We are exactly two weeks away from Liberty opening the 2020-21 men’s basketball schedule, and in the crazy year of 2020 we still do not have a complete schedule. However, the pieces are starting to come together.
As we reported earlier, it was officially announced on Monday that Liberty would compete in the Space Coast Challenge to begin the season, Nov. 25 and Nov. 26 as part of a four-team field that includes Clemson, Mississippi State, and Purdue. The Flames will face Purdue on the CBS Sports Network at 6 p.m. on Nov. 25 in the team’s season opener.
The Space Coast Challenge will be played in Melbourne, Florida which will be played at the Titan Field House on the campus of Eastern Florida State College. It is a replacement tournament for the 2020 Cancun Challenge which was canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Flames will face either Mississippi State or Clemson on Nov. 26, also on CBS Sports Network. Liberty defeated Mississippi State in 2019 for the program’s first ever win in the NCAA Tournament.
Liberty is also scheduled to play at Missouri on Dec. 9. This is part of a multi-year series where the Flames will host the SEC foe Dec. 2, 2021 as well as play at Missouri on Dec. 7, 2022. The Tigers finished 15-16 overall last season and 7-11 in conference play play behind third year head coach Cuonzo Martin.
South Carolina State recently announced its 2020-21 non-conference schedule and it includes a game against Liberty. The Flames and Bulldogs are scheduled to face each other on Dec. 15 at the brand new Liberty Arena. The Flames defeated South Carolina State on Nov. 12, 2018, 65-39, in a game played at the Vines Center.
There has also been an adjustment made to the ASUN conference schedule which was recently released. Teams will continue to play two games against the same team at the same location during one weekend, but instead of it being Thursday/Saturday these games will not be played on back to back days, Friday and Saturday.
Here’s an updated look at the currently confirmed 2020-21 men’s basketball schedule:
Nov. 25 vs Purdue
Nov. 26 vs Miss St./Clemson
Dec. 9 @ Missouri
Dec. 15 vs South Carolina St.
Jan. 1 @ Lipscomb
Jan. 2 @ Lipscomb
Jan. 8 vs FGCU
Jan. 9 vs FGCU
Jan. 15 @ Stetson
Jan. 16 @ Stetson
Jan. 22 vs Kennesaw St.
Jan. 23 vs Kennesaw St.
Jan. 29 @ Jacksonville
Jan. 30 @ Jacksonville
Feb. 5 vs North Florida
Feb. 6 vs North Florida
Feb. 12 @ North Alabama
Feb. 13 @ North Alabama
Feb. 26 vs Bellarmine
Feb. 27 vs Bellarmine