Flames face losses but remain hot

By Chris Lang
Sports writer
Published: May 2, 2008

Liberty men’s basketball coach Ritchie McKay announced two high-profile departures from the Flames basketball program Friday, confirming that starting guard B.J. Jenkins will transfer and that assistant coach Dale Layer will leave to become an assistant at Marquette.
Jenkins, a 6-foot guard who started 31 of Liberty’s 32 games last year, averaged 9.9 points per game and shot 40.2 percent from the floor and 31.1 percent from 3-point range as a sophomore.
In the Flames’ win over Niagara Dec. 1, 2007, Jenkins scored a career-high 24 points.
In a text message to Liberty spokesman Vincent Briedis, Jenkins said he hasn’t decided on a destination yet.
McKay said after conversations with Jenkins that the guard said “he felt he couldn’t be himself at Liberty.”
“We support him fully and wish him nothing but the best,” McKay said.
Jenkins was going to be a member of a backcourt crowded with young talent next season. Seth Curry, the younger brother of Davidson standout Stephen Curry, is expected to compete for a starting role immediately, as is Johnny Stephene, who sat out this season as an academic non-qualifier.
Liberty recently received a letter of intent from guard Jesse Sanders — the younger brother of Gardner-Webb honorable mention All-American Thomas Sanders — and the Flames return Jeremy Anderson and Kyle Ohman, both of whom started games last season.
McKay recently traveled to Purdue to watch some of the Boilermakers’ spring workouts. Purdue coach Matt Painter took the Boilermakers to the second round of the NCAA tournament with a team that featured two freshmen and a sophomore as its top three scorers.
Liberty will be in a similar situation next season. Wing Anthony Smith will be the only senior on the roster.
LU’s six-member recruiting class was rated in the top 50 nationally.
“All six of those guys have a chance to play and make an impact,” McKay said.
Layer’s departure has been rumored for weeks. Layer hired new Marquette coach Buzz Williams when Layer was head coach at Colorado State. Williams, an assistant on Marquette’s staff, took the head coaching job when Tom Crean left the Milwaukee school to take over for Kelvin Sampson at Indiana.
Marquette will make an official announcement on Layer’s hiring Monday.
“I think it’s just hard for him to turn down,” said McKay, who has worked with Layer at both Liberty and Colorado State. “There’s a desire in him to be at the highest level.”
McKay said a search for Layer’s replacement is already underway.