2025–26 Liberty Flames basketball team
American college basketball season
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The 2025–26 Liberty Flames basketball team represented Liberty University in the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Flames were led by Ritchie McKay in the eleventh season of his current stint as head coach (13th overall). They played their home games at Liberty Arena in Lynchburg, Virginia as members of Conference USA.
ConferenceConference USA
Record26–8 (17–3 CUSA)
Headcoach
- Ritchie McKay (11th, 13th overall season)
Associate headcoachDerek Johnston
| 2025–26 Liberty Flames basketball | |
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Conference USA regular season champions | |
NIT, Second Round | |
| Conference | Conference USA |
| Record | 26–8 (17–3 CUSA) |
| Head coach |
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| Associate head coach | Derek Johnston |
| Assistant coaches |
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| Home arena | Liberty Arena |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Liberty | 17 | – | 3 | .850 | 26 | – | 8 | .765 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sam Houston | 13 | – | 7 | .650 | 22 | – | 12 | .647 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Western Kentucky | 11 | – | 9 | .550 | 18 | – | 14 | .563 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisiana Tech | 11 | – | 9 | .550 | 20 | – | 14 | .588 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Middle Tennessee | 11 | – | 9 | .550 | 17 | – | 15 | .531 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kennesaw State † | 10 | – | 10 | .500 | 21 | – | 14 | .600 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jacksonville State | 10 | – | 10 | .500 | 15 | – | 17 | .469 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FIU | 8 | – | 12 | .400 | 15 | – | 17 | .469 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Missouri State | 8 | – | 12 | .400 | 16 | – | 18 | .471 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Mexico State | 8 | – | 12 | .400 | 16 | – | 16 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UTEP | 7 | – | 13 | .350 | 11 | – | 20 | .355 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Delaware | 6 | – | 14 | .300 | 10 | – | 21 | .323 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2026 CUSA tournament winner | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Previous season
The Flames finished the 2024–25 season 28–7, 16–5 in C-USA play to finish in first place. As the No. 1 seed in the C-USA tournament they defeated the 8th seed UTEP in the quarterfinals, the 4th seed Kennesaw State in the semifinals, and the 2nd seed Jacksonville State in the championship game to secure their first CUSA championship.[1]
The Flames were a 12-seed in the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament and faced 5th seed Oregon in Seattle as part of the East Regional. Oregon would eliminate Liberty by 29 points.[2]
Offseason
Departures
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taelon Peter | 2 | G | 6'4" | 210 |  Senior | Russellville, Arkansas | Graduated drafted by the Indiana Pacers[3] |
| Bryson Spell | 5 | F | 6'9" | 230 | Junior | Virginia Beach, Virginia | Transferred to Elon[4] |
| Owen Aquino | 8 | F | 6'9" | 220 | Junior | Madrid, Spain | Transferred to High Point[5] |
| Will Gibson | 15 | F | 6'6 | 225 | Freshman | Louisville, Kentucky | Transferred to Cedarville |
| Gaberial McKay | 21 | G | 6'2" | 180 | Senior | Lynchburg, Virginia | Graduated |
| Curtis Blair III | 24 | G | 6'6" | 210 | Freshman | Richmond, Virginia | Transferred to Cedarville |
| Jayvon Maughmer | 32 | G | 6'6" | 205 | Senior | Chillicothe, Ohio | Graduated |
| Kai Yu | 45 | F | 7'0" | 235 | Freshman | Zhuhai, China | Transferred to Bradley[6] |
Incoming transfers
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous college |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JJ Harper[7] | 9 | G | 6'5" | 200 | Senior | Orlando, Florida | West Liberty |
| Ryan Jones Jr.[8] | 21 | F | 6'8" | 240 | Freshman | Gainesville, Florida | Virginia Tech |
2025 recruiting class
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date[9][10][11] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zander Carter G |
Greenup, Kentucky | Paul G. Blazer High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | N/A | Jun 19, 2023 | |
| Recruit ratings: No ratings found | ||||||
| TJ Drain F |
Windermere, Florida | Windermere High School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | N/A | Aug 31, 2024 | |
| Recruit ratings: No ratings found | ||||||
| Brady Kester F |
Huntersville, North Carolina | Davidson Day School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | N/A | N/A | |
| Recruit ratings: No ratings found | ||||||
| Andrew Grimes F |
Clayton, North Carolina | Clayton High School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | N/A | Sep 4, 2023 | |
| Recruit ratings: No ratings found | ||||||
| Torr Sorensen F |
Goode, Virginia | Western Reserve Academy | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | N/A | Oct 9, 2023 | |
| Recruit ratings: No ratings found | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: | ||||||
Sources:
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Roster
| 2024–25 Liberty Flames men's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[12]
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Schedule and results
| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-conference regular season | |||||||||||
| November 3, 2025* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Kentucky Christian | W 98–57 | 1–0 |
29 – Decker Jr. | 10 – Cleveland | 6 – Porter | Liberty Arena (3,431) Lynchburg, Virginia | ||||
| November 7, 2025* 6:00 p.m., YouTube |
Charleston Field of 68 Media Network Tip-Off Event |
W 90–75 | 2–0 |
23 – Porter | 10 – Cleveland | 8 – Cleveland | Liberty Arena (3,998) Lynchburg, Virginia | ||||
| November 9, 2025* 6:00 p.m., YouTube |
Florida Atlantic Field of 68 Media Network Tip-Off Event |
W 88–68 | 3–0 |
28 – Metheny | 10 – Cleveland | 10 – Cleveland | Liberty Arena (3,722) Lynchburg, Virginia | ||||
| November 17, 2025* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Carolina | W 98–46 | 4–0 |
15 – Tied | 10 – Cleveland | 9 – Cleveland | Liberty Arena (3,513) Lynchburg, Virginia | ||||
| November 24, 2025* 1:30 p.m., ESPNU |
vs. Vermont Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational |
W 79–73 | 5–0 |
23 – Decker Jr. | 6 – Cleveland | 7 – Cleveland | State Farm Field House (1,315) Kissimmee, Florida | ||||
| November 25, 2025* 12:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
vs. Towson Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational |
L 69–72 | 5–1 |
16 – Metheny | 8 – Cleveland | 7 – Cleveland | State Farm Field House (957) Kissimmee, Florida | ||||
| November 26, 2025* 2:30 p.m., ESPNU |
vs. Bradley Terry's Chocolate ESPN Events Invitational |
L 64–74 | 5–2 |
21 – Decker Jr. | 11 – Cleveland | 8 – Cleveland | State Farm Field House (547) Kissimmee, Florida | ||||
| December 6, 2025* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Coppin State | W 92–50 | 6–2 |
20 – Decker Jr. | 7 – Tied | 13 – Cleveland | Liberty Arena (2,878) Lynchburg, Virginia | ||||
| December 10, 2025* 7:00 p.m., ACC Network |
at NC State | L 45–85 | 6–3 |
12 – Tied | 7 – Cleveland | 5 – Cleveland | Lenovo Center (14,515) Raleigh, North Carolina | ||||
| December 16, 2025* 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Midway | W 95–57 | 7–3 |
14 – Tied | 5 – Tied | 5 – Tied | Liberty Arena (2,250) Lynchburg, Virginia | ||||
| December 20, 2025* 12:30 p.m., USA Network |
at Dayton | W 64–61 | 8–3 |
16 – Metheny | 16 – Cleveland | 7 – Cleveland | UD Arena (13,407) Dayton, Ohio | ||||
| Conference USA regular season | |||||||||||
| December 28, 2025 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at FIU | W 97–94 OT | 9–3 (1–0) |
27 – Decker Jr. | 9 – Smith | 8 – Porter | Ocean Bank Convocation Center (399) Westchester, Florida | ||||
| January 2, 2026 7:00 p.m., ESPNU |
Kennesaw State | W 81–73 | 10–3 (2–0) |
20 – Cleveland | 7 – Cleveland | 4 – Metheny | Liberty Arena (3,415) Lynchburg, Virginia | ||||
| January 4, 2026 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Jacksonville State | W 78–69 | 11–3 (3–0) |
22 – Metheny | 10 – Cleveland | 7 – Cleveland | Liberty Arena (3,087) Lynchburg, Virginia | ||||
| January 8, 2026 7:00 p.m., CBS Sports Network |
at Louisiana Tech | W 72–56 | 12–3 (4–0) |
15 – Decker Jr. | 8 – Smith | 2 – Tied | Thomas Assembly Center (2,373) Ruston, Louisiana | ||||
| January 10, 2026 3:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
at Sam Houston | W 82–74 | 13–3 (5–0) |
23 – Cleveland | 7 – Cleveland | 10 – Cleveland | Bernard Johnson Coliseum (1,170) Huntsville, Texas | ||||
| January 15, 2026 6:00 p.m., CBS Sports Network |
New Mexico State | W 73–71 | 14–3 (6–0) |
17 – Tied | 6 – Cleveland | 7 – Cleveland | Liberty Arena (2,580) Lynchburg, Virginia | ||||
| January 17, 2026 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
UTEP | W 80–69 | 15–3 (7–0) |
20 – Tied | 6 – Cleveland | 4 – Cleveland | Liberty Arena (3,082) Lynchburg, Virginia | ||||
| January 21, 2026 7:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
at Western Kentucky | W 76–69 | 16–3 (8–0) |
19 – Metheny | 5 – Tied | 6 – Metheny | E. A. Diddle Arena (3,512) Bowling Green, Kentucky | ||||
| January 24, 2026 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Delaware | W 67–51 | 17–3 (9–0) |
25 – Decker Jr. | 8 – Cleveland | 7 – Porter | Liberty Arena (3,475) Lynchburg, Virginia | ||||
| January 29, 2026 7:00 p.m., CBS Sports Network |
at Middle Tennessee | W 81–65 | 18–3 (10–0) |
29 – Metheny | 6 – Cleveland | 9 – Cleveland | Murphy Center (3,922) Murfreesboro, Tennessee | ||||
| February 4, 2026 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at Delaware | W 75–69 | 19–3 (11–0) |
23 – Porter | 7 – Metheny | 9 – Cleveland | Bob Carpenter Center (2,084) Newark, Delaware | ||||
| February 7, 2026 2:00 p.m., CBS Sports Network |
Missouri State | W 79–76 | 20–3 (12–0) |
20 – Decker Jr. | 10 – Cleveland | 11 – Cleveland | Liberty Arena (3,991) Lynchburg, Virginia | ||||
| February 11, 2026 9:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at New Mexico State | W 77–75 | 21–3 (13–0) |
19 – Harper | 14 – Cleveland | 5 – Porter | Pan American Center (5,236) Las Cruces, New Mexico | ||||
| February 14, 2026 2:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
at UTEP | W 73–64 | 22–3 (14–0) |
18 – Harper | 6 – Tied | 7 – Metheny | Don Haskins Center (3,914) El Paso, Texas | ||||
| February 19, 2026 6:00 p.m., CBS Sports Network |
FIU | W 90–89 OT | 23–3 (15–0) |
18 – Cleveland | 7 – Smith | 8 – Cleveland | Liberty Arena (3,553) Lynchburg, Virginia | ||||
| February 21, 2026 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Western Kentucky | L 73–94 | 23–4 (15–1) |
20 – Porter | 4 – Cleveland | 5 – Cleveland | Liberty Arena (3,922) Lynchburg, Virginia | ||||
| February 26, 2026 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at Kennesaw State | L 65–74 | 23–5 (15–2) |
15 – Decker Jr. | 4 – Metheny | 4 – Metheny | Convocation Center (2,046) Kennesaw, Georgia | ||||
| February 28, 2026 6:00 p.m., ESPNU |
at Jacksonville State | W 81–78 | 24–5 (16–2) |
24 – Metheny | 7 – Cleveland | 5 – Tied | Pete Mathews Coliseum (1,573) Jacksonville, Alabama | ||||
| March 5, 2026 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Louisiana Tech | L 71–76 | 24–6 (16–3) |
30 – Decker Jr. | 6 – Metheny | 8 – Cleveland | Liberty Arena (3,134) Lynchburg, Virginia | ||||
| March 7, 2026 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Sam Houston | W 79–72 | 25–6 (17–3) |
19 – Cleveland | 9 – Cleveland | 9 – Cleveland | Liberty Arena (3,523) Lynchburg, Virginia | ||||
| Conference USA Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 11, 2026 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
(1) | vs. (9) Missouri State Quarterfinal |
L 69-77 | 25–7 |
20 – Cleveland | 14 – Cleveland | 5 – Porter | Von Braun Center Huntsville, Alabama | |||
| National Invitation Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 17, 2026 6:00 p.m., ESPN2 |
at (3 AU) George Mason First round |
W 77–71 | 26–7 |
23 – Smith | 9 – Smith | 7 – Cleveland | EagleBank Arena (1,485) Fairfax, Virginia | ||||
| March 21, 2026 9:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at (2 AU) Nevada Second round |
L 63–73 | 26–8 |
20 – Decker Jr. | 7 – Cleveland | 6 – Cleveland | Lawlor Events Center (4,616) Reno, Nevada | ||||
Sources[13]