VaSID Release

Liberty’s Darius McGhee has been named the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Player of the Year for the second straight season.

McGhee has also been tabbed a VaSID All-State first team honoree, with the 2022-23 VaSID All-State University Men’s Basketball Awards announced on Wednesday afternoon.  He is now a three-time all-state honoree, earning first team honors in 2022 and 2023 and second team all-state recognition in 2021.

A 2022-23 AP All-American Men’s Basketball honorable mention selection, McGhee earned his third straight ASUN Player of the Year honor this season. McGhee was also a NABC District 3 first team selection and named to the USBWA District III All-District team while being named a finalist for both the 2022-23 Lute Olson National Player of the Year and Lou Henson National Player of the Year award.

McGhee paced the Flames in scoring and ranked third nationally in scoring average at 22.8 points per game while finishing No. 2 in the country in total points (821). The redshirt senior guard from Roxboro, N.C. led the nation in three-pointers made (162, new program record), placed second in three-pointers per game (4.50) and ended his career ranked second in NCAA history for career threes (529). McGhee set the Liberty and ASUN all-time career scoring records and finished his time as a Flame with 2,685 career points.

McGhee’s other recognitions during his final campaign included: four-time ASUN Player of the Week, ASUN All-Tournament team, Cancun Challenge All-Tournament team, game MVP of the Hall of Fame Classic, 2022-23 John R. Wooden Award® presented Wendy’s® Preseason Top 50 Watch List, 2022-23 Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award Watch List and 2023 Bob Cousy Award Watch List. He is also Liberty’s winningest individual in program history, ending his career with 131 victories.

McGhee was chosen to compete in the 2023 NABC – Reese’s Division I College All-Star Game during Final Four week and also participated in the competed in the TaxAct Men’s 3-Point Championship, State Farm College Team Skills and 3X3U Championships in Houston.

VaSID names 44 all-state teams in 23 sports each year, as well as an Academic All-State squad and an all-sports champion in both the University and College Divisions.

2023 VaSID All-State University Men’s Basketball Awards
VaSID Player of the Year
Darius McGhee, Liberty

VaSID Defensive Player of the Year
Reece Beekman, Virginia

VaSID Coach of the Year
Mark Byington, James Madison

VaSID Rookie of the Year
Asher Woods, VMI

VaSID All-State First Team
Darius McGhee, Liberty
Ace Baldwin, Jr., VCU
Joe Bryant, Jr., Norfolk State
Reece Beekman, Virginia
Grant Basile, Virginia Tech

VaSID All-State Second Team
Kihei Clark, Virginia
Kris Bankston, Norfolk State
Tyler Burton, Richmond
Isaiah Wilkins, Longwood
DaQuan Smith, Radford

Main Photo at Top of Story: No. 2 Darius McGhee