Ben Southerland’s high school basketball career came to a close on March 6th after his team, the Sycamore Aviators, lost to Fairmont High School Firebirds, 43-60. He is slated to arrive on campus this summer and begin workouts for the Flames.

For those unfamiliar with Southerland, he is a 6’7” 190-pound wingman from Cincinnati, Ohio. Southerland originally committed to the College at Charleston before switching his commitment to the Flames in October of last year. Southerland will add length, height, scoring, motor, and athleticism to Liberty’s lineup.

Southerland had a solid high school season. He led the Sycamores to a 21-3 overall record and a 13-2 conference mark. He played 20 of the season’s 21 games, averaging nearly 26 minutes per game. Southerland shot 50.5 percent from the field on 103 of 204 attempts. Additionally, he connected on 36 percent of his threes, shooting only 89 on the season and making 32. He shot 74 percent from the free-throw line, and averaged 1.4 steals, 0.9 blocks, and 2.2 assists per game. Southerland finished third in his conference for scoring.

Southerland’s highest-scoring game in the regular season was a 25 point game against Bradenton Christian. He shot over 50 perfect from the field (8 for 15) and pulled in 11 rebounds for a double-double. He connected on two of six three-pointers that game.

Nathan Dudukovich of Lakota West said of Southerland, “With his height and the way he can shoot the ball, he is so hard to cover. He is also a really smart player. He knows when to use his shot fake to get around players closing out and then will finish over someone. The scary part is he will jump with anyone in his way and draw a foul or finish…His ball-handling has gotten so much better since last year; it’s hard to stay in front of him. He is moving constantly in the offense, which is the hardest to guard, and if you lose him, it’s over.”

The Sycamores had an untimely exit in their postseason, despite their exceptional record. Their loss to the aforementioned Firebirds marked an early end to their championship hopes in the 2022 OHSAA Boys Basketball State Championships – Division I tournament.

Ben Southerland is #23 in the below video highlights: