MBB NIT Game Day: Wisconsin
3/17/2023 10:23:31 PM | Men's Basketball
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TV Coverage: ESPN+
Play-By-Play Broadcaster: Derek Jones
Color Analyst: Paul Biancardi
Radio Coverage:
Liberty Flames Sports Network – Radio
LFSN Radio (107.5 FM Lynchburg)
Play-By-Play Broadcaster: Alan York
Liberty’s Top Storylines
• Liberty and Wisconsin will be meeting for the first time. The Flames are making their first-ever appearance in the NIT, and the Badgers will be making their fifth appearance.
• Playing in its first-ever NIT game, Liberty topped Villanova 62-57 at Liberty Arena, Tuesday night. The win was the Flames' second ever over a BIG EAST foe and first since Nov. 28, 2000, a 61-56 triumph over Virginia Tech. This is the Badgers' fifth NIT appearance, and they hold a 4-4 record.
• Darius McGhee was named an AP All-America honorable mention selection, the second player in program history to achieve the feat.
• Liberty is in the top 10 nationally in scoring margin (No. 3, 14.3), effective field goal percentage (No. 4, 56.7), three-pointers per game (No. 4, 10.5), total threes (No. 4, 368), scoring defense (No. 8, 60.5) and assist/turnover ratio (No. 8, 1.55).
• McGhee was selected as the ASUN Player of the Year for a third straight year. McGhee was also an All-ASUN first team honoree, and Kyle Rode was tabbed to the ASUN All-Conference second team. Rode was named ASUN Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and Colin Porter made the ASUN All-Freshman team. McGhee is No. 2 nationally in made threes (158) and total points (790) and fourth in scoring average (22.6 ppg).
• McGhee was named to the NABC District 3 first team, and Kyle Rode was tabbed to the second team. McGhee also made the USBWA District III All-District team.
• The Flames have eight total titles over the last five seasons in the ASUN - three ASUN Tournament crowns, four ASUN regular season titles and a Division title.
• Liberty is 131-36 over the last five seasons and has the fourth-most wins in the nation over that span.
• The Flames are 0-6 all-time against Big Ten teams, including an 0-1 mark this season. Liberty faced Northwestern, a 2023 NCAA Tournament team, this season in the Cancun Challenge (Nov. 22, 2022). The Flames led by 12 in the first half, but the Wildcats came back for a 66-52 victory.
