Yesterday’s blue-white game gave us a good idea of where the Flames are going into the 2013-2014 season. Unlike many preseason scrimmages that are filled with havoc and mayhem, the Flames looked like a veteran team.
Blue Team: Davon Marshall, Chad Donley, Tomasz Gielo, Andrew Smith, Joel Vander Pol, Devon Pekas, and Ryan Kemrite
White Team: Casey Roberts, Joe Retic, Ethan Layer, Wesley Alcegaire, Antwan Burrus, J.R. Coronado, and Sommy Ogukwe.
John Caleb Sanders did not play.
courtesy of liberty.edu/flames
Blue Team:
Liberty showcased great depth, and limited mistakes. They have what I consider to be a “good problem” having a huge number of inside options. The blue team alone had Andrew Smith, Tomasz Gielo, and Joel Vander Pol inside. This put Gielo at the three most of the night, and where he will play this season. He looked very comfortable, scoring ten points, while Vander Pol and Smith both looked great inside.
As far as guards went for the blue team, of course Davon Marshall played great, but a more surprising performance was Chad Donley. Donley showed his passing and playmaking ability and was able to step up and hit open shots all night. He finished with 14 points, and will give the Flames the added depth they will need at guard.
The freshmen Devon Pekas and Ryan Kemrite didn’t do anything too spectacular. Kemrite spent most of warmups working on his dunks and was pretty limited during the game. Pekas showed glimpses of potential, but was plagued by turnovers.
White Team:
The white team featured the other three bigs; J.R. Coronado, Antwan Burrus, and Sommy Ogukwe. Burrus looked great and finished with 11 points, and Ogukwe also added 10. Coronado has obviously been working on his offense and attempted numerous mid-range looks. Though he did not complete many, he won’t be the offensive liability he was last season. Generating offense with the big men was definitely emphasized by the coaching staff going into the game.
Casey Roberts paced the white team with 17 points. He will most likely be the first guard off the bench during the season, so it is great to see him doing well. Joe Retic also stepped up and played great defense, as well as showing off with some imaginative passes. He will be fighting for minutes this season.
The redshirt freshman Wesley Alcegaire showed great athleticism, and will try to help fill the void left by Tavares Speaks at the three position. Ethan Layer played point most of the night, but did not get many opportunities to show his touch.
Overall:
The Flames were impressive in the early season showcase. They limited turnovers, moved the ball well, and converted on most of their open looks. Coach Layer had a pretty easy night, rarely having to bark out suggestions to the players. He mostly wandered around and talked to the fans, excited for the season ahead.
The night ended with a blue team 61-49 victory (32 minute game), but felt like an overall Liberty victory. The reigning conference champs came out and looked like what one would expect reigning conference champs to look like.
