Men's Basketball Plays Illinois State Tuesday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's basketball returns to game action Tuesday at Illinois State.
 
The Bruins rank Top 3 in the Missouri Valley Conference in seven statistical categories.
 
Belmont ranks Top 40 nationally in effective field goal percentage and overall field goal percentage and leads the Missouri Valley Conference in steals per game.
 
Cade Tyson has 13 double figure scoring games this season. Tyson ranks among league leaders in scoring, field goal percentage, free throw percentage and 3-point field goals.
 
The Monroe, North Carolina native scored a career-high 31 points Dec. 16 and has seven games of 20 or more points this season, including 52 points over his last two games.
 
Malik Dia has recorded 14 consecutive double figure scoring games, including 32 points vs. Drake. He posted his second career double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds vs. Arkansas State.
 
The Murfreesboro, Tennessee native ranks among league leaders in scoring, rebounding and free throw rate. Dia is averaging 17.4 points per game this season.
 
Ja'Kobi Gillespie has provided consistent offensive production for the Bruins this season. The Greeneville, Tennessee native ranks among league leaders in scoring, assists and leads the MVC in steals. He tied the Curb Event Center record with seven steals vs. Berry.
 
Gillespie is the only player in college basketball averaging at least 16 points, four assists and 2.5 steals per game.
 
In fact, Gillespie, Tyson and Dia comprise a trio that places Belmont as one of only two NCAA Division I programs with three players averaging at least 16 points per game (Arkansas-Pine Bluff).
 
Keishawn Davidson has 73 assists to 32 turnovers this season. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee native has six double figure scoring games, including a season-high 14 points at Northern Iowa and vs. Drake.
 
He ranks 12th in career assists (573) among active players NCAA Division I players.
 
Isaiah Walker had a career-high 13 points vs. Drake and 11 points and five steals vs. Arkansas State. The Wyoming, Ohio native has provided consistent production, with six or more rebounds in nine games this season. Walker had eight points, five rebounds and two assists in the first meeting.
 
Jayce Willingham has provided versatility and steady play for the Bruins this season. The graduate student from Jasper, Alabama has eight double figure scoring games including a double double of 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. Lafayette. Willingham had a season-high three steals vs. Valparaiso and at Middle Tennessee. Willingham had 12 points, six rebounds and a season-high five assists last time out.
 
Brigham Rogers has made a significant frontcourt contribution as a freshman. The 6-9 forward from Woodstock, Georgia had a season-high nine points vs. Arkansas State. Rogers has multiple offensive rebounds in nine games this season.

Belmont turns the page after graduating program standout and Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard and sharpshooting forward Drew Friberg, among others. Sheppard and Friberg combined to make 177 3-point field goals last season, ranking among national leaders.

What's Bruin

• The Bruins went 21-11 last season, placing third in their inaugural season in the Missouri Valley Conference.
• Isaiah Walker is the lone Bruin with more than two years of experience with the program.
• Belmont, Gonzaga, Kansas and San Diego State are the only NCAA Division I programs to win 19 or more games 18 consecutive seasons.
• Belmont, Gonzaga, Kansas and Oregon are the only NCAA Division I programs to win 20 or more games 13 consecutive seasons.
• Belmont's 421 victories since 2007 leads the state of Tennessee - including Tennessee, Memphis and Vanderbilt.
• Belmont has been a postseason fixture the last two decades. That includes NCAA Tournament appearances in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2019 & 2020.
• Belmont has won 20 conference championships (eight tournament, 12 regular season) since 2006. Only Gonzaga and Kansas have won more conference championships over that span.
• Belmont is among select programs with two or more first-round selections in the NBA Draft over the last five years (Ben Sheppard, Dylan Windler).
• Belmont is the only school in the nation to win 20 or more games eight consecutive seasons in men's and women's basketball.
• Belmont, Gonzaga, Princeton and Buffalo are the only four programs outside the power conferences to win NCAA Tournament games in men's and women's basketball since 2019.
• Since 2010, Belmont (2019) and Iona (2012) are the only two program to earn NCAA Tournament at-large bids from traditional one-bid leagues.
• Belmont has been ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 for 19 consecutive seasons, dating back to 2006.
• Belmont has received national poll votes in 11 of the last 13 seasons.
• Belmont will play up 13 games vs. teams who were Q1/Q2 in the final 2022-23 NET rankings.

 
Nick Muszynski ('22) had 18 points, seven rebounds, five blocked shots and three assists vs. Illinois State (11/10/18) in his first college
game.
 
Belmont has recruited the state of Illinois well in recent years, most notably 2018 graduate Amanze Egekeze (Lake in the Hills), freshman
Drew Scharnowski and Class of 2024 Eoin Dillon.
 
Kyler Vanderjagt had four points and two assists in the first meeting.
 
This marks the sixth meeting between Belmont and Illinois State. The Bruins won, 67-60, Jan. 10 at the Curb Event Center.

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. The live play-by-play of Steve Layman can be heard on Belmont Bruins Radio on iHeartRadio. In-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontMBB.

Belmont tickets are on sale now at BelmontBruins.com/Tickets, including Puckett's flex packs, single-game tickets and group experiences. Fans can also call or text 615.460.BALL (2255).

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 been a postseason fixture the last two decades, 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 13 consecutive seasons (Gonzaga, Kansas, Oregon) and 19 or game games in 18 consecutive seasons (Gonzaga, Kansas, San Diego State). Belmont is among select programs with two or more first-round selections in the NBA Draft over the last five years (Ben Sheppard, Dylan Windler). Belmont University men's basketball boasts an NCAA-leading 19 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