[SuperJon]

AG, if we lose to a D2 in an exhibition game it's a big deal.

[A.G.]

No. Not THAT big a deal.

This team will require patience, this year. Give it to Feb before anyone panics. Heck, the group may gell well before then.

[SuperJon]

It's the equivalent of Dook or UNC losing to Davidson or CofC. It's a big deal.

[A.G.]

It's a SCRIMMAGE. An EXHIBITION GAME. Does not count towards the record. SCAR--what's your thoughts as a former big time asst coach?

SJ, I guess this is one time we are on opposite sides on this one.

[TIMSCAR20]

I agree with AG. Not a big deal to lose in an exhibition game. The 04 team nearly lost to a division II team when Charles Stephens came in a dropped 36. He was a transfer from U or Richmond that I helped recruit to Liberty from GW Danville but we didn't get him. He lit Dees and Martin up but we still won by a few points if I remember. No need to panic. I remember our teams in the past struggling with or even losing to Athletes in Action. It doesn't matter. When I played semi pro ball we beat Holy Cross when we were barnstorming the northeast. We played 5 games in 6 nights. HC had the # 1 scorer in the nation in Joe Feaster that year and they were in the top 50 in the nation. We beat them and it wasn't even talked about really. They went on to have a great year. Pre-season doesn't matter that much in terms of wins and losses. Coaches don't put their best conbination of players on the court. For that matter they are trying to figure out who composes the best combination of players. Now I will say that this particular Flames team needs to have a good showing in the pre-season because there are so many doubts and question marks. So on that point I somewhat agree with Jon (SJ).

[Chris Lang]

Liberty is not going to just roll over Oral Roberts. They have a guy (Caleb Green) who may be on the Wooden Watch list. Ken Tutt is a tremendous shooter. They've won the Mid-Con's regular season title two years in a row and played Memphis very tough last year in the NCAAs.

I'll be a bit surprised if Liberty comes back from Utah with a in.

And SJ is right. Way too many questions with this bunch to try to make any sort of accurate predictions.

[bigsmooth]

i do not see us winning a game in Utah. ORU is a pretty good team. will brew be eilgible then? if so, i will give us a btter chance of winning a game there. indeed...too many questions with this team.

[kel varson]

Although I haven't followed Liberty as long as some, I have followed them closely for the past 8 years. If there's one thing I've learned, its not to count on predictions. Hankinson's first couple years I think I predicted LU to win over 20 games. Granted, this is not a Hankinson team, but during Dunton's era the team has really had to fight to pick up any DI wins out of conference--especially on the road. That said, there are way too many new faces on this squad for the team to gel prior to February. From the looks of it, they have talent, much more than last season. Last season they won 7 games and I think an improvement to a .500 record or somewhere between 14 and 16 wins would be an accomplishment. A couple wins in the BS tourney would be a cherry on top.

[Stevev]

One of Jeff Meyer's teams went from 5 wins in a year to over 20 the next so dramatic improvements from one year to the next are not impossible even at Liberty and in the Big South. I think that we tied the NCAA record for the biggest turnaround in one year (with Murray State and NC A & T).

I am just afraid that this is a never ending cycle of losing players, replacing them, and keep calling it a "rebuilding year" since we have so many new faces. I keep hearing this rebuilding year crap and it is getting really old right now. If the program is where it should be then we shouldn't be expecting these so called rebuilding years with all of these new faces.

[PAmedic]

HPU and Radford are having the same arguments on their boards: "why are we losing players every year", "why is every year a rebuilding year", etc

In this leagues (smaller schools, less nat'l exposure, etc) I'm thinking its sorta the norm. Good or bad, it is what it is.

If you're in the ACC and recruiting top 10 nat'l talent- I'm guessing people are less likely to leave a program quite as quickly- just a guess tho

[Stevev]

Well if other BSC teams are in the same situation with these rebuilding years then it should be a wash. Not too sure about Radford or High Point and how they are handling the situation but the point is we should not be in the bottom half of this conference.

[LUconn]

who said we were rebuilding this year anyway? I think this is anything but a rebuilding year. If we don't win it this year, next year is gonna be an uphill battle without Blair.

[SuperJon]

Now I will say that this particular Flames team needs to have a good showing in the pre-season because there are so many doubts and question marks. So on that point I somewhat agree with Jon (SJ).

Another thing, do you think an already frustrated student body is going to support a team that loses to a D2? I know that sounds rough but it's the harsh reality of it. People are still saying the football team sucks and they're 3 plays from being 5-1.

[Stevev]

who said we were rebuilding this year anyway? I think this is anything but a rebuilding year

I take it that when people mention all of these new faces and talk about team chemistry and such that "rebuilding year" comes to most peoples minds. I just hope that this not a never ending cycle of things to come with this program.

[LUconn]

Now I will say that this particular Flames team needs to have a good showing in the pre-season because there are so many doubts and question marks. So on that point I somewhat agree with Jon (SJ).

Another thing, do you think an already frustrated student body is going to support a team that loses to a D2? I know that sounds rough but it's the harsh reality of it. People are still saying the football team sucks and they're 3 plays from being 5-1.

I thought of that too. A lot of people come out for the first exhibition games. If we lost to a D2, not many would come back.

Are people really saying that about our football team? Are they stupid? Do you hang out with stupid people SJ?

[SuperJon]

I'm just repeating what I've heard in class. And yes, I've heard people say it.

Someone at the soccer game yesterday said they were doing something on Saturday and I asked why they weren't coming to the game and they said they have better things to do with their time.

[A.G.]

Another thing, do you think an already frustrated student body is going to support a team that loses to a D2? I know that sounds rough but it's the harsh reality of it. People are still saying the football team sucks and they're 3 plays from being 5-1.

Dang--that is a demanding student body. Yes, SJ, I see your point about perception, and the team needs to LOOK good in order to get early support.

[SuperJon]

That isn't a demanding student body. A typical student body expects their team being Division I to beat Division I schools everytime they play them.

[nickrichard]

How will Brew coexist with LB? How will having two kids impact Brew? How will the freshmen do? There are others I don't want to mention on here but there are questions.

Sorry, a little out of the loop, but Brew has 2 kids? I am not all legalistic or anything, but is he married? I know when you all were talking about him coming here, you mentioned a girlfriend, but no wife. Has this changed? I remember Larry Jackson having a kid while he played, but he was married at the time. Is this a problem for anyone else?

[A.G.]

Brew is not married? I thought one was in the over. If he averages 10 dimes a game, it doesn't bother me at all.

[SuperJon]

He had to get married to come here. He had a kid before he came here.

[TIMSCAR20]

Brew is married. Larry Franklin is married as well...Parrish Hickman (transfer from Michigan St that played with Steve Smith) was married, Eric Pothoven and Larry Jackson both got married while they were in Flames jerseys. I don't see a problem with Brew having 2 kids. He is the one that has to feed them not us. He would like to do that by playing the game he loves so I see it as motivation to play harder and better for him. I am not as concerned with this team losing to a division II in the pre-season as some. I think they will be fine vs those teams. I just know when you are coming off of a season like we just did, that fan support is gonna be huge and there will be a rush to judgement by the general student body like SJ said. It is important for these guys to send a message that this year will be different than the past year and some change.

[A.G.]

Dang. A wife and 2 kids. Basketball is a GREAT excuse to get out of the house.

[bigsmooth]

the LU student body is apathetic. back in the day, even when he had a good football and hoops team, many would be watching notre dame or michigan games before they would go to a liberty game. it will take time to win over the students, and guys like SJ and TDD can be a catalyst, and if the atheltics dept makes the SFC something good.

[grm]

Lou Holtz once said that when a student at Notre Dame pays his tuition he expects at least
one National Championship to come with it. That's often the mentality.