Palsgrove’s Points
Welcome back, y’all. In last week’s issue, I wrote about how the transfer portal has messed with the Flames roster; if you want to read that, you can either grab a copy of Issue 8 or read online. This week, we’re going to continue that conversation about how the Flames’ roster is being shaken up as we head into the offseason and take a look at the roster as it stands now.
Let’s start with the most significant change since last week’s column: the addition of Owen Aquino. Aquino is a 6-foot-8-inch forward out of JUCO (Junior College) and is one of the most intriguing additions the Flames have made in recent seasons. The kid is from Madrid, making him one of the first (if not the first) European players in this era of Flames basketball. He’s arriving in Lynchburg with two seasons of eligibility remaining at the age of 21.
In JUCO, Aquino averaged 15 points per game while pulling in just over 8 1/2 rebounds and just over four assists, earning him the title of FCSAA Player of the Year. Other than his journey, what intrigues me most about Aquino is his fit with the Flames. He stands with a very similar build to another Flames forward, Zach Cleveland. Based on what I’ve been able to watch of Aquino, he plays similarly to Cleveland as well. Both are in their element slashing downhill off a pick and roll or hiding out in the dunker’s spot while they wait for the feed from a teammate.
I’m curious to see how they play together, if at all. With all due respect to both of them, neither Aquino nor Cleveland is a plus 3-point shooter; and unless Head Coach Ritchie McKay plans to stagger their minutes completely, there might be some periods of a really crowded paint and low block.
Before we get into the bigger picture topics that I want to address about the Flames’ roster and their team-building strategies, allow me to preview the two incoming freshmen on their way to Lynchburg.
Will Gibson is a 6-foot-6-inch forward out of Kentucky who is at his best when — you guessed it — slashing to the rack, in the dunker’s spot and finding shooters in the corner while on the move. He’s the same archetype as Cleveland, Aquino, Kyle Rode, etc., so he fits McKay’s type.
The other high school commit is guard Brett Decker, whom I’m very much looking forward to watching play in a Liberty jersey. The kid’s got spunk for days, and you can see it in the way he plays. He’s a three-star recruit who absolutely pops off the screen when you watch his film. His shot is pure; he explodes off the floor and off the dribble and has that “killer” mentality you want your guards to have.
That’s a short preview of the upcoming Flames roster, but with two roster spots still open, there’s room for a transfer or two; or who knows, maybe one of the Flames who entered the portal will choose to come back (JV, please, I’m begging).
I don’t understand how the Flames choose to build their team, and it’s starting to irk me. McKay seems intent on bringing in big physical forwards who struggle to shoot the rock and pairing them alongside small guards who aren’t plusses on the defensive end, to say the least.
That build of a team didn’t work that well over the last few years, especially if you remove the greatest player this university has ever seen. The Flames struggled to score against conference defenses last season, especially when plans A, B and C were all taken away, which happened quite often.
The additions of Taelon Peter and Decker are two green flags, but they aren’t enough to make me confident in McKay’s abilities to pivot from his first love: athletic forwards and small guards. And Aquino and Gibson are two of those athletic forwards who worry me, and I’m curious to see how the Flames enter training camp and how they start the season. Not good curious, though — like watching a train crash at high speeds curious.
Palsgrove is the asst. sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow him on X
