As we enter conference play, have the Flames answered the 5 questions they had entering the season?

Antwan Burrus has settled in after missing last season due to injury

Antwan Burrus has settled in after missing last season due to injury

1. How will Antwan Burrus mesh with the team?
Antwan has fit in as beautifully as we could have all realistically hoped for. He’s putting up career bests in points (13.9) and field goal percentage (54.3%) while playing only 26 minutes per game (a number that’s sure to go up) so far this season. Burrus has provided the team with an inside scoring presence the Flames severely lacked last season. As a result, Liberty is relying less on the 3-pointer as 3-point field goal attempts have dropped by an average of over 2 per game.

2. Is JCS healthy?
After offseason surgery and missing most of the preseason, questions lingered about John Caleb Sanders’ health entering the season. Cabe has played in all 15 games and is 2nd on the team in scoring and the leading assist man. I think it’s safe to say he is healthy.

As expected, Retic has found a role

As expected, Retic has found a role

3. Where and how will Joe Retic fit in?
After a bit of a slow start, Joe Retic has shown improvement throughout the first 14 games of his Liberty career. The JUCO transfer point guard is averaging 4.6 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 43% from the field. He’s playing 16-17 minutes per game while giving both John Caleb and Davon some rest. Layer stated following the Princeton game he thought the team was fatigued down the stretch in a game where Retic logged just 10 minutes. Perhaps for the Flames to succeed against the better Big South opponents, Retic will need to play closer to 20 minutes to keep JCS and Marshall rested.

4. Is Gielo a long-term solution at the 3?
Seeing his first extended playing time at the 3 this season, Gielo has transitioned from the 4 smoothly. Thus far, he is posting career bests in minutes, points, rebounds, assists, and blocks. In his last 5 games, Tomasz is averaging 14.8 points and 6 rebounds per game while shooting 54% from the field. If his last 5 games are any indication of how he will play during conference play, Liberty has found a consistent 4th scorer that nicely complements Burrus, Marshall, and Sanders.

5. Was last season’s tournament run a fluke?
I’m not so sure we’ve answered this question yet. Yes Liberty is much improved from last year’s team which started the year 1-10, but the Flames haven’t proven they will contend for the Big South championship. We will find out soon though…