[flamesfilmguy]

I just don't think its anything to get too excited for. Yes its progress. but its going to take mountains of progress(I.e bringing a BSC tourney championship to the mountain. SWIDT?) for this to be considered anything close to a successful season. I really like Coach Layer but I just don't know how long we can all take these sub .500 seasons. 3 in a row and counting...

[BJWilliams]

this is playing out in a similar tack to last year...and the championship in 2004...and even 1994 to a small degree...get a win over Radford and we could be riding a real wave of confidence down to the beach

[jcmanson]

this is playing out in a similar tack to last year...and the championship in 2004...and even 1994 to a small degree...get a win over Radford and we could be riding a real wave of confidence down to the beach

What are you talking about? In 2004 we were the best team in the conference during the regular season, entered the tourney the #1 seed. This season is nothing like 2004, unless you're predicting us winning the tournament.

[jcmanson]

I don't mean to pee in anyone's Wheaties so let's not get too excited. Several people have a tendency to view every win as a sign we are NCAA bound. The great thing about this win is it proves we are not the worst team in the conference. At this point, that's a good accomplishment. Our last 3 wins are against Presbyterian, an uninspired and short handed Campbell and an undersized Longwood. This team is still going to lose 20 games. I am happy to see they have taken the ball out of Sanders hands and seen others flourish. Even Sanders had a good game last night, which should show it is possible. We started to show good chemistry last night. Good flow on offense, got out in transition and had a bounce in our step. Winning covers a host of ills, but what happens when this team is tested by a team not battling for the basement? Doe a leopard really change its spots? What I'm most happy for is it looked like the guys were having fun out there. I'd hate to have a Senior season end as bad as they were showing the last couple of weeks
On to Radford!

Good point. If we would have lost to Longwood last night, on our home floor, well...I won't go there.

Anyways, I think this Radford game is a big test. They're a team that is competing for the conference championship, if we beat them Saturday, I think we can all have a fairly positive mindset heading into the Tourney.

[BJWilliams]

The commonalities I noted in all three championships (1994 2004 2013) came in how we finished. We won two of our last three (including our last home game against Radford) last year and rode that wave all the way to the Big South Championship as essentially a #10 seed. In 2004, we won 3 of our last 5, again including our last home game (against Radford) and rode that wave to one of the most one-sided Big South Championship wins in conference history. in 1994 we won 5 of our final 6 games (including our last home game against Radford) and rode that wave to the first Big South Championship in school history.

Now that said, there are a few exceptions to that commonality (1997 comes to mind as I do a little further research), but my point is, getting this win over Radford on Saturday is important for momentum heading into the trip to the beach.

[jcmanson]

The comparisons from this year to last year, is obvious.

The comparisons from this year to 1994 and 2004, is not.

[BJWilliams]

duly noted manson...do you think there may be a correlation between the changes in the lineup, the improved play and the icreased talk on here of potential replacements for Coach Layer?

[Chris Lang]

I don't think anyone inside the program gives two craps about what's written or said here.

[olldflame]

Our final game win against Radford last year was on the road BJ.

You are really stretching the point to try to find a correlation with 1994 and 2004.

[Purple Haize]

duly noted manson...do you think there may be a correlation between the changes in the lineup, the improved play and the icreased talk on here of potential replacements for Coach Layer?

It's fairly obvious the line up change is what has caused the improved play

[Purple Haize]

I don't think anyone inside the program gives two craps about what's written or said here.

You would think..........

[jcmanson]

duly noted manson...do you think there may be a correlation between the changes in the lineup, the improved play and the icreased talk on here of potential replacements for Coach Layer?

Yeah, I'm not sure where you're going with this...

Are you saying Layer changed the lineup because there was talk on here of potential replacements for him?

[BJWilliams]

Im not saying that outright...Im wondering about it because it'd be quite a connection if there was one to be had

[jcmanson]

Im not saying that outright...Im wondering about it because it'd be quite a connection if there was one to be had

There's no connection to be had there

[BJWilliams]

Alrighty then...Good win by the guys, let's hope the seniors are sent out on a high note with a win on Saturday and some positive momentum heading to Myrtle Beach next week

[Chris Lang]

Dale explained why it took so long to make the lineup switch with Retic at the end of my story ... JUCO guys often take a leap in the second semester, and he hadn't really shown in games and practices that he was 100 percent ready for the increased workload until February. He didn't think he'd get the same result by plugging Retic into the lineup in December, and he was worried about doing it prematurely because a bad start can shatter a guy's confidence, especially a guy in his first year of playing DI basketball.

[Purple Haize]

Dale is very good at "CoachSpeak"

[Cider Jim]

Best quote in Lang's article:

“After the play, I told Drew, ‘Thanks for putting me on SportsCenter,’” Gielo joked. “Because if that play ends up there, obviously my missed shot ends up there too. He’s a monster. I’ve never seen a white kid jump like that.”

[Chris Lang]

Dale is very good at "CoachSpeak"

He is. But it makes sense when you think about it. Joe had his own turnover problems early in the year, and he struggled to defend without fouling. He's improved in both of those areas.

[Purple Haize]

Dale is very good at "CoachSpeak"

He is. But it makes sense when you think about it. Joe had his own turnover problems early in the year, and he struggled to defend without fouling. He's improved in both of those areas.

Agreed but it's still CoachSpeak. By his earlier definition you would never play a kid much until February of his Sophomore year
Retic has improved but I don't think putting him out there a lot in Dec and January would have stunted his growth. It would have been nice to see him get larger chunks early but at least he is there now

[Chris Lang]

I wonder how much of it was the locker-room politics of sending a senior to the bench, too.

[Chris Lang]

Closing thoughts:

http://www.newsadvance.com/sports/liber ... f6878.html

[Purple Haize]

I wonder how much of it was the locker-room politics of sending a senior to the bench, too.

And we have a winner! The locker room has been toxic for the last couple of years. It's hard to pull the trigger on a Senior, but based on the on court performance something had to be done. IMO, Dale was hoping it would work itself out but it didn't, and I don't think still has.

[LUalum12]

He definitely made the right choice by sitting Marshall instead of Sanders. I think Retic running the point has made a difference in the last couple of games. Also if we win on Saturday the momentum might take us on another ride through the big south tourney.

[Cider Jim]

Drew Smith's Sportscenter dunk: