Wednesday, March 26

It is our ambition every year at Liberty to be in postseason play beyond the Big South tournament. In light of that goal, we came up short. However, I am really proud of the effort our guys put forth this season. We have risen pillars of what we feel is important to becoming a successful team. Discipline, servanthood and unity are all characteristics that I think we were able to lay a bit of a foundation with.

I am really happy for our seniors on the way they performed in the classroom. I am proud of Alex McLean for finishing the way he did, earning first team all-conference honors, while TeeJay Bannister was third in the nation in assists. I am thrilled with some of the things our younger guys did. Kyle Ohman had an outstanding year and racked up the fourth-best three-point shooting percentage (41.2) in program history. B.J. Jenkins and Jeremy Anderson added solid contributions too.

Anthony Smith, even though I am biased, is probably the best returning player in the conference. Anthony was the only guard in the Big South Conference and the only guard amongst all 14 Division I programs in the state of Virginia to shoot over 50 percent (51.5) from the floor. The impressive nature of that statistic is that he also obliterated Liberty’s three-point field goal record of 73 set by Matt Hildebrand with his 84 makes. Anthony’s success rate from beyond the arc (41.0) was the fifth-best in the Liberty annals.

Looking to the future, I am excited about the recruiting class we signed, and looking forward to mirroring the success some of the other sports at Liberty have attained, with the primary goal of making it to the “Big Dance”. It’s a privilege to be at Liberty, and I am very excited about the leadership that our institution is blessed with and proud to be on staff.

Friday, February 1

First, it has been a long time since I last updated my blog. With that said, I want to take this opportunity and wish everyone a Happy New Year! We have been busy with the season and I like our efforts thus far. The Big South Conference has a lot of strong teams, but if we keep playing our game and executing on defense then I think we will be in the thick of things at the end of the season.

Saturday night at Radford, in conjunction with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the American Cancer Society, my staff and I will take part in Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers awareness weekend, which will be held Friday-Sunday. We will wear sneakers with our suits to show support for the Coaches vs. Cancer program. It is a privilege to join efforts of the many who continue to fight for a cure of this awful disease. Most of us, including myself, have lost a loved one abruptly from cancer.

Coaches across the nation are working to raise awareness among high school and college basketball audiences about the fight against cancer and the importance nutrition and physical activity play in reducing people’s risk of the disease. One-third of cancer deaths could be prevented with proper diet and exercise.

There are many battles out there to combat. But I am excited that the NABC is joining in the fight to increase awareness about cancer.

I am also pleased to announce that the recruiting class we signed in November was recognized by Basketball Times as the 48th-best class in the nation. Liberty was one of nine schools on the list that does not have a football team that plays in a BCS conference. I never had a Top 50 recruiting class at Oregon State or New Mexico. What Liberty University offers a student-athlete is really reflected in the caliber of the individual and the caliber of the player we were able to sign.

Friday, November 30

As the early signing period comes to a close, we were very fortunate to sign six talented players on the first day. Seth Curry, Brolin Floyd, Sammy Jackson, Mike Lewis, Carter McMasters and Austin Smith signed national letters of intent for the 2008-09 academic year.

I can’t remember ever having a class like the one we were able to attract our first year at Liberty.

Typically it takes a little bit of time to establish yourself in an unfamiliar region of the country. What Liberty University offers a student-athlete is really reflected in the caliber of the individual and the caliber of the player we were able to sign.

I would have recruited Seth Curry at any level. He is a versatile guard who has a tremendous future ahead of him. Without question, he will make an immediate impact on our team and program.

When you talk about finding a diamond in the rough, you can put a picture next to Brolin Floyd’s name. Dale Layer came across Brolin out of obscurity in talent laden Central Florida. I can’t tell you how excited I am that Brolin will be in a Liberty Flames uniform. He has a great body, size, strength and athleticism and a desire to be great. Along with a few other freshmen, I anticipate Brolin to have a major immediate impact on our team and program.

Sammy Jackson is an undersized forward who has the skill of a guard, but the toughness of a center, creating one of those match-up nightmares. Sammy is the only JC player we recruited, because we wanted to build our program with youth. But we could not pass up on his maturity, leadership ability and the uniqueness in regards to his attributes. We expect him to make an immediate contribution.

Mike Lewis reminds me of one those spark plugs on the court. I couldn’t pass up on him. Mike is tough, has the ability to shoot, find open guys and stretch the defense. Mike will become a fan favorite, because his perceived size limitation will be overcome by the size of his heart and abilities.

When we first got to Liberty, we were told by many that you couldn’t shoot for the stars. We felt with our system and the immediate need at Carter McMaster’s position, we would hit a home run by signing him. Carter is a tremendous offensively skilled player with great passing ability, who can stretch a defense. He is a good shot blocker with great timing. We are elated to have someone of his caliber be a part of our family, as we help carry this program forward and establish a tradition.

I have known Austin Smith for a few years and I really trust him. He has natural ability and athleticism that our fans will really like. He is skilled, can shoot the ball, has a great work ethic and the fact we can attract Austin from Tucson to Lynchburg, speaks to Liberty University and all it has to offer.

In all my years of coaching, God’s sovereignty allowed us to get student-athletes to help our program advance, but also allowed us to help develop these individuals as students, players and men.

Thursday, October 25

We are currently in our second week of practice and so far don’t lack for effort. Our guys are playing hard. We still need to get used to the system and what we emphasize in it, but that will come. Being a first-year coach, I am very pleased with how much we have carried over from the Canadian tour and the practices leading up to that, to what we have applied right now.

Alex [McLean] is playing really well, he is really becoming a presence for us down low. B.J. [Jenkins] has put together a great week of practice and Rell [Porter] has been tremendous. I am happy with a bunch of our guys like Kyle Ohman. Kyle was our biggest surprise the first 10 days, in preparation for Canada. I feel like we have a good group that is pretty balanced.

Friday we are holding an alumni game in the Vines Center. I speak for myself and my staff when I say that I am very excited about the alumni game. It gives us a chance to meet some of the players we have heard and read about. It also gives our current team the opportunity to reunite with some of the individuals who helped establish Liberty Basketball. I am also anxious to see if the alumni can still do line drills in the appropriate time allotted.

Then on Saturday morning our guys will have an open scrimmage with officials, giving our fans an early peek at the team, before attending the Homecoming football game. It will be a great day for everyone to see our guys work out in the Vines Center. This will give our players their first chance to play in front of some friendly faces, finishing just in time for a little tailgating, prior to cheering on our football team against Presbyterian.

Friday, October 12

Like most programs around the country, we are very excited to kickoff the season today. Our guys have done a great job in terms of their effort in conditioning and preseason workouts. Now we get a chance to practice every day as we continue in our quest to build the program to a championship level.

With the start of every new season, especially when you have a new coach, there is always a sense of anticipation that is sometimes met with apprehension. I am very pleased with the attitude and the unity our guys have displayed in the initial part of the school year.

We have a very challenging schedule, including a competitive conference race. Today starts the official beginning of us reaching towards our goals. We are looking forward to November when we actually play games, but we still have a lot of work to do in preparation for that. 

Thursday, September 6

We returned early Monday morning from our Tour of Canada. I really thought our team did a nice job of playing unselfishly and playing with great effort. With just 10 days of practice, it’s impossible to get your system in, but we were able to see some of the things that we were trying to emphasize during practice manifest itself on the court during the trip, resulting in two wins.

I thought Alex [McLean] and Anthony [Smith] played really well. We got some great minutes from TeeJay [Bannister], B.J. [Jenkins] and Kyle [Ohman] as well.

The trip was valuable in terms of bonding and having a chance to see one of God’s beautiful creations, Niagara Falls, in addition to being hosted by two quality institutions.

Now that we are back, we look forward to finishing up our recruiting for next season, as well as, getting back into practice in preparation for the upcoming season.

All of Liberty’s Tour of Canada information, including a day-by-day photo blog, official stats and stories, are available on the Tour of Canada page on LibertyFlames.com, which can be accessed by clicking here.
 

Tuesday, August 28

We have had a very busy and exciting August. School started on Aug. 20 and with the start of classes, we added one more scholarship player. Ozren Bjelogrlic` (6-7, Forward, Ploce, Croatia) spent one year in the United States at Decatur Christian in Illinois. Ozren adds immediate depth to our front line. Like most European players, he is highly skilled and has a great feel for the game. Ozren comes from an excellent high school program coached by Alan Huss, who played at Creighton. I think he has a chance to come in and play as a freshman. It was a real blessing to get Ozren at such a late stage in the recruiting period.

Another exciting opportunity for our guys is a preseason trip to Canada over Labor Day weekend. The NCAA allows a school every four years to participate in a preseason trip abroad. A great advantage to going on a trip like this is we are allowed to have a full schedule of “regular season” practices for 10 days to prepare for the trip. I am really thrilled about the opportunity our team gets by traveling to Canada and play against some competitive teams.

This preseason excursion is important because it gives us the chance to jump start, implementing a new system and give us a feeling for the returnees and newcomers, as well. I really like what we were able to accomplish in the spring. I’m looking forward to our guys carrying some of that over from the summer, as we continue through the fall.

We have completed seven days of practice, so far and I am really pleased with how much effort our guys are playing with. It shows a strong commitment on their behalf to help upgrade the program’s desire to move to a championship level. Even though the process is in its initial stages, I am pleased with our attitude and work ethic.

I am very pleased with the newcomers. Our freshmen have a nice grasp on what we are doing and our returnees have come back in good shape, while providing sound leadership, as we prepare for our trip to Canada.

2007 Tour of Canada Travel Central
 

Monday, June 25

For this entry I would like to talk a little about the incoming recruiting class. Needless to say, this recruiting class, being our first, is an important one. After getting the job at Liberty as late as we did in terms of the recruiting process, I am very pleased with our staff’s ability to evaluate and build relationships with our signees.

We are very pleased to inherit forward Nathan Campbell (Fr., Cary, N.C., Hargrave Military Academy), who signed with the program last November. Nathan is a young man who will have a great experience at Liberty because he is such a tremendous person. He adds great value to our team through his work ethic and his integrity. I really think he adds skill and strength, making him a valuable addition to the Liberty Flames.

Guard Jeremy Anderson (Fr., Bowling Green, Ky., Warren Central HS) is a tough kid who loves improvement, the game and the challenge of competing at a high level. I really feel good about his offensive abilities and preparation, leading me to believe that he will have a great chance to get on the floor right away for us.

Our third and final signee is guard Johnny Stephene (Fr., Boynton Beach, Fla., Sound Doctrine Christian Academy), who is a strong, powerful guard who loves the game of basketball. Johnny is very competitive and is a great asset to us because of his ability to play both guard positions. Because of that, we feel he will also play right away for us.

We are still very close to finalizing our schedule. I won’t elaborate until it’s released, but I am very pleased to attract the schedule that we did. Continue to be on the lookout for that release in the near future.
 

Tuesday, June 5

We are currently midway through our first session of summer school and our guys are off to a great start. We believe that summer school is very important in the development of our student-athletes. Not only is it important athletically, where they have a chance to bond as a team through workouts in the weight room and on the court, but also to get ahead and stay ahead of the game academically. That way we can keep them on track to graduate in four years. I am pleased with our efforts and I feel the players continue to grow on a daily basis.

Next on the schedule is our summer basketball camps, which begin next week, and then after that we will move right into our July recruiting sprint. The 2007-08 schedule is very close to being finished. Please check back soon for a release and my thoughts on that as well as updates on the program as we continue through the summer.

Wednesday, May 16

"In Memoriam of Liberty Founder and Chancellor, Dr. Jerry Falwell"

Before meeting Dr. Falwell for the first time, I was like many who only had a perception of him and what he stood for. Having the opportunity to meet him personally and spend time with him, I can tell you he is one of the greatest men I have ever met. Simply because of his integrity and his ability to inspire people through his mission, he was such a spiritual giant in this day and age. We are sad to see him go, but know that his legacy at Liberty University will be blessed for years to come. I am thankful for the continuing support of Liberty University and the Liberty family. Please continue to be in prayer for the Falwell family as we continue to appreciate the life he lived and the

people he left and inspired in his memory to live a life that would carry on his great mission and purpose.

Take a moment to view the slide show with excerpt of April 29, 2007 sermon:

http://media.gatewayva.com/photos/rtd/slideshows/20070515falwell/index.html

Reflecting on Dr. Falwell's Athletics Legacy and Impact:

http://www.libertyflames.com/index.cfm?PID=10869&newsID=1441&TeamID=

Official University Announcement:

http://www.libertyflames.com/index.cfm?PID=10869&newsID=1440&TeamID=


Monday, May 14

In reading Dr. Gary Smalley’s book, “I Promise,” I came across a statement that has truly been a life-changing reality. In his book, Dr. Smalley states, “My beliefs, not my circumstances, determine my attitude and actions.” When I think about this statement, I think about Paul saying that he had been rich and he had been poor, he lived in prosperity and he lived without. Yet his motive through it all was to live for Christ.

Whether our circumstances are dismal and tragic or whether they are in seasons of abundance and provision, what really determines our attitudes and actions are what we believe. I know in my life as I draw closer to Him and develop intimacy through my time with Him and through His word my belief system changes. By keeping my eyes firmly focused on Him, I become less and less distracted by the circumstances around me, no matter how good or how bad they may be.

My hope for sharing this with you is just a reminder that though we are a part of this world, God’s ways are not our ways, our thoughts are not His thoughts. But, with His sovereignty, His reign and His promises, we can truly trust Him to transform us to fulfill the great commission.


Monday, April 30

For the first entry I thought I would tell you what a whirlwind it has been since I have taken the job. Obviously, leaving the University of New Mexico, a place I dreamed of playing and coaching at, was hard especially because of the friendships we established there and my fondness for the institution. However, having been here in Lynchburg for four weeks, I absolutely love it at Liberty University. It is such a great place and I feel blessed to be at a place which has a vision to continue to promote God’s name.

Our players are great and are working tremendously hard, though we haven’t been without our obstacles. I have been very impressed with their attitudes and commitment to getting better and improving. Individually to just highlight a few, Anthony Smith has a chance to be special as does Alex McLean. Smith and McLean are planning on going on a foreign trip this summer to spread the gospel with Athletes in Action. Also, our fans are going to love the play of T.J. [Bannister] and B.J. [Jenkins], two guards who are showing they can have an impact. There are others, but we only have so much time and space so we will continue this discussion the next time.