The Liberty University Men’s Basketball team enters the 2026-27 season after a strong 2025-26 season, finishing 17-3 in Conference USA (CUSA) play and 26-8 overall.
The Flames are the defending CUSA regular season champions for the second consecutive season.
Although the team has seen players come and go between seasons, Head Coach Ritchie McKay explained that the focus is not on trying to replace last year’s players.
“You can never recreate teams,” McKay said. “We don’t have a (Kaden) Metheny, we don’t have (Colin) Porter, we don’t have (Brett) Decker (Jr.), we don’t have (Zach) Cleveland. But what we do have is a collection of really good guys that play the right way.”
McKay will continue to find the best version of the team. Returning players will step into larger roles while new players join the mix.
Liberty opens the season against High Point University Nov. 2 at midnight in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Sophomore guard Zander Carter described the anticipation of playing bigger games and in larger environments.
“I love playing in big games, and I love playing in front of a lot of people,” Carter said. “You get
to go out there and people actually buy a ticket to come watch you all play.”
Liberty’s schedule includes opponents like the University of Richmond, the University of Rhode Island and Princeton University.
The Flames’ schedule features games from a variety of challenging colleges, and Carter believes playing stronger competition early will help prepare for games later in the season.
“We’re going to be tested early, and I think that will, eventually come March, be a good benefit for us playing these better teams or a packed house where it’s going to make a March-Madness-type of environment,” Carter said.
Junior guard Cooper Campbell also sees the non-conference schedule as preparation for CUSA play.
“Conference is so important, like when trying to make the tournament, it’s kind of like the goal,” Campbell said. “So, I think our non-conference schedule will be great for us just to get us ready for that.”
According to McKay, building a competitive non-conference schedule has become challenging for programs like Liberty.
“The opportunities to play high-level games have shrunk,” McKay said. “Mid-majors that have
had some historical success are playing one another because we can’t get the other games.”
With a different roster and a challenging schedule ahead, Liberty will use the next month to continue to grow and develop its identity. For McKay, the goal is not to recreate last year’s team, but to uncover what this year’s group can become.
Smith is a sports reporter for The Liberty Champion.