When the Flames advanced to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament at the conclusion of the 2016-17 men’s basketball season, it was just the 5th such postseason appearance in program history. No, it wasn’t the NCAAs or even the NIT, but that postseason experience should pay huge dividends as Coach McKay continues to build this program.
“We had a chance to play 3 games where when you lose you’re out,” McKay said. “Including the Radford game (in the Big South Tournament), you’ve got 4 games like that. Only a handful of teams get multiple opportunities at that.”
The 2016-17 season was one of many accomplishments for the Flames. The team set a school record for Big South wins with 14, they ranked among national leaders in scoring defense, turnover margin, and 3 point shooting, and they won 20 games, just to mention a few.
“I think anytime you win 20, you’ve had a good year,” McKay stated. “It’s hard to do. We’ve only done it 4 times in our program’s (DI) history. I was really proud of what our guys did overall in terms of improving our program, it’s culture, and expectations.”
Senior captain John Dawson agreed. “It’s a different team (now than when I got here). It’s a better team. I’m glad we got to play postseason and get to 20 wins. As little as it sounds, it means something to me. If you have 20 wins, you get to play postseason, and we got to do that. So, it’s an accomplishment in my book.”
Of course, if you ask any of the coaches or players, they’re not satisfied with 20 wins and playing in the CIT. They are focused on self and team improvement beginning this off-season as this team continues to build the foundation for future Liberty basketball teams.
“The residual for us, is there’s a spirit of improvement in everyone of our returning guys,” McKay said in reference to the postseason experience gained this year.
“(Playing in the postseason), that’s something we need to get used to because it’s going to happen every year,” Ryan Kemrite said. “We’re going to play in the postseason, and that’s something that Liberty basketball is going to have from last year onward. It’s going to be a continuous thing that we expect to play in the postseason, and that’s just the culture of our program.”
McKay and the Flames have plenty of foundational pieces to build upon as they look ahead to the 2017-18 season beginning with rising senior Ryan Kemrite. The 6’4″ guard spent most of the season playing on the interior against bigger, stronger players, but he still had a standout junior campaign where he averaged 13.3 points per game while ranking as one of the most efficient offensive players in the entire country. He looks to improve upon his success for next season.
“For my senior year, my goal is to be able to lead the guys, and try to be that foundation that we can put down for Liberty basketball for the next 5, 10, 15 years,” Kemrite said of looking ahead to his final year with the Flames.
He’ll have plenty of help surrounding him led by a trio of rising sophomores coming off impressive freshman seasons in Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz, Myo Baxter-Bell, and Brock Gardner. This group of freshmen combined for 22.4 points and 12.6 rebounds per game while playing an average of over 22 minutes per game while making 69 starts.
Speaking of those freshman, McKay said, “They got a lot of minutes. Lovell (Cabill) has played a lot of minutes too, and he’s just a (rising junior). I think it’s easy to miss his improvement because he’s logged a lot of minutes, but he’s gotten significantly stronger and significantly better. I think those freshmen, and, if you look at it, those 3, Scottie James (will be) a sophomore, I just think we’ve got some good pieces that are in place.”
In addition to seniors John Dawson and Ray Chen, Liberty will also have to replace AC Reid, Xzavier Barmore, and Josiah Talbert who have elected to transfer. Reid was a fixture in Liberty’s lineup this past season while Barmore and Talbert had smaller roles.
“We’re at a place in our program where it’s hard to get minutes,” McKay responded when asked about the transfers. “I won’t be disappointed if someone leaves because they want more minutes. It’s their right, but I think we’ve recruited well too. So, I’m pretty excited about our future, and I hope we can continue to challenge for the league championship.”
Liberty has already announced the signing of Jay Barber, Elijah Cuffee, Brendan Newton, and Keegan McDowell to letters of intent for next season. McKay spoke highly of both Cuffee and McDowell saying, “I think Elijah Cuffee and Keegan McDowell have a chance to play right away. We’ve got more depth on next year’s team.”
The 6’4″ Cuffee played for local LCA this past year, and finished the season averaging 18.1 points per game and shot nearly 50% from the floor and 80% from the free throw line. He also averaged 3.8 assists per game and was named second-team all-Region 4A West and first-team all-Seminole and Conference 23. McDowell, a 6’4″ wing, was the leading scorer on one of the best teams in the country. His Moeller High School team was consistently ranked in the top 25 of national high school polls, and they were a perfect 28-0 before losing by 1 point in the Ohio state title game.
Caleb Homesley was leading the team in all major statistical categories before suffering a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee in December. McKay says Homesley has an outside shot at being ready for the start of the 2017-18 season, and that he has applied for a medical redshirt.
As the Flames prepare to move into year 3 under McKay, it was the 3rd year that McKay and Tony Bennett finally turned Virginia around. After going 31-31 in their first 2 seasons, the Cavaliers won 22 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 5 years when Bennett, McKay, and company made the Tournament in 2012. Since then, Virginia has run off 6 consecutive 20 win seasons and NCAA Tournament appearances. Are the Flames on the verge of a similar type streak?
“I think we are on the upward trajectory,” Coach McKay Stated. “But we need to continue to further our competitiveness. That’s been our charge this spring. I just like the direction we’re headed.”
“We’re trying to build the foundation for Liberty basketball for 10, 15 years down the line,” Ryan Kemrite said. “We have the potential, with the great place we’re at here and the facilities, we could be a Gonzaga-type team. Gonzaga was a nobody, now they’re in the National Championship.”
