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Flames Feature 4 on All-CUSA Teams, Peter Named Sixth Player of Year
3/10/2025 3:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Conference USA regular season champion Liberty featured four players on the 2024-25 All-CUSA teams, and Taelon Peter was named the CUSA Sixth Player of the Year.
Three Flames – Kaden Metheny (All-CUSA second team), Zach Cleveland (All-CUSA third team) and Peter (All-CUSA third team) – were named all-conference performers, and Colin Porter garnered All-CUSA honorable mention distinction. Liberty led all teams in the league with three all-conference players (among the 15 first, second and third team members).
Between the All-CUSA first, second and third team, 15 players in the league were recognized. Ten players from the league were tabbed All-CUSA honorable mention as well.
Peter is Liberty's first major postseason award winner in two seasons in the league. The redshirt senior, in his first year at Liberty, is the Flames' leading scorer and averaged 16.5 ppg in 18 conference games, good for the fifth best scoring average in league play. Peter shot 58.6 percent from the field, 45.2 percent from three-point territory and 81.3 percent from the foul line during conference action.
This is Peter's third career all-conference nod after being named an all-conference performer (first team and POY 2023-24, second team 2022-23) two times at Arkansas Tech. Metheny and Cleveland are both receiving their second all-conference nods. Last year, Metheny was an All-CUSA third team performer, and Cleveland was an All-CUSA second team honoree.
The Flames (25-6, 13-5 CUSA) won the outright CUSA regular season title and earned the No. 1 seed for the 2025 CUSA Men's Basketball Championship. Liberty will square off with the winner of No. 8 seed UTEP (17-14, 7-11 CUSA) and No. 9 seed Sam Houston (13-18, 6-12 CUSA) in the 2025 CUSA Men's Basketball Championship quarterfinals, Wednesday evening. Tip time is 6:30 p.m. Eastern at Propst Arena in Huntsville, Ala.
Single-session tickets are now available at LibertyFlames.com/CUSABasketball, and the game will be carried live on ESPN+ as well.
Taelon Peter (CUSA Sixth Player of the Year, All-CUSA third team) | Redshirt Senior | Guard | Russellville, Ark.
Three Flames – Kaden Metheny (All-CUSA second team), Zach Cleveland (All-CUSA third team) and Peter (All-CUSA third team) – were named all-conference performers, and Colin Porter garnered All-CUSA honorable mention distinction. Liberty led all teams in the league with three all-conference players (among the 15 first, second and third team members).
Between the All-CUSA first, second and third team, 15 players in the league were recognized. Ten players from the league were tabbed All-CUSA honorable mention as well.
Peter is Liberty's first major postseason award winner in two seasons in the league. The redshirt senior, in his first year at Liberty, is the Flames' leading scorer and averaged 16.5 ppg in 18 conference games, good for the fifth best scoring average in league play. Peter shot 58.6 percent from the field, 45.2 percent from three-point territory and 81.3 percent from the foul line during conference action.
This is Peter's third career all-conference nod after being named an all-conference performer (first team and POY 2023-24, second team 2022-23) two times at Arkansas Tech. Metheny and Cleveland are both receiving their second all-conference nods. Last year, Metheny was an All-CUSA third team performer, and Cleveland was an All-CUSA second team honoree.
The Flames (25-6, 13-5 CUSA) won the outright CUSA regular season title and earned the No. 1 seed for the 2025 CUSA Men's Basketball Championship. Liberty will square off with the winner of No. 8 seed UTEP (17-14, 7-11 CUSA) and No. 9 seed Sam Houston (13-18, 6-12 CUSA) in the 2025 CUSA Men's Basketball Championship quarterfinals, Wednesday evening. Tip time is 6:30 p.m. Eastern at Propst Arena in Huntsville, Ala.
Single-session tickets are now available at LibertyFlames.com/CUSABasketball, and the game will be carried live on ESPN+ as well.
Taelon Peter (CUSA Sixth Player of the Year, All-CUSA third team) | Redshirt Senior | Guard | Russellville, Ark.
- Named CUSA Player of the Week this past Sunday as part of the final weekly awards of the season
- Team's leading scorer at 13.7 ppg, paces the Flames in double-digit scoring games (21), 20-point games (8) and 30-point games (3)
- Shooting 57.1 percent from the field on the year, 43.4 percent from three-point territory and 79 percent from the free throw line
- Also averages 4.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.8 steals per game
- Averaged 16.5 ppg (No. 5 in CUSA) and 5.2 rpg in 18 CUSA games while knocking down a team-best 47 threes
- Shot 58.6 percent from the floor, 45.2 percent from three and 81.3 percent from the foul line in league play
- Had a pair of 33-point games (matched career high) in road games at Louisiana Tech (Jan. 11) and Middle Tennessee (this past Thursday). Both 33-point efforts off the bench set a new program record for bench points for a Flame in a single game.
- Averaged 21.8 ppg in nine CUSA road games while shooting 61.7 percent from the field, 49.2 percent from three-point land and 84.2 percent from the foul line in those contests
- Notched his first double-double (23 points, 10 rebounds) as a Flame in the win at UTEP
- Team's second-leading scorer at 12.8 ppg, leads the team with 83 made three-pointers and ranks second on the team with 19 games in double figures
- Also averages 2.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.8 steals per game
- Averaged 11.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg and 1.6 apg in 18 CUSA regular season games while knocking down 41 triples
- Ranks third in Conference USA in three-pointers per game (2.77) and total threes (83) on the year
- Had four 20-plus point games during the regular season while appearing in and starting 30 of 31 games, including a season-high 26 points against Sam Houston on Feb. 8
- Hit game-winning three with 3.7 seconds left in 66-64 road win at Seattle U (Nov. 9)
- Third career postseason honor after being named to the All-CUSA third team during 2023-24 season and MAC All-Freshman team during 2020-21 season while at Bowling Green
- Ranks 41st in program history in career points (813) despite only playing two seasons for the Flames
- Averaging 10.8 points (No. 3 on team), 6.5 rebounds (No. 1 on team) and 5.1 assists per game (No. 1 on team)
- Averaged 10.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg and 5.0 apg in 18 CUSA regular season games
- Named to Lou Henson Award Early Season Watch List
- Ranks 16th in program history for career assists (324), tied for 25th in rebounds (480) and 47th in points (778)
- Closed out regular season with five or more assists in eight of last 11 games, has posted 15 games this season with at least five assists while scoring in double figures 16 times
- Helped Liberty clinch the No. 1 seed and outright regular season title with a strong game at WKU to close the regular season (14 points, eight assists, six rebounds)
- Notched first career double-double (18 points, 10 rebounds) against UT Arlington
- Second career postseason honor after being named to the All-CUSA second team a year ago
- 2024 Paradise Jam MVP and All-Tournament team
- Averaging 9.1 points, 4.1 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game (No. 1 on team, No. 3 in CUSA) while starting all 31 games
- Ranks No. 16 nationally and first in CUSA in assist/turnover ratio (2.89)
- Shooting 44.1 percent from three-point territory on the season, ranks third on the team with 49 made three-pointers
- Averaged 10.6 ppg, 3.7 apg, 1.9 rpg and 1.6 spg in 18 CUSA regular season contests
- Averaged team-best 14.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 2.7 apg in the three Paradise Jam wins, shooting 65.2 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from three-point territory
- Has started all 99 games of his three-year Flames career to date, ranking eighth in program history in career assists (387) and 40th in career points (816)
- Second career postseason honor after being named to the 2022-23 ASUN All-Freshman team
- Garnered inclusion on CUSA All-Academic team for a second straight year
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