From the Whiteboard: Liberty University Basketball

Liberty University Basketball has had a phenomenal season this year, with both men’s and women’s teams showing more hunger than we have seen from them in a while. Sure, every team goes into the season with the hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Championship, but for the Flames, this dream became a reality as both teams qualified for March Madness for the first time in years. 

I am not being dramatic when I say that I have filled out a NCAA bracket for as long as I have been able to hold a pen and write my own name. College basketball in March is a beautiful tradition, wild and unpredictable, as you never know what high-seeded team is going to pull off an upset to rock the nation.  

To fill out my bracket this year and write in “Liberty” was a dream in itself. But to go to the game and watch it all unfold on the court in front of me, that is an experience that will stick with me for a lifetime.  

To the little girl who wrote in Butler to win the championship every year (and never won), your dreams are coming true kid; you are going to watch your university in the first round of March Madness. And better yet, you have a front row seat.  

 

Not another Cinderella story 

Going into this game seeded No. 12 against No. 5 Oregon, it is no secret that most of the nation’s brackets were not in our favor. However, it is March and wilder things have happened, so you can’t blame me for having some hope in our guys. Especially considering the whole Fiesta Bowl fiasco, the Flames were due for a victory against the Ducks.  

Unfortunately, the Flames could not pull off an upset to advance to the Round of 32 as the Ducks proved to be the dominant team. Now, let’s discuss what went wrong.  

 

Hey, big fella  

Standing on level ground with the Oregon players as they came out onto the court, I knew that there was at least one thing they had in their favor — height. When I say these guys were huge, I am talking David and Goliath level, these guys are twice-my-size kind of height.  

Despite our best efforts, we simply could not get around them, which was a major disadvantage for us. Even if we had been on our A-game when it came to field goal percentage, it still would not have been an even matchup.  

To put it in perspective, Oregon does not have a single player on their roster who is under 6-foot, with 10 of them standing at over 6-foot-5. In contrast, two of our leading scorers are 5-foot-10 and 5-foot-11. While none of our guys are necessarily “short kings,” the deficit in length proved to be enough to put the Ducks over the Flames, literally and figuratively. 

 

Well, shoot! 

In order for the Flames to overcome their height challenges, they needed to be on top of their shooting game. Though shooting is what got Liberty to the NCAA Tournament, it turned out to also be what ended their run.  

Kaden Metheny, Colin Porter and Taelon Peter have been the leading scorers on the road to March Madness, yet they had a tough time landing threes under the national spotlight.  

Throughout the season we have seen the team’s overall struggles when it comes to making free throws, but as for 3-pointers, this was an unexpected season low. Liberty’s 3-point percentage was at 21.6% while its field goal percentage was only 32.8%, both scores some of the lowest we have seen all season.  

With that lack in buckets, the Flames did not stand a chance in serving roasted duck and scorched themselves instead.  

 

All glory to God 

Heading into a press conference after a loss, you do not always know what to expect. With some players and coaches, reporters have to tiptoe on eggshells with questions as to not set anyone off or add salt to the wound. As for Head Coach Ritchie Mckay and his guys, however, they could not be any more different.  

Though they had just suffered a tough loss, McKay, Metheny and Zach Cleveland held their heads high and gave all praise to God for bringing them to the tournament. Their words served as a humbling reminder that win or lose, their ultimate purpose is to glorify God with the stage they have been given, and they did exactly that.  

Despite being eliminated in round one, going to the NCAA Tournament was an honor and a privilege, and I thank the good Lord for bringing us here.  

White is the sports editor for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on X.