[Cider Jim]

According to players, Layer has definitely brought a few changes to the team, mostly integrating a general toughness into their preseason that returners to the team did not have before. One such change involved a physically challenging eight-day boot camp before practices that included many repetitions of push-up, sit-ups, sprints and other conditioning tools.

http://www.liberty.edu/academics/commun ... &CAID=1073

[SuperJon]

I was there for two of them. They were intense. Pretty much all defense and all sprints. The team made a video of the whole thing that I hope to have online tomorrow. I have to tweak it a little to get the settings right but it'll be up tomorrow or Friday.

[UNCA Alum]

Gotta love the guys name who wrote that article.

[SuperJon]

Men's Basketball Boot Camp

[TDDance234]

We're going to find out a lot about our team early. A three game stretch of Old Dominion and Clemson at home, followed by Notre Dame on the road.

It certainly will be a big test for us.

[Cider Jim]

Thanks, Super. That's a great example of "working without the ball."

[LUconn]

I gotta tell you, that does not look fun.

[SuperJon]

In the couple of times I was there to film for it, they didn't touch a basketball.

Credit to Matt Olinger for editing the video though. I gave him the footage and that's what he made.

[kel varson]

enjoyed the video. thanks for posting.

[PAmedic]

took me 44 seconds to realize "Captain Picard- is that you"?

SUH-WEET

[Cider Jim]

On a related note, Chris Lang has a great article in today's fishwrap about the LU basketball team; the bad news is that I can't seem to find it in the online version of the paper. Little help, Lang?

Nice things were said about Gordon, Anderson, & even Baker.

[Chris Lang]

They never posted it. I just put it online:

http://www2.newsadvance.com/lna/sports/ ... ice/20920/

[Sly Fox]

Based on that story we will be running 4 guards with a post most of the time which really is what we were seeing some at the end of the year with Austin/Tyler now Tyler/Carter.

I'm really encouraged by all these reports on Evan. If he approaches anything close to his dad's intensity he will be a major factor for us.

[TylerBakersGonnaBGreat]

I think the 4 guard look will start the season, but I like our chances a lot better with Ohman at the 4 and David/Gordon/Anderson/Jesse/Steph (in no particular) splitting the other 3 spots. But I bet it doesnt last long, I can see Layer shaking without 2 bigs on the floor at once haha and I love it!

Really though I think Kyle can stretch the floor better than Smitty but doesnt have the game inside the arch that smitty had. David isnt a better athlete but is a better player than Brolin who originally started the 3 for us last year. Jesse has a year under his belt and is shooting the ball a lot better, same for Johnny. Anderson is back and working Hard. and Konan will give us athletic presence and defense like Rell Porter used to with the size to play inside. I think it will be interesting, but before the season ends I wouldnt Be surprised to see
Jesse
Kyle
David
Vander Pol
Baker (or vise verse with JVP at the 5; Baker at the 4)

And Im excited to see it

[Cider Jim]

At the Flames Club luncheon today, Coach Layer talked about all the players mentioned above, but spoke most about Sanders, Gordon, Olhman, Anderson, & Baker. And he did say that McMasters has gained 25 pounds since last year. But the one player he never mentioned was JVP.

Coach Layer has a good sense of humor, saying that Baker had been at LU since the 1960s (good use of hyperbole, Coach). And, Sly, you'll like Coach Rocco's comment about a possible LU Coaches' TV show: Rocco, in jest, said that both Layer an Green had "faces for radio."

[Sly Fox]

Hey, I represent that remark.