We are 13 games into the McKay era, and here are 13 things we have learned:
1. This is going to take time.
We knew it would. We will take our fair share of lumps this season. Hang in there.
2. John Dawson offers hope.
He’s only been eligible for 2 games, but he’s clearly one of our better players. He’s averaging 15 points, 5.5 boards, and 3 assists per game while shooting 58% from the field. If he can improve on his turnovers (4.0 per game) and fouls (4.5 per game), he has all-conference potential.
3. The most improved player on the team, maybe in the Big South, is Evan Maxwell.
After a freshman year where he barely played, Maxwell has exploded on the scene this season averaging 14.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Oh yeah, he ranks #3 nationally in field goal percentage as he’s shooting 71% from the field. He does lead the team in turnovers with 33 as he learns to adjust to being at the top of the scouting report.
4. True freshman Lovell Cabbil will be a playmaker.
He’s still young, raw, and very small, but he’s proven he can compete at this level. He’s led the team in minutes played so far this season while averaging 10.6 points per game. Turnovers are an area where improvement is needed.
5, The packline defense has improved the Flames’ team defense significantly.
Liberty is 3rd in the Big South and #83 in the country in scoring defense holding its opponents to 66.5 points per game. Going back as far as the NCAA online stats are archived (2001-02 season), Liberty has never finished in the top 100 nationally in scoring defense.
6. If you want playing time, you must play defense.
Coach McKay has stated this on a couple of occasions, but with a small bench it’s tough to enforce. We can see this principle playing out through Ryan Hiepler who has become a mainstay in the rotation recently.
7. Anthony Fields is lightning quick and can get to the basket, seemingly at will.
He’s one of the few on the roster that is able to create his own shot.
8. We struggle to rebound the ball.
The Flames rank 10th out of 11 Big South teams in rebound margin.
9. Turnovers have been an issue all season.
Liberty ranks dead last in the Big South in turnover margin.
10. We can build around Dawson, Cabbil, and Maxwell.
Those 3 have proven they can be consistent contributors at this level, and they are all underclassmen. Who else on the roster can step up?
11. Our offense is atrocious.
We rank dead last in the conference and 329th out of 346 Division I teams in scoring offense. At 63.4 points per game, we are well behind the 10th place Big South team (Radford, 70.3).
12. Division I wins are precious.
It shouldn’t be the case, but for a program that has 84 losses the last 4 seasons it has become a way of life.
13. If we win on the road, it will be a small miracle.
The Flames have lost 24 straight games away from the Vines Center dating back to February 22, 2014. It’s hard to imagine that streak coming to end this season.
It is going to take some good wins to say,”Yes we can”.