– Chris Lang
A long day that started in Liberty football coach Danny Rocco’s office at 1 p.m. today continues in North Cackalacka tonight. Today is a pretty big day for LU sports fans. Football signing day is always an event. The men’s basketball team plays High Point in a pivotal Big South game here at the Millis Athletic Center. The women’s basketball team heads to Radford to play the team that truly had its number last season. And the football schedule was released.
To address every point:
* Football signing day: There were some real gems in Rocco’s third signing class, including local product Ryan Jackson from Brookville. Jackson seemed to be on the track to grab a scholarship from an ACC school before a knee injury derailed his senior season at BHS. As often happens in recruiting, the big boys simply went away. There are too many good players out there for BCS-level schools to take chances on injured players, unless they are truly, top-100 player in the nation special.
To Rocco’s credit, his coaching staff stuck with Jackson and nabbed a commitment. It’s funny. I wrote a feature on Jackson when he was a sophomore at Brookville, and I broached the subject of him potential trying to wrestle at Liberty when its program got started. He almost chuckled, like Liberty wasn’t an option. Not for football either. But he said today that the transformation in attitude at facilities at Liberty has been nothing short of amazing, making it much easier for him to want to sign there.
Also, a random note: Defensive back Brandon Robinson is the son of former NFL standout Eugene Robinson, who unfortunately is best known for some off-the-field, ahem, transgressions, the night before his Atlanta Falcons faced the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII.
* Men’s basketball: If Liberty can somehow sneak out a win at High Point tonight, it will have the inside track for either the No. 2 or 3 seeds in the Big South tournament, which is a huge deal. You don’t want to be the No. 4 and have to play UNC Asheville on its home floor in the tournament semifinals. (Yes, I’m giving the regular-season title to the Bulldogs. They’re that complete of a squad. They’ll lose a game or two in league, but they won’t lose the top spot in the standings.) With a win tonight, Liberty would have a chance to win its next two at home (where it is 10-0) and move to 7-3 in the league standings.
* Women’s basketball: Liberty has pointed toward this matchup all season long. If the Flames win at the Dedmon Center tonight, I don’t think they’ll lose the rest of the year. Radford has some weird losses (Longwood? Charleston Southern?), but the Highs are still dangerous and experienced. And they’re the one team in league with the size to challenge Liberty.
* Liberty adds Lafayette to the 2008 home football schedule. A real nice get for the Flames, who were going to play North Carolina Central and either Savannah State or Jacksonville at home instead. NCCU bailed, leaving the Flames two openings. LU nabbed Lafayette, which has made three playoff appearances in the last four years, and filled the last spot with Glenville State. With games against Lafayette, Coastal Carolina, Youngstown State, Western Carolina and Elon on the slate, LU has the sort of strength of schedule that could be attractive to the playoff selection committee, should the Flames play well enough to warrant such consideration. The same couldn’t be said last year.
