10 things we’ve learned through Non-Conference Play

It’s hard to believe, but the Liberty Flames have now concluded its non-conference portion of the 2025-26 basketball season. Liberty is currently 8-3 on the season with conference play beginning this weekend when the Flames play at FIU on Sunday. With 11 games under our belt, we’ve got a good indication of what this team can be this year. With those games in the books, let’s take a look at what we have learned.

1.) Brett Decker has taken an incredible leap for this team.

Any questions as to who will help offset the scoring lost from Taelon Peter has gone away with the incredible play of Brett Decker early in the season. He currently leads the team in scoring and is the only player who has reached double figures in every game this season. He’s also shooting 53.6% from three and has proven to be one of the top shooters in the country. Decker leads the country in three pointers made per game and second in three point field goal percentage.

2.) The frontcourt is once again a huge question mark.

With the loss of Owen Aquino in the transfer portal, Liberty entered this season relying primarily on the health of Isaiah Ihnen and Josh Smith up front. Now, with the loss of Ihnen, the frontcourt seems to be the team’s biggest question mark and weakness. Coach McKay has resulted to going to the undersized JJ Harper to play the bulk of the minutes in the post and teams have taken advantage of the Flames’ size disadvantage. The Flames will need continued growth from Josh Smith and RJ Jones for this team to reach its full potential.

3.) The Flames have the potential to be an elite offensive team.

We saw it early in the season, especially the wins over Charleston and FAU, when Liberty was elite offensively. The ball movement, spacing, and long list of guys capable of knocking down shots made it incredibly difficult for opponents to slow them down. That has continued to be the case when playing at home, but so far in neutral sites and away from home, the team has struggled at times offensively. They have shown the potential, let’s see if it becomes more consistent.

4.) Josh Smith may be the most important player on the team moving forward.

After losing Ihnen, the Flames will need Josh Smith to play a lot in the post. If he can get to 20+ minutes each game and provide a steady force in the paint, Liberty can overcome Ihnen’s loss. Smith has the potential if he can get back to his pre-injury ability.

5.) Zach Cleveland is a fun player to watch.

Zach Cleveland continues to take steps forward. We saw his potential flash as a true freshman and develop into an all-conference play over the past couple of seasons. Now, he’s getting close to conference player of the year type level with his play on the court. He’s nearly averaging a triple-double and is one of the top assist men in the country. We’re just waiting for him to post his first triple-double. He’s currently leading CUSA in assists and rebounds.

6.) JJ Harper has been the perfect addition.

He was billed as Jayvon Maughmer’s replacement, but JJ Harper has been a special player for the Flames so far this season. As mentioned previously, he is playing out of position, routinely getting the defensive assignment against the opposing team’s big. He may be undersized, but Harper leaves everything he has on the floor. And he’s also been really solid on offense, currently fourth on the team in scoring at 10.4 points per game while shooting over 40% from three.

7.) Three-point shooting is a major swing factor in wins and losses.

This has been common under Coach McKay during his time with the Flames, but it may be an even bigger deal this season. When the Flames’ offense is flowing and the shots are falling, there’s no one left on the schedule Liberty can’t beat. When the offense is stagnant and the shots aren’t falling, there’s no one left on the schedule that can’t beat the Flames.

8.) We didn’t know how good Taelon Peter was.

The conversation around this year’s team and Taelon Peter has centered around Brett Decker taking over his role. Well, that hasn’t really happened as Decker has started every game this season. What made Peter so special was him coming off the bench and adding that extra spark when the team sometimes got off to slow starts. This year, Liberty has had very little to no production, especially in the scoring column, off the bench. It has led McKay to needing his starters to log major minutes. Of course, none of us expected Taelon Peter to get drafted and make an opening night roster in the NBA. This is the first time Liberty has had to replace that level of player.

9.) Flames’ defense still making strides.

Since McKay returned to Lynchburg from UVA, he has prided himself on the team’s defense. With so much roster turnover year to year, it has been a little bit of a slow start for the Flames on that end of the floor. It’s a long season and we should expect to see the team get better and better on that end of the floor as the season continues. We may have seen the team take its first strides in that department in the win over Dayton Saturday.

10.) Liberty should be able to compete in the top of the CUSA once again.

There have been ups and downs. There are question marks. But Coach McKay and the Flames have the ability to compete for a CUSA championship again this season. It won’t be easy. The Flames will be tested. We know it will come down to the week in Huntsville in early March.