The Kennesaw State men’s basketball team will host Liberty on Thursday, in what could be the biggest game for the Owls since their Division II heyday nearly two decades ago.
Kennesaw State (20-7, 12-2 ASUN Conference) will face Liberty (21-6, 12-2) for the outright lead in the conference, with the winner gaining a much-needed tiebreaker over the other and a one-game lead with three to play.
The winner of the ASUN’s regular-season title is guaranteed of a postseason berth. If it does not gain the automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament, then it would gain a spot in the National Invitation Tournament.
Thursday’s game will be the first meeting of 20-win ASUN teams since 2019, and both teams will come in ranked in College Insider’s Mid-Major Top 25. Liberty is No. 11, while Kennesaw State is No. 25.
As the season has gone on, the battle between Kennesaw State and Liberty has continued to loom larger on the schedule each week.
The Owls come in having won two straight and 10 of their last 11. They are led by Chris Youngblood, who is averaging 14.5 points and 4.7 rebounds a game.
Over the last few games, former Campbell High School star Terrell Burden has willed Kennesaw State to victories. He comes into the game averaging 13.0 points and 4.0 assists a game, but over the last five games, those numbers have jumped to 17.8 and 5.4, respectively.
It included Burden reaching the 1,000-mark for his career in last Saturday’s win over Jacksonville State.
Liberty, which has never lost to Kennesaw State in nine tries, is led by the program’s all-time leading scorer, Darius McGhee. He comes in averaging 21.2 points per game and ranks No. 2 in the nation in 3-pointers made per game (4.41) and total 3-pointers made (119).
Over the last three weeks, Kennesaw State has proven it knows how to win close games, having gone 3-1 and won by two, three and six points. That could work to its advantage if Thursday’s game is close. Liberty has earned all 12 of its conference wins by double digits, but it is 0-4 in games decided by fewer than 10 points.
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