Tennessee State at Belmont
Saturday, Feb. 26 | 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 game action Saturday vs. Tennessee State.
Will Richard had 10 points and seven rebounds Thursday.
Belmont became the first program in America to secure 20 or more victories in 12 consecutive seasons; Gonzaga and Kansas have since achieved, while Oregon has the opportunity to reach the standard.
What's Bruin
- Belmont lost at [19/21] Murray State Thursday.
- Grayson Murphy ranks second in assists and seventh in steals among all active players in college basketball. He is one of only six 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 recorded his 18th career double-double with 13 assists and 11 rebounds vs. UT Martin. He scored the game-winning basket with 5.0 seconds remaining vs. Morehead State. Murphy recorded his second career triple-double with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists at SIUE earlier this season.
- Luke Smith has 81 career double figure scoring games. 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 102 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 1,849 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. The Pickerington, Ohio native is the only active player in college basketball with at least 1,800 points, 600 rebounds, 250 assists and 200 blocked shots, and joins the likes of Tim Duncan (Wake Forest), David West (Xavier) and Nick Collison (Kansas) over the last 30 years to reach the standard. Muszynski scored a career-high 33 points at Tennessee Tech. Muszynski is averaging 18.0 points in seven career games vs. Tennessee State. He had 24 points in the meeting earlier this season.
- Ben Sheppard scored a career-high 41 points at Tennessee Tech. He had 25 points vs. Iona. Sheppard scored in double figures in each of Belmont's first 10 games and has a team-leading 27 double figure scoring games this season. The 6-6 guard has emerged as Belmont's top two-way player.
- Will Richard had 18 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals vs. SIUE en route to OVC Freshman of the Week honors. 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 is averaging 15.3 points per game in three career games vs. Tennessee State. He had 17 points in the meeting earlier this season. He 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.
- Tyler Scanlon ('20) scored 15 points in the first 10:21 of Belmont's 72-65 victory at Tennessee State securing the Bruins' 2020 OVC regular season conference championship.
- Former All-OVC players Ian Clark of Belmont and Robert Covington of Tennessee State played against each other before making their way to the NBA; Clark earned an NBA Championship ring with the Golden State Warriors while Covington is a member of the Los Angeles Clippers.
- Tennessee State head coach Brian Collins is a 2006 Belmont graduate, playing point guard for former Belmont head coach Rick Byrd from 2002-06. Collins helped Belmont to the 2006 Atlantic Sun Conference Championship and the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. Belmont head coach Casey Alexander was an assistant for Byrd, and coached Collins during his college career.
- 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.
This marks the 39th meeting between Belmont and Tennessee State, 21st in OVC play. Belmont has won 23 of the last 26 meetings, including 88-61 earlier this season.
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 can be heard on the Bruin Sports Network. In-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontMBB.
Belmont will honor Muszynski, Murphy, Tate Pierson, Smith and Caleb Hollander prior to the game.
Belmont will also honor the program's 2006 & 2007 Atlantic Sun Championship and NCAA Tournament teams.
Hampton Inn Green Hills is the presenting sponsor of Saturday's game.
To become a Bruin Club member, contact Russell Grimm at (615) 460-5668 or russell.grimm@belmont.edu.
Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.
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 has won 20 or more games in 12 consecutive seasons (Gonzaga, Kansas, Oregon). 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 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
