OVC Quarterfinal Preview

Belmont secured a 12th conference regular season championship in 16 years and seventh in nine years of OVC membership.

 

Junior Nick Muszynski (Pickerington, Ohio) was named All-OVC First Team Tuesday, becoming the first Belmont player of the program's NCAA Division I era to earn first team all-conference honors as a freshman, sophomore and junior. Named to the Lute Olson and Lou Henson Award Midseason Watch Lists, Muszynski is averaging 15.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots per game. The 6-11 center has 75 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). Muszynski is the reigning OVC Tournament Most Valuable Player.

 

Junior Grayson Murphy (Franklin, Tenn.) joined Muszynski on the All-OVC First Team and was named OVC Defensive Player of the Year for a second consecutive season. Murphy was named Lute Olson National Player of the Week Feb. 15. The 6-2 guard is averaging 10.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game, leading the nation in rebounding from the point guard position for a second consecutive year. In fact, Murphy joins exclusive company of Anfernee Hardaway (Memphis) and Evan Turner (Ohio State) of point guards to average eight or more rebounds per game over the past three decades. Murphy ranks among OVC leaders in 12 statistical categories, including leading the league in assists per game, steals per game, defensive rebounds per game and triple-doubles. Speaking of, Murphy posted the first triple-double of Belmont's NCAA Division I era with 13 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists vs. Morehead State (2/13/21). Over the last three seasons, Murphy is the only player in college basketball to record at least 900 points, 550 rebounds, 550 assists and 150 steals. Murphy is on pace to become the OVC career leader in assists and steals. 

 

Junior Luke Smith (Knoxville, Tenn.) became the first player since Muszynski in 2019 and second in program history named to the conference All-Newcomer Team. The 6-0 guard is averaging 12.3 points and 2.1 steals per game with 67 made 3-point field goals. After earning DC Paradise Jam Most Valuable Player honors, Smith became the first player in Belmont's NCAA Division I era to score 100 or more points in his first five games. Smith has 15 double figure scoring games. He ranks among OVC leaders in 12 statistical categories, including first in assist-turnover ratio (2.93). The Knoxville, Tennessee native ranks seventh nationally in steals and 21st in 3-point field goals. Smith 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 (12/14/20).

Sophomore Ben Sheppard (Atlanta, Ga.) has posted 11 double figure scoring games this season, including a career-high 25 points and 10 rebounds vs. Eastern Kentucky Feb. 11. Sheppard scored 22 points at Jacksonville State (1/16/21) and had 21 points, seven rebounds and a career-high six steals at UT Martin (1/2/21). The 6-6 guard made 32 game appearances last season, emerging as a valuable two-way player for Belmont.

 

Freshman JaCobi Wood (Cleveland, Tenn.) has made an instant impact for Belmont. 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 19 double figure scoring games and ranks third in the OVC in scoring among freshmen (11.9 ppg). Wood ranks 12th nationally in freshman scoring and is tied with fellow Cleveland, Tennessee native Justin Hare ('08) for fourth on Belmont's NCAA Division I era freshman scoring list.

 

Junior Caleb Hollander (Nashville, Tenn.) had 17 points, seven rebounds and five 3-point field goals in Belmont's regular season finale. He scored a career-high 24 points at Austin Peay Jan. 28. The 6-8 forward is averaging 12.1 points per game over his last 11 games. 

The Belmont bench has been highly productive, scoring 581 points in OVC play, including 91 in two games vs. SIU Edwardsville. Wood, freshman Even Brauns (Iowa City, Iowa), sophomore Mitch Listau (Waunakee, Wis.), sophomore EJ Bellinger (St. Peters, Mo.), sophomore Derek Sabin (Slinger, Wis.), freshman Frank Jakubicek (Cary, Ill.) and freshman Michael Shanks (Bentonville, Ark.) have each tallied new career highs in scoring during the stretch, while junior Tate Pierson (Brentwood, Tenn.) scored a season-high 11 points.

Belmont has earned the double bye eight of its nine years of OVC membership (NOTE: this year the league replaced the double bye with a traditional tournament format); the lone exception was 2015, when Belmont defeated Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky and No. 24 Murray State in succession to win the tournament championship and NCAA Tournament bid. Belmont set an OVC Tournament record with 39 made 3-point field goals over the three games.

Since 2006, Belmont is 26-7 in conference tournament games, including eight conference tournament championships (2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012: Atlantic Sun; 2013, 2015, 2020: OVC).

Belmont set a number of program and Curb Event Center records in the Jan. 23 victory over SIU Edwardsville.

Belmont handed out 60 assists on 79 made field goals in its two games vs. SIU Edwardsville this season.

2012 Belmont graduate Drew Hanlen is a native of St. Louis. As CEO of Pure Sweat Basketball, Hanlen has become one of the most respected player development consultants and strategic skills coaches in the NBA. His clients include Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal, RJ Barrett, Kelly Oubre, Jordan Clarkson and former teammate and Belmont All-American Ian Clark ('13).

Sophomore EJ Bellinger is a native of St. Peters, Missouri.

The state of Illinois brought Belmont former All-OVC forward Amanze Egekeze ('18, Lake in the Hills) and Jakubicek (Cary).