For the fourth time in five years, Liberty and head coach Ritchie McKay have been picked as the preseason favorite in their conference.
This time, the Flames are the preseason pick to win Conference USA in the team’s first year in the league. Liberty was technically tied atop the preseason poll, released last week by the league office, with Middle Tennessee, but the Flames did receive five of the nine first place votes.
“Excited about embarking on our third conference in the last six years,” said Coach McKay on Monday in Huntsville, Alabama while at the CUSA basketball media day. “It certainly will be a difficult challenge given the coaches I have familiarity with and the programs that exist in the conference, but I’m excited about the leadership CUSA has.”
Entering his 9th consecutive season and 11th overall at Liberty, McKay has a 226-113 overall record and 117-48 mark in conference play. McKay is just 33 wins away from becoming the program’s all-time leader in wins. He has successfully guided the Flames from the Big South to the ASUN and now to Conference USA.
“We are who we are,” said McKay. “We are a sum of our parts. Kyle Rode is a really special player. Most people who have had an opportunity to watch him play over the years has seen the impact he has had on our basketball program on and off the court. He is one of the best leaders I have ever been around. Because of his contribution to Liberty me’s basketball, we have a northern trajectory that we hope to continue to follow on.”
Rode, who joined McKay in Huntsville at CUSA Media Day on Monday, was named to the CUSA preseason all-conference team. He earned ASUN All-Conference second team honors for each of the past two seasons. Last year, Rode started all 36 games while averaging 10.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. He ranked second on the team in both scoring and assists.
In addition to Rode, fellow fifth year senior Shiloh Robinson returns for the Flames as well as Colin Porter and Joseph Venzant. Those four are expected to return to the startling lineup once again this coming season. Bowling Green transfer Kaden Metheny could slide into the starting lineup alongside those returners. Brody Peebles and Zach Cleveland also return and will provide some depth and scoring off the bench.
Beyond them, the Flames will need a new name to emerge in the rotation as the season develops. Incoming true freshmen Jaylen Davis and Curtis Blair and Creighton transfer Zander Yates are the most likely candidates.
“When you have five new guys that enter your program, there is a lot of new for those,” said Rode. “Just making sure our leadership from our seniors and guys that have been through it is really strong. I feel like we’ve done a great job, trying to get better every day, and focus on the habits that have built this Liberty program.”
It is a new look CUSA but one that is steeped in tradition. Last year, the league produced a Final Four participant in FAU, the NIT champion North Texas and runner-up UAB as well as the CBI champion in Charlotte. This is a league that has high expectations and could grow into a multi-bid league.
“We’ve had to live with those for a while now,” McKay said about the preseason expectations. “I don’t know that there would be anyone that could place more expectation on us than ourselves.”
After a two year hiatus, Liberty will look to get back to the NCAA Tournament. The program reached that destination in 2019, defeating Mississippi State in the first round of the Big Dance for the first win in the national tournament for Liberty. The Flames qualified for the 2020 NCAA Tournament after winning the ASUN Tournament before that year’s national championship tournament was canceled due to COVID Liberty got back to the NCAA Tournament in 2021.
“Kyle and Shiloh are the only two players in our program that have experienced the NCAA Tournament,” McKay said. “I think there is a pursuit of ours to try and make it back there, but we also recognize how bumpy that road can be en route. Conference USA, whoever prevails from a league like this, knowing a little bit about the coaches that I do, you will be really well prepared in March if you can make it through in this league.”
Liberty will begin the season on Monday, November 6 against Mid-Atlantic Christian at Liberty Arena in Lynchburg, Virginia. The non-conference schedule is highlighted by games against Charlotte, No. 10 Florida Atlantic, College of Charleston, Grand Canyon, No. 24 Alabama, and the Myrtle Beach Invitational which will feature three games against traditionally strong mid-major programs.
The Flames begin CUSA play at Western Kentucky on January 6 before hosting Jacksonville State on January 10 in the program’s first ever home CUSA game. The regular season is scheduled to conclude on March 9 against Western Kentucky. The 2024 CUSA Tournament is scheduled for March 12-16 in Huntsville, Alabama.
