MBB Game Day: Kennesaw State
12/31/2025 1:13:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Game Day Coverage
- Liberty vs. Kennesaw State (Liberty Arena)
- Tipoff: Friday at 7 p.m. ET
- TV: ESPNU
- Radio: LFSN Radio
- Live Stats
- Friday night's game will be a showdown between preseason CUSA favorite Liberty (9-3, 1-0 CUSA) and the No. 2 team in the poll, Kennesaw State (8-4, 0-1 CUSA).
- Liberty and Kennesaw State have developed a strong rivalry dating back to the 2018-19 season when both squads were ASUN members. The Flames own an 11-3 edge in 14 all-time meetings. Last season, Liberty prevailed at KSU (Jan. 30) by a 76-68 score before falling 85-80 at home (March 2) to the Owls. This was Liberty's last home loss and its only home setback in its last 12 games in its home building. The two teams met again in the 2025 CUSA Championship semifinals, with the Flames overcoming a 13-point second half deficit to win 81-79 and advance to the title game, which it won over Jacksonville State (79-67) to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
- Liberty has won three straight entering the game, most recently besting FIU on the road by a 97-94 score in overtime. KSU last played on Dec. 21, a 92-81 setback to Alabama. The Owls opened CUSA play with a narrow 68-67 loss at Middle Tennessee, Dec. 17.
- Friday's showdown pits the top two scorers in the league in Brett Decker Jr. (18.6 ppg) and Simeon Cottle (19.3 ppg). Decker Jr. is also the nation's best three-point shooter, ranking No. 1 in the country in triples per game (4.17), No. 3 in three-point percentage (52.6) and No. 4 in total threes (50).
- Senior forward Zach Cleveland ranks third in the country in assists per game (7.8).
- The Flames have shot over 50 percent eight times and are shooting 53 percent on the year, the sixth-best percentage nationally. Liberty is 9-0 when outshooting its opponent.
- Kaden Metheny (25 points, six assists at FIU) earned CUSA Player of the Week honors on Monday.
- Liberty is No. 2 in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (2.08), No. 2 in effective field goal percentage (.632), No. 4 in fewest turnovers per game (8.9), No. 6 in three-point percentage (40.8) and No. 6 in threes per game (11.8).
- Liberty has 186 wins since the start of the 2018-19 season, seventh most in the nation during that span.
- Liberty's overtime win at FIU was its first win in a CUSA opener and first overtime triumph since a 100-93 home OT win over Kennesaw State on Feb. 26, 2022 (lost three straight in OT prior).
- The Flames are 0-2 all-time in CUSA home openers. Last year, the Flames were edged 71-70 by Western Kentucky at Liberty Arena in their first CUSA home matchup.
- Metheny eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his Liberty career with a 14-point effort against Midway. The guard reached the milestone with a three at the 15:27 mark of the first half and is the 32nd player in program history to reach 1,000 career points as a Flame. Metheny has 1,681 points in his six-year collegiate career.
- Metheny is No. 9 in the nation in assist/turnover ratio (4.44).
- Colin Porter (965 points) and Cleveland (932 points) are both less than 70 points from 1,000 in their respective careers.
- Zach Cleveland (16 rebounds at Dayton) became the first Flame since Scottie James (17 rebounds) against Georgia State on Dec. 1, 2019 to grab 16 or more rebounds in a game.
- Cleveland ranks No. 7 in the country and first in CUSA in defensive rebounds per game (7.82). He is also first in the league and 42nd nationally in rebounds per game (8.9) and shares the conference lead in double-doubles (4).
- Decker Jr. is the only Flame to score in double figures in all 12 games this season. He has been Liberty's leading scorer (or tied)six times and has six 20-plus point games.
- Cleveland and Brett Decker Jr. (team-best 18.6 ppg, leads nation in threes per game (4.17)) were both named to the 2025-26 Lou Henson Award Early Season Watch List. Liberty is the only team in the nation with two players on the listing. The Lou Henson Award is given annually to the most outstanding mid-major men's college basketball player in NCAA Division I competition.
- Liberty finished 66th in the nation in the NCAA Men's Basketball NET Rankings and No. 64 in the KenPom rankings last year. The Flames are currently No. 105 in the KenPom and No. 108 in the NET. Kennesaw State is No. 161 in the KenPom and No. 169 in the NET.
- Liberty is ranked No. 14 in the College Insider Men's Mid-Major Top 25® (Dec. 29 poll) for a second straight week. The Flames are the top-ranked team in CUSA, ahead of No. 23 Kennesaw State.
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's BasketballCoach McKay Talks About Preparing For KSU
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