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NCAA Basketball: Preseason top-25 mid-major power rankings for 2021-22 season

By Tristan Freeman

Mar 7, 2021; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Drake Bulldogs forward Darnell Brodie (51) drives to the basket as Loyola Ramblers guard Lucas Williamson (1) and center Cameron Krutwig (25) defend during the first half in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 7, 2021; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; Drake Bulldogs forward Darnell Brodie (51) drives to the basket as Loyola Ramblers guard Lucas Williamson (1) and center Cameron Krutwig (25) defend during the first half in the finals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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NCAA Basketball Liberty Flames (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
NCAA Basketball Liberty Flames (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

18. Liberty Flames

The Atlantic Sun welcomes three new basketball programs in Central Arkansas, Eastern Kentucky, and Jacksonville State. All three are projected lower to middle-tier teams in the league this season and will have an uphill climb in the ASUN, including the clear-cut favorite Liberty Flames.

The Flames lost key seniors, Chris Parker and Elijah Cuffee, who were second and third on the team in scoring. However, the leading scorer and reigning ASUN Player of the Year Darius McGhee is back after averaging 15.5 ppg on 45% from the field and 41% from three-point range. The 5’9 guard has several huge performances, including a career-high 34 points in a road win at Bellarmine.

Liberty didn’t add a transfer this offseason but did bring back a number of returning rotational pieces. Starters Blake Preston and Kyle Rode are back, alongsider Keegan McDowell, who along with McGhee are the lone seniors on the roster. There are also a trio of rising sophomores (Micaiah Abii, Drake Dobbs, and Jonathan Jackson) who were solid contributors last season and will have larger roles on the offense for the upcoming season.

The stats for everyone outside of McGhee won’t jump out on paper but Liberty and rising star head coach Ritchie McCay are best known for having one of the best defenses in all of NCAA Basketball. That’s likely not going to change this season and as long as a couple of players step up in the scoring department to help out McGhee, the Flames will be in contention to potentially win 30 games in 2021-22.

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