Women's Hoops Ranked 15th in Preseason Mid-Major Top 25® Poll

BOSTON – With the Belmont University women's basketball team's 2024-25 season getting underway in just over a week, the Bruins have been ranked 15th in preseason CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25^® poll, which was released late Tuesday afternoon. Belmont ended last season ranked 18th in the national mid-major poll.
 
The Bruins began last year No. 20 in the Mid-Major Top 25^® preseason poll.
 
Despite being picked third in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll and receiving only three first-place votes, Belmont has finished no worse than second in its conference for nine consecutive seasons.
 
Graduate guard Tuti Jones, senior forward Kendal Cheesman and sophomore guard Jailyn Banks were all named Preseason All-MVC. The Bruins return a total of four players who earned recognition from the Valley last season, including junior guard Emily La Chapell (MVC All-Newcomer Team). Banks was the 2023-24 MVC Freshman of the Year, an All-MVC Third Team selection and an MVC All-Freshman Team honoree. Both Jones and Cheesman landed spots on the All-MVC Third Team and Jones was also a member of the MVC All-Defensive Team.
 
Led by eighth-year head coach Bart Brooks, who was named to the preseason watch list for the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award presented by Her Hoop Stats for the second consecutive year, Belmont will feature five newcomers this season. Graduate transfer guards Jacee Busick (Charlotte) and Kendall Holmes (South Dakota/DePaul) have combined for 1,382 points and 150 NCAA Division I starts and both will be experienced contributors for the Bruins. Belmont also welcomed three talented freshmen over the summer with guard Quinn Eubank (Union, Ky.), forward Hilary Fuller (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) and guard Sanaa Tripp (Covington, Ga.) ready to make their Bruin debuts.
 
Belmont went 26-9 last year, securing its most wins in a season since 2018-19 and earning its 11th national postseason bid in 12 seasons. The Bruins claimed their third national postseason victory in four years with a 77-59 road win at Ball State in the first-ever Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) game. Going 17-3 in MVC play, Belmont finished second in the Valley.
 
The winningest program in the state of Tennessee over the last 10 seasons, the Bruins have made six of the last eight NCAA Tournaments and reached the Round of 32 back-to-back years in 2022 and 2021.
 
Belmont (11) is one of only five teams in the country to have won more than 10 combined conference championships, regular season and tournament, over the last eight seasons. The Bruins are one of only 10 programs in the nation to have won 20 or more games for nine-straight seasons.
 
Annually playing one of the most difficult non-conference schedules in all of college basketball, Belmont will take on six, and possibly seven, power conference programs in 2024-25. In fact, the Bruins will face three teams who are ranked in the top 15 of both the preseason Associated Press (AP) Top 25 and USA Today Sports/Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Coaches Poll within the first three weeks of the season – No. 13/13 Kansas State (Nov. 7), No. 14/14 Ohio State (Nov. 17) and No. 11/11 Duke (Nov. 21). On Dec. 20, Belmont will travel to 22nd-ranked Kentucky and Middle Tennessee, who's receiving votes in both preseason national polls, will visit the Curb Event Center on Dec. 7.
 
The Bruins' non-conference schedule also includes a prestigious MTE (multi-team event) for the third consecutive season. Belmont will head down to the Sunshine State Thanksgiving weekend for the second time in three years for the 2024 Elevance Health Fort Myers Tip-Off, held Friday and Saturday, Nov. 29-30 at Florida SouthWestern State College's Suncoast Credit Union Arena. The Bruins will see Michigan on Friday, Nov. 29 and either Virginia Tech or Davidson on Saturday, Nov. 30 in Florida. Both the Wolverines and the Hokies are receiving at least one vote in the preseason USA Today Sports/WBCA Poll.
 
Fellow MVC teams Drake (No. 6) and Northern Iowa (No. 12) are also ranked in the preseason Mid-Major Top 25^®. The Lady Raiders are ranked fourth in the preseason mid-major poll and received a first-place vote.
 
Now in its 15th season, the Mid-Major Top 25^® is voted on by 31 Division I head coaches.
 
Next Thursday, Nov. 7, Belmont travels to 13th-ranked Kansas State for its season opener in Manhattan, Kansas. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
The Bruins' home opener is Thursday, Nov. 14 against Kennesaw State and the nationally-ranked Buckeyes visit the Music City on Sunday, Nov. 17.
 
Ticket Info
Season tickets are on sale now for $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 2024-25 season are 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 X, formerly 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.