MBB Game Day: Kennesaw State

Game Day Coverage

Liberty at Kennesaw State (KSU Convocation Center | Kennesaw, Ga.)
Tipoff: Thursday at 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN+
Radio: LFSN Radio
Live Stats

Liberty Storylines

CUSA-leading Liberty (23-4, 15-1 CUSA) will start its final regular season road trip at Kennesaw State (16-11, 8-8 CUSA), Thursday night.
Liberty can clinch the outright CUSA regular season title and #1 seed (both for second straight year) if it either tops Kennesaw State OR Sam Houston falls to FIU.
Liberty's 17-game winning streak is the second longest in the nation at present and longest in program history. The Flames are also one of two teams in the nation currently unbeaten in conference play (other-Miami (Ohio)). Liberty has won 20 straight league games (including postseason) dating back to last year, the longest streak in DI.
The Flames clinched at least a share of the CUSA regular season crown for the second straight year with a dramatic 90-89 OT win over FIU last Thursday. Liberty can clinch the outright CUSA regular season and No. 1 seed for the CUSA Championship if it either defeats KSU on Thursday or Sam Houston loses to FIU. The Owls have won back-to-back games and are 11-3 at home this year, including 6-2 in CUSA games.
Liberty (9-1 road) has won nine straight road games, tied for the third longest streak in the country.
The Flames have claimed 11 total titles (seven regular season and/or division, four tournament titles) over the last eight seasons, tied for most in the country.
Liberty is No. 2 in the nation in field goal percentage (52.1), No. 2 in effective field goal percentage (.617), No. 3 in assist/turnover ratio (1.96), No. 4 in three-point percentage (40.2), No. 4 in fewest turnovers per game (8.9) and No. 5 in fewest fouls per game (14.0) (leads CUSA in all of the above).
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 a 12-3 edge in 15 all-time meetings. Liberty topped KSU 81-73 in its CUSA opener, Jan. 2 at Liberty Arena. Zach Cleveland led the Flames with a team-high 20 points and added a team-best seven rebounds, three assists, three blocks and a pair of steals. Four other Liberty Flames were in double figures – Colin Porter (18 points), Brett Decker Jr. (13 points), JJ Harper (12 points) and Kaden Metheny (10 points). Last season at the KSU Convocation Center, Liberty emerged with a 76-68 victory (Jan. 30, 2025).
Liberty shot 50 percent (28-of-56) on the evening and was 42.3 percent (11-of-26) from three-point territory. Meanwhile, the Liberty defense held Kennesaw State to 39.1 percent (27-of-69) from the field and 18.8 percent (6-of-32) from long distance.
Liberty (23-4, 15-1 CUSA) clinched at least a share of the CUSA regular season crown for the second straight year with the win over FIU last Thursday. Sam Houston (19-8, 11-5 CUSA) is currently in second place.
The Flames' magic number to earn the outright title is one, meaning Liberty has to win one game at any point the rest of the way OR Sam Houston has to lose a game at any point for the Flames to claim the outright regular season crown.
Over the last eight years (including this season), Liberty has claimed seven conference regular season titles (one was a Division title in 2022) and four league tournament titles.
If Liberty were to claim the CUSA regular season title,the Flames would be the first team to repeat at CUSA regular season champions since Middle Tennessee did so in 2016-17 and 2017-18.
Liberty is one of four teams in the nation with 11 or more titles in the last eight years. The others are Gonzaga, Vermont and Colgate. The Flames' 11 titles are tied for the most nationally with Colgate.
-The Flames' nine road victories on the year are tied for sixth most in the nation.
The Flames (15-1 CUSA) hold a four-game lead in Conference USA with four games remaining.
Prior to this year (15-0), Liberty's best start ever in league play was 7-0, set during the 2018-19 season.
The Flames are one of 22 teams in the nation with 23 or more wins.
Liberty is 6-1 this year (5-0 CUSA) in games decided by three points or less.
Liberty was the first team to start 15-0 or better in CUSA play since the 2012-13 Memphis team (16-0).
The Flames are currently No. 90 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 104 in KenPom. The Owls are No. 176 in the NET and No. 183 in KenPom.
Liberty has won 20 of its last 21 contests (including postseason play) against Conference USA opponents and is 26-2 in its last 28 games against conference foes dating back to last year.
Brett Decker Jr. ranks No. 2 nationally in three-point percentage (48.1), No. 19 in three-pointers per game (3.26) and No. 21 in total triples (88).
Zach Cleveland ranks No. 8 in the country in assists per game (7.0) and No. 11 in defensive rebounds per game (7.0). He is also leads the conference in double-doubles (8).
Cleveland notched his first career triple-double, the only player in CUSA this year to have a triple-double, against Missouri State (19 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists) and earned his second CUSA Player of the Week honor, Feb. 9.
Liberty is 67-of-82 from the foul line (81.7 percent) in the final two minutes of regulation and overtime in its 16 CUSA games.
The Flames have led for 454:07 of a possible 650 minutes in conference play (69.9 percent).
Liberty is 22-1 when outshooting its opponent and has shot 50 percent or better 18 times (17-1 in those instances). The Flames lost for the first time this season when they shot over 50 percent this past Saturday vs. WKU (shot 55.6 percent).
Decker Jr. has scored in double figures in 24 games this season. He has been Liberty's leading scorer (or tied) 11 times and has nine 20-plus point games.
All five starters are averaging 12.5 ppg or more in conference play (Decker Jr. 15.7 ppg/Metheny 13.1 ppg/ Cleveland 12.8 ppg/Harper 12.6 ppg/Porter 12.5 ppg).
Liberty is ranked No. 5 in the College Insider Men's Mid-Major Top 25®, behind only No. 1 Gonzaga (27-2), No. 2 Miami (Ohio) (27-0), No. 3 Saint Mary's (25-4) and No. 4 Belmont (25-4). The Flames are the only CUSA team in the Top 25. Sam Houston and Western Kentucky are among others receiving votes.

Schedule

Players Mentioned

Zach Cleveland

Brett Decker Jr.

JJ Harper

Kaden Metheny

Colin Porter

MBB Game Day: Kennesaw State

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Players Mentioned

Zach Cleveland

Brett Decker Jr.

JJ Harper

Kaden Metheny

Colin Porter

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