Austin Peay Preview

Belmont at Austin Peay
Thursday, Jan. 27 | 7:30 p.m. CT
Dunn Center | Clarksville, Tenn.
ESPN+ | Bruin Sports Network | Live Stats | Game Notes

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's basketball returns to game action Thursday at Austin Peay.

Ben Sheppard led five Bruins in double figures with 15 points Monday.

• Belmont defeated Eastern Illinois, 90-56, Monday.
• Grayson Murphy ranks third in assists and ninth in steals among all active players in college basketball. He is one of only five active players to record multiple triple-doubles. The 6-3 guard went over 1,000 career points on a steal and score in the second half vs. Furman. Murphy became the Ohio Valley Conference all-time career leader in assists at Eastern Illinois, and is on pace to become the OVC all-time career leader in steals. Murphy has 42 assists in his last five meetings vs. Austin Peay. He had 19 points, 10 rebounds and the go-ahead basket at Austin Peay last season. Murphy's father, Scott, played at Austin Peay from 1986-88.
• Luke Smith has 79 career double figure scoring games, including 11 points at Eastern Illinois. 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 and 23 points at SIUE. He ranks among OVC leaders in assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Nick Muszynski has 93 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 1,666 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 and has a team-leading 19 double figure scoring games this season. The 6-6 guard has emerged as Belmont's top two-way player.
• Will Richard had 13 points, five rebounds and six assists at Eastern Illinois. 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, five rebounds, eight assists and two steals at Eastern Illinois 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 eight points at Austin Peay last season (1/28/21).
• Caleb Hollander scored a career-high 24 points and made six 3-point field goals at Austin Peay last season.
• 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 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.
• 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.