Liberty basketball held its first official practice of the 2023-24 season on Monday.
Looking at the floor inside Liberty Arena, one couldn’t help but notice all the newness. There were Conference USA logos, five new players, and a player that wasn’t there in Darius McGhee. Despite the changes, the Flames have incredibly high expectations once again.
“We all miss Darius, more so for who he is as a person, but that’s the nature of the beast,” said Liberty head coach Ritchie McKay. “We got him for five years, which is an unbelievable blessing. I think our program is one in which guys take advantage of the opportunity when the opportunity presents. Although a third of our team is new, I do think we have enough experience to stay competitive. I’ve liked what I’ve seen out there.”
Kyle Rode and Shiloh Robinson lead the group of returners, as both forwards elected to return to Liberty for their fifth and final season of eligibility, afforded by the extra year granted due to COVID. Joseph Venzant and Brody Peebles are entering their third year in the program, while Colin Porter and Zach Cleveland look to build off their strong freshman campaigns.
That group will lead the team and help blend in the group of newcomers that are led by Bowling Green transfer Kaden Metheny. The 5’11”, 180 pound guard started 63 of 64 career games he played in for the Falcons over the previous three years. Last season, Metheny started 27 of 28 games while averaging 31.8 minutes, 10.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists each game. He was 77 of 173 from three for 38.2% on the season.
“I love him,” McKay said of Metheny. “Right now, he’s too unselfish. I think that speaks to his person, but he can score. he can defend. He’s tough. He can create. He doesn’t have a weakness to his game. He is really, really good. We were really fortunate to get him in our program. I liked him in high school. I had an aversion to taking two small guards when he was coming out, not to say we could have gotten him, but, man, I’m glad we’ve got him now.”
Metheny is like to slide into the starting position left vacated by McGhee’s departure. He and Colin Porter will form a backcourt that has the potential to be one of the best in Conference USA. After a strong freshman season where he started every game at point guard, Porter could see a big step up in his production this season.
Cleveland, another rising sophomore who made a big impact as a freshman, saw his production take a big leap towards the end of the season as he got back into game shape after missing a big chunk of the season due to an illness. His growth has continued throughout the offseason, and he could push for a starting spot in the frontcourt.
“When you get that many minutes as a freshman, it really helps your program,” McKay said of Porter and Cleveland. “I think they walk into this season with a level of confidence because they’ve been through some of the hard. I think because of their work ethic, they will have a chance to impact us more. I hate putting expectations on individuals because I think this is such a team game, but Zach Cleveland can really play. So can Colin. Those guys have really owned up to what we hoped they would be.”
Liberty will be playing in its third conference in six years moving into Conference USA. This comes on the heels of a very successful five year run in the ASUN where the program won three straight conference titles and became a household name at the mid-major level.
“There will be a learning curve with the different coaches and playing styles in the league,” McKay said of the CUSA. “We’ve been one that we’ve tried to challenge ourselves in the non-conference. We try and focus on what we can control and that’s the process, the ownership of that process, and making sure we have a pursuit that warrants an opportunity to compete against the best if we get afforded that chance.”
There will be several new names in this year’s Conference USA as former members have departed for new leagues and Liberty is one of four new members. The league saw unprecedented success last year with Florida Atlantic reaching the Final Four before moving on to the AAC this year. Liberty’s new conference home has consistently been ranked as one of the top 12 leagues in the country.
“It is a step up and that’s no disrespect to the ASUN,” said McKay. “I think there’s fabulous coaches and really good players in the ASUN. I just think there’s a little more tradition. I think there’s what seems to be a little more length and athleticism, more experience in this league, a little higher level of player. It’s just going to be harder. The tradition in that league and the commitment the different institutions have to their men’s basketball program is significant. We will certainly be challenged.”
