Men's Basketball Visits Southern Illinois Saturday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont men's basketball returns to game action Saturday at Southern Illinois.
 
Belmont (16-3, 6-2 MVC) defeated Valparaiso Tuesday for its third consecutive victory.
 
The Bruins rank among the top second-half teams in all of college basketball this season, outscoring their opponents by over 10 points per game while shooting 58 percent from the field, 48 percent from 3-point distance, outrebounding the opposition by +5, and handing out nearly 10 assists per second half.
 
Belmont leads the nation in effective field goal percentage (60.6) – which accounts for 2-point and 3-point field goal attempts. Belmont, Saint Louis, and Miami (OH) are the only three programs in America to rank Top 15 nationally in 2-point field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage per Ken Pomeroy.
 
Moreover, Belmont joins Michigan, Louisville, and Saint Louis as one of four programs to rank Top 15 nationally in 2-point field goal percentage offense and 2-point field goal percentage defense.
 
Belmont has scored 78 or more points in eight of its last nine games, with the lone exception coming Jan. 4 vs. Southern Illinois.
 
Annually one of the nation's top 3-point shooting teams, Belmont has outscored its opposition in points in the paint by a combined +286 points through 19 games. The Bruins have outscored 18 of 19 opponents in points in the paint, including College of Charleston and Middle Tennessee by +22 points each. Belmont outscored Valparaiso, 46-20, in points in the paint Tuesday.
 
Belmont also leads the nation in true road victories and road/neutral victories.
 
Tyler Lundblade has 17 double figure scoring games this season. Lundblade scored 22 points vs. Toledo Nov. 26 en route to Coconut Hoops Most Valuable Player honors. He ranks among MVC and NCAA leaders in 3-point field goals per game and free throw percentage. Lundblade leads the MVC in six statistical categories, including 3-point field goals made and minutes per game. He scored 19 points at Southern Illinois last season.

Drew Scharnowski has 12 double figure scoring games this season, including three double-doubles. He had 10 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals at Drake. Scharnowski scored the go-ahead basket with 11 seconds left vs. Valparaiso Tuesday. The 6-9 forward ranks among MVC leaders in defensive blocked shot rate, offensive rebounding rate, and effective field goal percentage per Ken Pomeroy. Scharnowski has 71 rebounds over his last eight games. He had a career-high 20 points and eight rebounds at Murray State.
 
Brigham Rogers continues to provide consistent production for the Bruins. The 6-9 forward has seven double figure scoring games this season. His basket with 1:07 left helped Belmont defeat UIC. Rogers ranked among MVC leaders in offensive rebounding and blocked shots last season. He had seven rebounds at Drake. Rogers had a career-high 17 points and nine rebounds vs. Southern Illinois last season.
 
Sam Orme ranks among the most versatile and consistent players in the MVC. The Carmel, Indiana native has 14 double figure scoring games this season, including a career-high 21 points vs. Air Force. The forward had 12 points and 12 rebounds at UC Irvine. Orme has multiple 3-pointers in 12 games this season. Orme had 10 points and six rebounds in limited minutes vs. Southern Illinois earlier this season.

Nic McClain has been an important two-way player for Belmont this season. The Jennings, Florida native has eight double figure scoring games, and leads the MVC and ranks 22^nd nationally in assists per game. McClain had 12 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists at College of Charleston. He scored a season-high 20 points at Middle Tennessee.
 
Bez Jenkins has been an impactful two-way player for Belmont this season. The Covington, Georgia native has nine double figure scoring games this season. He had a career-high 18 points and seven rebounds vs. Bradley and posted a team-high 17 points vs. Valparaiso Tuesday. Jenkins also scored a team-high 17 points vs. Southern Illinois earlier this season.
 
Isaiah West has been a mainstay for Belmont this season. The Springfield, Tennessee native has 75 career game appearances, and made his first career start for Belmont Jan. 7 at Northern Iowa. The 6-2 guard had nine points, five rebounds, three assists, and five steals at Drake.
 
Jack Smiley has keyed outstanding bench contributions this season. The Indiana native had a career-high 19 points and six assists at Northern Iowa. Smiley had 17 points in 13 minutes vs. Saint Francis in the Coconut Hoops opening game. He scored 11 second-half points vs. UIC en route to MVC Freshman of the Week honors. Smiley had a clutch basket with 24 seconds left to help secure the victory at Evansville. The 6-2 guard had a career-high seven assists vs. Bradley. Smiley scored 11 points vs. Valparaiso Tuesday.
 
Eoin Dillon had a career-high 14 points – all in the second half – at Drake. He scored 12 points at UC Irvine. The 6-9 forward has made game-tying or go-ahead baskets in the final minutes of four games this season. Dillon has posted double figure scoring in four of his last seven games.
 
Win Miller has provided quality bench contributions for the Bruins. The Vestavia Hills, Alabama native scored nine points in 14 minutes vs. Bradley. He has posted two double figure scoring games this season, including 10 points in 19 minutes at Oral Roberts. Miller scored six points at Drake.

Belmont ranks Top 50 nationally in nine statistical categories, including 1^st in effective field goal percentage, ninth nationally in field goal percentage defense, 13^th nationally in defensive rebounds per game, and 26^th nationally in assists per game.
 
Southern Illinois (8-10, 2-5 MVC) ranks as a Quad 2 game according to the NET and Ken Pomeroy. The Salukis have played one of the nation's toughest schedules, with eight of their 10 losses coming by single figures or overtime. Southern Illinois leads the MVC in rebounds per game and fast break points, and ranks second in defensive efficiency.
 
Southern Illinois is led by guard Quel'Ron House. The Louisville, Kentucky native ranks among MVC leaders in usage rate and assists. He has 11 games with two or more steals, including a career-high seven steals vs. Drake Wednesday.
 
Belmont went 22-11 last season. The Bruins' 46 conference wins over the last three-plus seasons rank third in the MVC.
 
With 20 conference championships and 367 conference wins – second only to Gonzaga – over the past two decades, Belmont is poised for another strong season.
 
The Bruins have 11 returning players, including guard Tyler Lundblade and forwards Sam Orme and Brigham Rogers who were named to the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Watch List.

What's Bruin

• Belmont is the only NCAA Division I institution in the nation to win 20 or more games 10 consecutive seasons in men's and women's basketball.
• Belmont has 156 victories since the start of the 2020 season, ranking Top 20 nationally.
• 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 468 victories since 2007 leads the state of Tennessee - including Tennessee, Memphis, and Vanderbilt.
• Belmont finished Top 3 in the Missouri Valley Conference in 12 statistical categories in 2024-25 and ranked among national leaders in assists per game, 3-point field goal percentage, and 3-point field goals per game.
• Belmont head coach Casey Alexander is one of six NCAA Division I head coaches to win 20 or more games in nine consecutive seasons, joining Dana Altman (Oregon), Mark Few (Gonzaga), Greg McDermott (Creighton), and Kelvin Sampson (Houston), and Bill Self (Kansas).
• Matt Norlander of CBS Sports picked Belmont to win the Missouri Valley Conference and had the Bruins ranked No. 84 nationally in his preseason rankings. Belmont was picked fifth in the MVC Preseason Poll and third by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.
• Missouri Valley Conference teams are 13-4 in their first game in the NCAA tourney dating back to 2012. The league has combined for 21 wins in the NCAA Tournament in the past 12 NCAA championships and has had multiple bids 16 times since 1994.

 
Tyler Lundblade is the only player in college basketball to walk-on and earn a scholarship at three different schools (SMU, TCU, Belmont).

This marks the eighth meeting between Belmont and Southern Illinois. The Salukis lead the series, 4-3. Southern Illinois won Jan. 4 in Nashville. Belmont won both games last season, including, 73-68, in Carbondale.

Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. from the Banterra Center. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and the ESPN app. The live play-by-play of Voice of the Bruins Steve Layman can be heard on Belmont Bruins Radio. In-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontMBB.

Belmont season tickets – which include the entire men's and women's basketball home schedule – are on sale now at belmontbruins.com/tickets. 

To become a Bruin Club member, contact Russell Grimm at (615) 460-5668 or russell.grimm@belmont.edu.
 
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 15 consecutive seasons (alongside Gonzaga, Kansas, and Oregon) and 19 or more games in 20 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 six 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 10 consecutive seasons.