Liberty officially released its 2021-22 men’s basketball schedule on Tuesday, highlighted by a home game against Missouri at Liberty Arena on Dec. 2. The Flames will also be travelling to play at LSU on Nov. 15. The Flames will open the season at home against Regent University, a member of the NCCAA, on Nov. 11, before heading to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The schedule also features several neutral site games. Liberty will play two games in Orlando, Florida as part of the ASUN-MAAC Challenge. The Flames will play Iona on Nov. 19 and Manhattan on Nov. 20. While in Florida, Liberty will take on Bethune-Cookman in Daytona Beach.
Liberty will be playing Stephen F Austin in Dallas, Texas on Dec. 11, East Carolina in Charlotte, North Carolina on Dec. 17, and play three games in Hawaii as part of the Diamond Head Classic Dec. 22-25. The Flames will face Northern Iowa to begin their stay in Hawaii and then play either Stanford or Wyoming. In the team’s third game of the tournament, Liberty will face either BYU, South Florida, Vanderbilt, or Hawaii.
Liberty will host a pair of MEAC schools at Liberty Arena later this year. The Flames will face Maryland Eastern-Shore on Nov. 27 and Delaware State on Dec. 6. The Flames will also play two non-Division I schools, in addition to the season opener against Regent, facing Kentucky Christian on Dec. 13 and Carver on Dec. 31.
Ritchie McKay’s Flames are coming off a 23-6 season and 11-2 mark in conference play that saw Liberty earn a 13-seed in the NCAA Tournament before losing to No. 4 seed Oklahoma State in the first round. The Flames won the ASUN regular season title and the ASUN Tournament title for a third consecutive season.
The Flames will be the heavy favorite to repeat for what would be an ASUN record fourth straight time in a new look conference which will feature the additions of three teams in Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, and Central Arkansas. Liberty returns three starters including ASUN Player of the Year and Tournament MVP Darius McGhee. The Flames will welcome four freshmen in DJ Moore, Brody Peebles, Bryson Spell, and Joseph Venzant.
Liberty’s full 2021-22 men’s basketball schedule:
11/11 vs Regent
11/15 at LSU
11/19 vs Iona
11/20 vs Manhattan
11/23 vs Bethune-Cookman
11/27 vs Maryland Eastern-Shore
12/02 vs Missouri
12/06 vs Delaware State
12/11 vs Stephen F Austin (in Dallas)
12/13 vs Kentucky Christian
12/17 vs East Carolina (in Charlotte)
12/22 vs Northern Iowa (Diamond Head Classic)
12/23 Diamond Head Classic
12/25 Diamond Head Classic
12/31 vs Carver
01/06 at Stetson*
01/08 vs Kennesaw State*
01/13 vs North Florida*
01/15 @ FGCU*
01/20 vs Jacksonville*
01/22 @ Central Arkansas*
01/27 vs North Alabama*
01/29 vs Jacksonville State*
02/03 @ Bellarmine*
02/05 @ Eastern Kentucky*
02/09 vs Lipscomb*
02/12 @ Jacksonville*
02/16 @ North Florida*
02/19 vs Stetson*
02/23 vs FGCU*
02/26 @ Kennesaw State*
