Eubank, Brodie, McCarn and Rust Named MVC Players to Watch

ST. LOUIS — Belmont University women's basketball's Quinn Eubank, KK Brodie, Kenley McCarn and Lauren Rust have all been named Missouri Valley Conference Players to Watch, as announced by the conference office Wednesday morning. The quartet looks to make a profound impact on the Bruins' fast-approaching 2026-27 season, which gets underway on Monday, Nov. 2 in Princeton, New Jersey.
 
One of four returning letter winners from Belmont's 2025-26 campaign, junior guard Eubank saw a much expanded role last season as a sophomore. The Union, Kentucky (Ryle HS), native started all but one game and averaged over 28 minutes a contest. Eubank led the Bruins in rebounding last year, averaging 6.8 per outing, and reached double-figure boards eight times. Leading Belmont in double-doubles (4), Eubank averaged 6.9 points and produced eight double-figure scoring games. She shot a team-best 41.4 percent (29-of-70) from beyond the arc and co-led the Bruins from the floor, shooting 44.2 percent (84-of-190) overall.
 
Like Eubank, fifth-year center Brodie is one of four returning letter winners from last season. In her first year at Belmont in 2025-26 after transferring from Pepperdine, Brodie made six starts and played in all 32 games, averaging 19.2 minutes per contest. The Columbia, Missouri (Rock Bridge HS), native averaged 5.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.2 assists per game last season. Brodie ranked 27th nationally in blocks per game and was 34th in the nation in total blocks (58) last year. In the Valley, Brodie ranked second in blocks per outing and was third in total blocks. Scoring in double figures on six occasions, including two of the last three games of the season, Brodie shot 41.7 percent (73-of-175) from the floor and made 10 of her 26 3-point attempts (38.5 percent). Brodie tallied at least three blocks in 10 games.
 
A three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference selection, graduate guard McCarn spent the last four years at the University of Tennessee at Martin where she scored over 1,500 points. A two-time All-OVC First Team performer, McCarn started 97 of the 98 games she played for the Skyhawks. The Melbourne, Arkansas (Melbourne HS), native has already established herself as one of the nation's elite scorers, totaling 1,516 points in just over three seasons of action. In addition to her scoring, McCarn has collected 447 rebounds, distributed 228 assists and earned 140 steals. Averaging 15.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game for her career, McCarn is an 85.6 percent (232-of-271) career free-throw shooter. Across her freshman and sophomore seasons, McCarn was six times named OVC Freshman of the Week and was chosen as OVC Player of the Week twice. Already attaining her bachelor's degree in accounting and finance from UT Martin, McCarn is pursuing her Master of Business Administration in Belmont's accelerated MBA program.
 
Senior forward Rust spent her first three seasons in the Atlantic Coast Conference at the University of Pittsburgh where she played in 47 games and made 23 starts for the Panthers. A native of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada (The Webb School), Rust has collected 216 rebounds and is a 77.5 percent (31-of-40) career free-throw shooter. In 877 total minutes on the court for Pitt, Rust averaged 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 points, dished out 38 assists, came up with 24 steals, and made 13 blocks. As a junior last season, Rust averaged 5.1 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 29 games and 19 starts for the Panthers. She posted double-figure rebounds in five different games and scored in double figures four times.
 
Eubank and Brodie are joined by sophomore forward Leah West and sophomore guard Kate McGinnis as the Bruins' four returning letter winners. Belmont returns six in all from its 2025-26 season, including sophomore guards Tatum Woodson and Rylie Beers.
 
McCarn and Rust are two of the Bruins' five newcomers for the 2026-27 season. Graduate transfer guard Katie Criswell (North Alabama), freshman guard Chelby Jordan (Trenton, Tenn.) and freshman forward Samiya Jones (Memphis, Tenn.) complete Belmont's newcomers.
 
The Bruins were selected third in the MVC Preseason Poll as voted upon by the league's head coaches, media members and communications directors, but received a pair of first-place votes in the preseason predicted order of finish.
 
Belmont went 20-12 overall last season and 16-4 in the Valley, finishing second in the 11-team conference. The Bruins have placed first or second in its conference 10 of the last 11 seasons.
 
Only six other programs in the country have also won 20-plus games for 11 consecutive seasons — UConn, South Carolina, Baylor, Iowa, NC State and South Dakota State.
 
Belmont is also one of only seven teams in the nation to have won 10 or more conference championships, regular season and tournament combined, over the last 10 seasons — UConn (20), Florida Gulf Coast (16), South Carolina (14), Princeton (12), South Dakota State (12), Belmont (11) and Green Bay (10).
 
The Bruins have claimed seven national postseason victories over the last six seasons, including back-to-back NCAA Tournament round of 32 appearances in 2021 and 2022 and a run to the 2025 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) championship game.
 
Tenth-year head coach Bart Brooks has once again put together one of the most impressive non-conference schedules in the nation. Belmont will see eight teams who reached national postseason play last March, including five 2026 NCAA Tournament Teams (Princeton, Tennessee, LSU, Iowa State, Vanderbilt) and 2026 WBIT champion Columbia, during its non-conference slate. Nine of the Bruins' 12 non-conference opponents were ranked in the top 100 of last year's NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, including six who were in the top 50 — LSU (No. 3), Vanderbilt (No. 7), Tennessee (No. 25), Iowa State (No. 33), Princeton (No. 37) and Columbia (No. 45).
 
Additionally, 11 of Belmont's 12 non-conference opponents had a winning record in 2025-26 and seven reached at least 20 wins.
 
The Bruins' non-conference schedule also includes a prestigious MTE (multi-team event) in the Bahamas for a second-straight year as Belmont will take part in the 2026 Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship over Thanksgiving weekend. Held at the beautiful Grand Hyatt Baha Mar resort in Nassau, Bahamas, the Bruins will take on Iowa State (Nov. 27) and Marquette (Nov. 29) in the island MTE.
 
Belmont will begin its 2026-27 journey at Princeton, who is receiving votes in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, before hosting South Florida and Columbia the weekend of Nov. 6-8 as part of the Opening Statement, a new cross-conference event featuring the top teams from the MVC, the American Conference, Atlantic 10 Conference and Ivy League. The Atlantic 10's Rhode Island will also be in action at the Curb Event Center for the Opening Statement but will not face the Bruins. Nashville is one of two Opening Statement sites with the A-10's Richmond serving as the other host the same weekend. Fellow MVC member Murray State will participate in the Spiders' four-team event.
 
Season Tickets
Basketball season tickets, which include all Belmont women's and men's home games, are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting BelmontBruins.com/Tickets. Bruin Club memberships are also available.
 
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