[DeathCab4LU]

Well the one good thing about being a super senior next year will be getting to see these guys play....lol

[paradox]

I think it was just 2 or 3 years ago, we had a similar article that our class was in the top something or other, but when we looked at the criteria, they were basically just adding up stars. So our class of 6 people had a total of 8 stars was equal to Big Name U's class who signed 2 4 star recruits. These class rankings are always pretty baseless.

Yeah, HPU was in the top 50 a few years ago when they had a ton of incoming freshmen. They do the multiplication thing. It's good for press nonetheless though.

Multiplication thing or not, Jefferson and AZ Reid alone make it a success.


LU's incoming class was ranked in the top-50 because two players in particular appear to be on a higher level: Curry & McMasters.

Hank's most highly regarded class was legit talent-wise, but lacking in some academic areas. Chip Richmond got some bad advice and entered the NBA draft too early. Antonio Burks had to go to JuCo in order to improve his grades and then went on to the U of Memphis, where he was CUSA player of the year -- and after that played a few years in the NBA.

[Ed Dantes]

one thing i have always loved about coach is that he has always had great players come into his program. they are great basketball players and great men. congrats on the top 50 class. go flames.

Anyone who went to school during the Mel Hankinson era knows not to get excited about this.

I know that people say that we didn't get the guys that boosted our signing class, but the guys who did come to campus weren't any good. Rob Attaway was a top prospect -- YES HE WAS I SWEAR -- and he was so bad that coach had to tell him not to shoot. That's not a good for your starting shooting guard.

[Ed Dantes]

If memory serves me best, Hanky's last class was ranked Top-40 by both Scout & Rivals ... 36th is sticking out in my head. But as has been noted, those rankings were not indicative of what we saw on campus.

That's because he only got 85% of his defense installed.

zing!

[kel varson]

one thing i have always loved about coach is that he has always had great players come into his program. they are great basketball players and great men. congrats on the top 50 class. go flames.

Anyone who went to school during the Mel Hankinson era knows not to get excited about this.

I know that people say that we didn't get the guys that boosted our signing class, but the guys who did come to campus weren't any good. Rob Attaway was a top prospect -- YES HE WAS I SWEAR -- and he was so bad that coach had to tell him not to shoot. That's not a good for your starting shooting guard.

Yeah but I bet if Attaway had Dunton or McKay (Mckay knows how to teach shooting) he would have been like Ohman.

JR Nicholas, Maurice Watkins, Chris Caldwell, Beau Wallace, Torin Beeler, Jeremy Monceaux, Travis Eisentrout, Jason Sarchet, Philip Ward, Vincent Okotie, Nathan Day, CJ Cowgill, Delawn Grandison. All of those guys would have been better had they played out their years for Dunton or McKay.

[TDDance234]

Yeah, HPU was in the top 50 a few years ago when they had a ton of incoming freshmen. They do the multiplication thing. It's good for press nonetheless though.

Multiplication thing or not, Jefferson and AZ Reid alone make it a success.


LU's incoming class was ranked in the top-50 because two players in particular appear to be on a higher level: Curry & McMasters.

Hank's most highly regarded class was legit talent-wise, but lacking in some academic areas. Chip Richmond got some bad advice and entered the NBA draft too early. Antonio Burks had to go to JuCo in order to improve his grades and then went on to the U of Memphis, where he was CUSA player of the year -- and after that played a few years in the NBA.[/quote]


Was Jefferson a HPU recruit? I swore he transfered in from a JuCo...

[jcmanson]

Jefferson did transfer in from a JUCO, and Monceaux played every year under Dunton not Hank. His freshman year was Dunton's first year back.

[Golden Eagle]

That class looks legit! Of course stars next to a kids name aren't the same as performance on the court but Curry and McMasters look to be HUUUGE pick ups for your squad. I sure hope Sutton and McKay can work out a home and home.

...I also like what Knucklehead said about McKay apparently using Liberty's uniqueness as a strength. If he realizes what a tremendous selling point this is (and it seems he does) the Big South better watch out.

[Ed Dantes]

Jefferson did transfer in from a JUCO, and Monceaux played every year under Dunton not Hank. His freshman year was Dunton's first year back.

He signed with LU in the spring, like a month or so after Dunton took the job, so it's tough to say who recruited him.
Let's be honest though, he was kinda a bust. His 3-pt percentage as a frosh was worse than Travis Eisentrout's... and he was basically obsolete once we got Blair.

[jcmanson]

I wasn't commenting on who recruited him, but who he played under in response to kel's post. No doubt he was a huge bust.

[paradox]

I don't know why his name comes up so much, but for what it's worth, Monceaux was definetely Hank's recruit, even though Hank was let go five months before he got here.




We need to keep some of this recruiting stuff in perspective:

First off, Curry and McMasters look to be legitimate impact players, regardless of anyone's rankings or a publication's proverbial thumbs up.

Secondly, Hankinson was somewhat of a snake-oil salesman in many respects. It's really not fair to make comparisions to that era or impose that perpective on anyone. If anything, McKay seems to counter Hank in every way. I see no sound reason to expect a bunch of hot air from McKay, just because Hank had more than his fair share.

[SuperJon]

By the way, for anyone not going to Radford on Saturday, Curry is playing at the Salem Civic Center at 6:20.

[Rocketfan]

one thing i have always loved about coach is that he has always had great players come into his program. they are great basketball players and great men. congrats on the top 50 class. go flames.

Anyone who went to school during the Mel Hankinson era knows not to get excited about this.

I know that people say that we didn't get the guys that boosted our signing class, but the guys who did come to campus weren't any good. Rob Attaway was a top prospect -- YES HE WAS I SWEAR -- and he was so bad that coach had to tell him not to shoot. That's not a good for your starting shooting guard.

Yeah but I bet if Attaway had Dunton or McKay (Mckay knows how to teach shooting) he would have been like Ohman.

JR Nicholas, Maurice Watkins, Chris Caldwell, Beau Wallace, Torin Beeler, Jeremy Monceaux, Travis Eisentrout, Jason Sarchet, Philip Ward, Vincent Okotie, Nathan Day, CJ Cowgill, Delawn Grandison. All of those guys would have been better had they played out their years for Dunton or McKay.

Where do i begin here......i don't care if Attaway got taught by Dean Smith or Coach K.....the kid was straight up awful.

Beeler went from here to DIII.....where in his senior year i think he averaged 5 pts a game and fouled out of 8 games while getting like 1/5 of the total fouls of his team(110 fouls as a guard?)......awful.

Monceaux was more concerned with his image that his game. His father thought all those Alabama records meant something.....they didn't.

Eisentrout went from hear to IUP and was never the "lights out shooter" that Hanky said he would be.....He was more concerned with getting women than laying bricks every game.

The name Nathan Day still gives me nightmares everytime i hear it after the stupid layup he missed to beat winthrop in the final seconds of a tourney game when they all used to be played in Roanoke........no one can teach clutch.

Sarchet had some time under Dunton, but he was just like Russ.....SOFT

Ward had bricks for hands and other than a few alley-oops which he did catch wasn't good for very much.

I mean i could go on, but some of these kids had skills, but had huge flaws that either they couldn't correct or didn't have any interest in correcting no matter who that coach was at the time.

[kel varson]

I mean i could go on, but some of these kids had skills, but had huge flaws that either they couldn't correct or didn't have any interest in correcting no matter who that coach was at the time.

I guess that's where we disagree. I saw them as having signifcant skills but they floundered under poor coaching. I think better coaching would have made a difference.

As for Beeler, he was recruited by many DI schools, including some PAC 10. Playing NAIA had nothing to do with talent. He played there because he wanted to be close to home. He started for a NAIA national championship team so talent wise that team was probably more like most DII NCAA schools. If you can't find a place for a 6-6 inch 225 pounder kid with a 40 inch vertical and more defensive tenacity than almost every player I've seen at LU, than thats your choice. I would take Beeler in 2nd. Beeler was also an honor student. If you never saw Beeler play, he had Rell Porter basketball skills, a Rell Porter work ethic, plus more speed, quickness and a bigger body with much more hops.

Eisentrout and Monceaux were head cases. Hard to say what a different coach would mean. They could shoot though. Eisentrout shot the ball pretty well Indian PA. Sarchet would be playing 15-20 minutes per game for this year's team so you have no idea what you're talking about with him.

[jcmanson]

Let's not forget Okotie had a very solid senior season as well. It was great to see him beside Gabe.

[kel varson]

Let's not forget Okotie had a very solid senior season as well. It was great to see him beside Gabe.

Yes. Okotie was a terrific player.

[Hold My Own]

I really liked Sarchet he may not have been the best player we've ever had but he never appeared to be lackadaisical out there like Russ is at times...his intensity was great and matched his best friends in Ryan Mantlo

[scuzdriver]

Let's go a little further back. Gary Yoder best recruit ever!

[jcmanson]

I really liked Sarchet he may not have been the best player we've ever had but he never appeared to be lackadaisical out there like Russ is at times...his intensity was great and matched his best friends in Ryan Mantlo

Glyn the mailman Turner was the most intense though

[kel varson]

I really liked Sarchet he may not have been the best player we've ever had but he never appeared to be lackadaisical out there like Russ is at times...his intensity was great and matched his best friends in Ryan Mantlo

Glyn the mailman Turner was the most intense though

Glyn was intense. I think Bob Davis did a lot to toughen up our big guys like Sarchet and Turner. Turner's problem was he was too slow and couldn't jump.

[jcmanson]

This is true, but if I could take 10% of his intensity and put it in Russ.

[Hold My Own]

Turner is like me, he realizes he isnt there talent wise and tries to make up for it with hustle!

[ATrain]

Turner is like me, he realizes he isnt there talent wise and tries to make up for it with hustle!

Except he has it and you don't

[Hold My Own]

I didnt mention what sport!

In racquetball I'll spot most to 10 and we'll play to 15

[Cider Jim]

HMO, can an old man like Rob Jackson beat you in racquetball? I understand in his day, he was quite the racquetball player.