Men's Basketball begins homestand with Liberty, WKU

Thursday, January 29

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

6 p.m.

Middle Tennessee

Liberty

1/28/2026 6:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Logan Hasselbach

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The Middle Tennessee men's basketball team is set to return home to the Murphy Center for two games this week. The Blue Raiders will open the week Thursday against Liberty at 6 p.m. before hosting rival Western Kentucky Saturday as part of a doubleheader with the women's programs, with tip off scheduled for 3 p.m. Both games will be streamed on CBS Sports Network and Blue Raider Network.

Blue Raider Notes

Luka Jovanovic had to step up in big ways at Jacksonville State, including playing a career-high 25 minutes. In his game action, he connected on four of five field goals, including his first dunk of conference play, and made a free throw for another career-high with nine points.
Middle Tennessee has dropped just one contest at home this season, going 8-1 and undefeated in home conference contests.
Kamari Lands leads the team in points per game at 13.2. The senior scored a team-high 15 against the Gamecocks last week for his 13^th double digit scoring contest of the season.
MTSU's three-point percentage defense continues to thrive, ranking 39^th in the nation at just 30.1 percent. While at home, that number is even lower at 28.5 percent.
The Blue Raiders rank 34^th in the country, averaging 4.8 blocks per game.
Averaging 9.8 made threes per contest, Middle Tennessee is 50^th in Division I. With 186 total so far, the 2025-26 Blue Raiders are well on pace -to break the single season program record set by the 2021-22 team who made 302.
In the first contest against Missouri State as conference opponents, the Blue Raiders downed the Bears in a thrilling double overtime battle in the Murphy Center, 90-87. The points total represents the most scored against a league foe since Feb. 21, 2024, when MTSU scored 96 in another 2OT game against UTEP.

Series History
Liberty owns a 3-1 edge over Middle Tennessee in the all-time series record, with the lone Blue Raider win coming in the Glass House in the 2023-24 season.

Flame Notes

Liberty leads the conference with an undefeated 9-0 record, owning a 17-3 overall mark as well. The team in on an 11-game winning streak, dating back to December 16.
The Flames are one of 11 teams in the nation currently unbeaten in conference play.
Liberty in second in the nation in field goal percentage (52.1) and effective field goal percentage (0.619), third in fewest turnovers per game (8.7) and fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.02) and three-point percentage (40.8).
Brett Decker Jr. leads the Flames in points per game, averaging 18.0, while shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc, a mark that stands second in the country.

Series History
One of the longest-running series in Middle Tennessee history, Western Kentucky leads 100-49, dating back to 1914. The Blue Raiders swept the regular season series last year, including a resounding 87-77 victory in Bowling Green to give head coach Nick McDevitt his 100^th win at the helm of the program.

Hilltopper Notes

Western Kentucky enters the week 11-9 overall with a 4-5 mark in Conference USA play. The team will play Kennesaw State Wednesday before traveling to Murfreesboro.
Teagan Moore leads WKU with 17.2 points per game on 50 percent shooting from the floor.
The Hilltoppers rank 20^th in the nation with 41.30 rebounds per game, with the eighth-most offensive boards per game at 14.3.
Armelo Boone leads the rebounding presence for Western Kentucky, averaging 6.7 each contest.
Moore leads the conference in made free throws with 106 this season, a mark that also ranks 48^th in Division I.