Men's Basketball Plays Richmond Saturday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's basketball plays at defending Atlantic 10 Conference regular season champion Richmond Saturday.

Belmont defeated Middle Tennessee, 82-79, Dec. 7. Carter Whitt had 14 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and three steals, including four consecutive free throws in the final 11 seconds to secure the victory.
 
The Raleigh, North Carolina native was named Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week Monday.
 
Belmont has posted five double figure scorers in six of its first 10 games.
 
Six Bruins are averaging between 9.5 and 12.5 points per game, paced by junior Isaiah Walker.

Tyler Lundblade had nine points vs. Middle Tennessee. The Dallas, Texas native has six double figure scoring games this season. He had a career-high 25 points vs. Oral Roberts Nov. 19.
 
Isaiah Walker posted a career-high 24 points vs. Illinois State. The Wyoming, Ohio native ranks among team leaders in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals. Walker had 14 points, eight rebounds, and two steals vs. Middle Tennessee.
 
Jonathan Pierre has posted six double figure scoring games. The Hallandale, Florida native leads Belmont in rebounding and ranks second on the team in assists.
 
Brigham Rogers had a season-high 12 points, a career-high five assists and two steals vs. Middle Tennessee. The Woodstock, Georgia native scored a career-high 15 points vs. Valparaiso last season.
 
The Bruins enter the season alongside Gonzaga, Kansas, and Oregon as one of four programs to win 20 or more games 14 consecutive seasons.
 
This marks the first time since its inaugural NCAA Division I season of 1996-97 that Belmont enters a campaign having to replace all five starters.
 
Belmont went 20-13 last season, finishing fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference.

What's Bruin

• Belmont is the only NCAA Division I institution in the nation to win 20 or more games nine consecutive seasons in men's and women's basketball.
• Belmont has 126 victories since the start of the 2020 season, ranking T-13 nationally to open the season.
• 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's 438 victories since 2007 leads the state of Tennessee - including Tennessee, Memphis, and Vanderbilt.
• This marks the first time since the 2013-14 season that Belmont enters a campaign without a returning all-conference player. That season, led by OVC Player of the Year and AP All-America Honorable Mention selection JJ Mann, Belmont won the OVC, won 26 games and reached the Postseason NIT Elite 8.
• Belmont finished Top 3 in the Missouri Valley Conference in 10 statistical categories in 2023-24 and ranked among national leaders in 3-point field goal percentage, effective field goal percentage, assists and scoring offense.
• Belmont head coach Casey Alexander is one of six NCAA Division I head coaches to win 20 or more games in eight consecutive seasons, joining Dana Altman (Oregon), Mark Few (Gonzaga), Greg McDermott (Creighton), Kelvin Sampson (Houston), and Bill Self (Kansas).

 
Belmont guard Aidan Noyes spent the previous three seasons at Richmond. Noyes had 27 game appearances and seven starts for Richmond. 

Richmond director of tennis Houston Barrick is the son of Belmont associate athletic director Steve Barrick.
 
This marks the second meeting between Belmont and Richmond.
 
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on Mid-Atlantic Sports Network (MASN), ESPN+ and the ESPN app. The live play-by-play of Steve Layman can be heard on Belmont Bruins Radio. In-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontMBB.

Belmont tickets are on sale now at BelmontBruins.com/Tickets, in addition to 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 for 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 (behind Gonzaga and Kansas). Belmont has won 20 or more games in 14 consecutive seasons (alongside Gonzaga, Kansas, and Oregon) and 19 or more games in 19 consecutive seasons (alongside Gonzaga, Kansas, and 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 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 its existence. Belmont is the only NCAA Division I institution in America whose men's and women's basketball programs have won 20 or more games in nine consecutive seasons.