NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's basketball returns to game action Thursday at Morehead State.
The Bruins defeated Jacksonville State, 101-84, Feb. 15. Sophomore Adam Kunkel (Hebron, Ky.) scored a game-high 26 points. The 6-3 guard has a team-high 25 double figure scoring games this season and ranks seventh in the OVC in scoring at 17.0 points per game. Kunkel has seen the second-biggest year-to-year scoring increase in the nation this season, increasing his scoring output by 14.7 points per game. He had a career-high 35 points in Belmont's victory at Boston College.
Sophomore Nick Muszynski (Pickerington, Ohio) had 18 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and four blocked shots vs. Jacksonville State. The 6-11 center has 23 double figure scoring games this season and ranks among OVC leaders in five statistical categories, including points per game (15.5), rebounds per game (6.7) and blocked shots per game (1.6). He was named to the Lou Henson Award Midseason Watch List. Muszynski had 20 points and 10 rebounds in the meeting with Morehead State earlier this season.
Sophomore Grayson Murphy (Franklin, Tenn.) has been one of the most impactful players in the OVC this season. Murphy has eight career double-doubles, including five this season. The 6-2 guard leads the nation in rebounding from the point guard position (7.5) and is second in assist-turnover ratio (4.07). Murphy also ranks top 10 nationally in total steals (70), steals per game (2.59) and total assists (167). He has multiple steals in 10 of his last 11 games.
Graduate student Tyler Scanlon (Centreville, Va.) has recorded double figures in 14 of his last 17 games, and ranks among OVC leaders in scoring (12.4), 3-point field goal percentage (.398) and 3-point field goals per game (1.9).
Senior Michael Benkert (Greenwood, Ind.) scored a career-high 15 points at Western Kentucky and had 11 points at Tennessee Tech. One of the top perimeter defenders in the OVC, Benkert has made 31 consecutive starts for the Bruins.
Freshman Ben Sheppard (Atlanta, Ga.) had a career-high three steals vs. Murray State Feb. 6. The 6-6 guard has made 26 game appearances, including 10 points and three rebounds at Jacksonville State.
Sophomore Caleb Hollander (Nashville, Tenn.) has provided a huge lift off the bench in recent weeks. The 6-8 forward has five double figure scoring games and had a season-high 14 points vs. Austin Peay. Hollander scored a career-high 22 points vs. Morehead State last season (1/10/19).
Junior Nick Hopkins (Fayetteville, Tenn.) scored 12 points in 15 minutes vs. Jacksonville State. The 6-0 guard ranks among OVC active leaders in career 3-point field goals (142).
The Bruins currently rank first in the Ohio Valley Conference in 12 statistical categories, including scoring offense (81.1), 3-point field goals per game (10.0) and defensive rebounds per game (29.04). Belmont is top 25 nationally in 10 statistical categories, including first in assists per game (18.9) and second in assist-turnover ratio (1.59).
2019 graduate and Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Dylan Windler had two of the greatest individual performances in program history, both vs. Morehead State. In 2018, Windler recorded 36 points and 20 rebounds in a home victory over Morehead State. It was one of only three 30-20 games in all of NCAA Division I men's basketball that season (Marvin Bagley, Jo-Lual Acuil). Then in 2019, Windler went for a career-high 41 points and 12 rebounds in victory at Morehead State, one shy of Belmont's NCAA Division I era single-game scoring mark of 42, held by Craig Bradshaw (at Ohio, 11/29/14).
Belmont great Ian Clark and Morehead State standout Kenneth Faried were teammates on the Denver Nuggets for two months at the end of the 2014-15 season.
This marks the 17th meeting between Belmont and Morehead State. Belmont won, 77-59, Jan. 18.
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 Morehead State 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 seven NCAA Division I programs to win 19 or more games 15 consecutive seasons (BYU, Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Louisville, 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.
