Darius McGhee is currently leading the country in total points three point field goals made and is No. 2 in total points as he is putting together one of the best individual scoring seasons not just in Liberty basketball history but at the Division I level.
Over the past two games for the Flames, he has certainly taken his game to another level. Of course, his game at Florida Gulf Coast last Saturday got a lot of attention as he set the Liberty single game scoring record with 48 points. He carried that strong play over to Tuesday night by scoring 27 points in just 23 minutes as the Flames coasted to a 39-point win over previously unbeaten in the ASUN Jackonville.
McGhee is currently averaging 23.0 points per game, and, if he maintains that pace, he will become the first Liberty player to average 20 or more points per game in a single season since Seth Curry did so during the 2008-09 campaign. Curry was the top scoring freshman in the country that season when he scored 20.2 points per game. McGhee’s current average of 23.0 points per game would be the most by a Liberty player since Bailey Alston averaged 25.5 points per game during the 1989-90 season.
There’s a few single season Liberty individual records that McGhee is threatening. He has made 79 three-pointers so far, putting him on pace to make close to 140 this season. The single season school record for made three-pointers is 107 set by Davon Marshall during the 2012-13 season. The Division I record for made triples in a single season is 162 made by Stephen Curry during the 2007-08 season.
McGhee is also currently on pace to score about 782 points this season. That would be the most in a single season by a Liberty player at the Division I level and would be the second most all-time, trailing only Karl Hess when he scored 972 points during the 1979-80 season.
“To have that dynamic of a scorer, whether it’s on or off the ball, he’s going to test any defense,” Jacksonville head coach Jordan Mincy said of McGhee following his team’s loss to McGhee and the Flames on Tuesday night. “We take pride on the defensive side of the ball, but it doesn’t matter what type of looks you give him. He’s a great player. He’s special. He’s one of those guys that you wish you had on your team, but at the same time you hate to play against him.”
McGhee is also threatening to become just the 12th Division I player to join the 50-40-90 club dating back to the 1992-93 season. It was most recently accomplished by Virginia’s Trey Murphy III last year. The 50-40-90 club is an exclusive group of players who finish a season shooting 50% or better from the field, 40% or better from three, and 90% or better from the free throw line. McGhee is currently at 48.1% from the field, 40.7% from three, and 88.6% from the charity stripe.
“He’s not Steph Curry, but what he does for our team is Steph Curry-esque,” McKay said of McGhee. “I think I can say that because Steph is my favorite player and I coached his brother. I’m telling you, you’re missing out if you don’t come see us live because he is a special player.”
The now famous Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors first made his name at the collegiate level playing for the Davidson Wildcats. He had a dazzling college career, leading Davidson to the Elite Eight as a sophomore. During his junior season, his final year before jumping to the NBA, Curry put on one of the all time great individual seasons a player has ever had at the college level. That year, he took 38.3% of his team’s shots, made 38.7% of his three pointers, 51.9% of his two point field goals, and shot 87.6% from the free throw line. Compare those to Darius McGhee’s current numbers where he is taking 38.9% of Liberty’s shots, making 37.3% from three, 59.3% of his two point shots, and 87.9% at the free throw line.
If Liberty is able to win a fourth consecutive ASUN Championship this year behind Darius McGhee, and the Flames get a favorable seed and matchup in the NCAA Tournament, Darius McGhee is the type of player that could lead Liberty on a run on the big stage of March Madness.
