Jones is 1st commit of 2015
As we first reported earlier this week, Coach Gill & staff have picked up their first commitment for the class of 2015 in Cameron Jones. Jones attends LCA and is expected to begin his career with Liberty at safety. He may also get a shot at wide receiver.
Nothing better than landing a GREAT student-athlete from your own backyard! Excited about our first class of 2015 commitment! #FlamesOf15
— Turner Gill (@LibertyTGill) July 12, 2014
Cancun Challenge pairings announced
As you know by now, Liberty will participate in the 2014 Cancun Challenge. The complete pairings were announced this week with Liberty travelling to Virginia Tech on November 19th and Miami (OH) on November 22nd. Then, the Flames will face North Florida in Cancun on November 25th and will then face either Morgan State or Elon on the 26th. The meeting with Virginia Tech is the first meeting between the pair in 7 years.
Braxton signing his NLI back in November
Allen & Bonds status
2 members of the 2014 basketball signing class will likely not be making the trip to Cancun. As we reported earlier this week, Stavian Allen has been ruled academically ineligible for the 2014-15 season. Allen may choose to enroll in a Junior College, but if he does he will be unable to return to Liberty until he completes his associates degree. He could also elect to go to a Prep School for a season and seek eligibility with the NCAA for the 2015-16 season.
Braxton Bonds was on campus for a week in June where he attended classes and worked out with other members of the basketball team. At the conclusion of his first week on campus, he returned home to Tennessee citing dissatisfaction with Liberty. His grandfather responded to the news on FlameFans under the username “pop”. Here’s what he had to say:
“Please accept my heartfelt apologies in this. I haven’t posted re: it until it was announced and made public as I felt that was appropriate. None of you are as disappointed as I am….well maybe his grandmother. We were so excited to have the opportunity to be a part of the LU experience as it reflects our values and social dogma. It is hard to admit disappointment in a family member you love so deeply but I do! Maybe Braxton committed to LU due to the excitement the family showed but that was no excuse for him to wait until he was enrolled and going to class to decide he did not want to be there. For this I apologize to each of you and especially to Coach Layer…..which I have done so personally. Coach Layer is a fine man and did a great job recruiting Braxton. He has my families’ respect and was very straight forward and honest throughout the process. Because of him and Omar Mance I will forever be an LU fan. I offer no excuse for this happening other than distance from home and the reality of being a student at a Christian university….which is what everyone thought he wanted. I have no idea what the future holds for the young man, probably enrolling somewhere and walking on but I doubt he will ever find the opportunity he has walked away from again. You can probably tell Pop is disappointed and upset but also ashamed of how this whole thing came about and was handled by Braxton. I apologize to the board, your great university, and most of all to Coach Layer.”
Palmetto & Pine Sports Network launches
Just wanted to be sure you were all aware of the brand-new Palmetto & Pine Sports Network. It launched this week, and is a coalition of communities from the Atlantic Sun, Big South, and Southern Conference. We have joined with a total of 16 other fan sites to launch this network.
New Poll
We continue our Expectations 2014 series this week with the Appalachian State game. If you have missed any of the previous polls, you can find the complete list here.
FlameFans thread of the week
Be sure to check out the 2014 Signee: Braxton Bonds thread. It’s been very active this week with the news.
