EVANSVILLE, Ind. - - Belmont University men's basketball returns to game action Friday in the semifinal round of the 2021 OVC Basketball Championship.
Belmont defeated SIU Edwardsville, 78-61, Wednesday. Freshman JaCobi Wood (Cleveland, Tenn.) scored a game-high 19 points to lead the Bruins. 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 20 double figure scoring games and ranks third in the OVC in scoring among freshmen (12.1 ppg). Wood ranks 10th nationally in freshman scoring and is fourth on Belmont's NCAA Division I era freshman scoring list (339).
Junior Grayson Murphy (Franklin, Tenn.) was named All-OVC First Team Tuesday 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 10.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.2 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. Murphy had 13 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and five steals Wednesday in the quarterfinal round.
Junior
Nick Muszynski (Pickerington, Ohio) joined Murphy on the All-OVC First Team, 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 returned to action vs. SIU Edwardsville after missing his previous two games. 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
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 12.2 points and 2.0 steals per game with 69 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 16 double figure scoring games. He ranks among OVC leaders in 12 statistical categories, including first in assist-turnover ratio (2.84). The Knoxville, Tennessee native ranks seventh nationally in steals and 20th 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.
Junior
Caleb Hollander (Nashville, Tenn.) had 17 points vs. SIU Edwardsville in the OVC quarterfinal round. He scored a career-high 24 points at Austin Peay Jan. 28. The 6-8 forward is averaging 12.5 points per game over his last 12 games, including eight double figure games.
The Belmont bench has been highly productive, scoring 581 points in OVC play, including 26 in the OVC quarterfinal round. 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 secured a 12th conference regular season championship in 16 years and seventh in nine years of OVC membership.
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 27-7 in conference tournament games, including eight conference tournament championships (2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012: Atlantic Sun; 2013, 2015, 2020: OVC).
Belmont will face either Jacksonville State or Murray State Friday in the OVC semifinal round. Belmont defeated Jacksonville State, 98-91 and 63-59, earlier this season. Belmont defeated Murray State, 68-55 and 72-71, earlier this season.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT from the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana. 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 OVC Semifinal 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 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 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
