Liberty coach Ritchie McKay was named the National Association of Basketball Coaches District Three Coach of the Year, and Darius McGhee was named to the NABC’s District 3 First Team.
McKay is the first Liberty coach to earn the NABC honor in back-to-back seasons and the first to be named a District Coach of the Year in its Division I era. McKay continues to elevate the Flames’ basketball program, leading Liberty to its third straight ASUN Championship.
It has been a historical run for Liberty as the Flames have won 82 games in the last three seasons, which ranks No. 2 in Division I, only behind Gonzaga (89 wins). Liberty’s historical run also includes six ASUN titles (three regular season and three tournament championships) in the last three seasons, which is an ASUN Conference record.
Prior to the ASUN Tournament, McKay was named the ASUN Coach of the Year, becoming the first coach in program history to win Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons as McKay has led the Flames to its third straight ASUN Regular Season Championship.
Under McKay, Liberty has extending its school-record, capturing its fifth consecutive 20-win season as the Flames picked up wins this season over two SEC opponents and 11 wins in the ASUN Conference. For the second straight season, McKay and the Flames went undefeated at home, with a perfect 13-0 record.
McGhee is the third Liberty player to be named to an NABC All-District First Team since Anthony Smith was named First Team back in 2009. The junior was exceptional all season earning ASUN Player of the Year honors. He became just the third player in school history to earn Player of the Year honors, joining Caleb Homesley who was ASUN Player of the Year in 2020 and Jesse Sanders, who was named Big South Player of the Year in 2011.
McGhee was sensational this season, averaging 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Lethal at all three levels, McGhee shot 45.8 percent from the field, 41.3 percent from three-point range and 84.8 percent from the free throw line.
During conference play the junior picked up his game averaging 16.9 points per game including 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists while shooting 47 percent from the field, 42.3 percent from three-point range and 87 percent from the free throw line.
The junior from Roxboro, N.C., ended the regular season with four straight games scoring 20 points or more, becoming the first Liberty player since 2009 to do so.
This is the third straight season that Liberty has been represented on the all-district teams as Caleb Homesley was named to the All-District team in 2020 and Scottie James was a District 3 Second Team selection in 2019.
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