Men's Basketball Returns to Conference Play Sunday at [rv/rv] Drake

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University men's basketball returns to Missouri Valley Conference play Sunday at [rv/rv] Drake.

Belmont has not played since a Dec. 19 setback to defending Big West Conference champion UC Irvine, 92-84. The Bruins enter play among select company in NCAA Division I ranking Top 50 in both 2-point and 3-point field goal percentage.
 
Five Belmont players are averaging double figure scoring, led by senior Jonathan Pierre at 13.0 points per game.
 
Pierre earned MVC Newcomer of the Week and Tennessee Sports Writers Association Player of the Week honors following his performance Dec. 14 at Richmond, where he posted a career-high 28 points, seven rebounds and nine assists.
 
The Hallandale, Florida native had six assists and nine rebounds vs. UC Irvine.
 
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 16 points vs. UC Irvine. Walker had 13 points on 5-for-5 shooting in Belmont's victory over Drake last season in Nashville. He recorded his first career double-double of 12 points and 11 rebounds in last season's meeting in Des Moines.

Tyler Lundblade had 11 points vs. UC Irvine. The Dallas, Texas native has eight double figure scoring games this season. He had a career-high 25 points vs. Oral Roberts Nov. 19.
 
Carter Whitt had a career-high 25 points, five rebounds and nine assists vs. UC Irvine. The Raleigh, North Carolina native was named MVC Player of the Week Dec. 9 after flirting with two triple-doubles in leading Belmont to victories over Illinois State and Middle Tennessee. The 6-3 guard ranks among MVC leaders in assists and steals.
 
Brigham Rogers had a season-high 12 points, a career-high five assists and two steals vs. Middle Tennessee. The 6-9 forward scored a career-high 15 points vs. Valparaiso last season. The Woodstock, Georgia native had six points vs. UC Irvine.
 
Brody Peebles made two 3-point field goals vs. UC Irvine. The Hartselle, Alabama native is 84 points from 1,000 for his career.
 
Sam Orme had six points, four rebounds and three steals vs. UC Irvine. The Carmel, Indiana native has five double figure scoring games this season.
 
Drew Scharnowski earned his first career start vs. UC Irvine. The Burlington, Illinois native had eight points, two rebounds and four assists. Scharnowski had a career-high 12 points at Lipscomb.

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 127 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 439 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 and Drake each earned NCAA Tournament at-large bids in recent years; Belmont defeated Temple in the 2019 NCAA Tournament while Drake defeated Wichita State in the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
 
Belmont and Drake each lost all five starters from last year's teams.
 
Drake, ranked No. 28 this week in the AP Top 25 and Coaches' Poll, enters play one of four remaining unbeaten teams in NCAA Division I men's basketball (Tennessee, Florida, Oklahoma).

This marks the sixth meeting between Belmont and Drake.
 
Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. The live play-by-play 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.