McKay in favor of expanding NCAA Tournament
The topic of potentially expanding the men’s basketball NCAA Tournament has become a news story in recent weeks, and Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay is in favor of expanding it.
“I want to expand it,” he said. “It’s getting harder and harder for a mid-major to schedule. The high majors are playing quad 1’s and quad 4’s. The 4’s, in some of those games, you have the opportunity to raise your efficiency ratings and there’s no real deterrent for playing a Quad 1 and losing. It’s hard for a mid-major to be a Quad 1, we don’t get those games in league, so we’re going to be a Quad 2 or Quad 3. To them, why take the risk of losing that game.”
It has become increasingly difficult for Liberty, and other mid-majors across the country, to build out their non-conference schedule with games that could allow them to move the needle and possibly set themselves up with a chance at an at-large bid.
Liberty was 22-11 last season, lost to Bellarmine in the ASUN Tournament semifinals, and saw their season come to an end. The Flames had a good season, but in the current landscape of the NCAA Tournament, there was no chance the team could advance to the Big Dance after falling in the conference tournament. If the tournament were to expand, McKay thinks it would open the door to more mid-majors getting into the tournament.
“There’s no margin for error at the mid-major level unless you’ve done something exponential in the non-conference and those opportunities are drying up,” McKay said. “Absolutely I’m in favor of (expanding). I don’t care if it goes to 72, 96 or (Baylor head coach) Scott Drew said 128.”
Team still finding its identity
This year’s team returns a lot of contributors from last season’s team, but it also welcomes several new talented pieces. Darius McGhee, Kyle Rode, Blake Preston, and Shiloh Robinson have all been in the program for several years. Alongside the likes of Isiah Warfield, Jonathan Jackson, Joseph Venzant, and Brody Peebles, the Flames have several veterans returning.
That group of leadership will have to learn to blend in with a talented group of newcomers. Colin Porter and Zach Cleveland are true freshmen that are expected to have a role this season and are working on assimilating into the group of returners.
“I think there is a combination of groups that when they’re together, we look good,” McKay explained. “Still trying to create a synergy amongst the starters, the guys coming off the bench, and maybe guys carving out a different role than what they had envisioned when they got here and that’s a delicate balance.”
McKay’s Madness
On Friday, November 4, Liberty fans will have an opportunity to get their first look at this year’s team when the Flames host McKay’s Madness. It’s a free event that begins at 10:30 p.m., and the first 250 students will get a McKay’s Madness t-shirt and all fans will have an opportunity to shoot for prizes.
“When you go to a football game and you see our students at a football game, it’s a beautiful thing,” said McKay. “Whatever we can do to try to recreate that in a shorter version of the night, football games usually last 3-3.5 hours. I hope we can generate some familiarity (between the students and our players).”
Final Scrimmage This Weekend
The Flames are nearing the end of their preseason practice and will compete in their second closed preseason scrimmage this weekend. Liberty played Virginia Tech in a closed scrimmage at Liberty Arena earlier this month and will compete against Georgetown on Saturday.
“We scrimmage Georgetown this weekend,” McKay said. “That will be a really good test for us. They’ve got an influx of transfers, talent. That is a testament to what our guys have done. When we first got here, we were scrimmaging people like us or even Division II’s, which were healthy for us don’t get me wrong, but now we don’t get to play high major teams (during the regular season) but we get to scrimmage some. I think it says we’ve come a little bit of a ways. I think our guys are really anxious to get to those games.”
