CONFERENCE TOURNAMENTS

There has been a lot of discussion nationally in recent days and weeks about some conferences possibly canceling their conference tournament or possibly even some teams opting out of their respective conference tournament if they were a lock for the NCAA Tournament due to potential issues with COVID arising that could keep said team out of the Big Dance. Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay doesn’t see that happening, and he also has a strong opinion about what his team would do given that scenario.

“I don’t know a coach in the country that would shelve his team because they feel like they have locked up a bid,” McKay said. “If he does, they may have a mutiny. The kids want to play. I feel like that would be selfish on a coach’s behalf because these guys have sacrificed so much. I admire the football players for getting through a season, and I admire our guys. Any student-athlete that is getting tested two and three times a week and social distancing that’s not in his norm or her norm, I admire them. Why are they doing it? They’re sacrificing so that they can play. I wouldn’t anticipate that happening too much. I think that’s more chatter around the country. If it does, maybe I’m wrong, but if it’s me and our program, we’re playing. We’re going to play.”

FLAMES LOOKING FOR A CLOSER

In games decided by 9 points or fewer this season, Liberty is 1-4 with the only win coming against Kennesaw State. On the flip side, the Flames are 11-1 in games decided by 10 points or more with the only loss coming in the season opener against Purdue, 77-64.

Part of the reason this could be the case, is that this team is still learning who the closer is. Who is the guy that can get you a bucket when you need one in critical situations? The last couple of years the Flames had guys like Lovell Cabbil, Caleb Homesley, or Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz who came through in clutch moments. This year’s team hasn’t had many of those opportunities for someone to step up.

“I would say to the media, to the fan, yeah, you need a closer, but to the opposing coach, they know who you’re going to as well,” McKay said. “The good fortune that we had last year, we could play inside through Scottie (James), we could find a mismatch for Caleb, or Georgie was just one of those coaches on the floor, and that’s not to mention Elijah (Cuffee) and Darius (McGhee) also. I think they are all closers. Are there guys that we would rather have the ball in their hands? Yes, but we would also want them to make the right decision given how they are played by the opponent’s defense. I love the balance of this team and the selflessness. It’s unique. We’ve got a group that will really share the ball. That’s a great advantage if you get late in the game because anyone could win it for you.”

MCKAY & MIKE YOUNG ARE GOOD FRIENDS

Mike Young is in his second season as head coach of Virginia Tech and he has the Hokies off to a very good start of the season and ranked in the Top 25. Prior to his time in Blacksburg, Young spent 30 seasons at Wofford. He worked for 13 years as an assistant coach before taking over the Terriers as head coach for 17 seasons, leading the SOCON team to 5 NCAA Tournament appearances.

“Mike Young is a good friend,” McKay said in a press conference on Thursday. “One year we did a little training camp post-Christmas. I think we were playing Presbyterian. We practiced at Wofford for three days. He watched our practice and I watched his. I went up there earlier this year even in the COVID deal to watch him.”

It seems that trip to Wofford was in December 2016 when the Flames faced Presbyterian and Charleston Southern on the road just before New Year’s. In McKay’s second season back in Lynchburg, Liberty entered Big South conference play this season at 5-8. The South Carolina road trip was the first of the 18-game conference schedule, and McKay would guide the Flames to a 14-4 mark. Perhaps that visit to Wofford and Mike Young was beneficial.

NOTABLE QUOTES

A couple of notable quotes from McKay’s media availability on Thursday:

“I’m very attentive to (our team’s) mental frame of mind. I just think that is the under-evaluated metric in your team and it’s ability to find the best version of itself. I want to offload and un-tax them as much as I can mentally.”

“Our guys go to a dedicated classroom to do their class online. Yes, I think having some time away from basketball is healthy no doubt, but I think we have to dismantle this idea that just going to class virtually is anything close to what they’re used to. None of the freshmen have experienced our campus in its genuine form, none of them. Now, that might be all they know of college, so they don’t have anything to compare it to, but I’m really conscientious about the guys who have been here, know what it’s like to live, walk, touch, their experience at Liberty, and now we’re doing everything via Zoom. I think it’s delicate. I don’t think you can take it for granted. I think you’ve got to be very attentive to what your guys are going through in order to help them navigate this terrain.”