Flames get assist from former assistant in Peter’s recruitment
Taelon Peter was named conference player of the year last year while at Division II Arkansas Tech. He averaged 18.5 points per game and shot 41% from three. At the end of his season, he decided to enter the transfer portal and look for a new home at the Division I level for his final season of college eligibility.
Jason Eaker, who was an assistant at Liberty from 2005-13 serving under Randy Dunton, Ritchie McKay and Dale Layer, is now the head coach at Oklahoma Baptist, who just so happens to be in the same conference as Peter and Arkansas Tech. Eaker got to see Peter up close and personal, including a game where Peter scored 28 points against Eaker’s Oklahoma Baptist team. So, the former Liberty assistant called up his former boss Ritchie McKay to tell him about Peter, who was in the portal at that time.
“I just googled his name,” McKay said of Peter after he got off the phone with Eaker. “Looked at his highlights and said, ‘Dang, he’s pretty good.'”
Liberty’s assistant coaches typically make first contact with recruits, but McKay didn’t want to waste any time. He made the first call to Peter.
“We started talking. He made me laugh. That dude, he can make anyone laugh. I told him to do his homework on Liberty.”
McKay called Peter back the next do to make sure he knew of the Flames’ interest. After Peter went out of town for spring break, McKay was in Arkansas waiting for him for a visit with the talented guard when he returned.
“By then, I had enough time to vet the people around him that have done life with him,” McKay recalled. “The theme was common – selfless, incredible teammate, hard-worker, winner. I had heard that enough times to make sure I was there when he came back.”
Peter suffered an injury during the off-season and was limited when the Flames began practicing in the summer. It kept him out of most of the preseason workouts before he finally got back to a full go just ahead of the start of the season. Used to a starter’s role, having started 61 of 62 games the prior two seasons, Peter has been resorted to coming off the bench this season, but he’s been emerging as one of the team’s top offensive weapons recently.
Through Liberty’s first 11 games, Peter was averaging 17.1 minutes, 7.3 points, and 5.6 field goals attempted per game. Over the past 8 games those numbers are all up. In those games, Peter has averaged 22.7 minutes, 18 points, and 10.5 field goals attempted per game as he has become the team’s 6th man and is really like a 6th starter.
“it’s hard to keep him on the bench now,” McKay said.
Decker an option to watch
During McKay’s second stint as Liberty’s head coach, he’s had a long list of freshmen make impacts. This group includes some household names including Lovell Cabbil, Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz, Elijah Cuffee, Keegan McDowell, Darius McGhee, Kyle Rode, Shiloh Robinson, Joseph Venzant, Brody Peebles, Zach Cleveland, and Colin Porter. So, it didn’t really come as a shock with true freshman guard Brett Decker saw 10 minutes of action in the season opener against Valpo.
Since then, the 6’3″ freshman guard has seen sporadic time throughout the season. In non-conference games where Liberty won handily, Decker played 20+ minutes. There have also been contests where he hasn’t gotten off the bench.
“Colin Porter and Kaden Metheny are really good and they really enhance our chances to get the desired outcome,” McKay said. “So, he’s playing behind two really good players. Then, we have Taelon Peter and Jayvon Maughmer who are also guards. So, there’s four guards right there that all of them have had at least three years of college basketball, some of them five.”
The depth and experience in front of Decker has reduced his role at points in the season. Looking back at those four games where Decker played at least 20 minutes, he scored 17.3 points per game, showing his ability to put the ball in the basket. He’s shooting 44.7% from three and is another option McKay has off the bench at guard should the team need it down the stretch.
“I just don’t think quite yet he’s going to be a better option than the aforementioned, but eventually he will,” said McKay. “He’s a really good player. I love him. I’ve got great hope for his future in our program. He’s really good.”
Long, tough road trip looms
Sitting at 3-3 in conference play, Liberty will play its next three away from the friendly confines of Liberty Arena, beginning Saturday at FIU. The Flames then travel to Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State. CUSA continues to be one of the toughest leagues in the country for teams to go on the road and pick up a win. Last year, teams were 52-20 at home, posting a 72.2% winning percentage, best in the country. This year, home teams are 19-8 in conference play, good for 70.4% winning percentage which currently ranks in the top five nationally.
FIU may only be 5-5 at home this season but that is better than their 2-7 mark away from home. Also, the Panthers beat Liberty, 76-71, in Miami last year. Coming off four straight losses, FIU will be desperate for a win on their home floor when Liberty comes to town.
The trip to Kennesaw State and Jacksonville State will be against teams that are combined 16-0 on their home floors this season and 5-0 curing conference play. The Owls beat Liberty in its last two trips to Kennesaw, both coming in the Flames’ final season in the ASUN in 2023, including a 67-66 setback in the ASUN Championship Game. The Gamecocks went 2-0 against Liberty last season, both teams’ first in CUSA. They knocked off Liberty, 73-62, on their home floor.
A 3-0 trip for the Flames over the next week is very unlikely but picking up a win or two could go a long way in helping Liberty stay in the conference championship race. Following this three-game road swing, the Flames play five of its next seven games at home, which could provide a good opportunity to start climbing towards the top of the league standings.
