NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's basketball returns to game action Tuesday at Eastern Washington in the Gotham Classic.
Belmont dropped a 60-55 decision at Saint Louis Saturday. The Bruins limited Saint Louis to 36 percent shooting and forced 14 Billiken turnovers.
Sophomore Grayson Murphy (Franklin, Tenn.) scored 17 points for the Bruins. The 6-2 guard is nearly averaging a double-double this season, averaging 10.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Murphy ranked among NCAA leaders last season in assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio.
Sophomore Nick Muszynski (Pickerington, Ohio) provides a valued inside presence for the Bruins. The 6-11 center has recorded at least one blocked shot in 10 of his last 11 games and was named 2019 Freshman All-America by Basketball Times.
Belmont and Eastern Washington each have an NBA Draft first-round selection in their respective program histories. Belmont's Dylan Windler was selected No. 26 by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2019 NBA Draft while Eastern Washington's Rodney Stuckey was selected No. 15 by the Detroit Pistons in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Belmont and Eastern Washington each made the NCAA Tournament in 2015; Belmont played Virginia while Eastern Washington played Georgetown.
Shots from behind the arc should be plentiful; Belmont has made the most three-point field goals in the nation since going from the NAIA to NCAA Division I in 1996-97, while Eastern Washington ranks fifth nationally in 3-point reliance this season.
Former Eastern Washington All-American offensive lineman Michael Roos spent 10 seasons in Nashville playing for the Tennessee Titans.
KHQ-TV (Spokane, Wash.) anchor/reporter Grace Chapin earned a bachelor's degree and master's degree from Belmont University. Chapin worked with Belmont Basketball as a video coordinator and sideline reporter.
This marks the first meeting between Belmont and Eastern Washington.
Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. CT/6 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast on PlutoTV Ch. 534. The live play-by-play of Voice of the Bruins Kevin Ingram can be heard on the Bruin Sports Network. In-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontMBB.
Where to watch PlutoTV:
- Pluto.TV
- Smart TVs using Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku and Chromecast
Belmont at Eastern Washington 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.
