After Liberty basketball’s loss to Western Kentucky, the Flames are 12-2, their best start since the 2019-2020 season. But can they be another Mid-Major to watch during March?
Liberty basketball opened Conference-USA play when they hosted the reigning conference champions, Western Kentucky, in Liberty Arena. The first half went according to plan for head coach Ritchie McKay’s side as they jumped out to an early 11-2 lead on the back of six early points from forward Zach Cleveland. By the end of the first half, Cleveland had 12 points and the Flames led 35-21.
The second half was vastly different as the Hilltoppers took their first lead with 1:18 to go. After Kaden Metheny tied the game at 67 from the free throw line, WKU’s Julius Thedford knocked down a triple to retake the lead. In the end, Metheny had a chance to win it with a three at the buzzer, but it did not go down giving Western Kentucky the 71-70 win.
Although Thursday’s loss was a letdown for the Flames, their only other loss was to FAU, another tournament team from last year. In total, the two losses have come by a combined four points. But for the Flames, there is reason to be excited about the next few months in conference play.
Liberty basketball has the second-best scoring offense in Conference USA, just behind Jacksonville State, at 81.4 points per game. They say “offense wins games, but defense wins championships,” and the Flames have the sixth-best scoring defense in the country, but Flames fans are hoping that the second half Thursday was not a sign of things to come in the conference.
In the first half on Thursday, the Flames only gave up 21 points, but in the second half, the Hilltoppers scored 50 points. For context, before the loss, the most points Liberty had given up in a half was 39, and the Flames have held their opponents at or under 50 points, in a full game, four times this season.
The scoring defense statistic, however, may not be a true indicator of their defensive quality as they play at one of the slowest tempos in the country. Therefore limited possessions lead to fewer points regardless of offensive efficiency. The balance of a great scoring offense and a slow pace could be a nightmare for the other teams in the conference.
Coming into Thursday’s game against Western Kentucky, the Flames have three players averaging double-figure scoring. They are led by Kaden Metheny who averages 13.2 points per game while shooting 42% from behind the arc. But one of Liberty basketball’s best qualities is their ability to share the wealth on the offensive end.
Along with Metheny, the Flames have seven other players averaging above seven points this season. At the bottom of that list is starting guard Colin Porter. The 5-foot-10 junior does not jump off the page at you, but in his three seasons in Lynchburg, he has started every single game. Although Porter does not have the same scoring pedigree as his backcourt counterparts, Porter is averaging over 4 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
If there is one thing that the country could hold against Liberty basketball, it is the lack of size with Porter and Metheny both being under 6-foot. However, the Flames also use 6-foot-6 guard Jayvon Maughmer in the starting lineup, who is averaging just under 10 points per game. The Flames will be without Isaiah Ihnen who added size and athleticism at 6-foot-9, after coach McKay announced he will be out for the season. But with the size of Cleveland and Owen Aquino in the front court, along with their hounding defense, the size disadvantage becomes less important.
Before Thursday Liberty basketball had proven this with their rebounding ability. The Flames average 33.7 rebounds per game, which is not a huge number by any means, but they are averaging five more rebounds than their opponents so far this season, which is the 77th-best in the country. However, in the loss, the Hilltoppers dominated the glass with 45 boards to Liberty’s 35, so there is some room for improvement.
The Flames are ranked as the 10th best mid-major squad in the NCAA’s NET rankings, at 61st. They are one of two teams in the C-USA that is ranked inside of the top 100, but with six teams inside of the top 150 the road to the automatic bid will not be easy. So Thursday’s matchup with Western Kentucky was just the start of an important few weeks for the Flames.
In their second conference game, Liberty basketball will host Middle Tennessee State, before heading on the road for meetings with Sam Houston State and Louisiana Tech. All of these opponents are ranked inside of the top 160 in the NET rankings, with Louisiana Tech ranked in the top 100.
So could Liberty basketball be another Mid-Major squad to watch in March? The answer is yes, but they will need to continue their development in conference play. With C-USA shaping up to be an extremely competitive conference, whichever squad leaves Huntsville, Alabama with the conference championship will be a well-tested team to watch in the NCAA tournament.
Next up for Liberty (12-2, 0-1): vs. Middle Tennessee State (10-4, 1-0) – Jan. 4 at 6 p.m. EST