Men's Basketball Plays at Duke Thursday

?? Coach Bradds @JackSmiley2025 @BezJenkins preview Thursday @DukeMBB #ItsBruinTime https://t.co/dEGYYvLJmQ

— Belmont Basketball (@BelmontMBB) October 6, 2026

 
DURHAM, N.C. - -  Belmont University men's basketball begins the Evan Bradds era Thursday at five-time National Champion Duke.
 
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT from Cameron Indoor Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network Extra and the ESPN app. The live play-by-play of Voice of the Bruins Steve Layman can be heard on Belmont Bruins Radio via YouTube, with an extended pregame scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. CT. In-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontMBB.
 
What's Bruin

• Belmont named Evan Bradds the 11^th head men's basketball coach in program history March 19. Bradds succeeds Casey Alexander, who was named head coach at Kansas State.
• Bradds returns to his alma mater, where he stands as Belmont's NCAA Division I era all-time leading scorer with 1,921 points.
• Bradds was a two-time Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American and led Belmont to four conference championships, three Postseason NIT appearances, and the 2015 NCAA Tournament, where the Bruins nearly defeated second-seeded Virginia. The 6-7 forward led Belmont to 91 victories during his playing career, including transformational program victories at North Carolina, Georgia, and Marquette.
• Bradds served on the Duke coaching staff during the 2025-26 season, hired by Jon Scheyer.
• Belmont assistant coach Ja'Darius Harris served as a graduate assistant at Duke during the 2025-26 season.
• Belmont University President Dr. Greg Jones served Duke for two decades as dean of divinity and later as vice president and vice provost.
• Former Belmont all-conference guard Drew Hanlen ('12) has become the leading NBA Strategic Skills Coach & Consultant in the world. He trains former Duke All-American and NBA Champion Jayson Tatum, as well as RJ Barrett.
• Former Belmont all-conference forward Drew Scharnowski is in his first season at Duke.
• Former Belmont graduate assistant Will Black currently serves as lead producer for Duke broadcasts on ESPN and the ACC Network.
• Belmont returns six players who were part of the Bruins' 2026 Missouri Valley Conference regular season championship team, including veterans Isaiah West, Jabez Jenkins, Eoin Dillon, Cooper Haynes, Jack Smiley, and Graydon Lemke.
• Belmont went 26-6 last season, and were ranked Top 50 nationally in 11 statistical categories in 2025-26, including first in effective field goal percentage.
• Belmont, Gonzaga, and Kansas are the only NCAA Division I programs to win 20 or more games 16 consecutive seasons.
• Belmont, Gonzaga, Kansas, and San Diego State are the only NCAA Division I programs to win 19 or more games 21 consecutive seasons.
• Belmont has 166 victories since the start of the 2020 season, which ranks 15th nationally.
• Belmont, Houston, and Louisville are the only NCAA Division I programs to win conference championships in three different conferences over the last two decades.
• Belmont has posted 377 conference wins since 2003 (includes tournament), second to Gonzaga nationally.
• Belmont's 478 victories since 2007 leads the state of Tennessee - including Tennessee, Memphis and Vanderbilt.
• Belmont is the only school in the nation to win 20 or more games 11 consecutive seasons in men's and women's basketball.
   

This marks the third meeting between Belmont and Duke. Duke defeated Belmont, 71-70, in the 2008 NCAA Tournament in Washington, D.C.. Gerald Henderson scored the game-winning basket with 11 seconds left. Belmont guard Alex Renfroe was named Player of the Game.

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer scored 13 points as a sophomore guard for the Blue Devils.
 
As part of the 2011 Maui Invitational, Duke defeated Belmont, 77-76, at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Belmont had five double figure scorers, including 15 points and six assists from Kerron Johnson. A late 3-pointer from Andre Dawkins proved to be the difference.
 
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 21 conference championships since 2006 - third-most nationally over that span (behind Gonzaga and Kansas). Belmont has won 20 or more games in 16 consecutive seasons (alongside Gonzaga and Kansas) and 19 or more games in 21 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 20 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 11 consecutive seasons.
 
How to Follow
Follow Belmont men's basketball on social media - @BelmontMBB on X, formerly Twitter and @belmont_mbb on Instagram - for complete coverage of the Bruins. 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.