Hope for the Flames: Previewing Liberty Men’s and Women’s Basketball

Both Liberty University Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams took to the court Monday, Nov. 4 for each team’s first game of the season.
Coming off a disappointing end to the season for both teams last year, both teams look to rebound with season-opening wins. The men’s team was knocked out in the Conference USA quarterfinals, while the women’s team lost in the CUSA Championship to Middle Tennessee.
The Lady Flames have an extremely bright future heading into this season. They are in good shape, returning with three All-Conference starters: redshirt senior center Bella Smuda, senior guard Emma Hess and sophomore guard Asia Boone.
With a lot of experience and a deep team, they have high expectations, ranking No. 2 in the CUSA preseason poll.
“We have high expectations ourselves,” Head Coach Carey Green said. “I’m very confident that they can reach those and perform at a high level.”
One of the Lady Flames’ strongest assets is senior guard Jordan Hodges. She had a 2.07 assist-to-turnover ratio last season, setting her teammates up for success.
“Jordan Hodges has been a secret formula to our success,” Green said. “She really controls the tempo and does an outstanding job setting the table, so to speak, for the others to perform at a high level.”
Despite losing a few key players like sophomore guard Ella Wigal to the University of Akron in the transfer portal, the Lady Flames brought in a strong freshman and transfer class led by redshirt senior guard Anna Badosa and freshman guard Avery Mills. Badosa is a transfer from Division II school Franklin Pierce University, and she will look to add to the offense, averaging 14.2 points per game last season. Mills is also a major offensive addition who scored over 2,500 points in her high school career.
Looking forward, Liberty has a tough schedule, to say the least. The Lady Flames have their work cut out for them, as they host Duke at the Liberty Arena Nov. 7 and play the University of Tennessee Nov. 16, as well as Arkansas Dec. 18.
But despite the difficult schedule, Liberty’s focus has been inside the locker room.
“I think the most unique thing about our team this year isn’t even really basketball-related,” Hess said. “It’s our relationships off the court.”
With a strong emphasis on developing a closer team unit rather than looking to the other side of the court, the Lady Flames have built close relationships with each other led by Hess and her fellow seniors.
“She’s maturing and showing great leadership,” Green said. “She’s more relaxed and efficient in what she’s doing.”
With this growth and development, Hess is one of the few players in the days of NIL and the transfer portal to stay with her team for all four seasons.
“It’s been nothing short of a blessing,” Hess said. “There’s not many players that can say they’ve played four years for the same school, so to be able to do that for Liberty … has been a fun ride.”
As for the men’s team, which came off a rough inaugural season in Conference USA, it will travel to take on the Beacons at Valparaiso University Nov. 4. Going 18-14 last year with a 7-9 record in CUSA play, the Flames have some new players this season.
Head Coach Ritchie McKay said one of his biggest objectives of the offseason was to bring in talent to fit his defense-first strategy. After losing key players such as Kyle Rode and Brody Peebles, there was a gap to be filled, and McKay believes he has filled it.
“I think we’ve improved,” McKay said. “I hope it shows itself on the court this year.”
Adding players such as redshirt senior guard Taelon Peter, redshirt senior guard Jayvon Maughmer and redshirt junior forward Isaiah Ihnen, McKay spent plenty of time recruiting veteran talent to add depth and experience to the program.
“Player development is always a focus,” McKay said. “We were able to do a really great job in the transfer portal. We picked up some transfers that came from really quality programs.”
Despite losing some key pieces, Liberty is returning gems such as junior forward Zach Cleveland, junior guard Colin Porter and redshirt senior guard Kaden Metheny, who averaged 13.4 points per game last season. These veteran stars will play a huge role in the team’s success on and off the court.
McKay had an overwhelmingly positive response to how the locker room situation has developed so far in the preseason.
“One thing that has been characteristic of our group is living in our true identity,” McKay said. “Having the ability to care more about ‘us’ than the ‘me.’”
Aiming to keep this positive momentum rolling into the season, the Flames hope to overcome outside adversity. Ranked the lowest the team has been in preseason polls since 2015, the Flames are tied for fifth in Conference USA with UTEP.
After a subpar performance in CUSA last season, the Flames have adapted their team to the athleticism and size of the conference. They will be taking a trip to Charleston, South Carolina, to compete in the second Field of 68 Tip-Off Event against FAU and Charleston University Nov. 16 and 17, and then they’ll have time to find their groove down south when they travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands to play in the Paradise Jam Nov. 22-25. With a combination of returning veterans and incoming talent, both teams are ready to get back on the paint. The Lady Flames will hold their home opener Nov. 7 against No. 11 Duke, and the men’s team will return to Liberty Arena Nov. 12 to take on Carolina University.
Bessire is a staff writer. Follow him on X.