SIUE Preview

Belmont at SIUE
Monday, Jan. 17 | 6 p.m. CT
First Community Arena | Edwardsville, Ill.
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EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - - Belmont University men's basketball returns to game action Monday at SIUE.

Ben Sheppard had 13 points and seven rebounds Saturday.

• Belmont saw its eight-game win streak and 19-game home win streak snapped Saturday vs. Murray State.
• Grayson Murphy ranks third in assists and 10th in steals among all active players in college basketball. Murphy had nine rebounds and eight assists vs. Tennessee Tech. 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. Murphy had 25 assists vs. SIUE last season.
• Luke Smith has 76 career double figure scoring games, including 11 points vs. Tennessee Tech. 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 team-high 20 points vs. Furman. He ranks among OVC leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Nick Muszynski has 92 career double figure scoring games. The 6-11 center, named to the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award Watch List, 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. With 1,641 points, Muszynski is on pace to challenge Evan Bradds' NCAA Division I era career scoring record (1,921 points). He and Murphy were named to the Lou Henson Player of the Year Award Midseason Watch List.
• 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 had 18 points, eight rebounds and two assists vs. Tennessee Tech. He recorded 11 points and a career-high 14 rebounds vs. Drake, becoming one of the fastest Belmont players to post a double-double. Richard ranks among OVC freshmen leaders in scoring and rebounding.
• JaCobi Wood had 13 points and three assists vs. Tennessee Tech and had 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 vs. UT Martin. Wood scored a game-high 19 points in last season's OVC Quarterfinal victory over SIUE.
• Even Brauns had 12 points vs. SIUE last season.
• Belmont handed out 80 assists on 108 made field goals in its three games vs. SIUE last 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 Frank Jakubicek (Cary).
• 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.
• Belmont will join the Missouri Valley Conference July 1, 2022.