When a skinny white kid arrived on campus prior to the start of the 2013-14 basketball season, not many people paid attention. Ryan Kemrite came to Liberty amid little fanfare. He was a home-schooled kid from Houston, Texas that had just one scholarship offer. Dale Layer, Liberty’s head coach at the time, described him this way – “Ryan is very competitive. He’s a guy that needs experience and playing opportunities to continue to grow. It will be a challenge for him in some ways, but he will never back down from anything. He can shoot and rebound the basketball. He understands the game. He’s one of those guys that I think has a great career in front of him.”
As Kemrite prepares for his final two home games in his Liberty career, it’s safe to say he has surpassed everyone’s expectations and then some.
The 6’4″ wing will be remembered as the most prolific shooter in program history having set the school record for 3 point field goals made with 241 and counting, besting Larry Blair’s mark of 227. He is currently shooting 43.0% from 3 for his career, which would break the school record currently held by Matt Hildebrand at 42.9%.
“(Breaking those records) never crossed my mind,” Kemrite said. “I probably wouldn’t have even known who was the leader of these categories when I came in. It’s just a testament to the belief that a lot of the staff has had in me from Coach Jason Eaker, who recruited me, Coach (Omar) Mance, who worked out with me, Coach Soucie, Coach McKay. Just the belief that they instilled with me and that confidence I have.”
He’s also saved his best performance for his final act, shooting 45.6% from 3 this season, which is well ahead of the program record for single-season 3-point field goal percentage of 44.0% set by Hildebrand in 1993 and Charles Richardson in 1989. Over the past 4 games, he’s connected on 16-of-26 three point shots (61.5%) while averaging 14 points per game.
All of those 3 pointers have helped launch Kemrite to 1,139 career points, good for 21st on the all-time Liberty scoring list and just 2 points behind Kyle Ohman for 20th. At his current scoring pace of 10.1 points per game, he should finish either 18th or 19th, depending on how many games are left in the season.
Kemrite is also the only remaining holdover from the Dale Layer tenure, as he suffered through an 11-21 season during his redshirt year and an 8-24 year during his first season on the court. He’s been one of the key pieces to help get this program turned around, as the Flames will post consecutive winning seasons for the first time since 1997 and have an opportunity to win 20+ games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history.
“Change happens whether you like it or not,” Kemrite said of going through the coaching change. “Sometimes the change and the growth is not very pleasant, and sometimes you’re forced to grow. Being forced to be a part of two different programs, two different cultures, and being able to compare and contrast and having to be a contributor and team player for each has really helped me grow, not just basketball-wise but as a person. I can take this stuff into my future career about doing what’s best for the team, trying to put your interests aside for what’s best for others.”
McKay spoke highly of his redshirt-senior. “What I think people probably don’t notice is what he’s done in terms of his leadership, his buy-in, his selflessness to help us build a program. We played him out of position for all 3 years, and he hasn’t complained. He’s just done his job. He’s certainly helped rebuild our program, and I think he will be a success at whatever he chooses to embark on. He’s got that DNA of a great culture promoter in any organization.”
Kemrite has certainly left his mark on the Liberty program and its record books, but he says Liberty has also left its mark on him and has helped mold him into the person he is today.
“It’s a once in a lifetime place. To have found someplace that believes in me and actually wants to invest in me as a person on and off the floor. That’s what’s really great about Liberty, and that’s why I’m beyond happy that I ended up here.”
