NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's basketball returns to game action Thursday at Austin Peay.
The Bruins defeated SIU Edwardsville, 114-62, Jan. 23. Belmont forced 24 turnovers and scored 46 points in the paint in establishing a new Curb Event Center single-game scoring record.
Sophomore
Ben Sheppard (Atlanta, Ga.) had a team-high 18 and four steals vs. SIU Edwardsville. Sheppard scored a career-high 22 points at Jacksonville State and earned his second OVC Player of the Week honor Jan. 18. The 6-6 guard made 32 game appearances last season, emerging as a valuable two-way player for Belmont.
Junior
Nick Muszynski (Pickerington, Ohio) scored eight points in 16 minutes vs. SIU Edwardsville. The 6-11 center has 67 career double figure scoring games and is a two-time First Team All-OVC selection. Muszynski scored a season-high 26 points vs. Southeast Missouri, and is on pace to challenge Evan Bradds' NCAA Division I era career scoring record (1,921 points). He was named to the Lute Olson Award and Lou Henson Award midseason watch lists earlier this week.
Junior
Grayson Murphy (Franklin, Tenn.) had 14 points, six assists and four steals vs. SIU Edwardsville. The reigning OVC Defensive Player of the Year ranks fifth in the OVC in rebounding (7.5 rpg) and is on pace to threaten OVC career records in assists and steals. Since the start of 2019-20, Murphy is the only player in America with at least 300 rebounds, 250 assists and 100 steals. He ranks 11th among active NCAA career leaders in assists and 14th in steals. Murphy has 39 assists in his last four meetings vs. Austin Peay.
Junior
Luke Smith (Knoxville, Tenn.) had 18 points, five assists and two steals vs. SIU Edwardsville. Smith 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 leads the OVC in six statistical categories, and ranks seventh in the league in scoring (15.0 ppg).
He ranks fifth nationally in steals and eighth in 3-point field goals.
Smith was named DC Paradise Jam Most Valuable Player and Dec. 14 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.
Freshman
JaCobi Wood (Cleveland, Tenn.) had 11 points and three assists vs. SIU Edwardsville. He scored a career-high tying 21 points in 22 minutes vs. UT Martin. The dynamic playmaker has been named OVC Freshman of the Week twice, has posted 14 double figure scoring games and ranks third in the OVC in scoring among freshmen (13.1 ppg). Wood ranks sixth nationally in freshman scoring.
The Belmont bench has been highly productive of late, scoring 326 points in OVC play. Wood, freshman
Even Brauns (Iowa City, Iowa), sophomore
EJ Bellinger (St. Peters, Mo.), sophomore
Derek Sabin (Slinger, Wis.) and freshman
Michael Shanks (Bentonville, Ark.) have each tallied new career highs in scoring during the stretch.
The game features four returning First Team All-OVC players (Belmont: Muszynski, Murphy; Austin Peay: Terry Taylor, Jordyn Adams).
2019 graduate and Cleveland Cavaliers' guard Dylan Windler had two of the greatest individual games in program history vs. Austin Peay as a senior. Windler had 33 points and 12 rebounds in Clarksville - including 20 consecutive points in the second half - and 32 points and a career-high 21 rebounds in the OVC semifinal.
Belmont head coach
Casey Alexander faced Austin Peay five times during his tenure as head coach at Lipscomb (4-1). Alexander and Austin Peay head coach Matt Figger have each been named conference coach of the year.
Belmont's 89-83 victory at Austin Peay (1/17/15) was the 700th career victory for Belmont head coach Rick Byrd.
Belmont associate head coach
Brian Ayers is a Clarksville, Tennessee native, who served on the Governors' coaching staff during the 1995-96 season while earning his master's degree.
Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU 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 Austin Peay 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
