J.C. Sanders' production picks up off Flames' bench

When Liberty men’s basketball coach Dale Layer moved Tomasz Gielo into the starting lineup on a full-time basis before the Flames’ Jan. 10 game at VMI, Layer made it clear to the man Gielo replaced — guard John Caleb Sanders — that he wasn’t being punished.

Instead, the move was something that could be beneficial to both players. Sanders, who had spent much of the season as a starter, could give the Flames a much-needed bench presence. And having Gielo start gave the freshman an opportunity to play with Liberty’s most experienced players as he continues to learn the game.

"It was all about how [Sanders] accepted it, you know, as a demotion or as a different role," Layer said. "It was not a demotion in my mind. I was trying to give us a little bit more of a spark off the bench."

When Layer made the switch, the Flames — who face Charleston Southern tonight in South Carolina — were 0-6 in Big South play. Since then, they’re 4-3 and have at least moved into a position to challenge for a spot in the top six of the conference standings. And Sanders is playing more consistently. He’s averaging 11.1 points per game during the last seven and has scored no less than nine points in any of them.

"I like it a lot, maybe even better [than starting]," Sanders said. "I normally come in at about the 16-minute mark after that first media timeout, and guys aren’t as fresh. So maybe it’s a little easier coming in with fresh legs and their guys are worn out a little bit, or you’re catching the second string of guys. I don’t mind it. I think it’s really boosted my game.

"I enjoy the sixth-man role. Anthony Raffa did it real well for Coastal last year. James Harden does it for the Oklahoma City Thunder, just coming off and giving us some energy and some life. That’s the goal I’ve put on myself for the position coach has put me in."

Sanders said he has found himself studying the game’s early moments from the bench, trying to figure out how opponents are guarding David Minaya, the guard with the game most similar to his own. He’s also cut down on mistakes. In his last five games, he turned it over just three times.

Most impressively, though, is the improvement in Sanders’ shot over the last seven games. He was shooting 30.2 percent (29-for-96) from 3-point range after the loss at VMI. Since then, he’s shooting 48.6 percent (17-for-35), including back-to-back 4-for-7 performances.

"I have been shooting a lot of extra shots," Sanders said. "My shot has been falling, so I think that’s why a lot of people think I’ve been playing better. I’ve been trying to do the same thing, and the shots have started to fall. I’m not sure if that has anything to do with coming off the bench or not."

The Flames will need Sanders’ offense as they head to the Palmetto State for their final conference road trip of the season. They’ll face Presbyterian College in Clinton on Saturday. The two games will feature vast differences in styles. Charleston Southern is athletic and extremely quick but not necessarily very physical. Presbyterian plays more of a grind-it-out style and is led by physical center Al’Lonzo Coleman, who helped lead the Blue Hose to a pair of Big South road wins last week.

The Buccaneers are led by what coach Barclay Radebaugh called one of the best freshman mid-major basketball backcourts in the country. Point guard Saah Nimley and two guard Arlon Harper are averaging a combined 27.5 points per game, and Nimley especially is dangerous because of his quick first step and ability to draw contact in the paint and get to the free-throw line.

"It’s hard to simulate Charleston Southern because they’re so small and so good off the bounce," Layer said. "They’re so fast. I think we kind of get that. And you look at Nimley, and he’s 5-6, if that. But you don’t see how good of a player he is until you start trying to guard him. He’s almost un-guardable.

"They’re a really good team. I think coach Radebaugh should be the coach of the year. They’re a team that’s overachieved since day one."