2019–20 Liberty Flames basketball team

The 2019–20 Liberty Flames men's basketball team represented Liberty University in the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played its home games in Lynchburg, Virginia for the 30th consecutive and final season at Vines Center, with a capacity of 8,085. The team was led by Ritchie McKay, who is in his seventh season, but fifth season since his return to the program. They are second-year members of the Atlantic Sun Conference.

2019–20 Liberty Flames basketball
The Islands of the Bahamas Showcase champions
D.C. Holiday Hoops Classic champions
Atlantic Sun regular season co-champions
Atlantic Sun tournament champions
ConferenceAtlantic Sun Conference
2019–20 record30–4 (13–3 ASUN)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Brad Soucie (5th (7th) season)
  • Derek Johnston (2nd season)
  • Kevin Anderson (2nd season)
Home arenaVines Center
2019–20 Atlantic Sun men's basketball standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L PCT  W L PCT
Liberty133 .813  304  .882
North Florida133 .813  2112  .636
Lipscomb97 .563  1616  .500
Stetson97 .563  1617  .485
North Alabama*88 .500  1317  .433
Florida Gulf Coast79 .438  1022  .313
Jacksonville79 .438  1418  .438
NJIT610 .375  921  .300
Kennesaw State016 .000  128  .034
* ineligible for the 2020 NCAA Tournament due to transition period
2020 ASUN Tournament winner
As of January 29, 2021; Rankings from AP Poll

Previous season

The Flames finished the 2018–19 season 29–7, 14–2 in ASUN play to finish in second place in their second season in the ASUN. They defeated Jacksonville, North Florida, and Lipscomb in the championship game to win the ASUN Tournament.[1] As a result, the Flames received the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament as the No. 12 seed in the East bracket, the school's fourth NCAA Tournament bid. They defeated No. 5-seed Mississippi State in the first round[2] before losing to No. 4-seed Virginia Tech in the second round.[3] This marked Liberty's highest seeding in the NCAA tournament and its first March Madness victory in school history.

Departures

NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownNotes
Lovell Cabbil3Guard6'3"175SeniorArlington, TexasGraduated
Keenan Gumbs5Forward6'5"210SeniorConroe, TexasGraduated
Zach Farquhar15Guard5'9"160SeniorCincinnatiGraduated
Keegan McDowell20Guard/Forward6'6"180SophomoreCincinnatiTransferred

2019-20 Newcomers

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Marten Maide
G
Charlotte, North Carolina Carmel Christian School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) N/A Jan 2, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Colton Reed
G
Wake Forest, North Carolina Roanoke College 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) N/A  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Shiloh Robinson
F
Kearney, Nebraska Kearney High School 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) N/A Sep 24, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Kyle Rode
F
Lexington, Kentucky Lexington Christian Academy 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) N/A Jun 26, 2018 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2019 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

    Roster

    2019–20 Liberty Flames men's basketball team
    PlayersCoaches
    Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
    F 0 Myo Baxter-Bell 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)255 lb (116 kg) RS SrChaminade Julieen High School Cincinnati, Ohio
    G 1 Caleb Homesley 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)205 lb (93 kg) RS SrPorter Ridge High School Indian Trail, North Carolina
    G 2 Darius McGhee 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
    SoBlue Ridge School Roxboro, North Carolina
    G 4 Tytist Dean (W) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)180 lb (82 kg) RS FrNorth High School St. Paul, Minnesota
    G 5 Marten Maide 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
    FrCarmel Christian School Charlotte, North Carolina
    G/F 10 Elijah Cuffee 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)185 lb (84 kg) JrLiberty Christian Academy Poca, West Virginia
    G 11 Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)170 lb (77 kg) SrDeep Run High School Ponce, Puerto Rico
    G 13 Luke McKay (W)
    FrLiberty Christian Academy Lynchburg, Virginia
    G 15 Colton Reed (W) 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
    RS SoRoanoke Maroons Wake Forest, North Carolina
    F 22 Kyle Rode 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
    FrLexington Christian Academy Lexington, Kentucky
    G 25 Josh Price 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
    RS FrCarmel Christian School Charlotte, North Carolina
    F 31 Scottie James 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)235 lb (107 kg) RS SrBradley Tarpon Springs, Florida
    F 32 Blake Preston 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
    RS FrCharlotte Christian School Charlotte, North Carolina
    F 33 Shiloh Robinson 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
    FrKearney High School Kearney, Nebraska
    C 55 Brendan Newton 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)235 lb (107 kg) RS SoFaith Christian High Roanoke, Virginia
    Head coach
    Assistant coach(es)

    Legend
    • (C) Team captain
    • (S) Suspended
    • (I) Ineligible
    • (W) Walk-on
    • Roster is subject to change as/if players transfer or leave the program for other reasons.

    Schedule and results

    Date
    time, TV
    Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
    city, state
    Non-conference regular season
    Nov 8, 2019*
    7:00 pm, ESPN+
    Radford W 66–60  1–0
     18  Homesley  6  Tied  2  6 tied  Vines Center (7,872)
    Lynchburg, VA
    Nov 10, 2019*
    2:00 pm, ESPN+
    UMES W 66–55  2–0
     22  James  16  James  6  Homesley  Vines Center (3,090)
    Lynchburg, VA
    Nov 12, 2019*
    7:00 pm, ESPN+
    South Carolina State W 65–39  3–0
     12  Pacheco-Ortiz  12  James  4  Tied  Vines Center (3,084)
    Lynchburg, VA
    Nov 16, 2019*
    4:00 pm, ESPN3
    at East Carolina
    The Islands of the Bahamas Showcase
    W 77–57  4–0
     25  Homesley  9   Tied   4   Tied   Williams Arena (4,527)
    Greenville, NC
    Nov 19, 2019*
    7:00 pm, ESPN+
    Navy W 55–48  5–0
     13  McGhee  9  James  3  James  Vines Center (4,010)
    Lynchburg, VA
    Nov 22, 2019*
    11:00 am, FloHoops
    vs. Morgan State
    The Islands of the Bahamas Showcase quarterfinal
    W 89–48  6–0
     17  Rode  5  Rode  4  Baxter-Bell  Kendal Isaacs National Gymnasium (300)
    Nassau, Bahamas
    Nov 23, 2019*
    5:00 pm, FloHoops
    vs. Rice
    The Islands of the Bahamas Showcase semifinal
    W 71–59  7–0
     14  Rode  12  James  4  Pacheco-Ortiz  Kendal Isaacs National Gymnasium (300)
    Nassau, Bahamas
    Nov 24, 2019*
    8:00 pm, FloHoops
    vs. Kansas City
    The Islands of the Bahamas Showcase Final
    W 62–49  8–0
     14  Pacheco-Ortiz  6  Tied  3  Cuffee  Kendal Isaacs National Gymnasium (300)
    Nassau, Bahamas
    Nov 29, 2019*
    2:00 pm
    Kentucky Christian W 88–42  9–0
     15  James  7  James  4  McGhee  Vines Center (2,717)
    Lynchburg, VA
    Dec 2, 2019*
    10:00 pm
    Trinity Baptist W 87–28  10–0
     15  Cuffee  9  Preston  5  Tied  Vines Center (3,164)
    Lynchburg, VA
    Dec 8, 2019*
    6:30 pm, ESPNU
    at Grand Canyon
    Jerry Colangelo Classic
    W 70–61  11–0
     17  Homesley  5  4 tied  4  Tied  Talking Stick Resort Arena (5,406)
    Phoenix, AZ
    Dec 14, 2019*
    8:00 pm, SECN+
    at Vanderbilt W 61–56  12–0
     18  Baxter-Bell  11  James  5  Pacheco-Ortiz  Memorial Gymnasium (9,045)
    Nashville, TN
    Dec 20, 2019*
    5:00 pm, FloHoops
    vs. Towson
    DC Holiday Hoops
    W 66–54  13–0
     16  Pacheco-Ortiz  6  James  4  Cuffee  Entertainment and Sports Arena (707)
    Washington, D.C.
    Dec 21, 2019*
    3:30 pm, FloHoops
    vs. Akron
    DC Holiday Hoops
    W 80–67  14–0
     16  Homesley  6  Tied  6  Baxter-Bell  Entertainment and Sports Arena (942)
    Washington, D.C.
    Dec 29, 2019*
    1:30 pm, SECN+
    at LSU L 57–74  14–1
     12  Tied  4  Cuffee  6  Homesley  Pete Maravich Assembly Center (9,193)
    Baton Rouge, LA
    Atlantic Sun Conference regular season
    Jan 2, 2020
    5:00 pm, ESPNU
    at FGCU W 59–46  15–1
    (1–0)
     24  Homesley  6  Homesley  4  Baxter-Bell  Alico Arena (3,305)
    Fort Myers, FL
    Jan 4, 2020
    4:00 pm, ESPN+
    at NJIT W 65–38  16–1
    (2–0)
     20  Homesley  10  James  4  Pacheco-Ortiz  Wellness and Events Center (1,004)
    Newark, NJ
    Jan 9, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN+
    North Alabama W 63–52  17–1
    (3–0)
     16  Baxter-Bell  7  James  3  3 tied  Vines Center (2,592)
    Lynchburg, VA
    Jan 11, 2020
    5:00 pm, ESPN+
    Jacksonville W 54–37  18–1
    (4–0)
     14  McGhee  9  James  2  4 tied  Vines Center (4,299)
    Lynchburg, VA
    Jan 18, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN+
    Lipscomb W 67–60  19–1
    (5–0)
     21  Pacheco-Ortiz  11  James  4  Homesley  Vines Center (6,008)
    Lynchburg, VA
    Jan 23, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN+
    at North Florida L 70–71  19–2
    (5–1)
     19  McGhee  6  Homesley  2  3 Tied  UNF Arena (2,371)
    Jacksonville, FL
    Jan 25, 2020
    4:00 pm, ESPN+
    at Stetson L 43–48  19–3
    (5–2)
     12  Tied  10  James  7  Cuffee  Edmunds Center (862)
    Deland, FL
    Jan 30, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN+
    Kennesaw State W 83–45  20–3
    (6–2)
     16  James  12  James  4  Pacheco-Ortiz  Vines Center (3,988)
    Lynchburg, VA
    Feb 1, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN+
    FGCU W 61–46  21–3
    (7–2)
     16  Pacheco-Ortiz  8  Homesley  3  Homesley  Vines Center (4,413)
    Lynchburg, VA
    Feb 6, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN+
    at Jacksonville W 71–62  22–3
    (8–2)
     25  Homesley  8  McGhee  4  Pacheco-Ortiz  Swisher Gymnasium (816)
    Jacksonville, FL
    Feb 8, 2020
    4:30 pm, ESPN+
    at North Alabama W 74–56  23–3
    (9–2)
     30  Homesley  9  Homesley  3  Homesley  Flowers Hall (957)
    Florence, AL
    Feb 15, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN+
    NJIT W 62–49  24–3
    (10–2)
     14  3 tied  8  Cuffee  3  Tied  Vines Center (4,745)
    Lynchburg, VA
    Feb 20, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN+
    North Florida W 82–77  25–3
    (11–2)
     28  Homesley  10  James  4  McGhee  Vines Center (5,613)
    Lynchburg, VA
    Feb 22, 2020
    5:00 pm, ESPN+
    Stetson W 77–49  26–3
    (12–2)
     22  Homesley  7  Homesley  5  McGhee  Vines Center (6,762)
    Lynchburg, VA
    Feb 27, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN+
    at Kennesaw State W 76–52  27–3
    (13–2)
     26  Homesley  8  James  4  James  KSU Convocation Center (933)
    Kennesaw, GA
    Feb 29, 2020
    5:00 pm, ESPN+
    at Lipscomb L 71–77  27–4
    (13–3)
     17  McGhee  10  James  6  Homesley  Allen Arena (3,625)
    Nashville, TN
    Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament
    March 3, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN+
    (1) (8) NJIT
    Quarterfinals
    W 55–49  28–4
     14  Homesley  10  James  4  Cuffee  Vines Center (3,042)
    Lynchburg, VA
    March 5, 2020
    7:00 pm, ESPN+
    (1) (4) Stetson
    Semifinals
    W 66–62  29–4
     26  Homesley  8  Homesley  3  Tied  Vines Center (6,762)
    Lynchburg, VA
    March 8, 2020
    3:00 pm, ESPN
    (1) (3) Lipscomb
    Championship
    W 73–57  30–4
     16  Tied  9  Homesley  4  Baxter-Bell  Vines Center (7,728)
    Lynchburg, VA
    *Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
    All times are in Eastern Time..

    [4]

    References

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