Cleveland and Metheny Selected to CUSA Preseason All-Conference Team
10/10/2024 2:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Liberty men's basketball's Zach Cleveland and Kaden Metheny have been selected to the 2024-25 Conference USA (CUSA) Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference team.
This is the first time Cleveland and Metheny have been tabbed to a CUSA Preseason All-Conference team. Cleveland was an All-CUSA second team honoree during the 2023-24 season, and Metheny was honored on the All-CUSA third team last year.
Liberty was one of three CUSA squads with two players on the CUSA Preseason All-Conference team, along with Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee.
The Flames have been picked to finish in a tie for fifth place in the CUSA Men's Basketball Preseason Poll. Liberty and UTEP shared the fifth spot with 62 points, with the Flames earning one first-place vote.
Louisiana Tech was picked to finish first in the poll, voted on by the league's head coaches. The Bulldogs received three of the 10 available first-place votes and 87 points. Defending CUSA champion Western Kentucky (two first-place votes, 85 points) was slotted at No. 2, followed by 2023-24 CUSA regular season champion Sam Houston in the No. 3 position (three first-place votes, 83 points).
Middle Tennessee earned one first-place vote and 69 points in the No. 4 slot. Following Liberty and UTEP (T5, 62 points) were New Mexico State (seventh, 39 points), Jacksonville State (eighth, 29 points), FIU (T9, 17 points) and Kennesaw State (T9, 17 points).
Cleveland enjoyed a strong sophomore campaign, averaging 11.8 points (third on team), 6.3 rebounds (first on team), 4.0 assists (first on team), 1.2 blocks (first on team) and 0.9 steals per game (second on team). The forward from Bloomington, Ill. earned Conference USA Player of the Week honors last year for the first time in his career and finished third in the league in assists per game and fifth in rebounds per game. Cleveland tallied five games of 20 or more points, 13 games with five or more assists and one game with 10 or more rebounds.
In Metheny's first season at Liberty, he averaged 13.4 points (second on team), 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.8 steals per game. The guard from Morgantown, W.Va. finished the second ranked No. 23 in the nation and first in Conference USA in three-point percentage. Metheny knocked down 87 three-pointers a season ago, third most in CUSA and 63rd most in the country. He finished 52nd nationally and second in CUSA in three-pointers per game (2.72). Metheny led Liberty with 25 games in double figures scoring and notched 20 or more points five times.
Head coach Ritchie McKay and Cleveland will be featured in the 2024 CUSA Basketball Tipoff and Media Day event next Monday at 1 p.m. Eastern on ESPN+. Liberty's 2024-25 season will begin on Nov. 4 against Valparaiso at the Total Athlete Tip-Off event in Xenia, Ohio. The Flames' CUSA opener will be on Jan. 2 against WKU at Liberty Arena.
Ticket Sale/Flames Club Information
Season tickets for the 2024-25 men's basketball season are sold out for the third consecutive year. Single-game tickets will go on sale for non-conference games to the public on Oct. 24 and conference games on Dec. 10. For all ticket information, visit LUBasketball.com.
Exclusive access to purchase single-game tickets will be available to Flames Club members a week early, so join today for advanced access. Membership starts at just $75. Join online at LibertyFlamesClub.org or by calling/texting 434-582-CLUB (2528).
Flames fans have helped cheer the home team to a 57-7 home record in four seasons of competition at Liberty Arena. Liberty posted a 12-3 home record during the 2023-24 season.
2024-25 CUSA Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
CUSA Men's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year
Daniel Batcho, F, Louisiana Tech
CUSA Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Honorees
*2023-24 All-Conference USA selection
This is the first time Cleveland and Metheny have been tabbed to a CUSA Preseason All-Conference team. Cleveland was an All-CUSA second team honoree during the 2023-24 season, and Metheny was honored on the All-CUSA third team last year.
Liberty was one of three CUSA squads with two players on the CUSA Preseason All-Conference team, along with Western Kentucky and Middle Tennessee.
The Flames have been picked to finish in a tie for fifth place in the CUSA Men's Basketball Preseason Poll. Liberty and UTEP shared the fifth spot with 62 points, with the Flames earning one first-place vote.
Louisiana Tech was picked to finish first in the poll, voted on by the league's head coaches. The Bulldogs received three of the 10 available first-place votes and 87 points. Defending CUSA champion Western Kentucky (two first-place votes, 85 points) was slotted at No. 2, followed by 2023-24 CUSA regular season champion Sam Houston in the No. 3 position (three first-place votes, 83 points).
Middle Tennessee earned one first-place vote and 69 points in the No. 4 slot. Following Liberty and UTEP (T5, 62 points) were New Mexico State (seventh, 39 points), Jacksonville State (eighth, 29 points), FIU (T9, 17 points) and Kennesaw State (T9, 17 points).
Cleveland enjoyed a strong sophomore campaign, averaging 11.8 points (third on team), 6.3 rebounds (first on team), 4.0 assists (first on team), 1.2 blocks (first on team) and 0.9 steals per game (second on team). The forward from Bloomington, Ill. earned Conference USA Player of the Week honors last year for the first time in his career and finished third in the league in assists per game and fifth in rebounds per game. Cleveland tallied five games of 20 or more points, 13 games with five or more assists and one game with 10 or more rebounds.
In Metheny's first season at Liberty, he averaged 13.4 points (second on team), 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.8 steals per game. The guard from Morgantown, W.Va. finished the second ranked No. 23 in the nation and first in Conference USA in three-point percentage. Metheny knocked down 87 three-pointers a season ago, third most in CUSA and 63rd most in the country. He finished 52nd nationally and second in CUSA in three-pointers per game (2.72). Metheny led Liberty with 25 games in double figures scoring and notched 20 or more points five times.
Head coach Ritchie McKay and Cleveland will be featured in the 2024 CUSA Basketball Tipoff and Media Day event next Monday at 1 p.m. Eastern on ESPN+. Liberty's 2024-25 season will begin on Nov. 4 against Valparaiso at the Total Athlete Tip-Off event in Xenia, Ohio. The Flames' CUSA opener will be on Jan. 2 against WKU at Liberty Arena.
Ticket Sale/Flames Club Information
Season tickets for the 2024-25 men's basketball season are sold out for the third consecutive year. Single-game tickets will go on sale for non-conference games to the public on Oct. 24 and conference games on Dec. 10. For all ticket information, visit LUBasketball.com.
Exclusive access to purchase single-game tickets will be available to Flames Club members a week early, so join today for advanced access. Membership starts at just $75. Join online at LibertyFlamesClub.org or by calling/texting 434-582-CLUB (2528).
Flames fans have helped cheer the home team to a 57-7 home record in four seasons of competition at Liberty Arena. Liberty posted a 12-3 home record during the 2023-24 season.
2024-25 CUSA Men's Basketball Preseason Poll
| Rank | School (first-place votes) | Total |
| 1. | Louisiana Tech (3) | 87 |
| 2. | Western Kentucky (2) | 85 |
| 3. | Sam Houston (3) | 83 |
| 4. | Middle Tennessee (1) | 69 |
| T5. | Liberty (1) | 62 |
| T5. | UTEP | 62 |
| 7. | New Mexico State | 39 |
| 8. | Jacksonville State | 29 |
| T9. | FIU | 17 |
| T9. | Kennesaw State | 17 |
CUSA Men's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year
Daniel Batcho, F, Louisiana Tech
CUSA Men's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Honorees
| Name |
| Zach Cleveland, F, Liberty* |
| Kaden Metheny, G, Liberty* |
| Daniel Batcho, F, Louisiana Tech* |
| Jestin Porter, G, Middle Tennessee* |
| Camryn Weston, G, Middle Tennessee |
| Christian Cook, G, New Mexico State |
| Lamar Wilkerson, G, Sam Houston* |
| Otis Frazier III, F, UTEP |
| Tyrone Marshall Jr., F, Western Kentucky |
| Don McHenry, G, Western Kentucky* |
*2023-24 All-Conference USA selection
Congrats to @Zachcleve33 on earning @ConferenceUSA Preseason All-Conference honors!
— Liberty Men's Basketball (@LibertyMBB) October 10, 2024
??: https://t.co/QVxMZgrCXZ pic.twitter.com/yipE63a007
Preseason All-Conference recognition for @kmeth3!
— Liberty Men's Basketball (@LibertyMBB) October 10, 2024
??: https://t.co/QVxMZgrCXZ pic.twitter.com/gR6Oo0h6AJ
Players Mentioned
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