Conference USA is one of the most competitive mid-major conferences in the country every season, and this year was no exception. Only one game separated the winner from the second-place team. The Liberty Flames won the regular season title and finished off the sweep when they beat Jacksonville State in the conference championship game. The Liberty Flames claimed the automatic bid from the Conference USA.
Liberty is making their 7th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and the Flames first appearance since the 2020-2021 season. Liberty heads to the Tournament with a 28-6 overall record and a 13-5 record in the conference. This is the third NCAA Tournament appearance for head coach Ritchie McKay and the first one for Liberty since joining the Conference USA two full seasons ago.
The Flames earned a 12 seed in the Tournament and are going to be a very popular pick for an upset and will likely pull it off. Liberty has won games in the NCAA tournament before and is a team that is very likely going to win another one this year. Here are some reasons that the Flames can win a game in the NCAA Tournament.
Defense
I know this sounds self-explanatory, but the one thing that Liberty has been known for under coach McKay has been their defense. This year isn’t any different, and the Flames have another elite defense. One number to think about in particular is the number 70. 70 is the number of points that teams have to get to in order to beat the Flames. Liberty is 27-0 when they have allowed less than 70 points. How have they done that 27 times? The Flames run everyone off the three-point line, and the ones that teams do get are at the end of the shot clock and contested. Teams are shooting 28% from the three-point line against the Liberty defense. They never foul, and they don’t let teams move the ball against them. If you want to score on the Flames, you are going to have to break them down 1 on 1, and then it will be even harder to score.
Offense
As good as Liberty is on the defensive end, they are just as good on the offensive end. It is a typical Liberty offense. The Flames are ultra-efficient on the offensive end, ranking in the top 10 in numerous offensive categories. They rank in the top 10 in three-point shooting, field goal percentage, and two-point shooting percentage. The Flames play at a slow tempo but move the ball well and get the best shot possible. They take a lot of open shots because of their ball movement. That is a huge reason why they shoot almost 60% from inside the three-point line. Every year, the Flames run the same offense, and every year, no matter who the point guard is, they still rarely turn the ball over, and that helps them maximize every possession and put extreme pressure on the opponent's defense. The offense seems so simple, but with the shooting percentages and the schemes that coach McKay draws up, it is very hard to stop. It is hard only to take an average of 55 shots a night and have it result in 77 points.
Colin Porter and Zach Cleveland
Liberty always has one or two players who put up video game numbers, and this year, those two players are Porter and Cleveland. Cleveland is a point forward who is does everything for the team. He leads the team in rebounding and assists, and as a 6’8” forward, he is almost impossible to guard and stop. Cleveland doesn’t shoot threes and usually passes into the paint from the top of the key or when he is already in the paint. He is a hardcover because he is an elite interior passer. Then there is the 5’9” Porter, who is more of a true point guard. Porter is a true pass-first point guard who shoots over 40% from deep but doesn’t shoot or score unless he needs to. These two players both put a ton of pressure on the defense because of their ability to pass the ball and set up the offense. Coach McKay always has players like this and he has won a lot of games with them.
Liberty is a team that I think will pull off the first round upset and may win more. Their style of play is extremely unique and hard to prepare for on short notice. The Flames are good and are the lower seed that I have the most confidence in.