The Flames concluded the regular season with a win over Western Kentucky. Let’s take a look at the current condition of Liberty Basketball as the Flames enter the Conference USA Tournament.
Record:
The Flames are currently 18-13 overall with a 15-13 record over Division I opponents. Liberty went 7-9 in Conference USA play.
Last Week’s Recap:
Entering the final game of the regular season, Flames Nation was reasonably stressed out. Liberty had lost two consecutive games and clinched their first losing season in conference play in almost ten years. More importantly, with a loss the Flames would be playing in the 8/9 seed game to face the one seed, with a win, they would avoid it.
It was senior night for Kyle Rode and Shiloh Robinson and the super seniors did not disappoint. Rode tied his career-high scoring 31 points on 9-15 shooting. Seven out of Rode’s field goals were three-pointers as the Lexington, Kentucky native lit it up from beyond the arc. Robinson added a season-high 14 points as well as four rebounds, to add to the Flames’ efficient performance. While the Flames shot 51.1% from the field, the Hilltoppers shot 51.7% and it looked like they would hand the Flames their third consecutive loss midway through the first half as Western Kentucky threatened to take a double-digit lead. Liberty responded with an 11-0 and eventually took the lead into halftime, a lead which they would not relinquish. Western Kentucky outscored Liberty inside the paint by 24 points, but the Flames made up for it beyond the arc, hitting six more three-pointers than the Hilltoppers.
With the win, Liberty finished the regular season at 18-13 overall and a 7-9 record in conference play. That 7-9 record helped the Flames finish in a tie for fourth among four other teams. Due to wins over Sam Houston and Louisiana Tech, the Flames were able to secure the tiebreaker and the 4 seed in the CUSA Tournament.
Rankings Roundup:
Here’s where the Flames currently stand in current credible national rankings:
NET: 130 (+5)
KenPom: 131 (-1)
ELO Rankings: 172 (+17)
SOS (Strength of Schedule): 197 (-8)
BPI (Basketball Power Index): 107 (-1)
Best Win: vs #94 Louisiana Tech (Quad 3)
Worst Loss: at #296 Florida International (Quad 4)
CUSA Standings: 4th
Statistical Leaders:
Points per game: Kyle Rode – 14.3
Rebounds per game: Zach Cleveland – 6.2
Assists per game: Zach Cleveland – 4.0
Steals per game: Joseph Venzant – 1.1
Blocks per game: Zach Cleveland – 1.2
Field Goal Percentage: Zach Cleveland – 60.0%
Up Next:
The Flames will begin a “new season” on Thursday night in the Conference USA Tournament. The 4th-seeded Flames will face the 5th-seeded UTEP Miners. Liberty and UTEP split the season series, but it was a little different than most season series around the conferences as the road team won both matchups. Liberty defeated the Miners by two points in early February, while UTEP handed the Flames their worst loss ever at Liberty Arena two weekends ago. This won’t be an easy matchup for the Flames. UTEP is riding a three-game win streak into the tournament, and one could argue that they are the hottest team in the conference entering postseason play.
A key to this game for the Flames will be limiting turnovers. UTEP leads the nation in forced turnovers per game, making opponents turn the ball over more than nineteen times per game (19.03). That mark is better than any other team in the nation by two turnovers per game. In Liberty’s first matchup with UTEP, the Flames won the turnover battle, only surrendering their possession 14 times to UTEP’s 18. In the second matchup, however, the Flames turned the ball over 17 times to UTEP’s ten. Possessions are already extremely valuable in tournament games and with UTEP’s ability to force turnovers, it will be crucial for the Flames to take care of the ball.
While it will be far from easy, the Flames’ have the second-best odds out of any CUSA team to win the tournament at +400. Liberty has proven that they can beat any team in the field (except 8th seed Jacksonville State) and the Flames are the only team that has beaten both of the top two seeds in Louisiana Tech and Sam Houston State. The Flames have made six consecutive conference championship game appearances, dating back to the 2018 Big South Championship. Liberty has won three of those games and will look to continue that streak and add on a win in their first season as a Conference USA member. The Flames will open the CUSA tournament on Thursday at 6:30 PM. You can watch the game on ESPN+.
