NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's basketball returns to game action Friday at Tennessee State.
The Bruins defeated Kennesaw State, 64-53, Wednesday. Junior
Nick Muszynski (Pickerington, Ohio) scored a season-high 25 points as Belmont earned its 200th victory in the Curb Event Center. The 6-11 center has 59 career double figure scoring games and passed Taylor Barnette for 19th on Belmont's NCAA Division I era scoring list.
He tied a Curb Event Center record (Alex Renfroe, Kerron Johnson) with 21 free throw attempts in the Dec. 8 meeting vs. Tennessee State.
Muszynski and junior
Luke Smith (Knoxville, Tenn.) have taken different career paths, but coincidentally each have 1,099 career points.
Smith, a transfer from NCAA Division I Sewanee, became the first player in Belmont's NCAA Division I era to score 100 or more points in his first five games.
The 6-0 guard scored 14 points vs. Kennesaw State, leads the OVC in five statistical categories, and ranks third in the league in scoring (19.2 ppg).
He ranks third nationally in 3-point field goals and fifth in steals.
Smith was named DC Paradise Jam Most Valuable Player and Monday became the first player in nearly three years to earn OVC Player of the Week and OVC Newcomer of the Week honors the same week.
Sophomore Ben Sheppard (Atlanta, Ga.) had eight points, five rebounds and a career-high five assists vs. Kennesaw State. The 6-6 guard made 32 game appearances last season, emerging as a valuable two-way player for Belmont.
Freshman JaCobi Wood (Cleveland, Tenn.) recorded 11 points, eight assists and zero turnovers at Lipscomb Dec. 12. The dynamic playmaker has five double figure scoring games and leads the OVC in scoring among freshmen (11.9 ppg).
Junior Grayson Murphy (Franklin, Tenn.) has continued his astounding rebounding rate from last season. After leading the nation in rebounding from the point guard position, Murphy has already recorded three double figure rebounding games this season, including two of his 11 career double-doubles. The reigning OVC Defensive Player of the Year ranks second in the OVC in rebounding (9.6 rpg) and is on pace to threaten OVC career records in assists and steals.
Tennessee State head coach Brian Collins is a 2006 Belmont graduate, playing point guard for former Belmont head coach Rick Byrd from 2002-06. Collins helped Belmont to the 2006 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship and the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Belmont head coach
Casey Alexander was an assistant for Byrd, and coached Collins during his college career.
Former All-OVC players Ian Clark of Belmont and Robert Covington of Tennessee State played against each other before forging a friendship and making their way to the NBA; Clark earned an NBA Championship ring with the Golden State Warriors while Covington is a member of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Belmont graduate student Tyler Scanlon ('20) scored 15 points in the first 10:21 of last season's 72-65 victory at Tennessee State (2/29/20) securing the Bruins' 11th regular season conference championship.
This marks the 37th meeting between Belmont and Tennessee State. The Bruins won 79-64 Dec. 8 at the Curb Event Center.
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on 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 Tennessee State 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.
