Latest news with #LibertyFlames
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Liberty Flames and coach Jamey Chadwell eager to bounce back in Conference USA
The Liberty Flames find themselves in a familiar position favored to win the Conference USA title with added motivation of bouncing back from a disappointing 2024. Coach Jamey Chadwell and his Flames were favored a year ago only to miss the title game. They also finished on a two-game skid capped by a loss in the Bahamas Bowl. 'Maybe a bad taste in the mouth about how we finished thinking that we could've had a better season than we had last year, and I think the guys returning knew that and they knew why we didn't and they're focused on making sure we don't beat ourselves moving forward,' Chadwell said. Liberty had a game canceled by Hurricane Helene in September, then stumbled to a 5-3 mark in league play and 8-4 overall. It was a big drop from 2023 when Liberty went undefeated in winning the C-USA championship and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl in Chadwell's first season. Now Chadwell is managing the transfer portal that saw quarterback Kaidon Salter go to Colorado. Ethan Vasko is among 13 portal additions, and the quarterback threw for 2,110 yards and 14 touchdowns last season at Coastal Carolina. Vasko also ran for 447 yards and five more scores. Chadwell said the challenge now in Conference USA is knowing which teams got 'plucked' through the portal and who's actually back. He sees his fellow coaches now having to build teams each season rather than programs. 'We lost a bunch of guys just like everybody else, but I do think we have a good nucleus,' Chadwell said. 'I think we have a chance to have a really, really good year if we can stay together and stay connected.' Liberty also will be relying on Vaughn Blue and JuJu Gray to keep an offense clicking after ranking fourth nationally last season averaging 250.7 yards rushing per game. Western Kentucky also is a heavy favorite after the Hilltoppers lost in the title game last December. Defending C-USA champ Jacksonville State will try to defend its league title with a first-year head coach. Louisiana Tech is expected to bounce back after a 5-8 season as well. Transfer portal help Western Kentucky went back to the portal for a quarterback with Maverick McIvor transferring from Abilene Christian. McIvor threw for 3,847 yards and 30 touchdowns with seven interceptions. McIvor should be comfortable with offensive coordinator Rick Bowie, brought along for the same job. Other portal additions include running back George Hart III and a pair of wide receivers in K.D. Hutchinson and Noah Meyers. Newcomer coach Jacksonville State has Charles Kelly in his first season as a first-time head coach replacing Rich Rodriguez, who went to West Virginia. Kelly was hired away from Auburn where he had been co-defensive coordinator to return to where he started his coaching career at Jacksonville State in 1994. The Gamecocks hope to ease Kelly's transition with the addition of running back Cam Cook, who transferred from TCU after scoring nine TDs in 2024. Tony Franklin's back The offensive coordinator is back at Louisiana Tech where he was coordinator between 2010 and 2012. He's also had a stint in the same role at Middle Tennessee for six seasons before retiring in January 2021. Louisiana Tech already has quarterback Evan Bullock returning after throwing for 2,104 yards with 14 TDs and only three interceptions. The last time Franklin was the Bulldogs' offensive coordinator, Louisiana Tech led FBS scoring 51.5 points and piling up 577.9 yards per game. Waiting for bowl options Delaware and Missouri State are in the second year transitioning from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision. That means they're not eligible for bowl games. But if the record is worthy, they each could become eligible if not enough FBS teams are available to fill the slots. Notable matchups The season starts Aug. 23 when Sam Houston visits Western Kentucky. C-USA has packed its schedule with some heavyweight games starting with Kennesaw State visiting Wake Forest on Aug. 29 and Missouri State at Southern California on Aug. 30. Sept. 6 is a big day for C-USA with FIU at Penn State, Kennesaw State at Indiana, Delaware going to Colorado, Middle Tennessee playing at Wisconsin and Louisiana Tech visiting LSU. UTEP goes to Texas on Sept. 13, and Western Kentucky visits LSU on Nov. 22 before the season finale at Jacksonville State. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
Washington Post
4 days ago
- Sport
- Washington Post
Liberty Flames and coach Jamey Chadwell eager to bounce back in Conference USA
The Liberty Flames find themselves in a familiar position favored to win the Conference USA title with added motivation of bouncing back from a disappointing 2024. Coach Jamey Chadwell and his Flames were favored a year ago only to miss the title game. They also finished on a two-game skid capped by a loss in the Bahamas Bowl .
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Liberty Flames and coach Jamey Chadwell eager to bounce back in Conference USA
The Liberty Flames find themselves in a familiar position favored to win the Conference USA title with added motivation of bouncing back from a disappointing 2024. Coach Jamey Chadwell and his Flames were favored a year ago only to miss the title game. They also finished on a two-game skid capped by a loss in the Bahamas Bowl. 'Maybe a bad taste in the mouth about how we finished thinking that we could've had a better season than we had last year, and I think the guys returning knew that and they knew why we didn't and they're focused on making sure we don't beat ourselves moving forward,' Chadwell said. Liberty had a game canceled by Hurricane Helene in September, then stumbled to a 5-3 mark in league play and 8-4 overall. It was a big drop from 2023 when Liberty went undefeated in winning the C-USA championship and a berth in the Fiesta Bowl in Chadwell's first season. Now Chadwell is managing the transfer portal that saw quarterback Kaidon Salter go to Colorado. Ethan Vasko is among 13 portal additions, and the quarterback threw for 2,110 yards and 14 touchdowns last season at Coastal Carolina. Vasko also ran for 447 yards and five more scores. Chadwell said the challenge now in Conference USA is knowing which teams got 'plucked' through the portal and who's actually back. He sees his fellow coaches now having to build teams each season rather than programs. 'We lost a bunch of guys just like everybody else, but I do think we have a good nucleus,' Chadwell said. 'I think we have a chance to have a really, really good year if we can stay together and stay connected.' Liberty also will be relying on Vaughn Blue and JuJu Gray to keep an offense clicking after ranking fourth nationally last season averaging 250.7 yards rushing per game. Western Kentucky also is a heavy favorite after the Hilltoppers lost in the title game last December. Defending C-USA champ Jacksonville State will try to defend its league title with a first-year head coach. Louisiana Tech is expected to bounce back after a 5-8 season as well. Transfer portal help Western Kentucky went back to the portal for a quarterback with Maverick McIvor transferring from Abilene Christian. McIvor threw for 3,847 yards and 30 touchdowns with seven interceptions. McIvor should be comfortable with offensive coordinator Rick Bowie, brought along for the same job. Other portal additions include running back George Hart III and a pair of wide receivers in K.D. Hutchinson and Noah Meyers. Newcomer coach Jacksonville State has Charles Kelly in his first season as a first-time head coach replacing Rich Rodriguez, who went to West Virginia. Kelly was hired away from Auburn where he had been co-defensive coordinator to return to where he started his coaching career at Jacksonville State in 1994. The Gamecocks hope to ease Kelly's transition with the addition of running back Cam Cook, who transferred from TCU after scoring nine TDs in 2024. Tony Franklin's back The offensive coordinator is back at Louisiana Tech where he was coordinator between 2010 and 2012. He's also had a stint in the same role at Middle Tennessee for six seasons before retiring in January 2021. Louisiana Tech already has quarterback Evan Bullock returning after throwing for 2,104 yards with 14 TDs and only three interceptions. The last time Franklin was the Bulldogs' offensive coordinator, Louisiana Tech led FBS scoring 51.5 points and piling up 577.9 yards per game. Waiting for bowl options Delaware and Missouri State are in the second year transitioning from the Football Championship Subdivision to the Football Bowl Subdivision. That means they're not eligible for bowl games. But if the record is worthy, they each could become eligible if not enough FBS teams are available to fill the slots. Notable matchups The season starts Aug. 23 when Sam Houston visits Western Kentucky. C-USA has packed its schedule with some heavyweight games starting with Kennesaw State visiting Wake Forest on Aug. 29 and Missouri State at Southern California on Aug. 30. Sept. 6 is a big day for C-USA with FIU at Penn State, Kennesaw State at Indiana, Delaware going to Colorado, Middle Tennessee playing at Wisconsin and Louisiana Tech visiting LSU. UTEP goes to Texas on Sept. 13, and Western Kentucky visits LSU on Nov. 22 before the season finale at Jacksonville State. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: and
Forbes
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Pacers Draftee Taelon Peter Was Unknown Despite Signs Of Potential
Liberty guard Taelon Peter, center, shoots for three points during the second half of an NCAA ... More college basketball game against Jacksonville State in the championship of the Conference USA tournament, Saturday, March 15, 2025, in Huntsville, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt) INDIANAPOLIS – Taelon Peter's journey to the Indiana Pacers started in Lynchburg, Virginia about 15 months ago. The 2024 Liberty Flames were fresh off of thier first season in Conference USA, and head coach Ritchie McKay was quick to get to work. His team has just finished the year at 18-14 before falling to UTEP in the first round of their conference tournament. They had to improve. McKay was contacted by one of his former assistants about a player he should keep his eye on. His name was Taelon Peter, and he had just finished three seasons at Division II Arkansas Tech. In 2023-24, Peter averaged 18.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 40.9% from long range. 'Let me see what this guy's like,' McKay told the former assistant. He was already on his computer, so he fired up Synergy and went to watch Arkansas Tech. There was Peter, impressing. 'He's got a little game,' McKay recalled thinking. That interest led to quick action. 'It started there. We had a couple conversations on the phone, and before you know it, I was in Russellville, Arkansas,' Mckay explained. He wanted Peter on his team. Peter had ascended rapidly while playing for the Wonder Boys. His college career started at Tennessee Tech, where he ended up because his high school senior track season got cancelled due to COVID-19 while he was on his basketball visit with the Golden Eagles. But he played just six games for the program before returning to Arkansas, his home state. The bouncy guard was inexperienced when he began his first season at Arkansas Tech. He came off the bench as a sophomore, then moved into the starting five as a junior. All the while, Peter was working on his jump shot and adding skill to his game. By his fourth collegiate season, the Russellville native was a First Team All-Central Region level talent. He was ready for more when McKay and Liberty came calling. 'You could tell by some of his highlights when he played at Arkansas Tech that he had some bounce,' McKay said. 'But what I didn't know was his ability to put them together. He's got this rare combination of explosive athleticism and really good skill.' The Division I stage was what Peter needed to really put his name on the map. But before he even played, he showed off the character that made McKay love him – even more off the floor than on. His humor was apparent quickly, Peter frequently joked about McKay's age. The young guard commented on how tight the shorts were on players during McKay's playing days. They bonded over his sense of humor. That emotional intelligence applied to the basketball court. About eight games into the season, McKay approached Peter with an opportunity: he wanted his new transfer to be in the starting five. His play warranted a promotion on the depth chart. But Peter was having none of it. 'He said, 'Whoa, whoa, whoa, coach, wait a minute'. Who are you going to start me for?' McKay recalled. 'He said, 'no, no, don't. Coach, I'm fine coming off the bench. Don't take away somebody's confidence and mess up what we've got going'.' Peter stayed with the reserves, though he did end up leading the team in scoring by the end of the season. His impact remained high. But he was the sixth man the entire time, and that show of character stuck with McKay. 'He was willing to trade the things that would give him shine, attention, credibility, whatever, for what was going to be something that the team could benefit from. And that's who Taelon Peter is,' McKay explained. Who a player is always sticks with coaches. How they play is what gets them noticed by NBA teams. And the Pacers drafted Peter because of how he played at Liberty, the perfect program for his skillset. The Flames run a very conceptual offense. There aren't as many sets as other collegiate teams as they flow from action to action. It was perfect a player like Peter. His shooting and athleticism combined to make that style hum. According to Synergy, the same service McKay used to get a feel for who Peter is as a player, the Arkansas native executed 116 possessions as a spot up shoooter at Liberty. He was involved in the finish to transition actions 91 times. In both of those play types, Peter graded out in at least the 96th percentile among all NCAA players. He averaged 13.7 points per game and shot a blistering 45.3% from long range. Peter dunked 20 times. His best play types fit well into an NBA that is trending more toward pace-and-space, and his efficiency is off the charts – Peter finished 75.6% of his two-point shots, an absurd figure for a guard. SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - MARCH 21: Taelon Peter #2 of the Liberty Flames dribbles the ball during the ... More first half of the game against the Oregon Ducks in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament held at Climate Pledge Arena on March 21, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) 'You know you're coaching or going against a great shooter when every time it goes up, they have an attempt, you think it's going in. And that's how I would describe Taelon,' McKay said. How did Taelon Peter end up with the Pacers? As Peter went through the pre-draft process, McKay recalled fielding questions from Pacers Vice President of Player Personnel Ryan Carr. Soon after, Peter worked out for the Pacers – among other teams. McKay explained that after those pre-draft sessions, inquiries poured in about Peter's story. Who is he? Why did he come off the bench? Why did he only play 22 minutes per game? Carr, though, said something different than representatives from other teams. He inserted some of his own opinion. 'His numbers are off the charts,' Carr noted to McKay, reffering to Peter's efficiency. McKay knew then that the Pacers did their homework and that they were interested in drafting the 23-year old. Sure enough, when pick 54 rolled around on draft night, the Pacers snapped up Peter. He was an unknown player during the NBA Draft broadcast, but he shouldn't have been. His statistical profile was unmatched by other draft prospects. Indiana has found success in the past by adding players with strong college numbers later in the draft or as an undrafted free agent. Alize Johnson and Terry Taylor carved out short stints in the NBA after starting with the Pacers, for example. Perhaps Peter could be next. 'It's interesting because when we looked at him, when we put him on our rankings on the draft board, he was very high,' Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard said of Peter. 'He's considered one of the best shooters in the league. And movement and shooting is what this league is about right now.' On draft night, Peter wasn't sure what was going to happen. He was at his Grandma's – who he calls his Granny – house in Alma, Arkansas. His whole family was there, as was his wife's family. They were bunched up in a small living room, and the whole group lept up in excitment when Peter's name was called. Before they knew it, they were all drenched after jumping in the pool fully clothed. Part of Peter wanted to act like he'd been there before. But he hadn't, and he celebrated. Peter knew the work he had put it made it possible for him to get drafted. But few expected it. Those emotions together made the moment of being selected more exciting. 'I knew I did everything that I could to get that opportunity, so I thought I put my best foot forward,' he said. 'But even if not, everybody there had the expectation of not getting drafted, so it was going to be cool either way.' And now, he brings his talents to an NBA team. Barely over a year ago, McKay was obsessing over film and trying to lure Peter to Liberty. Soon, Peter will play in a summer league game with 'Pacers' on his jersey. Early in his college journey, Peter – a state champion high jumper in high school who made it far with his athleticism – realized he needed to be a better jump shooter. He believes that shooting translates well to all levels of basketball, and he was proven right going from Division II to Division I, then becoming an NBA prospect. When he focused on his skill development in the past, it led to success. He hopes to repeat that process by adding some ball handling in the pros. It's one of his early focuses with Indiana. That's his new basketball home. It's where Peter will try to keep ascending and making a name for himself. 'I'm a winner. I do whatever the team needs to win,' Peter said of his own game. 'But I'm an energy guy. I'm a spark plug. I got comfortable last year with coming off the bench and coming in and making a spark on the game. But I would say I can make threes on the move, catch and shoot, and I'm a sneaky athlete.' Altogether, that's a desirable player type. Yet few knew who Peter was 15 months ago, and even fewer thought he was on an NBA trajectory. The Pacers saw his potential and believe that they can copy McKay by finding a great player and better person.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Deion Sanders undecided on Colorado's starting quarterback ahead of fall practice for 2025 season
Colorado is entering fall practice without knowing who its starting quarterback will be. Deion Sanders said Wednesday at Big 12 media day that he wasn't sure if either Kaidon Salter or Julian Lewis would be his team's starting quarterback in Week 1. Both quarterbacks were among the Colorado players who attended media day and Sanders explained why. Advertisement 'We brought both of them because I don't know which one is going to start,' he said. Colorado needs to replace Shedeur Sanders after he started for the past two seasons. Sanders was a fifth-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in the 2025 NFL Draft. Salter transferred to Colorado for his final season of eligibility after a solid career at Liberty, while Lewis is the most high-profile recruit Colorado has signed in Deion Sanders' tenure in Boulder. Salter starred in 2023 as Liberty went undefeated during the regular season and made the Fiesta Bowl. He threw for 32 TDs while completing 61% of his passes and also rushed for 1,089 yards and 12 touchdowns. Advertisement However, his stats were down in 2024 as Liberty went 8-4 and was just 5-3 in Conference USA. Salter explored transferring after the 2023 season, but elected to stay with the Flames. He threw for just 1,886 yards and 15 TDs and rushed for 579 yards and seven touchdowns. Lewis, meanwhile, was the No. 10 player in the class of 2025. The five-star recruit from Carrollton, Georgia, was the No. 3 pro style QB in the country according to Rivals. He enrolled early at Colorado and was on the sidelines for the team's Alamo Bowl loss to BYU at the end of the season. 'I don't know how it's going to play out as long as it plays out,' Sanders said. 'We can't lose either way with either of those two.' Advertisement While Sanders openly admitted he didn't know who his starter would be, he was not willing to talk about his health. Sanders had been dealing with an undisclosed medical issue during the spring and early summer and was away from the team facilities. However, he refused to answer an inquiry about himself while at the podium and said he instead wanted to only talk about his team.
