BOSTON – The Belmont University women's basketball team has been ranked 20th in
CollegeInsider.com's Mid-Major Top 25
® heading into the 2023-24 season. The Bruins were ranked 19th in the Mid-Major Top 25 heading into national postseason play last March.
One of three Missouri Valley Conference teams in the preseason mid-major poll, Belmont is joined by No. 10 Northern Iowa and No. 13 Drake. Illinois State is also receiving votes in the preseason rankings.
The Bruins were picked fourth in the MVC but picked up one first-place vote in the preseason predicted order of finish after capturing a regular season championship in Belmont's first year in the conference in 2022-23. Going 23-12 overall and 17-3 in the Valley, the Bruins reached their third-straight conference tournament title game and made their 10th national postseason tournament in 11 seasons with an at-large bid to the WNIT.
After her true junior season was cut short due to injury, guard
Tuti Jones returns as a member of the Preseason All-MVC Second Team. The Troy, Alabama (Charles Henderson HS), native was the Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year and an All-OVC First Team selection as a sophomore in 2021-22.
Belmont brings back seven letter winners from its 2022-23 campaign with junior starters
Kilyn McGuff (guard) and
Tessa Miller (forward) returning. The Bruins also welcome six newcomers this season, including talented freshmen guard
Jailyn Banks and
Kensley Feltner. Georgia Tech transfer forward
Carmyn Harrison, junior college All-American guard
Claire Hyde and Marquette transfer guard
Emily La Chapell, along with junior guard
Liz Suder, have joined Belmont since mid-May.
Seventh-year head coach
Bart Brooks was named to the preseason watch list for the 2024 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award presented by
Her Hoop Stats earlier this week.
Continually playing one of the most stringent non-conference schedules in the country, the Bruins will take on six power conference programs this year. In fact, three of Belmont's first four games of the season are against Southeastern Conference members. Including their MVC slate, the Bruins will face no fewer than 14 teams who had a winning record in 2022-23. Ten of those won 20 or more games last season. At least six of Belmont's opponents competed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and the Bruins will go up against no less than 12 schools who made a national postseasons tournament last March.
Three teams on Belmont's non-conference schedule are receiving votes in the Mid-Major Top 25 with Middle Tennessee checking in at No. 9, Troy ranked 21st and Lipscomb tallying 28 votes.
The Bruins are one of only 11 teams in the nation to have won 20 or more games for eight-straight seasons. Belmont (11) is one of only three programs to have won more than 10 combined conference championships (regular season and tournament) over the last seven seasons. UConn (14) and Florida Gulf Coast (12) are the other two.
The Mid-Major Top 25 is updated every Tuesday evening throughout the season beginning Nov. 14.
The Bruins tip off the season Monday morning at 11:30 a.m. in Columbia, Missouri, against the University of Missouri. Next Friday, Nov. 10, Belmont hosts receiving-votes Georgia for its home opener at the Curb Event Center.
Belmont Basketball Ticket Information
Both single game and season tickets are on sale now. Season tickets are only $199 per seat and include all women's and men's basketball home games.
View available seating and purchase your seats.
Flex pack plans for the 2023-24 season area also on sale and can be purchased
here.
For more information, call 615-460-BALL or visit
BelmontBruins.com/Tickets.
How to Follow
Follow Belmont women's basketball on social media -
@BelmontWBB on Twitter,
@belmontwbb on Instagram and
Belmont Women's Basketball on Facebook - for complete coverage of the Bruins. 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.
#ItsBruinTime
