# 2017–18 Liberty Flames basketball team

The 2017–18 Liberty Flames men's basketball team represented Liberty University in the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The team played its home games in Lynchburg, Virginia for the 28th consecutive season at Vines Center, with a capacity of 8,085. The team was led by Ritchie McKay, who was in his fifth season, but third season since his return to the program. They were members of the Big South Conference. They finished the season 22–14, 9–9 in Big South play, to finish in a four-way tie for fifth place. They defeated Campbell and UNC Asheville to advance to the championship game of the Big South tournament where they lost to Radford. They were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament where they defeated North Carolina A&T in the first round in a game referred to as the Jim Phelan Classic. They received a second-round bye and defeated Central Michigan in the quarterfinals before losing in the semifinals to UIC.
This was Liberty's final season as members of the Big South Conference, as the school announced on May 17, 2018 that they will be moving to the ASUN Conference for the 2018–19 season.

## Previous season

The Flames finished the 2016–17 season 21–14, 14–4 in Big South play, to finish in a third place. They were upset in quarterfinals of the Big South tournament by Radford. They were invited to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament where they defeated Norfolk State in the first round to be champions of the Coach John McLendon Classic. In the second round they defeated Samford before losing in the quarterfinals to UMBC.

## 2017–18 departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| AC Reid | 2 | Guard | 6'5" | 190 | Junior | Spring Branch, TX | Transferred to Tennessee State |
| Xzavier Barmore | 4 | Guard | 6'0" | 165 | Freshman | Seneca, SC | Transferred to College of Central Florida |
| Ray Chen | 13 | Guard | 6'1" | 185 | Graduate student | Miaoli, Taiwan | Graduated |
| John Dawson | 22 | Guard | 6'2" | 205 | Senior | Clovis, NM | Graduated |
| Josiah Talbert | 34 | Forward | 6'8" | 210 | Freshman | Olathe, KS | Transferred to Central Missouri |

## 2017–18 newcomers

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight |
| Elijah Cuffee G | Poca, WV | Liberty Christian Academy | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ||||||
| Keegan McDowell G | Cincinnati, OH | Moeller High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ||||||
| Jay Barber G | Lynchburg, VA | Liberty Christian Academy | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ||||||
| Brendan Newton C | Roanoke, VA | Faith Christian School | 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Isaiah Williams F | Dayton, OH | Akron | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. ||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| October 26, 2017* 7:00 p.m. | | at VCU Hurricane Relief Exhibition | W 85–69 | – | 23 – Talbert | 8 – James | 4 – Cuffee | Siegel Center (3,497) Richmond, VA |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 10, 2017* 7:00 p.m. | | Clarks Summit Paradise Jam campus game | W 87–42 | 1–0 | 13 – tied | 7 – Cabbil | 3 – Kemrite | Vines Center (4,094) Lynchburg, VA |
| November 14, 2017* 7:00 p.m., ACCN Extra | | at Wake Forest | W 79–66 | 2–0 | 22 – Cabbil | 14 – James | 4 – Williams | LJVM Coliseum (5,213) Winston-Salem, NC |
| November 17, 2017* 12:00 p.m. | | Mercer Paradise Jam first round | L 48–63 | 2–1 | 15 – Cabbil | 6 – James | 4 – Cabbil | Vines Center (1,022) Lynchburg, VA |
| November 18, 2017* 12:00 p.m. | | Houston Paradise Jam consolation | L 66–68 | 2–2 | 16 – Pacheco-Ortiz | 7 – James | 3 – Williams | Vines Center (815) Lynchburg, VA |
| November 19, 2017* 12:00 p.m. | | vs. Quinnipiac Paradise Jam 7th-place game | W 84–72 | 3–2 | 21 – James | 8 – James | 2 – 5 tied | Vines Center (640) Lynchburg, VA |
| November 25, 2017* 2:00 p.m. | | Toccoa Falls | W 96–50 | 4–2 | 18 – Baxter-Bell | 10 – James | 6 – Homesley | Vines Center (1,675) Lynchburg, VA |
| November 27, 2017* 7:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | Howard | W 75–55 | 5–2 | 17 – Pacheco-Ortiz | 10 – James | 4 – tied | Vines Center (2,169) Lynchburg, VA |
| December 2, 2017* 1:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | UNC Greensboro | L 75–76 $^{3OT}$ | 5–3 | 19 – James | 15 – James | 3 – Cabbil | Vines Center (2,294) Lynchburg, VA |
| December 4, 2017* 7:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | at Georgia State | W 77–74 $^{OT}$ | 6–3 | 17 – James | 9 – James | 5 – Cabbil | GSU Sports Arena (1,074) Atlanta, GA |
| December 8, 2017* 7:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | Maryland Eastern Shore | W 71–49 | 7–3 | 12 – Kemrite | 7 – James | 4 – 3 tied | Vines Center (2,380) Lynchburg, VA |
| December 16, 2017* 1:00 p.m. | | Kentucky Christian | W 96–40 | 8–3 | 21 – Cabbil | 8 – Homesley | 5 – Cabbil | Vines Center (2,063) Lynchburg, VA |
| December 21, 2017* 11:00 a.m. | | vs. Fort Wayne New Orleans Classic | L 64–75 | 8–4 | 15 – 3 tied | 12 – James | 4 – tied | Xavier University Academic Convocation Center (300) New Orleans, LA |
| December 22, 2017* 1:00 p.m. | | vs. Alabama State New Orleans Classic | W 87–70 | 9–4 | 19 – Pacheco-Ortiz | 8 – James | 7 – Pacheco-Ortiz | Xavier University Academic Convocation Center (250) New Orleans, LA |
| Big South regular season |||||||||
| December 30, 2017 7:00 p.m. | | at Gardner–Webb | L 55–58 | 9–5 (0–1) | 11 – James | 13 – James | 4 – Pacheco-Ortiz | Paul Porter Arena (1,250) Boiling Springs, NC |
| January 2, 2018 7:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | Charleston Southern | W 70–53 | 10–5 (1–1) | 27 – Pacheco-Ortiz | 15 – James | 5 – Cuffee | Vines Center (1,688) Lynchburg, VA |
| January 6, 2018 4:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | Presbyterian | W 60–48 | 11–5 (2–1) | 14 – Pacheco-Ortiz | 12 – James | 4 – Pacheco-Ortiz | Vines Center (2,216) Lynchburg, VA |
| January 9, 2018 7:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | at Winthrop | W 73–70 | 12–5 (3–1) | 19 – Cabbil | 6 – tied | 5 – Cabbil | Winthrop Coliseum (1,085) Rock Hill, SC |
| January 12, 2018 7:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | Longwood | L 51–58 | 12–6 (3–2) | 10 – Cabbil | 6 – James | 3 – Pacheco-Ortiz | Vines Center (1,989) Lynchburg, VA |
| January 15, 2018 7:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | at Radford | L 57–59 $^{OT}$ | 12–7 (3–3) | 14 – Cabbil | 4 – Cabbil | 4 – Pacheco-Ortiz | Dedmon Center (1,493) Radford, VA |
| January 18, 2018 7:00 p.m. | | at High Point | L 60–71 | 12–8 (3–4) | 17 – Baxter-Bell | 10 – James | 3 – Cabbil | Millis Athletic Center (1,214) High Point, NC |
| January 21, 2018 2:00 p.m., Stadium | | UNC Asheville | L 68–84 | 12–9 (3–5) | 19 – James | 8 – Homesley | 5 – Homesley | Vines Center (2,426) Lynchburg, VA |
| January 23, 2018 7:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | Campbell | L 85–94 | 12–10 (3–6) | 24 – Pacheco-Ortiz | 6 – Kemrite | 4 – Pacheco-Ortiz | Vines Center (2,452) Lynchburg, VA |
| January 27, 2018 4:00 p.m. | | at Presbyterian | W 81–66 | 13–10 (4–6) | 21 – Kemrite | 7 – James | 6 – Pacheco-Ortiz | Templeton Center (493) Clinton, SC |
| February 1, 2018 7:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | Winthrop | W 77–61 | 14–10 (5–6) | 21 – James | 8 – James | 5 – Pacheco-Ortiz | Vines Center (2,422) Lynchburg, VA |
| February 3, 2018 2:00 p.m. | | at Longwood | W 67–55 | 15–10 (6–6) | 26 – James | 10 – James | 4 – Homesley | Willett Hall (1,807) Farmville, VA |
| February 7, 2018 7:30 p.m., ESPN3 | | at Charleston Southern | L 75–87 | 15–11 (6–7) | 15 – Cabbil | 6 – James | 4 – Pacheco-Ortiz | CSU Field House (725) North Charleston, SC |
| February 10, 2018 7:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | Gardner–Webb | W 77–65 | 16–11 (7–7) | 15 – tied | 9 – tied | 7 – Cabbil | Vines Center (3,197) Lynchburg, VA |
| February 15, 2018 7:00 p.m. | | at UNC Ahseville | W 82–69 $^{OT}$ | 17–11 (8–7) | 23 – James | 15 – James | 6 – Cuffee | Kimmel Arena (1,719) Asheville, NC |
| February 18, 2018 2:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | at Campbell | L 69–79 | 17–12 (8–8) | 14 – Kemrite | 6 – tied | 4 – 3 tied | Gore Arena (2,126) Buies Creek, NC |
| February 22, 2018 7:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | Radford | L 50–63 | 17–13 (8–9) | 15 – James | 4 – Pacheco-Ortiz | 6 – Cabbil | Vines Center (2,669) Lynchburg, VA |
| February 24, 2018 2:00 p.m., ESPN3 | | High Point | W 65–45 | 18–13 (9–9) | 21 – James | 7 – James | 5 – Pacheco-Ortiz | Vines Center (3,517) Lynchburg, VA |
| Big South tournament |||||||||
| March 1, 2018 9:30 p.m., ESPN3 | (5) | vs. (4) Campbell Quarterfinals | W 73–59 | 19–13 | 14 – tied | 9 – James | 2 – 3 tied | Kimmel Arena (2,276) Asheville, NC |
| March 2, 2018 8:30 p.m., ESPN3 | (5) | at (1) UNC Asheville Semifinals | W 69–64 | 20–13 | 18 – James | 14 – James | 3 – Cabbil | Kimmel Arena (2,318) Asheville, NC |
| March 4, 2018 1:00 p.m., ESPN | (5) | at (2) Radford Championship | L 52–55 | 20–14 | 20 – James | 13 – James | 7 – Cabbil | Dedmon Center (3,859) Radford, VA |
| CIT |||||||||
| March 12, 2018* 6:00 p.m., CBSSN | | North Carolina A&T First round – Jim Phelan Classic | W 65–52 | 21–14 | 16 – Homesley | 12 – James | 3 – tied | Vines Center (486) Lynchburg, VA |
| March 24, 2018* 2:00 p.m. | | Central Michigan Quarterfinals | W 84–71 | 22–14 | 20 – James | 9 – James | 13 – Cabbil | Vines Center (476) Lynchburg, VA |
| March 28, 2018* 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | UIC Semifinals | L 51–67 | 22–15 | 13 – Cabbil | 9 – tied | 3 – tied | Vines Center (2,248) Lynchburg, VA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern. |||||||||
Source: