Your 3-0 Liberty Flames are back in action Monday night against 3-0 Vanderbilt. Tip-off is scheduled for 8pm inside Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville and will be televised on the SEC Network.
The Flames are looking to start the season 4-0 for the first time since 1999. Liberty has never defeated an SEC program, with an 0-8 all-time record against current SEC schools. The last time the Flames faced an SEC school was an 80-54 loss at Kentucky.
The Commodores have started the season with victories over Winthrop, USC, and Alcorn State. They are led by 3rd year head coach Bryce Drew. Former Liberty assistant Matt Olinger is on Drew’s staff as the director of basketball operations, and former Liberty guard Jeremy Anderson is the strength and conditioning coach for the men’s basketball team.
“Vandy has terrific guards that are led by freshman Darius Garland,” Coach McKay said. “He’s a potential lottery pick and definite future 1st rounder. Saben Lee and Joe Toye have been instrumental in their resurgence. And they are athletic at every position, so we have to guard and rebound very well to have a chance.”
Garland is one of 6 Vandy players who is averaging double figures through the first 3 games. The 6’2″ true freshman guard is averaging 15.3 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists per game. He was a 5-star recruit and ranked as a top 15 prospect in the country coming out of Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, Tennessee.
Saben Lee is a 6’2″ sophomore guard that is averaging 10.3 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game this year. Toye, a 6’7″ senior guard, is averaging 14 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
Simisola Shittu is a 6’10” freshman forward originally from London, England. He’s leading the team in scoring (17.3) and rebounding (10.3) so far. Shittu was a 5 star recruit out of high school and ranked as a top 10 prospect in the country.
