Lipscomb vs Liberty: 2020 Atlantic Sun title game preview, TV schedule
By Joey Loose
Lipscomb and Liberty meet up in the Atlantic Sun title game; will the Bison or Flames represent the league in the NCAA Tournament?
TV schedule: Sunday, March 8, 3:00 pm ET. ESPN
Arena: Vines Center in Lynchburg, Virginia
While things are quite different and new for this Lipscomb (16-15) team, they find themselves in the A-Sun title game for a third straight season. First-year head coach Lennie Acuff doesn’t have these Bisons playing at the same level as the last two teams, but they’ve really ramped up their play in recent weeks. Including a recent home win over Liberty, Lipscomb has won nine of their last eleven and enter this title game with serious momentum.
The Bisons have built successfully around sophomore center Ahsan Asadullah (18.2 ppg, 9.8 rpg), who has been nothing short of dynamic in the A-Sun Tournament. He followed up a 40-point, 13-rebound performance against Florida Gulf Coast with a marvelous 27 points and 19 rebounds in their road win at North Florida on Thursday night. Freshman guard KJ Johnson (11.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg) provides a young spark for this team while senior guard Michael Buckland (10.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg) has had some dynamic games this season as well.
It doesn’t take rocket science to realize that winning this tough road game is Lipscomb’s sole path back to the NCAA Tournament. They sit 241st in KenPom and no better in the NET rankings, meaning a 16-seed is very likely if they prevail. The offense was fantastic against Liberty last weekend, and the defense has played much better since a really rough stretch at the start of conference play. Outside of Asadullah, there aren’t a lot of great options offensively.
With the home court in the tournament final, Liberty (29-4) has a great advantage in both on-court talent and the location of the game. The Flames have won a lot of games this season, though they haven’t necessarily knocked off any high-quality opponents. They’ve lost a few road games in league play but haven’t dropped any of their home games. Liberty looks to return to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year, upsetting 5-seed Mississippi State last season.
For those who’ve followed the Flames, familiar faces from their senior leadership continue to lead the way. None may be more important than senior guard Caleb Homesley (14.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg), the Atlantic Sun Player of the Year. Homesley led the Flames with 26 points in their win over Stetson in the semifinal. Senior forward Scottie James (11.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg) is the big man to watch for the Flames. Another name to keep an eye on is senior guard Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz (10.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg), who had 21 points when Liberty beat Lipscomb at home in mid-January.
Liberty sits at 81st in KenPom and 67th in the NET rankings, ranking 67th in defensive efficiency. A result of one of the worst strengths of schedule in the nation, this team won’t make the NCAA Tournament if they fall to the Bisons, even with their 29 wins. Head coach Ritchie McKay is a former Virginia assistant and this team plays a similar, slow style with very efficient defense. They do struggle to grab offensive rebounds, but it hasn’t cost them yet.
For the Bisons, they face an uphill battle to secure an unexpected conference title. They’ll not only need Asadullah to have another game for the ages, but other players need to step up against this tough defense. For the Flames, they need to play clean basketball, control the boards, and contain Asadullah on both sides of the ball. This game and conference is right there for Liberty to take, but there’s a reason they play the games.
Next. 2020 ASUN Tournament preview. dark
The competition hasn’t been great, but Liberty has looked fantastic at home. Their senior stars look poised for one more run and this Flames team could be dangerous again the Tournament. However, Asadullah has been wrecking teams in recent weeks and the Bisons are still looking for revenge after last season’s title game. This game will be much more exciting than it seems on paper, but I don’t think Lipscomb has what it takes to hang with Liberty for a full forty minutes.