Isiah Warfield entered the Liberty program amid much fanfare as the highest rated recruit in school history. The 6’5″ wing from Pennsylvania, racked up the accolades in high school as he averaged over 25 points per game during his junior season.
He was rated as a three-star prospect with offers from several Division I programs before ultimately deciding to commit to Liberty and head coach Ritchie McKay shortly after the program’s first and only NCAA Tournament win over Mississippi State in the 2019 Big Dance.
Like many freshmen, the adjustment to college was not easy for the talented Warfield. He played a total of 85 minutes spread across 20 games as a true freshman last season, scoring 22 points to go along with his 12 rebounds, six assists, and three turnovers. The only games he played more than nine minutes in were against non-Division I opponents.
“It was definitely different,” Warfield said of not playing much last season. “Being used to starting basically my whole life in whatever I was doing. Being able to learn from the guys last year I think really helped me out. Learning from (Elijah Cuffee), Chris (Parker), Darius (McGhee), and these guys. Them going through it before I did, it really helped me a lot.”
In this day and age, many Division I athletes immediately run to the transfer portal when things aren’t going the way they planned for them to go, especially in regards to playing time. Most student-athletes don’t want to wait their time to adjust, learn, and grow at the college level. Warfield could have taken the easy way out. He could have elected to transfer prior to the start of this season. He gives credit to his close circle of family and friends that encouraged him during this time.
“Family members and people I trust with my life, I was able to reach out to them and they were able to reach out to me to make sure I was ok and that I was still keeping my head straight,” he said. “That I wasn’t worried about what was going on and that I was still growing as a person. Being able to talk to people like that, like my close friends and my parents were big supportive people in that time frame.”
Entering his second year at Liberty this season, Warfield wasn’t guaranteed to have a role as part of the every day rotation. With incoming freshmen guards Brody Peebles and Joseph Venzant expected to compete for playing time immediately, it looked like Warfield would continue to be pushed further down the bench. He didn’t let that derail him or cause him to sulk. Instead, he remained committed to his team.
“Being patient and staying ready for when the opportunity would arise, that was the main thing I wanted to focus on,” said Warfield. “Being a good teammate when I wasn’t getting the time. Being able to capitalize on the opportunities I was given and being able to do what I needed to do was something I wanted to focus on.”
In the season opener against Regent, Warfield played in a career high 17 minutes. He filled the stat sheet during his time on the floor, making both of his field goals for four points to go along with four assists, three rebounds, three steals, and one block.
With that performance, certainly he would earn playing time in the following games? No. He played only four minutes over the next two games against LSU and Iona, only recording one stat – a foul – as the Flames struggled to two losses with late game collapses.
In Liberty’s next game, against Manhattan, the Flames would fall behind by more than 20 points. Warfield was inserted late in the game with the outcome no longer in doubt. It could have been easy for him to just go through the motions on the floor, but that’s not what Warfield did. He immediately provided a spark of energy for a previous lifeless Liberty team. He was diving on the floor for loose balls and making plays with his hustle and effort on defense.
Coach McKay took notice, and in the last two games, against Bethune Cookman and Maryland Eastern Shore, Warfield has played double figure minutes in each for the first time in his career against Division I opponents. It isn’t typically on the offensive end of the floor where Warfield makes an impact, but instead on defense where McKay calls him one of the team’s best defenders. He’s currently tied with Darius McGhee for the team-lead with seven steals despite playing just 9.2 minutes per game through the first six games.
“I’m really proud of Isiah,” McKay stated. “I think there was a juncture in his tenure that he felt like the door of opportunity was closing or maybe even shut. He never quit. He never gave up. He handled and responded to that perception incredibly well. What it’s done for him is inspired or invoked a belief in his teammates and from his coaching staff to where he adds a ton of value. He’s playing with great energy and emotion and it’s really making our team better.”
