NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's basketball opens the 2020-21 season Thursday in the DC Paradise Jam presented by the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Belmont will go 264 days between games; when last we saw the Bruins on the floor in game competition was March 7 in Evansville, Indiana in the OVC Championship.
Graduate transfer Tyler Scanlon's reverse layin with 3.8 seconds remaining lifted Belmont to a dramatic 76-75 victory over Murray State and secured the program's ninth NCAA Tournament bid.
Five days later, the NCAA canceled winter and spring championships, including the men's basketball tournament.
Nevertheless, last season Belmont claimed its 11th regular season conference championship in 15 years, sixth in eight years of OVC membership.
Belmont returns eight letterwinners, including All-OVC performers Nick Muszynski (Pickerington, Ohio) and Grayson Murphy (Franklin, Tenn.), each among the most accomplished juniors in college basketball.
Muszynski has 52 double figure scoring games to his credit. He saved his finest performance for the OVC Championship where he delivered a game-high 25 points, eight rebounds and two blocked shots en route to OVC Tournament Most Valuable Player honors.
The 6-11 center is on pace to become Belmont's career scoring and blocked shot leader of the NCAA Division I era. He is also Belmont's first player named first team all-conference each of his first two seasons.
Muszynski joined Daniel Oturu (Minnesota) and Cameron Krutwig (Loyola Chicago) as one of only three post players in the country to score 975 or more points over the last two seasons.
As for Murphy, the 6-2 point guard is the reigning OVC Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the only player in America to record at least 240 rebounds, 200 assists and 80 steals. Murphy led the nation in rebounding from the point guard position last season, ranking second in assist-turnover ratio and third in steals.
Murphy spearheaded a Belmont offense that ranked second nationally in scoring offense in 2019 and 14th last season.
A fearless competitor known for his hustle plays on both ends of the floor, Murphy is on pace to threaten to OVC career records in assists and steals.
While returning players such as Ben Sheppard (Atlanta, Ga.), Caleb Hollander (Nashville, Tenn.) and Mitch Listau (Waunakee, Wis.) are expected to see expanded roles, Belmont head coach Casey Alexander welcomes a talented group of newcomers, including transfer Luke Smith (Knoxville, Tenn.), redshirt Michael Shanks (Bentonville, Ark.) and freshmen Even Brauns (Iowa City, Iowa), Frank Jakubicek (Cary, Ill) and JaCobi Wood (Cleveland, Tenn.).
Belmont has ranked in the Top 25 nationally in 3-point field goals made per game every year but one since becoming an NCAA Division-I member institution in 1996. Currently, no program has made more 3-pointers than Belmont (7025) since the Bruins went Division I.
In large part thanks to Muszynski and Scanlon, the Bruins have had three players average at least 10 points per game in 10 consecutive seasons.
One of Belmont's most memorable games took place in our nation's capital: the 2008 NCAA Tournament game vs. Duke at Capital One Arena, where the Bruins led much of the second half before falling in the final seconds on Gerald Henderson's game-winning shot, 71-70.
Former Belmont all-conference guard and current NBA skills development coach Drew Hanlen ('12) worked with Thon Maker - brother of Howard forward Makur Maker - prior to the 2016 NBA Draft, where the former was selected No. 10 overall by the Detroit Pistons. Hanlen's clients include Jayson Tatum, Bradley Beal, Joel Embiid, and Zach LaVine.
2006 was a special year for both Belmont and George Mason; the Bruins earned their first trip to the NCAA Tournament while the Patriots reached the Final Four.
This marks Belmont's first appearance in the Paradise Jam; the tournament was relocated from the U.S. Virgin Islands to Washington, D.C.
Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. CT from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. All games will be broadcast on ESPN3 and the ESPN app. 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.
Belmont DC Paradise Jam Game Notes
Belmont University men's basketball has earned postseason invitations 14 of the last 15 seasons, including nine berths to the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins have won 19 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 rankings 10 consecutive seasons (BYU, Gonzaga, Saint Mary's (CA), San Diego State, Wichita State). Belmont is one of only six NCAA Division I programs to win 19 or more games 15 consecutive seasons (Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Michigan State, 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.
