bigsmooth]

yes...a "mercy locking"..plus i have had a itchy thread lock finger for quite some time

[ToTheLeft]

Well, you guys don't have to worry about me anymore. I am done posting on here, I am just gonna read.

For more reasons than one.

For those of you who know me, you know how to get in touch with me.

If not... anberlinrawk@gmail.com , I check it all the time.

It was fun, I might be back come football season, and I will definitely be hanging with you guys at tailgates and such, just done posting for now.

Peace.

[thesportscritic]

bye

[Schfourteenteen]

It doesn't take long to lower the expectations bar.

Hey I said I felt wed finish 3rd, before Im not jumping ship but going into this year no one had a clue what this team would do. We still can/will finish in the top half, Im just trying to ease the fall for those who set sites through the roof with no safety net.

[Cider Jim]

Coach McKay has been saying all season that he hopes they double team McLean. Not sure if that is reverse psychology or not, but he probably was hoping a double team would result in kicking it out for lots of open 3's.

[LUconn]

It doesn't take long to lower the expectations bar.

It takes being 0-2. I don't understand why people can't grasp the concept of being a fan. That's what they do.

[SuperJon]

Dr. Cider, we had a good crowd there last night. We had 20-25 with just us, but there were others there watching parts of the game.

[SuperJon]

Dang it, you guys responded to checkmate. I was hoping you'd leave the comment alone.

[Hold My Own]

WU beat us by 28 at home last year....I'll take a loss where we had a chance to win on the road...they lost players, yet we lost just as many...heck go through our roster right now and tell me how many DI ball players on the roster...I'm pretty sure they have more than we do



Some of you guys just need to learn to give credit when it's due...look at our situation....look at our depleted roster and look how we're playing EVERYONE tough

[SuperJon]

This explains a lot:

Liberty played a spread offense for most of the night, which limited its offensive opportunities to one shot most possessions. The Flames generally crash three players to the offensive glass, but they sent an extra player back to defend the fast break, which kept Winthrop off balance.

This does too:

"A devastating loss would have killed morale," Smith said. "We were in both of these games. We know what we can do. We've got some minor execution flaws we need to work out."

[LUconn]

now, that is some lowered expectations.

[ToTheLeft]

Per the advice of smoothie. (I didn't wanna say this cuz it sounds too... well, you know...)

One of the main reasons I am not going to post anymore is due to my involvement with athletics, namely the Basketball team. I have heard, and personally believe, that someone involved in any way with the team doesn't need to be involved on a message board like this.

Call it ethics, call it what you want. I just feel better if i move on from FlameFans until my time with the Basketball team is over (which hopefully it never ends that would be cool).

If I have anything to say, I can always tell Sch14teen.

So for real this time, peace.

[jcmanson]

If I was McKay, I'd be real excited right now. He is undermanned this year, and the team is going toe to toe with the top BSC teams. I can't wait until he has some more guns.

[thesportscritic]

great point manson. this team is playing very hard despite the fact that they lack the bench depth.

[thesportscritic]

bye-bye

[SuperJon]

bye. great point manson. this team is playing very hard despite the fact that they lack the bench depth.

Why do you have to be a jerk about it? The kid is doing everything he can to be successful when he gets out of school. He's taking the time to work, for free, while in school for experience. He's leaving for the same reason I stopped posting a lot in football last year and for the same reason I haven't posted much in football the past two or three weeks. Some of us do what we can to get experience while in college. If you have a problem with that, and want to be a jerk about it, then maybe you should just leave as well.

[RagingTireFire]

This explains a lot:

Liberty played a spread offense for most of the night, which limited its offensive opportunities to one shot most possessions. The Flames generally crash three players to the offensive glass, but they sent an extra player back to defend the fast break, which kept Winthrop off balance.

This does too:

"A devastating loss would have killed morale," Smith said. "We were in both of these games. We know what we can do. We've got some minor execution flaws we need to work out."

As someone who was only able to follow the game via LiveStats, that makes a lot more sense now. Let's face it, Winthrop is still a very good team -- arguably a better team -- and McKay clearly made a strategy choice to make sure we stayed in the game even if it meant giving something up. The lesser of two evils, if you will. I can't fault that at all.