Over the last 4 seasons, Liberty has amassed 84 losses with an average RPI of 308. Now, Coach McKay inherits a roster whose top returning scorer averaged 4 points per game a year ago. This season will not be judged solely on wins and losses.
To that end, we offer a starting five of what the 2015-16 men’s basketball team will be judged on as McKay builds this team back to relevance.
1. Build the foundation for the program.
That’s a fancy way of saying nothing, really. I mean, how do you measure the building of a theoretical foundation? But it’s one of the key elements Coach McKay wants to happen this season. I also think it’s one of those things we will be able to recognize when we see it.
Is the team fighting for each other and, ultimately, McKay? Do they show “buy-in” into what the coaching staff is preaching? Are there tangible pieces to build on for next season?
These are all questions which need to be answered in the affirmative when March rolls around.
2. Begin to develop an identity with the fans.
The fans are gone. 3 consecutive 20 loss seasons will do that. This team’s not going to win 20 games this year. They won’t be competing for the Big South Championship, but there can still be some relationship building with the fan base. McKay thinks it can be done beginning this year, “I hope we establish some sort of identity the fans want to rally behind and support.”
3. Show improvement throughout the season.
When asked what one of his goals was for the season, McKay responded, “Keep getting better. It’s a process, you’ve got to fall in love with the process in order to fulfill your purpose. 1% better today is all I’m asking.” This can be said of any team, particularly one made up of so many new faces, but the Flames should be better in February than they are in November.
4. Be competitive in conference play.
Let’s face it, we don’t play in the ACC. This is the Big South. With a competent coach and a roster that “buys-in”, we should be competitive in conference play. Does that mean a top 4 finish? Not likely, but it does mean having a chance to win in the 2nd half of most home games in conference and maybe stealing one or two on the road. As Coach McKay said, “we want to have a team that has a chance to win every night.” We shouldn’t be 2-16 in the Big South. We shouldn’t be losing conference games by 40+.
How does this team do that? According to McKay, it’s all about execution. “Keep executing. We want a spirit of execution because by the time we get to league play your opponents know your tendencies, they know your plays. We want to execute in spite of that.”
5. Win.
I know we said at the outset the season won’t be solely judged on wins and losses, but it will be a factor. KenPom predicts an overall record of 9-19 and a 5-13 mark in Big South play. I think that’s a realistic goal for this team, this season. It would be an improvement on last year’s 8-24, 2-16 mark, and would be done with a team made up of primarily underclassmen. It would also be an achievement to not finish last in the Big South as predicted by the preseason poll. As Coach McKay said, “I hope we don’t deliver on our preseason ranking.”
