With college hoops right around the corner, there are three things you can count on when it comes to Liberty basketball in Lynchburg, Virginia.
First, the Flames are almost always in the mix as a 12 seed contender come March. Second, a new face from the program tends to emerge as one of the sport’s mid-major standouts. And last — and most importantly — Liberty continues to build a culture that keeps players bought in for four years.
That all can be traced to head coach Ritchie McKay, the architect of Liberty’s meteoric rise and a man who has built more than just a winning program.
“I just wanted to be an everyday guy,” McKay said. “I wanted to be a leader that honored the process and modeled it.”
Since returning to Liberty in 2015 after serving as Tony Bennett’s top assistant at Virginia, McKay has turned the Flames into one of college basketball’s most consistent mid-major forces.
“I just wanted us to dream big and do the work that was necessary to do something great,” he said.
And dream big they did.
From 2018 to 2021, Liberty secured three consecutive ASUN Tournament titles, highlighted by a 30–4 “what if” season in 2019–20, cut short by the canceled NCAA Tournament. That timeframe also included a memorable upset over Mississippi State in 2019 — a signature moment that helped put the program on the national map.
Last season, the Flames continued their momentum, winning their first Conference USA championship in their sophomore year in the league. The title earned Liberty another trip to the NCAA Tournament — its first since the 2020–21 “bubble” edition, where McKay’s squad faced No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick Cade Cunningham and Oklahoma State in Indianapolis.
But even amid all the wins and banners, McKay is quick to point to something deeper.
“Although we’ve cut the nets a bunch of times and made it to NCAA Tournaments and NITs, I think the most rewarding thing is the relationships that were formed throughout this journey and have been sustained,” he said.
That focus on family has become Liberty’s foundation. The program may no longer feature stars like Caleb Homesley, Darius McGee, Seth Curry, Scottie James or Jesse Sanders, but the standard they helped build endures.
Last year, Liberty produced an NBA Draft pick when the Indiana Pacers selected Taelon Peter with the No. 54 pick — a milestone that spoke to the program’s continued success.
This season, McKay’s roster once again looks ready to compete at the top of the mid-major landscape. The Flames return three starters — Zach Cleveland, Kaden Metheny and Colin Porter — all of whom earned preseason recognition.
Metheny and Porter aim to keep Liberty among the nation’s elite in 3-point shooting after ranking in the 98th percentile last season at 38.7%, per CBB Analytics. Cleveland will look to once again be a presence in the frontcourt.
Joining them are redshirt big men Josh Smith and Isaiah Innen, who bring experience and size. At the same time, transfers Ryan Jones Jr. (Virginia Tech) and JJ Harper (West Liberty) are expected to add energy and defensive toughness.
The pieces are in place, and the belief — that steady, defining culture — remains as strong as ever.
Liberty opens its Conference USA title defense on Nov. 3, hosting Kentucky Christian at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
