Tuti Jones Selected as MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year

ST. LOUIS – Three-time Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete Team member Tuti Jones has been chosen as the 2026 MVC Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In addition to Jones, Jailyn Banks, Hilary Fuller and Avery Strickland have been named to the 2026 MVC Scholar-Athlete Team. All four Belmont University women's basketball student-athletes hold a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 and are starters.
 
A two-time Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association (ADA) Scholar-Athlete Team selection and the 2024 DI-AAA ADA Postgraduate Scholarship award winner, Jones is a two-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District^® honoree. The graduate guard from Troy, Alabama (Charles Henderson HS), is a two-time All-MVC performer and broke the Bruins' all-time steals record on Jan. 15 in a win at Indiana State. In addition to her program-record 445 career steals, Jones is second in scoring in Belmont's NCAA era (1,748 points). She is the only Bruin in Belmont's NCAA era to record 1,500 points, distribute 500 assists and gather 700 rebounds.
 
Across all divisions of NCAA basketball, Jones is the nation's current leader in games played (168) and is third among active career steals leaders.
 
Jones graduated with her bachelor's degree in sport administration in May of 2024 and is in her final semester of graduate school. Set to receive her master's degree in sport administration this May, Jones owns a perfect 4.0 GPA.
 
The 2023-24 MVC Freshman of the Year, Banks was also a CSC Academic All-District^® honoree last year. A two-time All-MVC selection, Banks was named to the 2025 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) All-Tournament Team last April after helping lead the Bruins to the championship game. Averaging a team-best 15.3 points per outing, Banks has scored in double figures in 20 of the 23 games she's played in this season. The junior guard from Spring Hill, Tennessee (Middle Tennessee Christian School), became Belmont's 37th 1,000-point scorer against Murray State on Jan. 31.
 
Majoring in sport administration and minoring in business administration, Banks has maintained a 3.5 cumulative GPA.
 
Emerging as one of the Bruins' top playmakers this season, Fuller has registered 20 double-figure scoring games in 2025-26 and has put together five 20-point performances in MVC play. A native of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia (All Hallows' School), Fuller is averaging 14 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per contest. The sophomore forward has posted a 3.55 cumulative GPA as a marketing major.
 
After graduating from the University of Tennessee with her bachelor's degree in recreation and sport management, Strickland has been outstanding at Belmont this season. Shooting a team-best 44.9 percent from the floor, Strickland has scored a team-high 406 points and knocked down a team-leading 54 three-pointers. On Feb. 2, Strickland was named MVC Newcomer of the Week following her performances at Evansville in an overtime win and versus the Racers at home. A guard from Knoxville, Tennessee (Farragut HS), Strickland holds an unblemished 4.0 GPA while pursuing her Master of Science degree in strategic communication and leadership.
 
To be eligible for the MVC Women's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Team, nominees must have a 3.50 cumulative GPA as both an undergraduate and graduate student. Student-athletes must be at least a sophomore in academic and athletic standing. Additionally, eligible nominees must compete in 75 percent of the team's games played or must start in at least 50 percent of the team's games.
 
Each school may nominate up to four eligible student-athletes. The MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year is voted upon by the Valley's women's basketball communications directors.
 
Up Next
The Bruins begin postseason play Friday evening in the quarterfinals of the Credit Union 1 MVC Tournament in Coralville, Iowa. As the No. 2 seed, Belmont will take on either seventh-seeded the University of Illinois Chicago or 10th-seeded Evansville, at 6 p.m. inside Xtream Arena. The quarterfinal matchup will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
Credit Union 1 MVC Tournament
The 2026 Credit Union 1 MVC Tournament will be held Thursday-Sunday, March 12-15 in Coralville, Iowa, at Xtream Arena. All-session tournament passes can be purchased here. Rooms are also available for booking at the official Belmont fan hotel – Drury Inn & Suites.
 
How to Follow
Follow Belmont women's basketball on social media - @BelmontWBB on X, formerly Twitter, @belmontwbb on Instagram and Belmont Women's Basketball on Facebook - 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.