Liberty Basketball Program Snags NCAA Tournament’s First Automatic Bid

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The Liberty basketball program will appear in its second consecutive NCAA Tournament after getting the Atlantic Sun’s automatic bid. They clinched it in a unique way this time around. Rather than earning the bid by way of a conference title — which could still happen by the way — they received the bid because their ASUN championship game opponent, North Alabama, is ineligible for the NCAA Tournament. The Lions are still in the midst of their Division 1 transition period.

Liberty and North Alabama will square off today in the ASUN championship game at 2:00 p.m. on ESPN.

By most metrics, Liberty is by far the best team in the ASUN. They’re ranked No. 85 in the KenPom ratings, a full 97 spots higher than the team immediately after them, No. 183 Bellarmine. North Alabama, it should be noted, is ranked No. 289. The Flames started the season ranked No. 166 by KenPom but shot up after multiple big wins. Besides 13 wins in 15 games vs. conference opponents, they beat two high-major programs, Mississippi State & South Carolina, and lost by single digits to two more, TCU & Missouri.

During the 2019 NCAA Tournament, Liberty earned a No. 12 seed and pulled an upset over No. 5 Mississippi State. They lost in the Round of 32 to fellow in-state program Virginia Tech.

Morehead State is the only other team currently locked into an NCAA Tournament berth after winning the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.