Chattanooga at Belmont
Wednesday, Dec. 15 | 5 p.m. CT
Curb Event Center | Nashville, Tenn.
ESPN+ | Bruin Sports Network | Live Stats | Game Notes
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's basketball returns to action Wednesday vs. Chattanooga.
Will Richard led three Bruins in double figures with 15 points Dec. 7.
What's Bruin
- Belmont defeated Saint Louis, 64-59, Dec. 7.
- Grayson Murphy ranks third in assists and ninth in steals among all active players in college basketball. Murphy had 14 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and three steals at Saint Louis. The 6-3 guard went over 1,000 career points on a steal and score in the second half vs. Furman. Murphy is on pace to become the Ohio Valley Conference career leader in assists and steals.
- Luke Smith had four assists at Saint Louis. The 6-0 guard was named Preseason All-OVC after earning OVC All-Newcomer Team and DC Paradise Jam Most Valuable Player honors last season. Smith had a season-high 20 points vs. Furman. Smith was a 2019 NABC All-South District player at Sewanee (University of the South). Smith led Sewanee to the 2019 NCAA Division III Tournament, where he was coached by Belmont Director of Basketball Operations Mick Hedgepeth.
- Nick Muszynski had 12 points, six rebounds and a season-high four blocked shots at Saint Louis. The 6-11 center, named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lou Henson Award watch lists, averaged 24.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 blocked shots per game in the ESPN Events Invitational in earning All-Tournament Team honors.
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Ben Sheppard scored a career-high 25 points vs. Iona. Sheppard scored in double figures in each of Belmont's first 10 games. The 6-6 guard has emerged as Belmont's top two-way player.
- Will Richard recorded 11 points and a career-high 14 rebounds vs. Drake, becoming one of the fastest Belmont players to post a double-double. He had 23 points and nine rebounds at Samford and ranks among OVC freshmen leaders in scoring and rebounding.
- JaCobi Wood scored nine points in a 90-second span vs. Iona. The 6-2 guard had 20 double figure scoring games last season, including a career-high 21 points in his debut vs. Howard. Wood is a native of Cleveland, Tennessee, where he earned 2020 Tennessee Class AAA Mr. Basketball for Cleveland High School.
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Former Belmont assistant coach Mark Price is the director of athletics and head boys' basketball coach at the Baylor School.
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Belmont played Wisconsin in the 2011 NCAA Tournament; Chattanooga head coach Lamont Paris was a Wisconsin assistant coach. The 2011 NCAA Tournament was
Casey Alexander's final game as a Belmont assistant coach before he became head coach at Stetson.
- Belmont went 26-4 last season, claiming its 12th regular season conference championship in 16 years, seventh in nine years of OVC membership. The Bruins entered Selection Sunday with the most wins in America (with Gonzaga).
- Belmont returns 97 percent of its offensive production and minutes from last season. All-OVC performers Nick Muszynski and Grayson Murphy stand among the most accomplished players at their respective positions in college basketball.
- Belmont, Gonzaga and Buffalo are the only three programs outside the power conferences to win NCAA Tournament games in men's and women's basketball since 2019.
- Belmont and BYU were the only two programs outside the power conferences to receive Preseason AP Top 25 poll votes in men's and women's basketball.
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Belmont will join the Missouri Valley Conference July 1, 2022.
This marks the eight meeting between Belmont and Chattanooga. The programs last met Nov. 22, 2005 in Chattanooga. Belmont won, 93-79, as Josh Goodwin and Andy Wicke combined on 12-of-13 shooting and the Bruins went 17-of-25 from 3-point distance.
Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. CT from the Curb Event Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. The live play-by-play of Steve Layman can be heard on the Bruin Sports Network. In-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontMBB.
Belmont has a special '5 tickets for $25' promotion for the basketball doubleheader, which includes admission to the men's basketball game vs. Chattanooga and the women's basketball game vs. Auburn.
CLICK HERE
Belmont University men's basketball has earned postseason invitations 14 of the last 16 seasons, including nine berths to the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins have won 20 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 11 consecutive seasons (BYU, Gonzaga, Saint Mary's (CA), San Diego State, Wichita State). Belmont is one of only four NCAA Division I programs to win 19 or more games 16 consecutive seasons (Gonzaga, Kansas, San Diego State). Belmont University men's basketball boasts an NCAA-leading 18 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
