It doesn’t take long when one season ends to begin looking ahead to the next season, and that’s where we find ourselves with Liberty basketball.

With the current makeup of the roster, the Flames do have two spots open for next year’s squad should Coach McKay opt to use those. Here’s an early depth chart breakdown by position of those currently on the roster:

G – Colin Porter
G – Kaden Metheny, Brett Decker, JC Shirer
G/F – JJ Harper, Zander Carter
F – Zach Cleveland, Zander Yates, TJ Drain
F – Isaiah Ihnen, Josh Smith, RJ Jones, Andrew Grimes

One thing we have come to learn in recent years under head coach Ritchie McKay is that he is not beholden to the traditional positions. He has recruited players that can play multiple positions, so take this depth chart with a grain of salt, for the most part. I also expect some of these players listed as backups to others at a position to play alongside the others. For example, Cleveland could easily slide to the G/F spot as listed here and play alongside two other forwards such as Ihnen and Smith, perhaps that will even be the team’s starting lineup to begin the season, with those three with Porter and Metheny.

The Flames lose starters Jayvon Maughmer and Owen Aquino as well as CUSA 6th Man of the Year Taelon Peter, but, other than that, the team returns most of it’s core from last season’s CUSA Championship team. Colin Porter, Kaden Metheny, and Zach Cleveland are returning starters and will almost definitely begin next season in the starting lineup.

There are several different variations Coach McKay could turn to in the starting lineup and it likely won’t be figured out until the season starts or even into the start of the year. Harper and Ihnen could certainly slide into the starting lineup with Porter, Metheny, and Cleveland. We could also see Smith in the starting lineup with both Cleveland and Ihnen if the Flames go big and with three forwards. Decker could also slide into the starting five group, but it seems to make the most sense that he would be coming off the bench in a similar role that Taelon Peter had this past season.

The 6’7″ Zach Cleveland finished the year averaging 11.0 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. He does have weaknesses to his game: namely his struggles shooting from distance and at the free throw line as well as his propensity to turn the ball over. If he can improve in those areas, Cleveland has the potential to become a CUSA Player of the Year type performer. McKay typically refers to him as a five-tool player who can affect the game in a variety of ways. It’s also hard to pencil Cleveland into a traditional position as he can play just about any position on the floor from point guard on offense to guarding the opposing team’s post player.

The Flames’ starting point guard the last three seasons has been Colin Porter. Last year, Porter averaged 9.1 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game. He was one of the best not just in CUSA but in the entire country in assists to turnover ratio. His strength is his ability to manage the game, protect the ball, and knock down the open shots defenses afford him. He also shot an impressive 42.9% from three last season. His impact on the court and on this team goes much further than his numbers though. The team looks him as their point guard and team leader on the floor. He can be the steady hand during moments of adversity on the court and he never seems to get flustered or waiver.

Kaden Metheny became one of Liberty’s legends with his performance in the CUSA Tournament this past March, namely against Kennesaw State in the semifinals. He virtually willed the team’s into the title game with his shooting performance. The former Bowling Green transfer is the top returning scorer having averaged 13.3 points per game while shooting 38.3% from three.

We haven’t seen a player with the game that Isaiah Ihnen will bring to the Flames in quite some time. His length and explosiveness can provide the team with a rim protector it has lacked in recent seasons. The former Minnesota forward was a rotation player for the Gophers during his career and missed two seasons due to ACL injuries. We saw a bit of what he had to offer last year as he played in 11 games, averaging 10.4 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 38.9% from three. He was arguably the team’s most important player while on the floor before the injury. He certainly has some injury concerns, coming off another ACL injury suffered in late December. If he can stay healthy and get back to how he was playing in the non-conference last year, he can help push the Flames to another level.

Coming from former ASUN rival Stetson, Josh Smith is another 6’9″ body the Flames can utilize at forward. He has a high basketball IQ and can impact the game in many ways. While fighting through injuries a couple years ago at Stetson, Smith averaged 22.6 minutes, 8.4 points, and 5.7 rebounds per game. He shot 55.7% from the field and was 4 for 12 from three. He can be a strong presence in the paint for the Flames while also being able to make an impact offensively. He was in the program last year as he rehabilitated from an injury suffered late during his time at Stetson.

Zander Yates provides veteran leadership and size as well as his ability to impact the game with his shooting ability. He shot 39.2% from three for the season and saw his role and production increase following Ihnen’s injury. He will likely be fighting with RJ Jones for minutes as the fourth forward on the floor provided everyone stays healthy.

RJ Jones is a former 4-star recruit who spent his true freshman season at Virginia Tech this past season. A 6’8″ forward from Gainesville, Florida, Jones played in five games as a true freshman where he was 3 of 5 from the floor. He was rated as the 12-th best player in the state of Florida, 12th-best center nationally and 69th-best prospect in the 2024 class by247Sports. Jones certainly has the potential to make an impact in the frontcourt for the Flames this season. We will have to see how he fits in once he is on campus and going through team workouts.

JJ Harper is another incoming transfer that Liberty added this offseason, coming from Division II West Liberty. This past season, he played in 23 games and started 21, averaging 27.3 minutes, 15.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 46.5% from the field, 34.7% from three, and 83.1% from the free throw line. Harper helped lead West Liberty to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight and a 30-5 record this past season. The 6’5″ guard could slide in and take over the role left vacated by Jayvon Maughmer where he is a three-and-D type of contributor, taking over as one of the team’s top perimeter defenders and also having the ability to affect the game on the offensive end.

Brett Decker had a solid true freshman season for Liberty, as he averaged 4.3 points per game while shooting 44.2% from three. The 6’3″ guard showed flashes of his scoring potential reaching double figures four times in the non-conference slate. He then scored 16 points in 15 minutes in the regular season finale at Western Kentucky and had 8 points in 8 minutes in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Decker is likely to see his role increase this season and could be the first guard off the bench for the Flames.

Liberty also welcomes in three freshmen this season in Zander Carter, TJ Drain, and Andrew Grimes. Carter, a 6’6″ guard, is from Ashland, Kentucky where he attends Paul G. Blazer High School, the same school that produced current Liberty guard Colin Porter. It seems like he has the clearest path to minutes of the three freshmen. Drain is a 6’8″ forward from Windermere High School in Windermere, Florida. Grimes is a 6’9″ forward from Clayton High School in Clayton, North Carolina.