Men's Basketball Visits Drake Saturday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont men's basketball returns to game action Saturday at Drake.
 
Belmont (14-3, 4-2 MVC) defeated Northern Iowa, 78-65, Wednesday for its eighth victory of the season away from home – by a combined margin of +163 points.
 
The Bruins became the first team to score 70 points in regulation vs. Northern Iowa – the nation's leader in scoring defense - this season.
 
Belmont joins Michigan, Louisville, Indiana, and Saint Louis as one of five programs to rank Top 15 nationally in 2-point field goal percentage offense and 2-point field goal percentage defense.
 
Additionally, Belmont leads the nation in effective field goal percentage (61.4) – which accounts for 2-point and 3-point field goal attempts.
 
Annually one of the nation's top 3-point shooting teams, Belmont has outscored its opposition in points in the paint by a combined +246 points through 17 games. The Bruins have outscored 16 of 17 opponents in points in the paint, including College of Charleston and Middle Tennessee by +22 points each.
 
Tyler Lundblade had 14 points and five rebounds at Northern Iowa. The Dallas, Texas native has scored in double figures in 19 of his last 21 games, including the first 15 games of 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 is 32-for-64 (.500) over the last eight games.

Drew Scharnowski has 10 double figure scoring games this season, including two double-doubles. 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 54 rebounds over his last six 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.
 
Sam Orme ranks among the most versatile and consistent players in the MVC. The Carmel, Indiana native has 12 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 11 games this season. Orme led Belmont in scoring in both games vs. Drake last 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 11^th nationally in assists. 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 eight double figure scoring games this season. He has posted 44 points, 18 rebounds, and six steals on 60 percent shooting over his last three games. Jenkins had 14 points and seven rebounds at College of Charleston. The dynamic guard has an over 100 offensive rating in 12 games this season per Ken Pomeroy.
 
Isaiah West has been a mainstay for Belmont this season. The Springfield, Tennessee native has 73 career game appearances, and made his first career start for Belmont Jan. 7 at Northern Iowa. The 6-2 guard had a career-high six rebounds at Oral Roberts.
 
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.
 
Eoin Dillon had a career-high 12 points at UC Irvine. The 6-9 forward has made game-tying or go-ahead baskets in the final seconds of two games this season.
 
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.

Belmont ranks Top 50 nationally in nine statistical categories, including 1^st in effective field goal percentage, eighth nationally in field goal percentage defense, 13^th nationally in defensive rebounds per game, and 27^th nationally in assists per game.
 
Drake (8-8, 2-3 MVC) has earned victories over Georgia Tech and College of Charleston, among others this season. The Bulldogs rank second in the MVC and 19^th nationally in turnovers per game
 
Drake is led by guard Jalen Quinn. The veteran ranks among MVC leaders in 12 statistical categories, including tied for first in scoring, second in free throw attempts, and third in usage rate. Quinn has 14 double figure scoring games this season.
 
Belmont went 22-11 last season. The Bruins' 44 conference wins over the last three-plus seasons rank third in the MVC.
 
With 20 conference championships and 364 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 154 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 466 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 Drake. The Bulldogs lead the series, 5-2. Belmont won the first game in the series before the Bruins joined the MVC, in the 2021 ESPN Events Invitational. The programs only met once during the regular season last year, with Drake winning in Des Moines. Drake also won a fiercely-competitive game in the MVC semifinal round last year.

Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. from the Knapp 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.