[JK37]

And you don't think there's any chance of backlash if the "spot" offered every year to the area stud is a walk-on spot? It'll just look like a gimmick.

[Purple Haize]

And you don't think there's any chance of backlash if the "spot" offered every year to the area stud is a walk-on spot? It'll just look like a gimmick.

What? LU involved in a gimmick?? Noooooo. That never happens.

No I don't simply because in making the announcement they can say 'Preferred Walk On" etc. Also, the way scholarships work people understand limits etc and the kid would probably end up on scholarship in a year or two anyways.
I mean I don't know how they do it in the Hagerstown/Ferderick/Baltimore Tri-Plex but its such a no brainer.

[lynchburgwildcats]

And you don't think there's any chance of backlash if the "spot" offered every year to the area stud is a walk-on spot? It'll just look like a gimmick.

I thought LU didn't really care about backlash anymore given their recent history? Plus there would be backlash no matter what they did because people just hate on LU no matter what they do. They could give someone a million dollars and the person on the receiving end would still likely find something to whine and complain about what they received.

[olldflame]

A preferred walkon spot at UK or UNC is a pretty big deal. Jarred Polson and Josh Davis are 2 examples of players who walked away from scholarships with BSC schools for one. Several schools, including UNC offered Logan Thomas a preferred walkon spot on the basketball team if he signed a football NLI. At LU (or pretty much any mid major for that matter) it´s just a fancy way of saying you are a walkon, but you don´t have to risk the embarassment of being cut. We are guaranteeing you will have the privilege of busting your butt in practice every day and sitting at the end of the bench during games while you pay your own way through school.

[Purple Haize]

A preferred walkon spot at UK or UNC is a pretty big deal. Jarred Polson and Josh Davis are 2 examples of players who walked away from scholarships with BSC schools for one. Several schools, including UNC offered Logan Thomas a preferred walkon spot on the basketball team if he signed a football NLI. At LU (or pretty much any mid major for that matter) it´s just a fancy way of saying you are a walkon, but you don´t have to risk the embarassment of being cut. We are guaranteeing you will have the privilege of busting your butt in practice every day and sitting at the end of the bench during games while you pay your own way through school.

And?

[thepostman]

Actually smart(expletive) funnyman you didn't

laugh at yourself...it makes life more enjoyable

[olldflame]

A preferred walkon spot at UK or UNC is a pretty big deal. Jarred Polson and Josh Davis are 2 examples of players who walked away from scholarships with BSC schools for one. Several schools, including UNC offered Logan Thomas a preferred walkon spot on the basketball team if he signed a football NLI. At LU (or pretty much any mid major for that matter) it´s just a fancy way of saying you are a walkon, but you don´t have to risk the embarassment of being cut. We are guaranteeing you will have the privilege of busting your butt in practice every day and sitting at the end of the bench during games while you pay your own way through school.

And?

You´re making a big deal about something that basically is already available to any student athlete who wants to enroll in school and go to walkon tryouts. If they are so bad they need a free pass not to be cut, who cares? I was trying to come up with a term for what this would be. ¨Symbolic gesture¨is too kind. ¨Stunt¨is probably too harsh. I think JK37 nailed it with ¨gimmick¨. IMHO you are way overstating how much of an impact it would have and seriously underestimating the intelligence of the local players, coaches and fans if you think they will not see it for what it is.

IMHO the worst thing about the idea is that you would be putting the selection process in the hands of the local fishwrap or whoever picks the POY as opposed to our coaching staff. I like the idea better if we were to simply be more agressive in targeting local kids for possible walkon slots at our coaches discretion.

[TIMSCAR20]

I don't really have a strong opinion on the recruiting aspect of this conversation. From my perspective if you have a good budget, go after the kids you want regardless of community, country, etc.

I want to weigh in on the community aspect of the conversation. It was mentioned that the community seemed to be more engaged with the program back in the 90's. I can attest that it was not an accident. Jeff and Randy (got you covered Haize) were both well involved in the community and had really good relationships with leaders in the business community. I know for a fact that both of them still have tight allies in the Lynchburg area. Plus we had assistants like Naz and myself who would take players out to high schools and address kids, make appearances at the local barber shops and playgrounds and connected with the Black Community in Lynchburg. We had folks coming out to see their friends Marcus White and Larry Jackson because they felt like they knew them and they connected with them.

I don't live in Lynchburg anymore so I can't speak on what is or isn't going on now so it is not a criticism of the current staff and athletic dept. but rather an insider's perspective on the days when there was solid fan support.

I would love to see more kids from Glass, Heritage, Brookville and other Lynchburg schools start to idolize the Liberty players like they did back in the day. I'm not sure that the answer is just to add a kid from one of their schools to the roster. I'm not against it, I just don't think it is the panecea.

[Purple Haize]

I don't really have a strong opinion on the recruiting aspect of this conversation. From my perspective if you have a good budget, go after the kids you want regardless of community, country, etc.

I want to weigh in on the community aspect of the conversation. It was mentioned that the community seemed to be more engaged with the program back in the 90's. I can attest that it was not an accident. Jeff and Randy (got you covered Haize) were both well involved in the community and had really good relationships with leaders in the business community. I know for a fact that both of them still have tight allies in the Lynchburg area. Plus we had assistants like Naz and myself who would take players out to high schools and address kids, make appearances at the local barber shops and playgrounds and connected with the Black Community in Lynchburg. We had folks coming out to see their friends Marcus White and Larry Jackson because they felt like they knew them and they connected with them.

I don't live in Lynchburg anymore so I can't speak on what is or isn't going on now so it is not a criticism of the current staff and athletic dept. but rather an insider's perspective on the days when there was solid fan support.

I would love to see more kids from Glass, Heritage, Brookville and other Lynchburg schools start to idolize the Liberty players like they did back in the day. I'm not sure that the answer is just to add a kid from one of their schools to the roster. I'm not against it, I just don't think it is the panecea.

I agree that's a huge part. But, and maybe I just assumed this, this sort of goes hand in hand. If you are not out in the community then its difficult to recruit the local stud when he/she comes along. It's about building a foundation that we just don't have anymore. I would love to see kids want LU as a destination, and actually HAVING local kids on your roster can help

[Purple Haize]

A preferred walkon spot at UK or UNC is a pretty big deal. Jarred Polson and Josh Davis are 2 examples of players who walked away from scholarships with BSC schools for one. Several schools, including UNC offered Logan Thomas a preferred walkon spot on the basketball team if he signed a football NLI. At LU (or pretty much any mid major for that matter) it´s just a fancy way of saying you are a walkon, but you don´t have to risk the embarassment of being cut. We are guaranteeing you will have the privilege of busting your butt in practice every day and sitting at the end of the bench during games while you pay your own way through school.

And?

You´re making a big deal about something that basically is already available to any student athlete who wants to enroll in school and go to walkon tryouts. If they are so bad they need a free pass not to be cut, who cares? I was trying to come up with a term for what this would be. ¨Symbolic gesture¨is too kind. ¨Stunt¨is probably too harsh. I think JK37 nailed it with ¨gimmick¨. IMHO you are way overstating how much of an impact it would have and seriously underestimating the intelligence of the local players, coaches and fans if you think they will not see it for what it is.

IMHO the worst thing about the idea is that you would be putting the selection process in the hands of the local fishwrap or whoever picks the POY as opposed to our coaching staff. I like the idea better if we were to simply be more agressive in targeting local kids for possible walkon slots at our coaches discretion.

Yeah, cause I have no ties to local players and coaches. I'm just sort of guessing.

[lynchburgwildcats]

Preferred walkon is a great concept if you're a school like UK, UNC, Duke, Kansas, etc. You know the elite programs, the ones kids watch on tv every week and dream of growing up to play on. That doesn't apply to LU.

[TIMSCAR20]

Preferred walkon is a great concept if you're a school like UK, UNC, Duke, Kansas, etc. You know the elite programs, the ones kids watch on tv every week and dream of growing up to play on. That doesn't apply to LU.

No one took the bait but I'll bite. I disagree a bit. Fans tend to see athletics from an elite perspective. Which means only the elite programs matter. As a former preferred walkon myself coming out of Philly at a time when many of my peers were big time division 1 players and future NBA players, I was still happy to get a preferred walkon invite from Liberty. That was a long time ago.

You have to figure with the facilities, TV package (HD Now!!!) Chance to win a conference and play in the NCAA's, live in plush dorms and go to state of the art classrooms and other buildings, there are many good players who would jump at the chance depending on thier options and financial situation. It is Narrow to think that only the elite teams have something to offer a prospective student athlete.

I talk to too many former, current and future division 1 athletes about their reasons for picking a school and there are just so many good reasons that Liberty has to offer these days. Take a drive onto Liberty mountain soon and you will see what I am talking about. It is unreal.

[Purple Haize]

No one took the bait cause...well...his status as full scholarship troll is well documented HA

As for the games now in HD, you may not want to push that because that means YOU will be in HD. It would be like me on TV with out wide screen formatting!

[TIMSCAR20]

No one took the bait cause...well...his status as full scholarship troll is well documented HA

As for the games now in HD, you may not want to push that because that means YOU will be in HD. It would be like me on TV with out wide screen formatting!

Yeah I hear ya on the HD...But that is why we have makeup Artists They will work their MAGIC!

[olldflame]

I´m sure the community outreach SCAR talked about played a factor, but I think there was another big reason for the higher attendance in the 90s, and I´m afraid it will be tough to duplicate. We were able to Schedule at least 2 home games with VT during that time as well as home games with JMU and VCU. All of these schools have a lot of alumni in Lynchburg, and those games were EXTREMELY well attended, with probably about half of the crowd at the VT games being Hokie fans who had never darkened the door of the Vines before. The atmosphere at those games was electric, and the basketball was exciting. I have no proof, but I have a feeling that some of those local VT, JMU and VCU fans decided that an occasional LU game was a convenient and cheap way to get a college basketball fix and became semi regulars.

I also think the student support was better partly because, quite frankly, there just werent as many leisure time options then as there are now.

[TIMSCAR20]

I also think the student support was better partly because, quite frankly, there just werent as many leisure time options then as there are now.

Yes it really is a different time and the campus is totally different. That certainly plays a role. I like Hockey. I would love to go to games when I am in town. But it seems that they play the games around the same time as hoops games. That is something that is easily quantified and verified but I'm too lazy to look it up. But I hear people talking about heading over to the LaHaye Ice Center when I'm in town a lot more than I hear about the Vines. That is just one example.

Intramurals during the week usually compete with the games too. Intramural basketball is comprised of many actual basketball fans. When I was young and had the choice of playing basketball and watching a game either live or on TV, the easy choice was to play. Easy to say but difficult to do but it would be nice if everything else shut down on campus during hoops games, making the team a focal point for 3 hours that day. We are only talking about 14 or so dates on a calendar year. We have to find a way to get the student body back into the Vines in my opinion.

I know it isn't easy but boy it is fun when they show up! 2009 when Curry was in school, the Vines Center was exciting many times. To Old Flames' point, opponents like George Mason and Old Dominion recently have improved attendance. I was on Youtube looking at the Curry Mix tape when he crossed the kid over from Mason and it was pretty loud in there.

[NotAJerry]

I do find it interesting that student support has dropped so much. I was in the building for the record attendance for both the men's and women's teams and in those days basketball games were an event that had buzz around the campus. I would argue that that time in the mid to late 90s saw basketball become more popular among the students than football.

[Sly Fox]

That would be easy to argue because football attendance never really was much to shout about despite some good teams under Coach Sam.

[phoenix]

I know back in the day I went to football games because I had to (marching band), but basketball games because I wanted to. And I'm not a basketball fan.

I can remember SRO games in the Schilling Center (before it was called that) against teams I'd never heard of. But it was LU basketball, and it was THE place to be.

[Cider Jim]

Phoenix, was that before we had an on-campus hockey rink to compete for fans during basketball season?

[Sly Fox]

We had to drive to Salem for hockey back in that day.

[thepostman]

I was about to be sarcastic and say, "back in the day, like 2 years ago!". Then I realized Lahaye has probably been open 7 or 8 years now. Some of the best LU memories I have are the late night trips to that terrible ice rink and then being questioned by the rent a cops at the gate getting back onto campus....good times!

By typing this I realize I am getting old...

[NotAJerry]

I was about to be sarcastic and say, "back in the day, like 2 years ago!". Then I realized Lahaye has probably been open 7 or 8 years now. Some of the best LU memories I have are the late night trips to that terrible ice rink and then being questioned by the rent a cops at the gate getting back onto campus....good times!

By typing this I realize I am getting old...

I miss those days.

[BJWilliams]

I think I only made one trip to the Ice Station when we played there while I was a student. I remember seeing the signout sheets full of names of people going to the hockey games though

[thepostman]

There were some classic bloodbaths. And some idiot from wvu's team threatened to "knock me the f out if I kept running my mouth". I did and somehow was never knocked out. Good times!!