The Liberty Flames (19-3, 11-0) are back at home on Saturday afternoon against Missouri State (13-9, 7-4).

Here’s what you need to know about the game:

How to Watch

2 p.m. ET | Saturday, February 7
Lynchburg, Virginia | Liberty Arena
TV: CBS Sports Network

Liberty vs Missouri State Odds (KenPom)

Spread: Liberty -10
Projected score: Liberty 76, Missouri State 66

Liberty Projected Starters

#0 Colin Porter

Senior Guard | 5’10”, 170
2025-26 stats: 11.7 ppg, 3.5 apg, 3.0 rpg

#3 Kaden Metheny

R-Senior Guard | 5’11”, 170
2025-26 stats: 13.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.1 apg

#4 Brett Decker

Sophomore Guard | 6’3″, 190
2025-26 stats: 17.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 50.3% 3-point field goals

#9 JJ Harper

R-Senior Guard | 6’5″, 200
2025-26 stats: 10.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.4 apg

#25 Zach Cleveland

Senior Forward | 6’7″, 220
2025-26 stats: 10.6 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 7.1 apg

Liberty vs Missouri State History

Missouri State leads, 1-0. The only previous meeting came on Nov. 26, 2013 in Springfield, Missouri. The Bears won, 54-52. Davon Marshall led the Flames with 17 points on 4 of 9 shooting from three.

Liberty vs Missouri State Storylines

SURPRISE FIRST HALF TO CUSA SEASON

Not much was expected out of the Bears this season as they were picked to finish last in the preseason CUSA poll. Understandably so because Missouri State was coming off a 9-23 season last year and 2-18 mark in the Missouri Valley under first year head coach (for the second time) Cuonzo Martin. The Bears haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1999 and have won 20 games in a season just once in the last 11 years.

It was a slow start to the season for Martin and the Bears, as they began the year at 4-5 with just one win over a Division I team. They found their stride by winning five straight including their first three in conference play. The first year CUSA member, Missouri State looks like they may be a real competitor in the league this season after successfully managing a four-game road swing in conference play and enter Saturday’s game having won 3 out of 4 to get to 7-4 and in second place in the league standings in the loss column.

HISTORY VS MARTIN

Martin was previously the head coach at Missouri State from 2008-11 where he went 24-12 and 26-9 in his second and third seasons respectively. He then went to Tennessee followed by stints at California and Missouri. Liberty and head coach Ritchie McKay have some recent history against Martin, as the Flames defeated his Missouri team, 66-45, on Dec. 2, 2021 at Liberty Arena.

MARTIN HAS REMADE TEAM

Projected Missouri State starters:

  • 6’3″, FR, Trey Williams (8.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 2.5 apg)
  • 6’3″, SO, Zaxton King (8.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.8 apg)
  • 6’4″, JR, Kobi Williams (14.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.5 apg)
  • 6’4″, SR, Michael Osei-Bonsu (14.2 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.4 spg)
  • 6’9″, SR, Keith Palek (17.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.7 apg)

Martin has done a good job remaking this Missouri State team, doing so primarily with lower-level transfers jumping up to the Division I level. It started with the addition of Michael Osei-Bonsu, a JUCO transfer who joined the team a year ago. Osei-Bonsu is only 6’4″ but he is 280 pounds and has a game similar to that of former Liberty forward Myo Baxter-Bell or former NBA legend Charles Barkley. Keith Palek joined the team this year from Division II California University of Pennsylvania and leads the team in scoring, rebounds, and assists as he looks prime to be a first-team all-CUSA honoree this season. Kobi Williams is in his first year at Missouri State, a Division II transfer from Truman State.

Trey Williams and Zaxton King are a pair of guards that began their career at Missouri State and playing for Martin. Antwan Burnett (Grambling) and Darrion Sutton (Georgia Tech) are other transfers in their first year with the Bears. Burnett is a 6’5″ senior who is averaging 6.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Sutton is a 6’9″ sophomore averaging 5.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.