NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's basketball returns to game action Saturday at Saint Louis at the Gotham Classic.
Belmont defeated Lipscomb, 73-67, Wednesday. Sophomore Adam Kunkel (Hebron, Ky.) scored 16 points for the Bruins after earning OVC Player of the Week honors earlier in the week. Kunkel has been one of college basketball's top stories of November, scoring 106 points though the first five games after scoring 58 points in 25 game appearances as a freshman. The 6-3 guard played a key role in Belmont's 81-70 victory over Temple in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
Sophomore Grayson Murphy (Franklin, Tenn.) recorded 12 points, a career-high 13 rebounds and five assists at Lipscomb. A Preseason All-OVC selection, Murphy ranks among the nation's top returners in assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio.
Sophomore Nick Muszynski (Pickerington, Ohio) delivered 16 points, seven rebounds and three blocked shots at Lipscomb, having scored in double figures in 30 of 37 career games. Muszynski ranked among national leaders in field goal percentage and blocked shots per game en route to Freshman All-America honors from Basketball Times.
Sophomore Tate Pierson (Brentwood, Tenn.) and freshman Ben Sheppard (Atlanta, Ga.) combined on 14 points and five rebounds at Lipscomb. The duo has provided significant contributions on both ends of the floor.
Belmont freshman guard EJ Bellinger is a native of St. Peters, Missouri, where he starred at Fort Zumwalt South High School. Bellinger averaged 25.5 points per game as a senior, as he was named Missouri Class 5A All-State and St. Louis All-Metro by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Former Belmont guard Drew Hanlen ('12) is a native of St. Louis. As CEO of Pure Sweat Basketball, Hanlen has become one of the most respected player development consultants and strategic skills coaches in the NBA. His clients include Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal, RJ Barrett, Jordan Clarkson, Kelly Oubre, and former teammate, Belmont All-American and NBA Champion Ian Clark ('13). Hanlen's sister, Ashley, played basketball at Saint Louis.
Belmont is familiar with the St. Louis area, playing Ohio Valley Conference member SIU Edwardsville.
This marks the second meeting between Belmont and Saint Louis. The programs met Dec. 16, 2009, with the Billikens claiming a 75-67 victory. Belmont director of basketball operations Mick Hedgepeth was a sophomore on the Bruin team, recording a team-high 13 points and six rebounds.
Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports Go, ESPN+ and the ESPN app. The live play-by-play can be heard on the Bruin Sports Network. In-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontMBB.
Belmont at Saint Louis Game Notes
Belmont University men's basketball has earned postseason invitations 13 of the last 14 seasons, including eight berths to the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins have won 17 conference championships since 2006 - third-most nationally over that span (Gonzaga, Kansas). Belmont is one of only six NCAA Division I programs outside the Power 5 to post Top 100 RPIs nine consecutive seasons (BYU, Gonzaga, Saint Mary's (CA), San Diego State, Wichita State). Belmont is one of only nine NCAA Division I programs to win 19 or more games 14 consecutive seasons (BYU, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina, San Diego State). Belmont University men's basketball boasts an NCAA-leading 17 CoSIDA Academic All-America selections since 2001 and is the only NCAA Division I program to make the NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) Honor Roll every year of existence.
