Welcome to The Sports Bankโs second annual college basketball season preview series.ย Last year we looked at 99 teams in 99 days.ย This year, we are being slightly more aggressive and expanding to 111 teams in 111 days.ย We will rank the 74 power conference teams and top 37 mid-majors in reverse power ranking order.ย Weโll break down rosters, non-conference schedules, and pick a player to watch for each team.
With an experienced, balanced attack, the Belmont Bruins should once again be able to compete on a national scale this season.ย They return nine players from their 11-man rotation and will be an unstoppable force in their final year in the Atlantic Sun before moving to the Ohio Valley Conference.
BELMONT BRUINS
Last Season: 1st, 19-1 in A-Sun, 30-5 overall
Predicted A-Sun Finish: 1st
Projected Depth Chart
C: Mick Hedgepeth (Sr)/Scott Saunders (Sr)/Chad Lang (Fr)
PF: Trevor Noack (Jr)/Brandon Baker (Jr)
G/F: J.J. Mann (So)/Blake Jenkins (So)/Holden Mobley (Fr)
SG: Ian Clark (Jr)/Spencer Turner (Fr)/Adam Barnes (Jr)
PG: Drew Hanlen (Sr)/Kerron Johnson (Jr)/Reece Chamberlain (Fr)
Gone: G/F-Jordan Campbell, G/F-Jon House
2011-2012 Outlook:
Long-time head coach Rick Byrd has turned Belmont into a powerful low major basketball program.ย Last season, the Bruins earned their fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in six years and were considered by many as a sexy sleeper pick before bowing out in the opening round at the hands of Wisconsin.ย With four starters back, a repeat of last year’s thirty win season is not out of the question.
The Bruins were able to wear teams down with their depth last season as 11 players saw at least ten minutes per game with no player averaging more than 25 minutes a night.ย As a result, balance was a huge asset for Belmont with nine players averaging at least five points per contest on a team that finished 11th in Division One in scoring.ย That should once again be the case this season.
A huge part of Belmont’s high powered offense is their three-point shooting and the fact that almost every player on their roster is capable of knocking down outside shots.ย Leading scorer Ian Clark connected on nearly 43% of his triple tries as did back-up point guard Kerron Johnson.ย Their ability to light it up from deep compliments incumbent starting point guard Drew Hanlen who will act as the team’s floor general.ย He brings great poise and leadership to the floor.
The biggest challenge facing the Bruins comes on the wing where they lose starter Jon House and key reserve Jordan Campbell.ย J.J. Mann will likely step into the starting role coming off a year in which he was named to the A-Sun All-Freshman Team.ย Mann struggled shooting the ball last season but is capable of three-point threat.ย Redshirt freshman Holden Mobley and true freshman Spencer Turner will try to crack the rotation.
Everyone is back in the frontcourt which is a major advantage for Belmont.ย The Mick Hedgepeth/Scott Saunders center duo combined to average 20.7 points and 11.2 boards a game.ย Both guys were on the Atlantic Sun All-Conference Second Team even though Saunders did not start a single game.ย Redshirt freshman Chad Lang is a big body inside who provides Byrd with even more depth.
At power forward, Trevor Noack and Brandon Baker each saw minutes in the starting line-up.ย They fit their roles as physical, hard nosed, energy guys but won’t do anything to overwhelm you.ย Blake Jenkins brings some athleticism to the floor and can play either forward spot.
Outside of their first two games of the season, road contests at Duke and Memphis, Belmont will not really be tested this season.ย It won’t be until tourney time when we figure out whether the Bruins have what it takes to finally get their first win at the Big Dance and see if they can officially put on Cinderella’s slipper.ย With a deep, experienced team, nobody will want to see this team in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Player to Watch: Scick Hedgeders
Yes, I know there is no player who has that name on the Belmont roster but the center duo is a force inside especially against Atlantic Sun teams that don’t have the size to match-up with Hedgepeth and Saunders.ย ย Their height inside forces teams to often double down in the post which leaves the dangerous Bruin shooters free on the perimeter.
Key Non-Conference Games:
11/11 at Duke
11/15 at Memphis
12/19 at Marshall
12/29 vs. Marshall
OTHER 111 IN 111’S:
#41 Mississippi State Bulldogs
#42 Saint Mary’s Gaels
#43 Purdue Boilermakers
#44 BYU Cougars
#45 Kansas State Wildcats
#46 West Virginia Mountaineers
#47 Virginia Cavaliers
#48 George Mason Patriots
#49 Old Dominion Monarchs
#50 VCU Rams
#51 Kent State Golden Flashes
#52 Arkansas Razorbacks
#53 St. John’s Red Storm
#54 Northwestern Wildcats
#55 Georgetown Hoyas
#56 Miami Hurricanes
#57 Nevada Wolfpack
#58 Detroit Titans
#59 UCF Knights
#60 Long Beach State 49ers
#61 Virginia Tech Hokies
#62 Clemson Tigers
#63 New Mexico State Aggies
#64 Tennessee Volunteers
#65 Iona Gaels
#66 Murray State Racers
#67 N.C. State Wolfpack
#68 Fairfield Stags
#69 George Washingon Colonials
#70 Indiana State Sycamores
#71 Oklahoma State Cowboys
#72 Indiana Hoosiers
#73 UAB Blazers
#74 Iowa State Cyclones
#75 Creighton Bluejays
#76 USC Trojans
#77 Weber State Wildcats
#78 Maryland Terrapins
#79 Tulsa Golden Hurricane
#80 Minnesota Golden Gophers
#81 Western Michigan Broncos
#82 Dayton Flyers
#83 Stanford Cardinal
#84 Yale Bulldogs
#85 Georgia Bulldogs
#86 Rutgers Scarlet Knights
#87 Richmond Spiders
#88 Ball State Cardinals
#89 Utah State Aggies
#90 Arizona State Sun Devils
#91 Marshall Thundering Herd
#92 Oregon State Beavers
#93 Washington State Cougars
#94 Iowa Hawkeyes
#95 Ole Miss Rebels
#96 Nebraska Cornhuskers
#97 Oklahoma Sooners
#98 South Florida Bulls
#99 LSU Tigers
#100 Colorado Buffaloes
#101 DePaul Blue Demons
#102 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
#103 Wake Forest Demon Deacons
#104 Seton Hall Pirates
#105 Providence Friars
#106 Auburn Tigers
#107 South Carolina Gamecocks
#108 Texas Tech Red Raiders
#109 Penn State Nittany Lions
#110 Boston College Eagles
#111 Utah Utes
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank.ย He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities.ย David has appeared on numerous national radio programs spanning from Cleveland to New Orleans to Honolulu.ย He also had the most accurate 2011 NBA Mock Draft on the web.
You can follow him on Twitter at DavidKay_TSB.
