It’s game week! Just a few days until the 2015-16 version of the Liberty Flames take the court! We continue our preseason coverage as we preview what to expect out of the guards.
Anthony Fields, photo courtesy BradleyBraves.com
Point Guard
Coach McKay picked up a transfer this summer from Bradley graduate Anthony Fields. The 6’0”, 160-pound point guard will play his final season of eligibility with the Flames. He started his career with Wake Forest where he played in 24 games as a true freshman in 2011-12. Fields then transferred to Bradley where he saw playing time in 44 games over 3 seasons including 1 career start. The lone senior on the roster will be counted on to lead the backcourt.
Hansel Atencia committed to and signed with Coach McKay this summer. The 5’10”, 155-pound pass-first point guard hails from Colombia, but spent his senior season at Mountain Mission School in Grundy, Virginia. Atencia averaged 8.5 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game last year. He also played on the U17 Colombian national team in the 2013 South America Championships where he averaged 15.5 points, 5.0 assists and 3.7 steals per contest.
Off Guard
He’s not eligible until the 2nd semester, but John Dawson will be penciled in as a starter when he returns. “John Dawson is going to be a really good player for us.” That’s what Coach McKay had to say about the transfer from Marquette who will have 2 more full seasons at Liberty after this year. As a freshman at Marquette, Dawson averaged 2 points, 1.1 rebound, and 1.1 assist. He was a 3-star prospect out of high school. We’ve heard nothing but praise about him during the offseason.
John Dawson, photo courtesy jsonline.com
Lovell Cabbil is likely to be a starter at the beginning of the season until Dawson is eligible. The 6’3”, 155-pound guard was Coach McKay’s first commitment since returning as Liberty’s head coach. Cabbil was a scorer in high school, becoming Mansfield Summit’s all-time leading scorer. For Cabbil, it’s all about combining his knowledge of the system to his individual talent. The quicker he’s able to do that, the quicker he will be able to contribute.
Outlook
Calvin Hoffman and Ryan Hiepler came to Liberty as walk-ons and will provide depth at the guard spot.
As we all know from his first stint as head coach at Liberty, McKay loves guards and doesn’t shy away from playing a lineup full of them if they’re the best 5 on the team. Once John Dawson becomes eligible in late December, it’s likely we will see 3 of the above mentioned guards on the court at one time.
Dawson and Fields provide valuable leadership while Atencia and Cabbil are the first two freshman to sign with McKay in his 2nd stint with the Flames. None of these 4 have played a minute at Liberty. How quickly this group is able to adjust to their new team and coaches, may determine how successful the 2015-16 Flames are.
