2017–18 Liberty Flames basketball team

The 2017–18 Liberty Flames men's basketball team represented Liberty University in the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played its home games in Lynchburg, Virginia for the 28th consecutive season at Vines Center, with a capacity of 8,085. The team was led by Ritchie McKay, who was in his fifth season, but third season since his return to the program. They were members of the Big South Conference. They finished the season 22–14, 9–9 in Big South play to finish in a four-way tie for fifth place. They defeated Campbell and UNC Asheville to advance to the championship game of the Big South tournament where they lost to Radford. They were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament where they defeated North Carolina A&T in the first round in a game referred to as the Jim Phelan Classic. They received a second round bye and defeated Central Michigan in the quarterfinals before losing in the semifinals to UIC.

2017–18 Liberty Flames basketball
Jim Phelan Classic champions
CIT, Semifinals
ConferenceBig South Conference
Record22–15 (9–9 Big South)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
  • Brad Soucie (3rd (5th) season)
  • Kyle Getter (3rd season)
  • Vic Sfera (2nd season)
Home arenaVines Center
2017–18 Big South men's basketball standings
ConfOverall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
UNC Asheville13–5 .72221–13  .618
Radford †12–6 .66723–13  .639
Winthrop12–6 .66719–12  .613
Campbell10–8 .55618–16  .529
Liberty9–9 .50022–15  .595
Charleston Southern9–9 .50015–16  .484
High Point9–9 .50014–16  .467
Gardner–Webb9–9 .50014–18  .438
Presbyterian4–14 .22211–21  .344
Longwood3–15 .1677–26  .212
† 2018 Big South tournament winner

This was Liberty's final season as members of the Big South Conference, as the school announced on May 17, 2018 that they will be moving to the ASUN Conference for the 2018–19 season.[1]

Previous season

The Flames finished the 2016–17 season 21–14, 14–4 in Big South play to finish in a third place. They were upset in Quarterfinals of the Big South tournament by Radford. They were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament where they defeated Norfolk State in the first round to be champions of the Coach John McLendon Classic. In the Second Round they defeated Samford before losing in the quarterfinals to UMBC.

Departures
NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownNotes
AC Reid2Guard6'5"190JuniorSpring Branch, TexasTransferred to Tennessee State
Xzavier Barmore4Guard6'0"165FreshmanSeneca, South CarolinaTransferred to College of Central Florida
Ray Chen13Guard6'1"185Graduate StudentMiaoli, TaiwanGraduated
John Dawson22Guard6'2"205SeniorClovis, New MexicoGraduated
Josiah Talbert34Forward6'8"210FreshmanOlathe, KansasTransferred to Central Missouri

2017–18 Newcomers
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Elijah Cuffee
G		 Poca, West Virginia Liberty Christian Academy 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 185 lb (84 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Keegan McDowell
G		 Cincinnati, Ohio Moeller High School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 180 lb (82 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Jay Barber
G		 Lynchburg, Virginia Liberty Christian Academy 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 175 lb (79 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Brendan Newton
C		 Roanoke, Virginia Faith Christian School 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) 235 lb (107 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:3/5 stars
Isaiah Williams
F		 Dayton, Ohio Akron 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg)  
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals: N/A   247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com.

Roster
2017–18 Liberty Flames men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
F 0 Myo Baxter-Bell 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)255 lb (116 kg) RS SoChaminade Julieen High School Dayton, Ohio
G 1 Caleb Homesley 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)175 lb (79 kg) RS SoPorter Ridge High School Indian Trail, North Carolina
G 3 Lovell Cabbil 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)155 lb (70 kg) JrMansfield Summit High School Arlington, Texas
G/F 5 Ryan Kemrite 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)200 lb (91 kg) RS SrSatch Homeschool Conroe, Texas
G/F 10 Elijah Cuffee 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)185 lb (84 kg) FrLiberty Christian Academy Poca, West Virginia
G 11 Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)170 lb (77 kg) SoDeep Run High School Ponce, Puerto Rico
F 13 Isaiah Williams 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)210 lb (95 kg) RS FrAkron Dayton, Ohio
G 14 Brody Hicks 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)200 lb (91 kg) FrCave Spring High School Roanoke, VA
G 15 Zach Farquhar (W) 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)160 lb (73 kg) RS JrSycamore High School Cincinnati, Ohio
G/F 20 Keegan McDowell 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)180 lb (82 kg) FrMoeller High School Cincinnati, Ohio
F 24 Ezra Talbert 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)190 lb (86 kg) RS JrOlathe East High School Olathe, Kansas
F 31 Scottie James 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)225 lb (102 kg) RS SoBradley Tarpon Springs, Florida
G 44 Ryan Hiepler (W) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)180 lb (82 kg) JrOaks Christian High Westlake Village, California
C 55 Brendan Newton 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m)235 lb (107 kg) FrFaith Christian High Roanoke, Virginia
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on
  • Roster is subject to change as/if players transfer or leave the program for other reasons.

Schedule and results
Date
time, TV		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
Oct 26, 2017*
7:00 pm		 at VCU
Hurricane Relief Exhibition		 W 85–69  –
  23 – Talbert  8 – James  4 – Cuffee  Siegel Center (3,497)
Richmond, VA
Non-conference regular season
Nov 10, 2017*
7:00 pm		 Clarks Summit
Paradise Jam campus game		 W 87–42  1–0
  13 – Tied  7 – Cabbil  3 – Kemrite  Vines Center (4,094)
Lynchburg, VA
Nov 14, 2017*
7:00 pm, ACCN Extra		 at Wake Forest W 79–66  2–0
  22 – Cabbil  14 – James  4 – Williams  LJVM Coliseum (5,213)
Winston-Salem, NC
Nov 17, 2017*
12:00 pm		 Mercer
Paradise Jam first round		 L 48–63  2–1
  15 – Cabbil  6 – James  4 – Cabbil  Vines Center (1,022)
Lynchburg, VA
Nov 18, 2017*
12:00 pm		 Houston
Paradise Jam consolation		 L 66–68  2–2
  16 – Pacheco-Ortiz  7 – James  3 – Williams  Vines Center (815)
Lynchburg, VA
Nov 19, 2017*
12:00 pm		 vs. Quinnipiac
Paradise Jam 7th place game		 W 84–72  3–2
  21 – James  8 – James  2 – 5 tied  Vines Center (640)
Lynchburg, VA
Nov 25, 2017*
2:00 pm		 Toccoa Falls W 96–50  4–2
  18 – Baxter-Bell  10 – James  6 – Homesley  Vines Center (1,675)
Lynchburg, VA
Nov 27, 2017*
7:00 pm, ESPN3		 Howard W 75–55  5–2
  17 – Pacheco-Ortiz  10 – James  4 – Tied  Vines Center (2,169)
Lynchburg, VA
Dec 2, 2017*
1:00 pm, ESPN3		 UNC Greensboro L 75–76 3OT 5–3
  19 – James  15 – James  3 – Cabbil  Vines Center (2,294)
Lynchburg, VA
Dec 4, 2017*
7:00 pm, ESPN3		 at Georgia State W 77–74 OT 6–3
  17 – James  9 – James  5 – Cabbil  GSU Sports Arena (1,074)
Atlanta, GA
Dec 8, 2017*
7:00 pm, ESPN3		 Maryland Eastern Shore W 71–49  7–3
  12 – Kemrite  7 – James  4 – 3 tied  Vines Center (2,380)
Lynchburg, VA
Dec 16, 2017*
1:00 pm		 Kentucky Christian W 96–40  8–3
  21 – Cabbil  8 – Homesley  5 – Cabbil  Vines Center (2,063)
Lynchburg, VA
Dec 21, 2017*
11:00 am		 vs. Fort Wayne
New Orleans Classic		 L 64–75  8–4
  15 – 3 tied  12 – James  4 – Tied  Xavier University Academic Convocation Center (300)
New Orleans, LA
Dec 22, 2017*
1:00 pm		 vs. Alabama State
New Orleans Classic		 W 87–70  9–4
  19 – Pacheco-Ortiz  8 – James  7 – Pacheco-Ortiz  Xavier University Academic Convocation Center (250)
New Orleans, LA
Big South regular season
Dec 30, 2017
7:00 pm		 at Gardner–Webb L 55–58  9–5
(0–1)		  11 – James  13 – James  4 – Pacheco-Ortiz  Paul Porter Arena (1,250)
Boiling Springs, NC
Jan 2, 2018
7:00 pm, ESPN3		 Charleston Southern W 70–53  10–5
(1–1)		  27 – Pacheco-Ortiz  15 – James  5 – Cuffee  Vines Center (1,688)
Lynchburg, VA
Jan 6, 2018
4:00 pm, ESPN3		 Presbyterian W 60–48  11–5
(2–1)		  14 – Pacheco-Ortiz  12 – James  4 – Pacheco-Ortiz  Vines Center (2,216)
Lynchburg, VA
Jan 9, 2018
7:00 pm, ESPN3		 at Winthrop W 73–70  12–5
(3–1)		  19 – Cabbil  6 – Tied  5 – Cabbil  Winthrop Coliseum (1,085)
Rock Hill, SC
Jan 12, 2018
7:00 pm, ESPN3		 Longwood L 51–58  12–6
(3–2)		  10 – Cabbil  6 – James  3 – Pacheco-Ortiz  Vines Center (1,989)
Lynchburg, VA
Jan 15, 2018
7:00 pm, ESPN3		 at Radford L 57–59 OT 12–7
(3–3)		  14 – Cabbil  4 – Cabbil  4 – Pacheco-Ortiz  Dedmon Center (1,493)
Radford, VA
Jan 18, 2018
7:00 pm		 at High Point L 60–71  12–8
(3–4)		  17 – Baxter-Bell  10 – James  3 – Cabbil  Millis Athletic Center (1,214)
High Point, NC
Jan 21, 2018
2:00 pm, Stadium		 UNC Asheville L 68–84  12–9
(3–5)		  19 – James  8 – Homesley  5 – Homesley  Vines Center (2,426)
Lynchburg, VA
Jan 23, 2018
7:00 pm, ESPN3		 Campbell L 85–94  12–10
(3–6)		  24 – Pacheco-Ortiz  6 – Kemrite  4 – Pacheco-Ortiz  Vines Center (2,452)
Lynchburg, VA
Jan 27, 2018
4:00 pm		 at Presbyterian W 81–66  13–10
(4–6)		  21 – Kemrite  7 – James  6 – Pacheco-Ortiz  Templeton Center (493)
Clinton, SC
Feb 1, 2018
7:00 pm, ESPN3		 Winthrop W 77–61  14–10
(5–6)		  21 – James  8 – James  5 – Pacheco-Ortiz  Vines Center (2,422)
Lynchburg, VA
Feb 3, 2018
2:00 pm		 at Longwood W 67–55  15–10
(6–6)		  26 – James  10 – James  4 – Homesley  Willett Hall (1,807)
Farmville, VA
Feb 7, 2018
7:30 pm, ESPN3		 at Charleston Southern L 75–87  15–11
(6–7)		  15 – Cabbil  6 – James  4 – Pacheco-Ortiz  CSU Field House (725)
North Charleston, SC
Feb 10, 2018
7:00 pm, ESPN3		 Gardner–Webb W 77–65  16–11
(7–7)		  15 – Tied  9 – Tied  7 – Cabbil  Vines Center (3,197)
Lynchburg, VA
Feb 15, 2018
7:00 pm		 at UNC Ahseville W 82–69 OT 17–11
(8–7)		  23 – James  15 – James  6 – Cuffee  Kimmel Arena (1,719)
Asheville, NC
Feb 18, 2018
2:00 pm, ESPN3		 at Campbell L 69–79  17–12
(8–8)		  14 – Kemrite  6 – Tied  4 – 3 tied  Gore Arena (2,126)
Buies Creek, NC
Feb 22, 2018
7:00 pm, ESPN3		 Radford L 50–63  17–13
(8–9)		  15 – James  4 – Pacheco-Ortiz  6 – Cabbil  Vines Center (2,669)
Lynchburg, VA
Feb 24, 2018
2:00 pm, ESPN3		 High Point W 65–45  18–13
(9–9)		  21 – James  7 – James  5 – Pacheco-Ortiz  Vines Center (3,517)
Lynchburg, VA
Big South tournament
Mar 1, 2018
9:30 pm, ESPN3		 (5) vs. (4) Campbell
Quarterfinals		 W 73–59  19–13
  14 – Tied  9 – James  2 – 3 tied  Kimmel Arena (2,276)
Asheville, NC
Mar 2, 2018
8:30 pm, ESPN3		 (5) at (1) UNC Asheville
Semifinals		 W 69–64  20–13
  18 – James  14 – James  3 – Cabbil  Kimmel Arena (2,318)
Asheville, NC
Mar 4, 2018
1:00 pm, ESPN		 (5) at (2) Radford
Championship		 L 52–55  20–14
  20 – James  13 – James  7 – Cabbil  Dedmon Center (3,859)
Radford, VA
CIT
Mar 12, 2018*
6:00 pm, CBSSN		 North Carolina A&T
First Round – Jim Phelan Classic		 W 65–52  21–14
  16 – Homesley  12 – James  3 – Tied  Vines Center (486)
Lynchburg, VA
Mar 24, 2018*
2:00 pm		 Central Michigan
Quarterfinals		 W 84–71  22–14
  20 – James  9 – James  13 – Cabbil  Vines Center (476)
Lynchburg, VA
Mar 28, 2018*
7:00 pm, CBSSN		 UIC
Semifinals		 L 51–67  22–15
  13 – Cabbil  9 – Tied  3 – Tied  Vines Center (2,248)
Lynchburg, VA
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern Time..

[2]

References
  1. "Liberty Moving to ASUN Conference for 2018-19 Season". Liberty Flames. May 17, 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  2. "Liberty Announces 2017-18 Men's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule | Liberty Flames". www.liberty.edu. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
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