[TH Spangler]

McGhee had a rough night and still got 20.

[LU Grad 11]

Flames win 66-45. Team defense was great. Robinson continues to improve; he's a difference maker. Played 37 minutes.

[jmclaughlin]

That was fun. This team can be tough to watch on Offense at times but that D! RM has these dudes bought in and fully vested. The rotations and communication on D are unparalleled.
We may have not have the horses yet but we have a champion breeder!

[JK37]

Flames win 66-45. Team defense was great. Robinsoni continues to improve; he's a difference maker. Played 37 minutes.

I’ve heard this somewhere before….on the tip of my tongue…..!

And yes, this is the exact kind of game that gets coaches fired.

[tyndal23]

Packed arena looked great and Flames looked solid. Big W.

[paradox]

Home court advantage is for real. Nice W.

[olldflame]

Shiloh earned the start and confirmed it in the game. He is a better fit defensively in terms of what a "big man" needs to do in the pack line, and his offense is coming along nicely. I hope Ritchie doesn't forget Preston though. He had a quiet, super-efficient 7 points and 5 boards (plus an assist) in only 11 minutes, and didn't miss a shot. I can see them playing together against some opponents. Right now you could argue that Preston may deserve some of Rode's minutes. I love Kyle, but he seems to be in a bit of a funk lately. Hope he can pull out of it.

[Cider Jim]

Some students were complaining on social media that they couldn't get tickets last night, but that smaller packed house, rowdy rocking arena was exactly what our AD and HC wanted. I know what we have beaten UCLA and Miss State in the past, but how does this win over Missouri compare to those two wins? Have we had a bigger home win than this one?

I was pleasantly surprised by Robinson on both the offensive and defensive ends (loved his baby hook), but I was shocked that Dobbs didn't see the floor until there was only a minute left and McKay emptied his bench. Dobbs was our backup point guard last year, but now he is almost on the scout team. Do we just have better athletes at the point this year? Last night was my first time seeing DJ Moore run the point, and I couldn't have been more impressed: he reminded me of Jesse Sanders from from the old days.

[olldflame]

Taking a look at what our opponents have done so far this year, our 4-3 record does not look as bad as at first glance. The teams that beat us are a combined 21-3, with 8-0 LSU leading the way. One of Iona's 2 losses came against #4 Kansas at Allen. LSU beat Belmont, a team with a similar rate of success to ours (if not better) over the past few years, 83-53, and the only team that has played them closer than us was PSU, which LSU won in OT. Belmont beat Lipscomb by 30 in game #1 of their annual cross-town home-and-home rivalry, and also has a win over Iona.

Combine that with last night's impressive win, and I am a lot more optimistic about getting an ASUN 4-peat than I was a couple of weeks ago.

[olldflame]

Some students were complaining on social media that they couldn't get tickets last night, but that smaller packed house, rowdy rocking arena was exactly what our AD and HC wanted. I know what we have beaten UCLA and Miss State in the past, but how does this win over Missouri compare to those two wins? Have we had a bigger home win than this one?

I was pleasantly surprised by Robinson on both the offensive and defensive ends (loved his baby hook), but I was shocked that Dobbs didn't see the floor until there was only a minute left and McKay emptied his bench. Dobbs was our backup point guard last year, but now he is almost on the scout team. Do we just have better athletes at the point this year? Last night was my first time seeing DJ Moore run the point, and I couldn't have been more impressed: he reminded me of Jesse Sanders from from the old days.

It's becoming more evident by the day that all 3 of our true FR guards are the real deal, and yes, Drake has been well and truly "recruited over"

As I type this I can envision Omar Mance rubbing his hands together and giggling over the prospects of a back court of Dobbs and Josh Price next year.

[olldflame]

Jesse Sanders was not the "old days" Cider. Heck, I'm not sure, but I think he may be still playing pro ball overseas.

[paradox]

Comparisons are tough. Jesse Sanders was one-of-a-kind. Pure grit. The kid coming in next year seems a little more reminiscent of Sanders IMO. If he has a similar work ethic, we could be be set there for 4 years.

[paradox]

... but that smaller packed house, rowdy rocking arena was exactly what our AD and HC wanted. I know what we have beaten UCLA and Miss State in the past, but how does this win over Missouri compare to those two wins? Have we had a bigger home win than this one?

It's difficult to schedule quality out of conference opponents for home games. Mizzou is a brand name, but we'll see how their season plays out.

The environment that was established last night is pivotal to our success this season. Unbeatable at home appears to be a realistic goal.

[olldflame]

Comparisons are tough. Jesse Sanders was one-of-a-kind. Pure grit. The kid coming in next year seems a little more reminiscent of Sanders IMO. If he has a similar work ethic, we could be be set there for 4 years.

As things stand now, we do not have a guard coming next year. Our early signees were both 6'7" to 6'8" forwards, and we don't have a schollie or any open offers. If you are referring to Colin Porter, he is class of 2023. He is also 5'10", which in and of itself makes makes him a very different player than Jesse, who is 6'3" and played bigger. I think Cider's comparison is valid, considering Moore would have been playing for Worthington Christian this year had he not re-classified. Same height, more athletic, but probably not as strong, and too early to judge intangibles.

[paradox]

Didn't know that. Thought Porter was coming next year. Makes it even more puzzling that Moore was a redshirt candidate this year?

Nobody's really going to compare to Jesse. He had all the intangibles. And, as fundamentally sound as they come. JS's ability to drive and dish was next-level. Not putting that label on Porter, or anybody else....just yet.

This was by no means a size comparison. Jesse had a linebacker's body and rebounded like a maniac. And work ethic was off the charts.

[Cider Jim]

Jesse Sanders was not the "old days" Cider.

Jesse played for us a decade ago, when our current LU freshmen where in elementary school, but I guess "old days" is a relative term. For olldflame, it probably means when we played games off campus at the Brookville High gym, and we had Eddie Gomes and Mark Chafin in the back court.

[paradox]

True

[olldflame]

Jesse Sanders was not the "old days" Cider.

Jesse played for us a decade ago, when our current LU freshmen where in elementary school, but I guess "old days" is a relative term. For olldflame, it probably means when we played games off campus at the Brookville High gym, and we had Eddie Gomes and Mark Chafin in the back court.

Mostly correct, but if we ever played at Brookville, it was before even my time. It was Jefferson Forest. Fond memories of bus rides from the Stewart Arms hotel to the games and back.
That was an awesome back court. Eddie was a blast to watch. Probably to this day the flashiest guard ever to wear a Liberty uniform, but I believe the only school record he holds is for most turnovers in a season. Mark was a terrific scorer and a tough preacher boy who was known to "lose his religion" on the court from time to time.

[Cider Jim]

It was Jefferson Forest. Fond memories of bus rides from the Stewart Arms hotel to the games and back.

My mistake. Yes to JF.

[TH Spangler]

Moved up 16 spots in Kenpom. #118 now.

[LUOrange]

A couple of my thoughts:
1. The kids would've packed or near packed the Vines Center last night.
2. Free throw shooting is still a huge liability.
3. Why isn't Preston starting or getting more minutes?
4. Both Preston and Shiloh both still need to attack the rim stronger on offense.
5. Many of our guys appear to be scared to dribble , drive, or shoot the ball even on open looks. It's very frustrating.
6. Our 3 freshman guards are all very impressive. Once they all gain more confidence and get comfortable they'll be even more fun to watch. IMO, Peebles will be dangerous once he gets his ballhandling up to this level. Hopefully, he'll be closer to being there by conference play.
7. Warfield is really fast. I'm glad to see him playing more.
8. Yesterday was the first time I got to see Abii up close. Freeze may want to talk to him. The Kid is solid. He'd make a heck of a TE target.
9. Overall, great game. Hopefully, this is the corner the Boys needed to turn for the year.

[flamehunter]

1. The kids would've packed or near packed the Vines Center last night.

Serious question: You believe there were 4000+ students who wanted to go to the game last night that weren't able to?

[Chippy]

1. The kids would've packed or near packed the Vines Center last night.

Serious question: You believe there were 4000+ students who wanted to go to the game last night that weren't able to?

Probably had that at least that many when we played Clemson at the Vines a few years back.

[LUaddict]

I can't find the replay on ESPN+ to watch it since I missed it. Does anyone know where I could watch the full replay of yesterday's match?

[flamehunter]

That was a day game where students were let out of classes and being on ESPN was a big thing then. I'm talking about last night. And Clemson honestly was a little bit bigger of a draw than MO. Did anyone see 4000 students standing outside wanting to get in?