‹ 1 › MEN’S BASKETBALL 2019-20 GAME NOTES Steven Gonzalez, Associate Director for Communications · Cell: (602) 803-0521 · E-mail: [email protected]2019-20 SCHEDULE & RESULTS OVERALL RECORD: 0-0 ASUN: 0-0 | Non-Conference: 0-0 Home: 0-0 | Away: 0-0 | Neutral: 0-0 NOVEMBER 8 RADFORD 7 P.M. 10 MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE 2 P.M. 12 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE 7 P.M. 16 at East Carolina 4 P.M. 19 NAVY 7 P.M. 22 vs. Morgan State ^ 11 A.M. 23 at Bahamas ^ TBD 24 at Bahamas ^ TBD 29 KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN 2 P.M. DECEMBER 2 TRINITY BAPTIST 10 P.M. 8 vs. Grand Canyon $ 6:30 P.M. 14 at Vanderbilt 8 P.M. 20 vs. Towson # 5 P.M. 21 vs. Tulane/Akron # TBD 29 at LSU 1:30 P.M. JANUARY 2 at FGCU* 5 P.M. 4 at NJIT* 4 P.M. 9 NORTH ALABAMA* 7 P.M. 11 JACKSONVILLE* 5 P.M. 18 LIPSCOMB* 7 P.M. 23 at North Florida* 7 P.M. 25 at Stetson* 4 P.M. 30 KENNESAW STATE* 7 P.M. FEBRUARY 1 FGCU* 7 P.M. 6 at Jacksonville* 7 P.M. 8 at North Alabama* 4:30 P.M. 15 NJIT* 7 P.M. 20 NORTH FLORIDA* 7 P.M. 22 STETSON* 5 P.M. 27 at Kennesaw State* 7 P.M. MARCH 1 at Lipscomb* 5 P.M. 3 ASUN Championship Quarterfinals % TBD 5 ASUN Championship Semifinals % TBD 8 ASUN Championship Final % TBD Home Games in BOLD CAPS All times are listed in Eastern Time * - ASUN Conference Game ^ - The Islands of the Bahamas Showcase $ - Jerry Colangelo Classic # - DC Holiday Hoops Fest Tournament % - ASUN Men's Basketball Championship ‹ 1 › POTENTIAL STARTERS 11 Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz 6-1 | Senior | G 7.2 PPG 2.3 APG 2 Darius McGhee 5-9 | Sophomore | G 7.8 PPG 1.1 APG 10 Elijah Cuffee 6-4 | Junior | G 7.6 PPG 1.9 APG 1 Caleb Homesley 6-6 | R-Senior | G 12.4 PPG 5.6 RPG 31 Scoie James 6-8 | R-Senior | Forward 12.6 PPG 8.6 RPG FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH | 7 P.M. EST | VINES CENTER | LYNCHBURG, VA. LIBERTY FLAMES 29-7 OVERALL 14-2 ASUN V S RADFORD HIGHLANDERS 22-11 OVERALL 12-4 BIG SOUTH liberty RADFORD Ritchie McKay Head Coach Mike Jones 124-83 (7) Record at School (Years) 138-127 (9) 289-241 (18) Overall Record (Years) 138-127 (9) COACHING MATCHUP SERIES HISTORY VS. RADFORD 33-41 Overall ........................................................... 33-41 Streak ................................................................. L4 At Liberty........................................................ 25-11 At Radford ...................................................... 8-28 Neutral.............................................................. 0-2 Ritchie McKay vs. Radford............................... 4-8 Liberty's Last Win ..... Feb. 4, 2017 (57-54) at home Last Five Meetings: March 4, 2018....................... Liberty lost 52-55 (A) Feb. 22, 2018.........................Liberty lost 63-50 (H) Jan. 15, 2018....................Liberty lost 57-59, OT (A) March 2, 2017 .......................Liberty lost 52-56 (N) Feb. 4, 2017 ...........................Liberty won 57-54 (H) THE STARTING 5 - LIBERTY'S TOP STORYLINES • Liberty was picked No. 1 in the ASUN Preseason Coaches and Media Poll. • Caleb Homesley was named the ASUN Preseason Player of the Year. • Homesley was ranked No. 18 in Lindy's Sports Magazine Top 150 Players. • Scoie James was ranked No. 125 in Lindy's Sports Magazine Top 150 Players. • James was named to the ASUN Preseason All-Con- ference Team along with Homesley. • Liberty was ranked No. 21 in Lindy's Sports Magazine Top 25 Poll. • Liberty received five votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll and two votes in the AP Top 25 Poll. • Liberty returns 74.8 percent of its scoring from last season including its top two scorers in Homesley and James. • Head Coach Ritchie McKay is the reigning Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year, which annually recogniz- es the top DI coach in America. • Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz (72 wins) is 14 victories from becoming Liberty's all-time winningest player in school history, surpassing Lovell Cabbil who set the record last year with 85 wins. • Liberty is coming off its first-ever win in the NCAA Tournament, defeating the No. 5 seed Mississippi State in the Round of 64. • Last season, Liberty won a school-record 29 games, surpassing the 1979-80 team (28 wins). HOW TO FOLLOW THE FLAMES Video ........................................................... ESPN+ Audio............................................. LFSN Radio (107.5 FM) Twier ........................................ @LibertyFlames
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MEN’S BASKETBALL › media › 1911 › mensbasketball › ...31MEN'S BASKETBALL INFORMATION Scottie James R-Sr. F 6-7 230 Tarpon Springs, Fla./Tarpon Springs HS (Bradley) 32 Blake
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MEN’S BASKETBALL2019-20 GAME NOTES
Steven Gonzalez, Associate Director for Communications · Cell: (602) 803-0521 · E-mail: [email protected]
2019-20 SCHEDULE & RESULTSOV E R A L L R EC O R D : 0-0
NOVEMBER 8 RADFORD 7 P.M. 10 MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE 2 P.M. 12 SOUTH CAROLINA STATE 7 P.M. 16 at East Carolina 4 P.M.19 NAVY 7 P.M.22 vs. Morgan State ^ 11 A.M.23 at Bahamas ^ TBD24 at Bahamas ^ TBD29 KENTUCKY CHRISTIAN 2 P.M.DECEMBER 2 TRINITY BAPTIST 10 P.M. 8 vs. Grand Canyon $ 6:30 P.M. 14 at Vanderbilt 8 P.M. 20 vs. Towson # 5 P.M. 21 vs. Tulane/Akron # TBD 29 at LSU 1:30 P.M.JANUARY 2 at FGCU* 5 P.M. 4 at NJIT* 4 P.M. 9 NORTH ALABAMA* 7 P.M. 11 JACKSONVILLE* 5 P.M. 18 LIPSCOMB* 7 P.M. 23 at North Florida* 7 P.M. 25 at Stetson* 4 P.M. 30 KENNESAW STATE* 7 P.M.FEBRUARY 1 FGCU* 7 P.M. 6 at Jacksonville* 7 P.M. 8 at North Alabama* 4:30 P.M. 15 NJIT* 7 P.M. 20 NORTH FLORIDA* 7 P.M.22 STETSON* 5 P.M.27 at Kennesaw State* 7 P.M.MARCH1 at Lipscomb* 5 P.M.3 ASUN Championship Quarterfinals % TBD5 ASUN Championship Semifinals % TBD8 ASUN Championship Final % TBD
Home Games in BOLD CAPSAll times are listed in Eastern Time
* - ASUN Conference Game^ - The Islands of the Bahamas Showcase
$ - Jerry Colangelo Classic # - DC Holiday Hoops Fest Tournament
% - ASUN Men's Basketball Championship
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POTENTIAL STARTERS
11Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz
6-1 | Senior | G7.2 PPG2.3 APG
2Darius McGhee
5-9 | Sophomore | G7.8 PPG1.1 APG
10Elijah Cuffee6-4 | Junior | G
7.6 PPG1.9 APG
1Caleb Homesley
6-6 | R-Senior | G12.4 PPG5.6 RPG
31Scottie James
6-8 | R-Senior | Forward12.6 PPG8.6 RPG
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH | 7 P.M. EST | VINES CENTER | LYNCHBURG, VA.
LIBERTYFLAMES
29-7 OVERALL14-2 ASUN
VS
RADFORD HIGHLANDERS
22-11 OVERALL12-4 BIG SOUTH
liberty RADFORDRitchie McKay Head Coach Mike
Jones124-83
(7)Record at School
(Years)138-127
(9)289-241
(18)Overall Record
(Years)138-127
(9)
COACHING MATCHUP
SERIES HISTORY VS. RADFORD33-41
Overall ........................................................... 33-41Streak ................................................................. L4At Liberty ........................................................25-11At Radford ...................................................... 8-28Neutral .............................................................. 0-2Ritchie McKay vs. Radford ............................... 4-8Liberty's Last Win .....Feb. 4, 2017 (57-54) at homeLast Five Meetings:March 4, 2018 ....................... Liberty lost 52-55 (A)Feb. 22, 2018.........................Liberty lost 63-50 (H)Jan. 15, 2018....................Liberty lost 57-59, OT (A)March 2, 2017.......................Liberty lost 52-56 (N)Feb. 4, 2017...........................Liberty won 57-54 (H)
THE STARTING 5 - LIBERTY'S TOP STORYLINES• Liberty was picked No. 1 in the ASUN Preseason
Coaches and Media Poll. • Caleb Homesley was named the ASUN Preseason
Player of the Year. • Homesley was ranked No. 18 in Lindy's Sports
Magazine Top 150 Players.• Scottie James was ranked No. 125 in Lindy's Sports
Magazine Top 150 Players.• James was named to the ASUN Preseason All-Con-
ference Team along with Homesley. • Liberty was ranked No. 21 in Lindy's Sports
Magazine Top 25 Poll. • Liberty received five votes in the USA Today Coaches
Poll and two votes in the AP Top 25 Poll. • Liberty returns 74.8 percent of its scoring from last
season including its top two scorers in Homesley and James.
• Head Coach Ritchie McKay is the reigning Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year, which annually recogniz-es the top DI coach in America.
• Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz (72 wins) is 14 victories from becoming Liberty's all-time winningest player in school history, surpassing Lovell Cabbil who set the record last year with 85 wins.
• Liberty is coming off its first-ever win in the NCAA Tournament, defeating the No. 5 seed Mississippi State in the Round of 64.
• Last season, Liberty won a school-record 29 games, surpassing the 1979-80 team (28 wins).
HOW TO FOLLOW THE FLAMESVideo ...........................................................ESPN+Audio ............................................. LFSN Radio (107.5 FM)Twitter ........................................ @LibertyFlames
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QUICK FACTS / ROSTERS / MEDIA INFo2019-20 LIBERTY NUMERICAL ROSTERNo. Name Year Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown/High School (Previous School)0 Myo Baxter-Bell R-Sr. F 6-5 270 Cincinnati, Ohio/Chaminade Julieen HS1 Caleb Homesley R-Sr. G 6-6 200 Indian Trail, N.C./Porter Ridge HS2 Darius McGhee So. G 5-9 150 Roxboro, N.C./Blue Ridge School4 Tytist Dean R-Fr. G 6-0 175 St. Paul, Minn./North St. Paul HS5 Marten Maide Fr. G 6-5 200 Charlotte, N.C./Carmel Christian School10 Elijah Cuffee Jr. G 6-4 200 Poca, W. Va./Liberty Christian Academy11 Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz Sr. G 6-1 175 Ponce, Puerto Rico/Deep Run HS15 Colton Reed So. G 6-3 175 Wake Forest, N.C./Roanoke College20 Keegan McDowell Jr. G 6-6 190 Cincinnati, Ohio/Moeller HS22 Kyle Rode Fr. F 6-7 220 Lexington, Ky./Lexington Christian Academy25 Josh Price R-Fr. G 6-3 180 Charlotte, N.C./Carmel Christian School31 Scottie James R-Sr. F 6-7 230 Tarpon Springs, Fla./Tarpon Springs HS (Bradley)32 Blake Preston R-Fr. F 6-9 225 Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Christian33 Shiloh Robinson Fr. F 6-7 200 Kearney, Ne./Kearney HS55 Brendan Newton R-So. C 7-2 250 Roanoke, Va./Faith Christian School
Coaching and Support StaffHead Coach: Ritchie McKay, Fifth Year (Seattle Pacific, '87)Associate Head Coach: Brad Soucie, Fifth Year (Christian Heritage, '90)Assistant Coach: Derek Johnston, Second Year (Alabama-Huntsville, '10)Assistant Coach: Kevin Anderson, Second Year (Richmond, '11)Director of Player Development: Joe Pierre III, Second Year (Oklahoma State, '15)Director of Operations: Chelsea Mangino, Fourth Year (Virginia, '14)Graduate Assistant: Sam Thomas, Second Year (Liberty, '18)Graduate Assistant: Zach Farquhar, First Year (Liberty, '19)Strength and Conditioning Coach: Henry Barrera, Fourth Year (Multnomah, '02)Certified Athletic Trainer: Aaron Schriener, 14th Year (Taylor, '02)
GENERAL INFORMATIONName of School .......................Liberty UniversityCity/Zip ...............................Lynchburg, Va. 24515Founded ........................................................1971Enrollment ............................................... 15,000Nickname ................................................. FlamesSchool Colors ..........................Red, White & BlueHome Arena ....................................Vines CenterCapacity .......................................................9,511Affiliation .....................................NCAA Division IConference ................................................ ASUNFounder ..................................... Dr. Jerry FalwellPresident....................................Jerry Falwell Jr.Director of Athletics ......................... Ian McCawAthletics Dept. Phone .................(434) 582-2100
MEN'S BASKETBALL INFORMATIONHead Coach ...................................Ritchie McKayAlma Mater ............................ Seattle Pacific, ‘87Record at School ...................... 124-83 (7th Year)Career Record ..................... 289-241 (18th Year)Assistant Coaches................................................................. Brad Soucie (Christian Heritage, ‘90).......... Derek Johnston (Alabama-Huntsville, ‘10).......................... Kevin Anderson (Richmond, '11)Director of Player Development .......................... .....................Joe Pierre III (Oklahoma State, ‘15)Director of Basketball Operations .................................................. Chelsea Mangino (Virginia, ‘14)Certified Athletic Trainer...............................Aaron Schreiner (Taylor, ‘02)
HISTORYFirst Season of Basketball ........................1972-73All-Time Record ....................................... 691-726NCAA Tournament Appearances .......................4Last NCAA Appearance................................2019Opponent ........................................Virginia TechResult ............................... L/58-67 (Round of 32)Final 2018-19 Record .....................................29-7Conference Record/Finish ....................14-2/T1stStarters Returning/Lost .................................4/1Letterwinners Returning/Lost....................... 8/3Newcomers ........................................................4
ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONSAssoc. AD - Communications......................................................Todd WetmoreOffice Phone ................................(434) 582-2292Email Address ................ [email protected]. Director (MBB) .............. Steven GonzalezOffice Phone ................................(434) 582-2294Email Address ............... [email protected] ................................ LibertyFlames.comFacebook ...................... Liberty Flames Athletics.........................................................LUBasketballInstagram ................................. @LibertyFlames....................................................... @LibertyMBBTwitter ....................................... @LibertyFlames....................................................... @LibertyMBB
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FLAMES 2019-20 PLAYER BIOSLIBERTY TEAM NOTES
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DEFENSE IN THE 'BURG Ritchie McKay has brought the “Pack Line Defense” mod-
el from Virginia and has implemented it in Lynchburg as the Flames rank among the top defenses in the country. McKay and his staff had one of the best defenses in the country over the past three years, as the Flames ranked 19th in Division I in scoring defense in 2018 and sixth in 2019.
NATIONAL RANKING / TEAM OPPONENTS POINTS PER GAME6. Liberty 61.478. NJIT 67.8109. Lipscomb 69.0241. North Alabama 73.7267. FGCU 75.1
HOMESLEY MOVING UP THE RANKSCaleb Homesley became the 27th player in school history to score 1,000 career points. Homesley is now the third player in the last two seasons to reach 1,000 career points as Lovell Cabbil Jr. and Ryan Kemrite reached the milestone in the last two seasons.
WITHIN HOMESLEY'S SIGHTALL-TIME SCORING LIST POINTS20. Antwan Burrus 1,17021. Eric Gordon 1,15422. Kyle Ohman 1,14123. Cliff Webber 1,10024. Caleb Homesley 1,079
JAMES - WORKHORSE DOWN LOWScottie James proved to be one of the best big men in the country averaging 13.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game last season. James shot 61.2 percent from the floor in 2017-18 which ranked 10th in the nation, and was the fifth highest field goal percentage in school history for a season. The big man is the only player in school history to post 11 double-doubles during a sophomore season. James has 21 career double-doubles. WITHIN JAMES' SIGHT
ALL-TIME REBOUNDING LIST REBOUNDS6. Mike Coleman 777T7. Peter Aluma 682T7. Cliff Webber 6829. Julius Nwosu 64610. Scottie James 641
FLAMES' FIRE OFF THE BENCHLiberty's bench was exceptional last season, averaging 23.6 points per game last season. The Flames' bench produced 866 points while only being outscored six times last season.
FLAMES RECEIVING NATIONAL LOVE In addition to being picked first in most media outlets in the ASUN Conference, the Flames are receiving some national attention during the preseason as prominent reporters are showcasing Liberty as one of the best mid-major teams in the country.
Dick Vitale: "If u r looking for sleeper team keep on on @LibertyU baby / won 29 last yr & was part of March Madness & beat Miss St in tourney action . Return many key players / @LibertyMBB Ritchie McKay knows how to win"
Jon Rothstein: "Shocked at the lack of attention surrounding Liberty. Ritchie McKay returns four starters from last year's team that won a game in the NCAA Tournament. One of the best mid majors in the sport."
Lindy's Sports Magazine: "What the Flames pulled off last year was no accident: They shot the lights out and defended like ev-ery possession was game point on the playground. This pick says they can do it again."
Lindy's Sports Magazine Ranking Caleb Homesley #18: "Move Liberty into ACC, and he's first- or second-team all-conference."
Lindy's Sports Magazine Ranking Scottie James #125: "Hit 20 of his 33 shots from the field in three Atlatnic Sun Tournament games."
2019 SENIOR CLASS: LEAVING A LEGACYLovell Cabbil Jr. left Liberty as the winningest player in school history and now he is continuing to live out his dream of playing professional basketball. Cabbil Jr. has signed with the Indiana Pacers NBA G-League team, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Keenan Gumbs will continue playing basketball, signing his first professional contract with the Kapfenberg Bulls in Austria. Gumbs will play against some of the best talent in Europe as Kapfenberg will compete in the Basketball Champions League composed of 28 European countries. The final senior from 2019, Zach Farquhar, who was a team captain for last year's squad is also now a graduate assistant for Liberty.
LAST YEAR IN THE VINESThe 2019-20 season is scheduled to be the last year in the Vines Center, as Liberty is set to open a new arena as the new arena will seat up to 4,000 — with bleacher, club, and loge seat-ing options — and up to 4,500 with floor seat-ing. It will host men's and women's basketball games, as well as women's volleyball games.
Michael Buckland, LipscombJamari Blackmon, North Alabama
Wajid Aminu, North FloridaGarrett Sams, North Florida
* - Denotes unimous selection
ASUN Player of the YearCaleb Homesley, Liberty
2018-19 ASUN STANDINGS
Homesley
James
LIBERTY TEAM NOTES
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liberty misc. stats
1. Karl Hess 2,373 2. Larry Blair 2,211 3. Bailey Alston 2,115 4. Mark Chafin 1,947 5. Steve Isaacs 1,777 6. Anthony Smith 1,754 7. Peter Aluma 1,715 8. Ed Vickers 1,658 9. Willard Deshazor 1,569 10. Larry Jackson 1,539 11. Matt Hildebrand 1,515 12. George Sweet 1,42213. Lovell Cabbil 1,406 14. Chris Caldwell 1,391 15. John Caleb Sanders 1,38416. Julius Nwosu 1,24817. Jesse Sanders 1,23518. Greg McCauley 1,22819. Ryan Kemrite 1,21120. Antwan Burrus 1,17021. Eric Gordon 1,15422. Kyle Ohman 1,14123. Cliff Webber 1,10024. Caleb Homesley 1,07925. Mike Coleman 1,06526. Mike Goad 1,013 27. Mike Minett 1,00128. Scottie James 95429. Alex McLean 95430. Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz 92931. Gabe Martin 89032. Mark Reed 84233. Brad Hamersley 83134. Evan Gordon 82035. Davon Marshall 80336. Tavares Speaks 80137. David Minaya 795 38. David Dees 79439. Jason Dixon 76140. Charles Richardson 75541. Ed Gomes 75142. Andrew Smith 73043. Tomasz Gielo 72444.Delawn Grandison 71345. Seth Curry 70746. Rodney Harrison 68947. Nathan Day 68348. Myo Baxter-Bell 65949. Jason Sarchet 65850. Kenny Gunn 651
Closest Current FlamesElijah Cuffee 467
1. Steve Isaacs 1,130 2. Ed Vickers 1,012 3. George Sweet 1,006 4. Willard DeShazor 870 5. Jesse Sanders 815 6. Mike Coleman 777 T7. Peter Aluma 682 T7. Cliff Webber 682 9. Julius Nwosu 64610. Scottie James 64111. Antwan Burrus 61612. Anthony Smith 58013. Andrew Smith 55814. Alex McLean 55715. Caleb Homesley 53216. Dave Denny 501T17. Larry Blair 498T17. Erik Sorenson 49819. Lovell Cabbil 48620. Brad Hamersley 48021. Dan Kennard 471T22. Jason Dixon 467T22. JR Coronado 46724. Craig Sanders 46325. Jason Sarchet 45826. Larry Jackson 44427. Bailey Alston 43528. Gabe Martin 43129. Kyle Ohman 42030. Joel Vander Pol 41831. Nathan Day 416T32. Rell Porter 410T32. Tomasz Gielo 41034. Mark Chafin 40935. Mike Baker 40536. Matt Hildebrand 38537. Robert Robertson 37638. Kenneth Anaebonam 36539. Mike Goad 364T40. Rodney Harrison 358T40. Ryan Kemrite 358 42. John Caleb Sanders 35543. John Brown 34444. Greg McCauley 33145. Chris Caldwell 31146. Barry Taylor 30947. Louvon Sneed 30848. Delawn Grandison 29049. Charles Richardson 285T50. Damien Hubbard 284T50. Myo Baxter-Bell 284
Closest Current FlamesGeorgie Pacheco-Ortiz 258
TOP 50 SCORERS TOP 50 REBOUNDERSLIBERTY RECORD WHEN... 2018- McKay 2019 Era Home 16-1 79-26Road 11-3 38-46Neutral Site 2-3 6-12Overtime games 0-0 6-5
Leading at the half 26-3 91-23Behind at the half 3-4 18-40Tied at the half 0-0 7-0 Scoring 50 or fewer points 0-0 0-11Scoring 51-60 points 2-2 9-31Scoring 61-70 points 4-3 31-28Scoring 71-80 points 18-2 40-9Scoring 81 or more points 5-0 42-5
Liberty leads with 5:00 left 27-1 109-8Opponent leads with 5:00 left 1-6 13-75 There is a tie with 5:00 left 1-0 5-0Liberty leads with 1:00 left 28-0 117-3 Opponent leads with 1:00 left 1-7 8-75There is a tie with 1:00 left 0-0 2-5
Game decided by 1-5 points 2-1 33-21Game decided by 6-10 points 9-5 32-15Game decided by 11+ points 18-1 77-29
Liberty out-rebounds the opponent 17-3 94-23Liberty is out-rebounded by the opponent 9-5 50-63Same number of rebounds 3-0 15-5
Liberty shoots 50% or better (FG) 16-0 63-7Liberty shoots less than 50 % (FG) 13-7 64-76Opponent shoots 50% or better (FG) 1-5 7-39Opponent shoots less than 50% (FG) 28-2 117-44Liberty outshoots its opponents 26-0 108-12Opponents outshoot Liberty 2-7 18-67Teams shoot the same pct. 0-0 0-1Liberty shoots more 3-pointers 18-7 74-60Opponents shoot more 3-pointers 10-0 49-20Same amount of 3-pointers are shot 1-0 4-3
Liberty shoots more free throws 16-0 69-21Opponent shoots more free throws 12-7 55-59Same number of free throws taken 1-0 3-3 Liberty has more turnovers 6-4 35-41Opponent has more turnovers 18-2 80-29Turnovers are the same 5-1 9-8
Liberty bench outscores opponent 21-5 76-25Opponent bench outscores Liberty 6-1 33-34Both benches score the same 2-1 8-4
Liberty with fewer fouls than opponent 16-1 64-28Liberty with more fouls than opponent 10-6 49-55Same number of fouls 3-0 14-5
In November 6-1 30-14In December 5-3 32-23In January 7-1 39-17In February 6-1 34-23In March 5-1 22-12
vs. AP Poll ranked teams 0-0 0-3
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LIBERTY TEAM NOTES
Rank Team Points 2018-19 Record1 Michigan State (60) 1,619 32-72 Kentucky (2) 1,497 30-73 Kansas (3) 1,457 26-104 Duke 1,399 32-65 Louisville 1,386 20-146 Florida 1,313 20-167 Maryland 1,134 23-118 Gonzaga 1,096 33-49 North Carolina 1,060 29-710 Villanova 1,048 26-1011 Virginia 1,007 35-312 Seton Hall 863 20-1413 Texas Tech 837 31-714 Memphis 773 22-1415 Oregon 742 25-1316 Baylor 523 20-1417 Utah State 491 28-718 Ohio State 407 20-1519 Xavier 356 19-1620 Saint Mary's 330 22-1221 Arizona 265 17-1522 LSU 234 28-723 Purdue 230 26-1024 Auburn 210 30-1025 VCU 193 25-8
Others Receiving Votes: Washington 164, Colorado 152, Tennessee 78, Marquette 68, Florida St. 36, Davidson 34, Harvard 24, Illinois 14, Missouri 13, Mississippi St. 12, Houston 11, Georgetown 11, Cincinnati 8, Notre Dame 7, Creighton 4, Syracuse 3, NC State 3, Vermont 2, Alabama 2, Southern Cal 2, Liberty 2, Michigan 2, Dayton 1, Colgate 1, Providence 1.
Rank Team Conference1. Gonzaga (31) West Coast2. Saint Mary's West Coast3. ETSU Southern4. Vermont America East5. New Mexico State WAC6. LIBERTY ASUN7. Harvard Ivy League8. Belmont Ohio Valley9. Bowling Green Mid-American10. Missouri State Missouri Valley11. Colgate Patriot12. Wright State Horizon13. BYU West Coast14. UC Irvine Big West15. Furman Southern16. UNCG Southern17. Charleston Colonial18. Murray State Ohio Valley19. North Dakota State Summit20. Penn Ivy League21. UCSB Big West22. Buffalo Mid-American23. Toledo Mid-American24. Iona Metro Atlantic25. South Alabama Sun Belt
Others Receiving Votes: Hofstra 109, Loyola Chicago 96, Northeastern 94, NKU 91, Radford 89, Bradley 87, UTA 72, Montana 71, Pepperdine 70, Rider 61, Northern Iowa 47, Wofford 42, South Dakota State 34, Santa Clara 29, Yale 28, Kent State 26, Georgia Southern 25, Sam Houston State 25, Drake 24, Eastern Washington 21, Lipscomb 21, Weber State 20, NC Central 19, Stony Brook 19, UIC 17, Bucknell 13, North Florida 11, Akron 7, Ball State 7, Grand Canyon 6, Texas State 6, Abilene Christian 5, UNCW 5, San Francisco 5, Central Michigan 4, Charleston Southern 4, LIU Brooklyn 4, Gardner-Webb 3, Norfolk State 3, Milwaukee 3, Canisius 2, Oakland 2, Prairie View A&M 2.
AP TOP 25 POLL COLLEGE INSIDER TOP 25 MID-MAJORUSA TODAY COACHES POLLRank Team Points1 Michigan State (30) 7922 Kentucky 7343 Kansas (1) 6874 Duke (1) 6835 Louisville 6706 Florida 6197 Gonzaga 5448 Maryland 5369 Virginia 53210 Villanova 53111 North Carolina 50312 Texas Tech 41713 Seton Hall 40314 Oregon 34415 Memphis 33116 Ohio State 28017 Arizona 22918 Baylor 22819 Utah State 21820 Saint Mary's 16321 Xavier 14922 Purdue 12323 Auburn 10524 LSU 8625 Tennessee 78
Others Receiving Votes: VCU 76; Marquette 62; Washington 59; Florida State 47; Michigan 28; Colorado 28; Houston 17; Creighton 13; Davidson 11; Southern California 9; Providence 8; Mississippi State 7; Wisconsin 6; UCLA 6; Texas 6; Syracuse 6; Georgetown 6; Liberty 5; Dayton 5; Harvard 4; Oklahoma 3; Illinois 2; NC State 1.
NATIONAL POLLS
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HEAD COACH RITCHIE MCKAYHEAD COACH RITCHIE MCKAY
After spending six seasons working under Tony Bennett as associate head coach at Virginia, McKay returned to Liberty as the men's basketball head coach on April 1, 2015. McKay previously served as the program's head coach during the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons and has taken the program to new heights since returning to Lynchburg.
In four seasons since returning to Liberty, McKay has led the Flames to three straight 20-plus win seasons including a school-record 29 games during the 2018-19 season. In Liberty's first year in the ASUN Conference, McKay and the Flames were crowned the 2018-19 ASUN Regular Season Champions and also punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament, win-ning the ASUN Conference Championship.
McKay and the Flames made history in 2019, winning the school's first ever NCAA Tournament game against the No. 5 seed, Mississippi State. In Liberty's three previous NCAA Tournament appearances, the Flames were ranked as a No. 16 seed and in 2019 Liberty was ranked as a No. 12 seed, the highest in school history. The Flames finished the regular season ranked No. 58 in the country in the NET rankings and a school-record No. 56 in the KenPom rankings, shattering the previ-ous school-record of No. 181. In 2018-19, Liberty earned its first-ever AP Top 25 vote and also earned two votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
In six seasons at Liberty, McKay has led the Flames to postseason play in four seasons including three CIT appearances and a NCAA Tournament appearance.
Before returning to Liberty, McKay helped the Cavaliers post a 136-64 record, including back-to-back 30-win seasons in 2013-14 and 2014-15. Virginia advanced to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament three out of McKay's last four years with the program. Following an ACC Championship in 2014, the Cavaliers were the No. 1 seed in the East Region and advanced to the Sweet 16. The Cavaliers spent seven weeks ranked as the No. 2 team in the country in 2014-15, finishing the year with a 30-4 overall record and a 16-2 mark in ACC play. Virginia advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Final Four team Michigan State.
Prior to his days in Charlottesville, McKay served two seasons as Liberty's men's basketball coach, posting a 39-28 overall record and a 19-13 mark in Big South play. He was named the seventh head coach in program history on March 26, 2007. McKay led the Flames to a 23-12 record in 2008-09, matching at the time the program's NCAA Division I record for most wins in a season (Liberty finished the 1996-97 season with a 23-9 overall record). McKay has been able to recruit elite talent to Liberty, as he brought Seth Curry to Liberty and the rookie made an immediate impact on the program. He finished the year averaging 20.2 points per game and was named 2009 Big South Freshman of the Year (second player in program history to receive the honor). Curry spotlighted McKay's Top 50 recruiting class in 2008, which was ranked No. 48 in the country by Basketball Times.
Coaching Accolades• Led Liberty to its first ever NCAA Tournament win in 2019• Has posted 289 career wins throughout his head coaching career• Coached 18 All-Conference players at Liberty • 2019 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year (Top Division I Coach in America)• 2019 Hugh Durham Coach of the Year Nominee• 2019 Ben Jobe Coach of the Year Nominee• 2017 Skip Prosser Man of the Year Nominee• 2017 Ben Jobe Coach of the Year Nominee• 2016 Big South Coach of the Year• Owns four of Liberty's eight 20-win seasons
THE MCKAY FILEHEAD COACH Seventh Season at Liberty18th Season as Head Coach Alma Mater: Seattle Pacific, '88Coaching Overall ConferenceRecord W L W L2019-20 - Liberty 0 0 0 02018-19 - Liberty 29 7 14 22017-18 - Liberty 22 15 9 92016-17 - Liberty 21 14 14 42015-16 - Liberty 13 19 10 82008-09 - Liberty 23 12 12 62007-08-Liberty 16 16 7 72006-07 - UNM 15 17 4 122005-06 - UNM 17 13 8 82004-05 - UNM 26 7 10 42003-04 - UNM 14 14 5 92002-03 - UNM 10 18 4 102001-02 - OSU 12 17 4 142000-01 - OSU 10 20 4 141999-00 - CSU 18 12 8 61998-99 - CSU 19 11 7 71997-98 - PSU 15 12 10 61996-97 - PSU 9 17 6 10Career Totals 289 241 136 136 Liberty Totals 124 83 66 36
COACHING LEDGER2015-Present ................ Liberty (Head Coach)2009-15 .... Virginia (Associate Head Coach)2007-09 ......................Liberty (Head Coach)2002-07 ..............New Mexico (Head Coach)2000-02 ...........Oregon State (Head Coach)1998-00 ......... Colorado State (Head Coach)1996-98 ..........Portland State (Head Coach)
5 - MARTEN MAIDEG · 6-5 · FR. · CHARLOTTE, N.C. CARMEL CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
POINTS2019-20 N/ACAREER N/A
REBOUNDS2019-20 N/ACAREER N/A
ASSISTS2019-20 N/ACAREER N/A
STEALS2019-20 N/ACAREER N/A
BLOCKS2019-20 N/ACAREER N/A
FIELD GOALS2019-20 N/ACAREER N/A
FG ATTEMPTS2019-20 N/ACAREER N/A
3-PT FIELD GOALS2019-20 N/ACAREER N/A
3-PT FG ATTEMPTS2019-20 N/ACAREER N/A
FREE THROWS2019-20 N/ACAREER N/A
FT ATTEMPTS2019-20 N/ACAREER N/A
Prep
• Originally from Estonia but played his high school ball at Carmel Christian School.
• Led Carmel Christian School to being ranked No. 43 in the nation.
• Competes for the U18 Estonia national team.
• Led Carmel Christian School to the 2018 NCISAA 2A State title.
• Will graduate high school with a 3.8 GPA.
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FLAMES 2019-20 PLAYER BIOS
10 - ELIJAH CUFFEEG · 6-4 · JR. · POCA, W. VA.
LIBERTY CHRISTIAN ACADEMY POINTS2018-19 19, vs. Georgia State (12-1-18)CAREER 19, vs. Georgia State (12-1-18)
REBOUNDS2018-19 5, vs. Maine Fort Kent (11-8-18)CAREER 7, vs. Toccoa Falls (11-25-17)
ASSISTS2018-19 5, 2x, last vs. Austin Peay (12-22-18)CAREER 6, at UNC Asheville (2-15-18) STEALS2018-19 3, vs. South Carolina State (12-11-18)CAREER 5, at Presbyterian (1-27-18)
BLOCKS2018-19 2, 2x, last at Jacksonville (1-27-19)CAREER 2, 3x, last at Jacksonville (1-27-19)
FIELD GOALS2018-19 6, 2x, last vs.Georgia State (12-1-18)CAREER 6, 2x, last vs.Georgia State (12-1-18)
FG ATTEMPTS2018-19 11, vs. Georgia State (12-1-18)CAREER 12, vs. Kentucky Christian (12-16-17)
3-PT FIELD GOALS2018-19 5, vs. Georgia State (12-1-18)CAREER 5, vs. Georgia State (12-1-18)
3-PT FG ATTEMPTS2018-19 7, vs. Georgia State (12-1-18)CAREER 7, vs. Georgia State (12-1-18)
FREE THROWS2018-19 3, vs. Maine Fort Kent (11-8-18)CAREER 4, vs. Campbell (1-23-18)
FT ATTEMPTS2018-19 4, vs. Maine Fort Kent (11-8-18)CAREER 5, vs. Campbell (1-23-18)
2018-19 Liberty Men's BasketballLiberty Individual Game-by-Game (as of Mar 28, 2019)
MOELLER HS POINTS2017-18 12, vs. Kentucky Christian (12-15-18)CAREER 19, at Presbyterian (1-27-18)
REBOUNDS2017-18 3, at FGCU (1-5-19)CAREER 6, vs. Winthrop (2-1-18)
ASSISTS2017-18 2, 4x, last vs. FGCU (2-9-19)CAREER 3, vs. Campbell (1-23-18) STEALS2017-18 1, 4x, last at FGCU (1-5-19)CAREER 2, 2x, last vs. Toccoa Falls (11-25-17)
BLOCKS2017-18 1, vs. Maine Fort Kent (11-8-18)CAREER 1, 3x, last vs. Maine Fort Kent (11-8-18)
FIELD GOALS2017-18 4, 2x, last vs. Kentucky Christian (12-15-18)CAREER 6, at Presbyterian (1-27-18)
FG ATTEMPTS2017-18 8, vs. Kentucky Christian (12-15-18)CAREER 10, at Presbyterian (1-27-18)
3-PT FIELD GOALS2017-18 4, vs. Kentucky Christian (12-15-18)CAREER 4, 2x, last vs. Kentucky Christian (12-15-18)
3-PT FG ATTEMPTS2017-18 8, vs. Kentucky Christian (12-15-18)CAREER 8, vs. Kentucky Christian (12-15-18)
FREE THROWS2017-18 1, vs. Alabama (12-18-18)CAREER 4, 3x, last at Presbyterian (1-27-18)
FT ATTEMPTS2017-18 1, vs. Alabama (12-18-18)CAREER 4, 4x, last vs. North Carolina A&T (3-12-18)
2018-19 Liberty Men's BasketballLiberty Individual Game-by-Game (as of Mar 28, 2019)
TARPON SPRINGS HS/BRADLEY POINTS2018-19 24, vs. North Florida (3-7-19)CAREER 28, at Longwood (2-3-18)
REBOUNDS2018-19 17, vs. Georgia State (12-1-18)CAREER 17, vs. Georgia State (12-1-18)
ASSISTS2018-19 4, at North Alabama (2-16-19)CAREER 4, at North Alabama (2-16-19) STEALS2018-19 2, vs. North Florida (1-19-19)CAREER 5, vs. Toccoa Falls (11-25-17)
BLOCKS2018-19 3, vs. Mississippi State (3-22-19)CAREER 3, 4x, last vs. Virginia Tech (3-24-19)
FIELD GOALS2018-19 9, vs. North Florida (3-7-19)CAREER 11, at UNC Asheville (2-15-18)
FG ATTEMPTS2018-19 16, vs. North Florida (3-7-19)CAREER 21, at UNC Asheville (2-15-18)
3-PT FIELD GOALS2018-19 2, 2x, last vs. Alabama (12-18-18)CAREER 3, vs. Radford (2-22-18)
3-PT FG ATTEMPTS2018-19 3, 2x, last at UCLA (12-29-18)CAREER 4, 2x, last vs. Fort Wayne (12-21-17)
FREE THROWS2018-19 7, vs. Jacksonville (3-4-19)CAREER 9, 2x, last at Longwood (2-3-18)
FT ATTEMPTS2018-19 10, vs. North Florida (3-7-19)CAREER 12, vs. UNCG (12-2-17)
2018-19 Liberty Men's BasketballLiberty Individual Game-by-Game (as of Mar 28, 2019)
TEAM STATISTICS LIBERTY OPPSCORING 2654 2209 Points per game 73.7 61.4 Scoring margin +12.4 -FIELD GOALS-ATT 963-1977 790-1894 Field goal pct . 4 8 7 . 4 1 73 POINT FG-ATT 322-873 231-713 3-point FG pct . 3 6 9 . 3 2 4 3-pt FG made per game 8.9 6.4FREE THROWS-ATT 406-524 398-588 Free throw pct . 7 7 5 . 6 7 7 F-Throws made per game 11.3 11.1REBOUNDS 1175 1103 Rebounds per game 32.6 30.6 Rebounding margin +2.0 -ASSISTS 532 363 Assists per game 14.8 10.1TURNOVERS 395 482 Turnovers per game 11.0 13.4 Turnover margin +2.4 - Assist/turnover ratio 1.3 0.8STEALS 223 194 Steals per game 6.2 5.4BLOCKS 96 97 Blocks per game 2.7 2.7ATTENDANCE 49524 47463 Home games-Avg/Game 17-2913 14-2952 Neutral site-Avg/Game - 5-1228
Score by Periods 1st 2nd TotalsLiberty 1202 1452 2654Opponents 976 1233 2209
Date Opponent Score Att.11/08/18 ME.-FORT KENT W 89-40 300211/13/18 TREVECCA NAZARENE W 93-40 233611/16/18 at Kent St. W 77-70 221411/19/18 at Vanderbilt L 70-79 849311/23/18 ALCORN W 76-54 192911/25/18 SAVANNAH ST. W 82-56 194311/28/18 at Navy W 76-58 48912/01/18 GEORGIA ST. W 78-52 296612/03/18 at Georgetown L 78-88 401112/11/18 SOUTH CAROLINA ST. W 79-55 168412/15/18 KY. CHRISTIAN W 96-55 211512/18/18 vs Alabama L 75-84 578112/21/18 vs Alabama State W 73-55 15812/22/18 vs Austin Peay L 66-75 20212/29/18 at UCLA W 73-58 7456
* 01/05/19 at FGCU W 81-63 3517* 01/09/18 at Stetson W 71-53 376* 01/12/19 JACKSONVILLE W 69-53 2963* 01/16/19 at Kennesaw State W 62-41 843* 01/19/19 NORTH FLORIDA W 70-64 4958* 01/21/19 NORTH ALA. W 72-47 2716* 01/27/19 at Jacksonville W 69-59 718* 01/29/19 LIPSCOMB L 59-79 5053* 02/02/19 NJIT W 77-57 3782* 02/05/19 STETSON W 57-54 2244* 02/09/19 FGCU W 74-67 4400* 02/13/19 at Lipscomb W 74-66 3437* 02/16/19 at North Alabama W 80-70 967* 02/23/19 at North Florida L 70-75 2169* 02/26/19 KENNESAW ST. W 76-59 3376* 3/1/19 at NJIT W 57-51 945
03/04/19 JACKSONVILLE W 72-58 173803/07/19 NORTH FLORIDA W 71-63 231903/10/19 at Lipscomb W 74-68 568703/22/19 vs Mississippi St. W 80-76 003/24/19 vs Virginia Tech L 58-67 0