MBB Game Day Central: Radford
12/2/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Game Day Central
Liberty Game Notes
The Game
Liberty opens Big South play on Thursday, squaring off with Radford inside the Dedmon Center. The Flames and the Highlanders will meet for the 67th time, with Radford holding a 35-31 edge in the all-time series. The two squads split in regular-season play, last year, with the Highlanders defeating the Flames in the Dedmon Center, 84-76 (Jan. 24, 2015). Liberty avenged the loss just over a month later, besting Radford in Vines Center, 80-69 (Feb. 26, 2015). Tipoff for Thursday's matchup is slated for 7 p.m., with the contest broadcasting live on the Liberty Flames Sports Network, MASN, ESPN3 and the Big South Network.
Matchup Notes
- Thursday's meeting marks the third showdown between the two squads in 2015. The last time Liberty and Radford met three times in the same calendar year occurred during the 2002-03 season. That year, the pair split during the regular season, picking up lopsided wins in their respective venues before Radford edged Liberty in the semifinals of the 2003 Big South Championship, 55-52 (March 7, 2003).
- Radford's returners recorded a combined 64 points in two games against the Flames, last season, with the trio of YaYa Anderson (32), Cameron Jones (22) and Rashun Davis (10) providing the scoring. Meanwhile, Liberty's returners posted a total of 14 points, with A.C. Reid (10) and Evan Maxwell (4) accounting for the Flames' total.
Youth Movement
The Flames will rely heavily on fresh faces this season, as Liberty returns just 16.5 percent of its scoring, 13 percent of its rebounding and 13 percent of its total assists from last year.
In addition, Liberty sports one of the youngest rosters in NCAA Division I, this season, with 11 out of 12 players being underclassmen (approximately 92 percent). The Flames are comprised of six freshmen and five sophomores.
Youngest Programs in NCAA Division I - Based on Percentage of Underclassmen
Liberty - 92%
Ohio State - 85%
Fairleigh Dickinson - 85%
Wyoming - 80%
Notes and Anecdotes
- Prior to rejoining Ritchie McKay at Liberty, assistant coach Kyle Getter was a four-year member of Mike Jones' staff at Radford (2011-14). During the 2014-15 campaign, Getter helped the Highlanders finish 22-12 overall and 12-6 in the Big South. Radford made an appearance in the 2015 College Basketball Invitational, defeating Delaware State, 78-57, before falling to Vermont, 71-58. In between his first stint at Liberty and his time at Radford, Getter spent two seasons (2009-11) on Shaka Smart's staff at VCU, serving alongside Jones. Jones and Getter were a part of the Rams' remarkable run to the 2011 Final Four, which included wins over USC, Georgetown, Purdue, Florida State and Kansas.
- Since the series began on Jan. 28, 1975, Liberty and Radford have squared off 66 times, making the Highlanders the Flames' most common opponent in program history. Sitting in second is Charleston Southern, with 58 total games against the Flames. Liberty will host the Buccaneers Saturday at 2 p.m.
- During his first stint with the Flames, head coach Ritchie McKay went 2-2 against the Highlanders. Liberty is also 1-1 inside the Dedmon Center under McKay. The Flames narrowly lost to Radford inside the facility on Feb. 2, 2008, dropping the contest, 89-88. The following season, the Flames picked up a 92-85 victory in the Dedmon Center, despite not having the services of point guard Jesse Sanders. Seth Curry led Liberty with 25 points.
