Liberty basketball has seen its best seasons in school history over the past several years under head coach Ritchie McKay. Alongside that success, the Flames have had a number of talented players come through the program under McKay.

It was very challenging to make a list of five which is why we have also listed a couple of honorable mention selections. We are only taking into consideration their accomplishments at Liberty and there will not be consideration put into professional careers, only what was accomplished while playing for McKay. As objectively as possible, here are the top five players of the Ritchie McKay era:

#5 Elijah Cuffee

The top four players on this list were a slam dunk to be included, but the No. 5 could have gone to a number of players (see list of honorable mention below). Cuffee gets the nod as he was part of three championship teams and advanced to the conference championship game in all four seasons he suited up for the Flames under McKay. One of the best individual defenders in school history, Cuffee was rewarded for his contributions on the defensive end of the floor by being named ASUN Defensive Player of the Year his final season.

#4 Lovell Cabbil

Cabbil was the first player to commit to McKay after the head coach returned to Lynchburg following his stint at Virginia. Lovell is one of the most underappreciated players in school history. A lot of it had to do with him playing with several other players on this list including #3 and #2, but without Cabbil’s efforts McKay would have had a much more difficult job in getting the program turned around. Caleb Homesley gets all the love for his 30 points in the NCAA Tournament win over Mississippi State, but Cabbil’s performance in that game should not be overlooked as he hit arguably the most clutch shot in the game.

#3 Scottie James

There was a time early in his career at Liberty where Scottie James was the go to player offensively and best player on the team. It’s easy to forget that because towards the end of his time in Lynchburg, Homesley blossomed into a fringe NBA talent, but James was no slouch. He is the program’s Division I leader in rebounds and ranks in the top 20 among the top scorers in school history all while playing just three seasons. He was also named the ASUN Tournament MVP in 2019, helping Liberty to its first of three straight titles.

#2 Caleb Homesley

The debate for the G.O.A.T. in Liberty basketball history is also the debate for the top player in the McKay era. It’s Caleb Homesley or Darius McGhee. Both of their resumes are insane. Homesley ranks in the top 15 in career ranks for scoring, rebounds, and assists. He won an ASUN Player of the Year award as well as ASUN Tournament MVP while helping the Flames to pick up its only NCAA Tournament win in school history with 30 points against Mississippi State.

#1 Darius McGhee

Darius McGhee still has one more year to add to his resume that is already worthy of consideration to be the greatest of all time at Liberty. He’s the only player in school history to win two conference player of the year awards and is the most prolific three-point shooter in school history. If he remains healthy this coming season, McGhee will also become the school’s all-time leading scorer and just the third to score 2,000 career points at Liberty.

Honorable Mention:

In no order, these guys deserve a mention for their production for the Flames under McKay: Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz, Ryan Kemrite, and Myo Baxter-Bell.