Darius McGhee decided to come back to Liberty for his fifth and final season of eligibility, and the expectations for the 5’9″ guard and the Flames are as high as they have ever been.
Ever since McGhee announced his decision to return to Liberty for this season, he has received plenty of national spotlight. McGhee’s name has been mentioned among those who could be a preseason All-American and one of the best returning players in the country.
“Anytime you get one of the best players in the country to come back, that’s always great for your team,” said Liberty senior forward Kyle Rode. “I think it’s even better for your culture. He had tons of opportunities, probably, especially with the transfer portal now being so prominent. It just shows his character and the love he has for all of us off the court and on the court. It says more about him, really, and the program, where it’s at. I’m super grateful that he’s back, and he’s ready to get to work too. I’m glad he’s on my team.”
McGhee did have options for this year. He could have opted to begin his professional career or to enter the transfer portal where he would have been the most sought after player in the country. Instead, he chose to come back to Liberty and try to have one last run with the school that gave him an opportunity out of high school.
The 5’9″ guard from Roxboro, North Carolina became the first Liberty player to ever be named conference player of the year for a second time last year. He averaged 24.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game while maintaining a field goal percentage of 45.6%.
He’s reached No. 5 on Liberty’s career scoring list while having three 40+ scoring nights last season. He’s also set the record for most three-pointers made in a single season and career at Liberty, and became the first Liberty player to average 20+ points per game in a single season since Seth Curry averaged 20.2 points per game during the 2008-09 campaign.
At 24.6 ppg, McGhee finished with the highest scoring average in a season by any Liberty player since Bailey Alston averaged 27.0 in 1987-88. He is one of only four players to be ranked in the top 20 of Liberty’s career scoring, rebounding, and assists lists, joining Larry Blair, Caleb Homesley, and Lovell Cabbil.
With that type of resume, the national spotlight will certainly be on McGhee and Liberty this upcoming season.
“Whether you get a lot of praise, or you get a lot of criticism, it is just what comes with the game,” said McGhee. “Whether it’s a lot or a little bit, one way or another you are going to get responses or reactions from people. You just got to keep basketball the main thing. If you go out there and win the game and you go to practice each and every day to put in the most work you can, then all that extra stuff is just extra and it doesn’t sway you one way or another.”
Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay is not worried about the national spotlight that will come McGhee’s way.
“When you get that spotlight shined, I think it’s natural to have some angst,” he said. “But, if there’s one person that can appropriate it effectively, it would be Darius McGhee.”
McGhee is the nation’s top returning scorer after averaging 24.6 points per game last season. It seemed as if he could get 30 or even 40 points nearly every night he stepped on the floor. Alongside himself, Rode, and two other seniors in Shiloh Robinson and Blake Preston, Liberty returns the majority of their primary contributors from a 22-win team last year.
It was what they didn’t accomplish that perhaps provided a little extra motivation for McGhee to return. McGhee and the Flames lost to Bellarmine in the ASUN Tournament semifinals, ending a streak of three consecutive conference championships and kept the Flames from returning to the NCAA Tournament.
“It speaks volumes to not only Liberty and what our University provides in terms of student-athlete experience, but also to his teammates,” said McKay. “The fact that he wanted to journey with them for one more year for the hope of having a chance to get back to the NCAA Tournament. Grateful, is the way I would describe it.”
McGhee has been part of some of the best Liberty basketball teams of all time. He was on the 2019 team that won the program’s first ever NCAA Tournament game. McGhee and the Flames won the ASUN Tournament in each of his first three seasons. Coming up short by falling to Bellarmine in the ASUN semis this past season will be a primary driver of McGhee and his teammates this year as they seek a fourth ASUN title in five seasons, and perhaps even make some noise in the Big Dance. With a player like McGhee, the sky is the limit.
“I think his desire to want to win and to advance is really authentic because he wants his teammates to experience what he’s experienced over the course of his time here,” said McKay. “I think he’s pretty intentional about that pursuit, and he’s got a gift to maybe see if that can’t manifest itself during the coming season.”
