[olldflame]

If you have to redshirt on team that only wins 11 games, not sure how good you are. (Kermite)

Keep in mind that the decision to redshirt was made prior to the first game when we expected the 2 returning shooters who had carried us to a tournament championship last March to be the strength of this team. It didn't turn out that way, and as the season progresses it becomes harder and harder to justify pulling the redshirt off a player who no doubt has centered all his basketball and academic plans around having an extra year. All of us (DL no doubt more than anyone) were hoping all year Marshall and Sanders would get their act together, and it just never happened.

[ballcoach15]

I do not know how good the incoming freshmen are, but I think they hold the keys to future of team. I just hope there are some scorers coming in, not role players who play 3 or 4 minutes at a time, then disappear.

[Chris Lang]

Donley is widely believed to have a foot out the door. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Ogukwe just walked away. No inside info, but it's clear he's never going to be his pre-injury self and will likely get very few minutes.

[Purple Haize]

We have 8 guys coming back (under ideal circumstances) next year: Ryan Kemrite, Chad Donley, Sommy Ogukwe, Joe Retic, Devon Pekas, Wes Alcegaire, Andrew Smith ( the resident Sportscenter highlight) and Tomasz Gielo. Donley and Pekas could either be on the chopping block or have potential for transfer (possibly Ogukwe).

Pekas and Layer are both walkons, and I seriously doubt either will be offered a schollie. I do not agree that all 7 of the scholarship players who have remaining eligibility coming back would be "ideal circumstances" BJ. IMHO we are better off if one or more do not return, either by choice or by coaches decision not to renew. This would free up at least one more schollie to sign a big as well as a slashing/scoring 2 guard out of the JUCO ranks. We have at least 1 player who would be essentially a 5th year senior with no forseeable role next year. Possibly 2. IMHO we shouldn't use a scholarship for someone who has proven he cannot contribute on the court and has already had 4 years of paid education.

Call me crazy but I'm not sure I'd use all our available scholarships next year. I think we still have 1 open scholly and if there is a game changer we offer it. But keeping that and what we have next year it can balance out our recruiting classes and not have a situation where we have 6 open one year and 1 or 2 the next. Also, it gives us another slot for a better player down the road
It's not unheard of at other programs

[BJWilliams]

Donley is widely believed to have a foot out the door. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Ogukwe just walked away. No inside info, but it's clear he's never going to be his pre-injury self and will likely get very few minutes.

that makes sense...Donley seemed the most likely of the scholarship players along with Sommy to likely be on the way out in some form or fashion. I actually forgot Pekas was a walk-on so my fault on that. that would leave 5 scholarship returnees, 5 incoming signees and 3 open scholarships. I like PH's idea of keeping a couple in the back pocket and balancing the graduations out somewhat.

[ballah09]

gonna need a juco big man and a juco 2 guard. it's highly rumored that Osandai Vaughn is heading this way, thanks to mr. mantlo. crazy the least herald recruit might get the most playing, Maxwell that is if Layer doesn't bring another juco big man in.

Liberty is in J.J. N'Ganga final two so i wouldn't be shocked if he comes making those two the final two recruits.


as for layer i think he should go. he had 2 good recruiting classes 09 and now this, back to back 20 loses, first time in school history. i think he can coach actually just not a HC. Liberty shouldn't be this bad with facilities, network, etc. at least for a mid major.

[bballfan84]

gonna need a juco big man and a juco 2 guard. it's highly rumored that Osandai Vaughn is heading this way, thanks to mr. mantlo. crazy the least herald recruit might get the most playing, Maxwell that is if Layer doesn't bring another juco big man in.

Liberty is in J.J. N'Ganga final two so i wouldn't be shocked if he comes making those two the final two recruits.


as for layer i think he should go. he had 2 good recruiting classes 09 and now this, back to back 20 loses, first time in school history. i think he can coach actually just not a HC. Liberty shouldn't be this bad with facilities, network, etc. at least for a mid major.

Thats the problem in your thinking we arent a mid major..never have been..we are a LOW major team. Im not defending Layer or anyone but this board seems to think its easy to become a mid major..specially with the special criteria we have when recruiting kids..its just not that easy

[olldflame]

gonna need a juco big man and a juco 2 guard. it's highly rumored that Osandai Vaughn is heading this way, thanks to mr. mantlo. crazy the least herald recruit might get the most playing, Maxwell that is if Layer doesn't bring another juco big man in.

Liberty is in J.J. N'Ganga final two so i wouldn't be shocked if he comes making those two the final two recruits.


as for layer i think he should go. he had 2 good recruiting classes 09 and now this, back to back 20 loses, first time in school history. i think he can coach actually just not a HC. Liberty shouldn't be this bad with facilities, network, etc. at least for a mid major.

I think Maxwell will only see major minutes if we don't sign a JUCO big and he turns out to be better than expected. Otherwise I expect to see Smith play a lot at the 5. If I were him I would be planning my off season training with the idea in mind of putting on about 10-15 pounds of muscle to better enable him to go head up with some of the wider bodied post players he will face. If he does it right, he should still be more athletic than those guys.

[R i]

as for layer i think he should go. he had 2 good recruiting classes 09 and now this

Until someone says different, I will continue to say the 09 recruting class was not Layers, his hand was forced. Hiring him and then making him promote an assistant to head assistant.

Layer could have made a bigger splash, and done much better with the hand he was dealt. I believe he showed his ability to coach guys up last year. He deserves the chance to run this program without the handcuffs.

[VAGolf]

as for layer i think he should go. he had 2 good recruiting classes 09 and now this

Until someone says different, I will continue to say the 09 recruting class was not Layers, his hand was forced. Hiring him and then making him promote an assistant to head assistant.

Layer could have made a bigger splash, and done much better with the hand he was dealt. I believe he showed his ability to coach guys up last year. He deserves the chance to run this program without the handcuffs.

09 was five years ago. We haven't won 10 or more D1 games in the regular season since 2011-12.

[ballcoach15]

Five years in, and 20 loss seasons in years 4 and 5. What can we expect in the future that we have not seen in previous 5 years ?

[jcmanson]

Five years in, and 20 loss seasons in years 4 and 5. What can we expect in the future that we have not seen in previous 5 years ?

We also lost 18 in year 3. That's 60 losses in the last 3 seasons.

[Dr. Sheh]

Five years in, and 20 loss seasons in years 4 and 5. What can we expect in the future that we have not seen in previous 5 years ?

22 losses or more in one season

In all seriousness, I do think there will be a talent upgrade on the floor next year. However with so many new/freshman players and the need to build a new chemistry, we may not see the difference in the win loss column. Or maybe the opposite will be true and the 6 seniors leaving will be a chance for a fresh start and guys taking ownership.

[ballcoach15]

I am no math guru, but 60 losses in 3 years is a lot of losses.

[Dr. Sheh]

What does everyone think of Dale's assistants? I know very little about them so I'm interested to see what everyone's thoughts are. Will there be any shakeup in the staff this off-season at the assistant level?

[thepostman]

Is there really any chance of us parting ways with Dale Layer and getting a new coach? I really don't think that there is especially if we renewed the contract at the end of last year.

On a side note I love lifer's one sentence posts that are so vague and then he just disappears. He is comedy gold.

[jinxy]

I should go find my posts from mid december. We cant fire layer because of the extension. Layer now has a 1-2 year window with this group to show he can get it done. I think its clear hes not a high end coach but i thought that was clear when we hired him. Hes best as a lead assistant

[kingaling42]

What does everyone think of Dale's assistants? I know very little about them so I'm interested to see what everyone's thoughts are. Will there be any shakeup in the staff this off-season at the assistant level?

I don't know specifics of how LU recruits but at many places recruiting is primarily handled by the assistants- they spend the most time cultivating relationships and rapport with kids, etc.. Layer may be more or less involved in the process but it has been my experience that many recruits identify with those that they talk to over time.. so if the assistants are building the relationships, then changes at that level could impact the mentality of recruits coming in..

Folks here seem to think highly of the talent coming in (which is generally overhyped on this board for the most part), so if you want to keep the recruits then you have to keep the assistants and Layer.. If you're ready to rebuild and let the chips fall as they may- then you do some housecleaning at whatever level you're comfy with.. seems like Layer and Co. will be around next year at the very least..

[VAGolf]

I think Lang summed up our situation best when he explained that, even schools with the finances that we have, won't swallow a contract like Layer's. And again, this is why I said earlier in the season that last year's championship run actually hurt us.

We won the Big South and made the dance, yes. But we were irrelevant for the entire season last year, except for that one week. Basically, I see Layer's contract as a contract to being irrelevant for three years.

I would love to be wrong, but I don't think there is a long list of successful coaches who were terrible in their 5th year at the school.

[givemethemic]

Time to move on...I can think of a couple of offices that Atlas Van Lines should be loading some boxes at. I hope the new coach will start out by saying that our goal is to win a game at Longwood.

[thepostman]

uh oh GMTM has appeared, it must be a slow news day in Raleigh

[kingaling42]

At this rate the AD is basically mimicking Tennessee.. football and women's basketball rule the school.. just need to rename the court "The Green"

[alabama24]

last year's championship run actually hurt us.

+1

It was an absolute joke. The regular season doesn't matter... So why play it?

[R i]

kingaling, i agree. Assistants are very important in recruiting. This has been my argument as to why Layer needs to stay. Our talent level has been pathetic, because the assistants couldnt recruit. This would be Dale's fault if he werent handcuffed and required to name Eaker his head assistant. These new assistants have proven they can bring in the talent, now its up to Dale to prove he can win with talent. He hasnt had a chance to win with talent.

I also like the fact that Dale fits in at the school well, and isnt using LU as a spring board. He deserves 10 years because of that.

[jcmanson]

This would be Dale's fault if he werent handcuffed and required to name Eaker his head assistant.

You keep saying this and it's the first I've heard it. Can anyone else vouch for that? And who required him to keep Eaker?